09 July 2008
Hi, Muqim – Greetings again…I hope all is going well for you (and everyone there) at Afghan Logistics. I just wanted to say hi again and – a bit belatedly – to say how much I appreciated your help with my visit last March. And – of course – please let Mobin know – again – how much I appreciated his help, his company, and his humor during my visit. Please pass along my greetings to him…and I hope he’s got his new camera setup by now! I also wanted you (and Mobin!!) to know that I’m still VERY interested in a return trip. Mobin and I had talked about the possibility of trekking in the Wakhan/Badakhshan area. Although I can’t make it back to visit *this* summer, I wanted Mobin to know that I’m still very interested in seeing the area.
BUT – maybe even more than visiting the Wakhan area – I am really interested in coming back and spending time photographing at buzkashi games. The buzkashi that Mobin and I were able to see on my visit was the highlight of my trip…I can’t wait to see more. Please let Mobin know that I’d be very interested in organizing a trip (maybe around Nauroz next year…?) where we could specifically find where the best games might be and make sure we could get access to photographing them.
On my trip in March, our visit to the buzkashi match in Khenjan (near Doshi) was particularly interesting (although problematic, as Mobin well knows). Anyway, I just wanted to let you know of my keen interest in coming back to see more!
Whenever you guys have the time, just let me know what time of year might be best to visit to see and photograph a number of buzkashi matches (I planted this idea with Mobin during my last trip!). Mobin is the expert in getting the best buzkashi photos, so I’d certainly trust his judgement!
By the way, I am just getting to look at my photos from the last trip (I’ve been very busy at work since I got back in April). I’ll post some online in the next couple of weeks and I’ll let you know when I do. Best wishes — and cheers