Afghanistan is a beautiful and geographically diverse nation. Yet before all this bloodshed, Afghanistan had formed part of the original overland hippie trail, beguiling its visitors with great mountain ranges, a rich mix of cultures – and the Afghan people themselves, who greeted all with an easy charm and ready hospitality. A battered, but beautiful and proud country, Afghanistan’s road to recovery lies as strewn with pitfalls as ever, and the resilience of its people remains under strain.