I have never been to Afghanistan, but from 36,000 feet or thereabouts, it certainly has a rugged beauty. Towering, snow-clad mountains are interspersed with deep, dark valleys where the sun sets early in the afternoon.

Unfortunately – for those of us who like to gaze out of the window on the dramatic landscapes passing below –  on daytime flights, the cabin crew often ask passengers to pull down the window shades, so some people can sleep if they want to. This annoys me, because I like to look out, so I surreptitiously pull up the blinds to get a peep at the land beneath, every now and again. It is probably annoying for those trying to sleep to have a bright shaft of light shinning in their face just as they are dozing off, but I can’t resist it!

What amazes me is that people are not more curious about the world slipping by underneath. Airline travel allows a unique glimpse of the planet, which our ancestors would have marvelled at. Yet many people take it for granted. Perhaps they are just tired!

These images were taken somewhere to the west of Kabul according to the in-flight map on the screen. Presumably, there are villages down in the valleys. Has anyone climbed any of these peaks? It is such a huge area, yet the impression created by these images could not be further from that conjured up by all the terrible news reports of killings and massacres. Somehow the two must coexist in a strange sort of reality.