Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 I was trying to get a visa to travel through Afghanistan, but I was told that under no circumstances would they grant a visa to a woman who intended cycling alone through Afghanistan. #2 I went to the Afghan Embassy and explained my situation. They gave me a letter that was written on the government's behalf requesting the Afghan Government to grant me a visa for a month's traveling by bike through Afghanistan at my own risk. #3 I met three Pakistani officers who are here on a three-month military mission. They took me under their wing, and they did not expect me to be murdered in Afghanistan. They gave me a list of addresses of their friends and relatives, and advised me on which parts of Pakistan are worth seeing. #4 Persia has undermined my resolution to give nothing to anyone during the rest of the journey. I have decided to distribute money as baksheesh, which is an oblique form of selfishness. However, it is important to remember that this misery is not as total or as neglected as it seems.