By Mustafa Kazemi (AFP)
BAMIYAN, Afghanistan — Best known for its historic Buddha statues blown up by the Taliban 10 years ago, the Afghan province of Bamiyan has a fresh attraction which it hopes will draw in tourists — skiing.
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“In Europe and the US, more and more people want to go back to country skiing, wilder, without tens of people on the same piste,” said Henry Charles, a 31-year-old British security worker who regularly skis in Bamiyan.
“That is a trend, and Bamiyan is all about that… you get your own line in fresh powder snow, that’s great. We’re at 2,500 metres (8,200 feet) so the snow stays very well, like sugar, for several days.”
The 1.2 million dollar project to encourage skiing in the area was launched in 2008 by the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) with the help of NZAID, the New Zealand government’s international aid agency.
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