TRAVERSE 36
“ Education !”
According to Alam , there cannot be progress without education . A lack of education allows fundamentalism to spread . His philosophy , one shared by many , is that the more the locals understand of the wider world , the less the religious propaganda will spread . I believed what Alam was saying yet from what I had seen it seemed the people own nothing of the stuff we have in our houses , yet they seemed to have a serenity and peace that
I had rarely seen in my travels . If they must know the world then they should also ensure they keep loving the simplicity of life .
After the Wakhan it was a quick return to civilisation , Islamabad and Lahore , large cities with their contradictions , a bitter pill to swallow after witnessing the Silk Road . A route that is still there if you are able to open your eyes , it is there in the people , the hospitality , a cup of tea offered by someone who can barely afford it . The Silk Road lives in the police that protect you from perceived dangers , and in the man who is bringing new ideas to a remote village .
The Silk Road is in you when you start your engine , knowing you are heading east and into an unknown .
AF
TRAVERSE 36