"The Blue Mosque" Mazar-e Sharif by Penelope4

I could go on and on describing a mosque I have visited but the problem is I am not a Moslem and I respect religions. I believe I will not be able to give due credit to a mosque. The Afghans who go there to worship including visitors like me are required to remove the shoes at the entrance. I advise that you bring socks particularly in summer when the pavement could be very hot to walk on barefoot.

There will be a beggar or two inside but they will be chased by a guard. But it won't harm to give a few Afghanis. There are not too many beggars inside so you will not be surrounded anyway. When you get your shoes, ten to twenty Afghanis will make the shoekeeper very happy. He's not expecting it though but not too many Afghans give him anything.

Mazar-i Sharif is still considered to be one of the safest province in Afghanistan. It was only in Mazar-i Sharif where I spent hours walking around the mosque (with veil of course), went shopping in local stores among Afghans (I did not see any foreigner there), and the only place where I have seen Afghan waitresses. Well as of this writing (2009), there are waitresses now in Kabul.

These girls let me photograph them. They are hopeful for their country. I hope that they will manage to finish their education and will only wear burqa if they themselves decide to wear them.

Not everyday - aber immerhin

Afghans are very hospitable. In many occasions, I noticed that they do not mind using carpets outdoors for visitors. Please note - their carpets are handmade ones. Exquisite, beautiful - and you step on them in the garden or in the picnic areas. Fabulous.

• Pros:Mazar-i Sharif people are kind and hospitable
• Cons:Still not for tourism.