Kabul, Afghanistan | 1970

This is just a typical street scene in the center of the city. At that time, it was peaceful and very friendly toward itinerant foreigners. Generally you could photograph pretty much what you wanted with the exception of the tribal women, which was prohibited. The city was a mixture of modern men and women in western dress and people from the hills straight out of “The King of the Khyber Rifles”. It was exceptionally beautiful with the mosques, the bazaars and the parks everywhere.

Three of us (2 Australians and me) came to Kabul by bus from Peshawar, Pakistan over the Khyber Pass where the remnants of the old British forts could still be seen. Across the aisle from me was an old man looking like he had fought the British and sat there in his robes and turban holding a long ancient rifle. He smiled at us but waived away any pictures - we complied.