Geography Lesson

When I posted a photo yesterday of me in the Khyber Pass, I took for granted that everyone would know where that is. I should be ashamed of myself.

OK, class - unfold your Virtual Map of the World. Can you locate the Indian Subcontinent? I knew you could! Now go almost straight up until you see the city of New Delhi. Got it? Good!

Now go West (that's to your left) until you get to the border of India and Pakistan. On the Indian side is the city of Amritsar while the Pakistan city is Lahore. Take a break - smoke 'em if you got 'em.

Lets go left and up (north) again and you'll see Rawalpindi and Islamabad - two cities in Pakistan that are right next to each other. Everyone on the same page? OK, now go left again following the main road and you'll see the town of Peshawar. You are now pretty much at the Pakistani end of the Khyber Pass, which runs through the mountains and will take you to Kabul, Afghanistan (though I have no idea why you would ever want to). Congratulations! You've just traced part of the old Silk Road, one of the most famous trading route in history.

There's lots of history in this little patch of ground. If you ever get the chance, look for the old movie "King of the Khyber Rifles", which I believe stars Errol Flynn. Many British Regiments fought here and have left their unit insignia in the walls of the Pass as a tribute to those who died.



If you look closely at this next photo, you'll just make out the flat-roofed adobe homes on the plain in the foreground. The "change of scenery" behind the village is typical of this region, and a very good reason why a small dedicated group of Islamofascists like Osama and his Merrie Camel Fuckers can hide out for years. What you're looking at here is the start of the Himalayan Mountains.



And yeah, I know the color sucks in the photos, but if you were as old as they are - and if you'd been developed in Pakistan - you'd be off-color your own damn self!