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'''Afghanistan''' is a country in [[Asia]]. The capital is [[Kabul]]. It has borders to [[Iran]], [[Turkmenistan]], [[Uzbekistan]], [[Tajikistan]], [[China]] and [[Pakistan]]. Part of the [[Silk road]] and formerly part of the so-called [[Hippie trail]], it has since been invaded by the Soviets, ruled by the Taliban and attacked by the United States.
Few people speak English or Russian, and there is an anti-Western feeling throughout the country, but the hospitality to individual travellers is immense. Afghanistan has the lower rate of cars per inhabitant in the world. Travelling by public transport or staying in hotels is rather expensive compared to Central Asia. '''Warning:'''Information about hitchhiking in Afghanistan is hard to get, and usually a little old (2-5 year). The country is rapidly changing and some area deemed ''safer'' by previous hitchhikers might now be more at risk. Make sure to check the local news and to ask around what the current reality is... And come back to updating this page!
==Hitchhiking culture==
Afghanistan has no tradition of hitchhiking for free. Those who flag down cars usually pay something for the transportation. Some Afghans might let you hitch a ride out of curiosity, but even if the hitchhiker makes it clear at the beginning of the ride that he cannot pay, the driver may still insist on payment when dropping the hitchhiker off. In some regions resp. seasons, hitching on trucks is the only way to travel. Most NGOs are forbidden to pick up hitchhikers, more specifically UN-based of large humanitarian organizations (nonetheless, in practice it's mainly NGOs who pick hitchhikers up). If you choose to hitchhike, be prepared to be questioned by the police over and over again. Low literacy rates mean that using a sign is not necessary.
In the central part of Afghanistan has hitching is mostly on the Russian "Kamaz" trucks, but can be extremely slow (100km can takes up to 5h) because the roads there are more for the donkey caravans, not for the four wheel transport. The transport is very rare too, it's possible to wait up to 6 hours for the first truck to come by. About half of the times, the drivers want some money from you, but the other half of the drivers can be really funny and hospitable. [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/belzas/ Justas] hitched successfully only in the lower rate central part of cars per inhabitant Afghanistan (Hazarajat) in 2007. From Bamyan to the incredible Band i Amir lakes and on to Chagcharan, although he got taken the wrong way on my way, got lost and had to trek in the worldisolated mountain valley for two days. He hitched back from Chagcharan to Bamyan and the north of the country. Travelling He intended to hitch all the way to Mazar e Sharif, but while sitting in a jeep and crossing over Solang tunnel, he was dragged out of the car by public transport or staying the Northern Alliance soldiers (on suspect of being a Taliban), held up for the evening in ruined military barracks in the mountains and then taken to the police station in hotels is rather expensive compared the city to sleep (they said sorry afterwards). He also tried to Central Asiahitch out of Mazar and out of Kunduz, but both times unsuccessfully and just took paid transport after hours of waiting.
===Maps===
While hotels in [[Kabul]] can be extremely expensive, attempting to camp in the street will attract local people, who will then insist you stay in their homes.
In the center of Afghanistan is that you can sleep in the road side restaurants (just a mud buildings) for free as long as you eat dinner and breakfast here.
==Other Useful Info==
