As you turn off the main road to start heading up the mountain it's like taking a step back into a more simple, laid-back life. Shepherds with their herds of goats and sheep and farmers working vineyards by hand is all you see between the clay boundary walls of homes. Everything becomes greener and more lush as the hustle and bustle of Kabul city life drains away and you head up towards the city of Istalif.
Istalif is much like Estes Park: Up in the foothills, lots of trees and beautiful landscapes, with a river running through it. It was once the crowning glory of Afghanistan, where people would go on holiday to rest and enjoy some time away. Today it is well on its way to being that once again.
We visited the clinic there, which sits up on top of a hill, nestled in a large grove of trees. We toured the clinic and learned about everything they do there. The clinic is more like a miniature hospital: They have a female doctor who lives on site and is available 24 hours for delivering babies (about 20 babies a month are born in the clinic), a vaccination center (Polio is almost eradicated!), lab testing, pharmacy, leischmeniasis (a disease caused by a fly) clinic and a dentist. They also have an ambulance that can transport people to the hospital in Kabul if their injuries or medical needs are too much for the clinic to handle. The clinic has made such a difference in the lives of the people living in the mountain villiages and they are so thankful to have such great medical care near by.
We had the opportunity to sit and eat kabobs down by the river. It was like a little picnic and a little slice of heaven. And when you follow such a nice lunch up with shopping, it doesn't get much better.
Istalif is much like Estes Park: Up in the foothills, lots of trees and beautiful landscapes, with a river running through it. It was once the crowning glory of Afghanistan, where people would go on holiday to rest and enjoy some time away. Today it is well on its way to being that once again.
We visited the clinic there, which sits up on top of a hill, nestled in a large grove of trees. We toured the clinic and learned about everything they do there. The clinic is more like a miniature hospital: They have a female doctor who lives on site and is available 24 hours for delivering babies (about 20 babies a month are born in the clinic), a vaccination center (Polio is almost eradicated!), lab testing, pharmacy, leischmeniasis (a disease caused by a fly) clinic and a dentist. They also have an ambulance that can transport people to the hospital in Kabul if their injuries or medical needs are too much for the clinic to handle. The clinic has made such a difference in the lives of the people living in the mountain villiages and they are so thankful to have such great medical care near by.
We had the opportunity to sit and eat kabobs down by the river. It was like a little picnic and a little slice of heaven. And when you follow such a nice lunch up with shopping, it doesn't get much better.
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