It was wonderful to see clear running water and greenery and to breathe fresh air. On our way up it was good to see the local people. There were some open air swimming pools, for men only, which were really cold as they use the water from the mountain river.
Beside the river there were booths with curtains where women could sit in privacy. Stall holders sold items such as footballs and snacks and there were even butchers with fresh meat for barbeques.
On our journey we saw various tents, each one representing a part of life here.
On the outskirts of the city we noticed that the camp for internally displaced people had expanded.
The seasonal fighting between nomads (so called) and Hazaras in certain areas has meant that once again many poor families are now hosting a number of women with their many children.
Others with no relatives in the city are living in these temporary shacks with tarpaulin roofs.
Further up the road I spotted some smart tents which did not look Afghan. They belong to the mine clearance experts. Unfortunately there are still many areas which need their expertise. I later saw a shepherd using crutches and my friend explained that the farming people were the first to be victims of the mines when they returned to the land after the fighting.
As we neared the end of the road, for even our four-wheel drive vehicle, we saw tents in isolated spots.
They belong to shepherds who take their animals to the higher areas to graze in the warmer weather. They also cultivate little patches of terraced land wherever it is possible for things to grow.
The final tent was a tarpaulin draped over a rundown building. Outside we could see a woman bent over a fire.
We later met her husband with his donkeys. He was delivering the food she had cooked to the isolated shepherds. Lunch delivered to the workplace is not a new idea!