60km from the Afgahn border, at Peswar city. Historical city, Peswar was ground for some famous explorers, conquerors, and tyrans - Alexander the Great, Marco Polo, Genghis Khan, Timur, Bakur, and ME, Rodrigo The Stubborn. Peswar is famous for being the main trading centers on the ancient Silk Road and was a major crossroads for various cultures between the Indian Subcontinent and Central Asia connecting through the not less famous - Kyber Pass.
Peswar is also know from being a grounf to spies and wanna be spies, drug lords and wanna be drug lord, assasins and ...you know. The city and Kyber Pass have been mentioned in many movies and songs - Up the Kyber,Pink Floyd.
I'll be in Peswar for 2-3 days getting things ready to cross. Through contacts from the Brazilian Embassy, vice-consul Carlos Eduardo de C. Armando (Kdu), I'm being assisted by the Brazilian Consulate in Peswar, Nadeem-ud-Din and Tufail Kha Hak. For now, I'm waiting a permission required by FATA (FederaL Administered Tribal Area) and on wait for Daily The News, international Afghan newspaper, for an interview. Daily's reporter plan to contact ppl in Afghan to meet me, helping me on a safer pass throu Afghan.
Concern is the general feeling by those helping me. The current situation on the area is critic. Hopes are that after a pass Kabul, things will get safer, not completly, but much better...then, the main concern should be the land-mines left by the Afghan-Soviet war and the not so long ago, and still under, US-Afghan war. Another interesting fact is; instead of kids carrying slingshots, I might encounter lots of ppl carrying Kalishnikov (AK-47); also, a souvenir left from Afghan-Soviet war.
For those who haven't passed out over such cheerful info about my route, here goes:
I'm aware of the dangerous, and I do know that this is not the brightest idea I've ever had. However, I've decided to do it, believing that I can make it to the other side in one piece. If anytihng bad happens, I blame nobody, but mylsef. I know that there are good and terrible ppl on my way, and lots of ignorantr ppl who are quite angry at the moment...some for their entire life, so...I chose to go, I assume the outcome of it. Like my friend Kdu says:
" You can't blame a dog for being a dog!"
I'm aware of mean dogs within the fence, I decided to jump in! If bitten, well deserved - I knew the nature of the beast.
Wish me luck
Rodrigo
