The Gem Hunter: True Adventures of an American in AfghanistanThis is the story of one man's endeavor to discover precious gems and to lead a life filled with loyal friends and extraordinary adventures. He finds it all in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan but not without risking his life. In this book Gary W. Bowersox spins his tales of thirty two years of discovery both introspective and worldwide. Along the way he encounters danger and intrigue as he builds lasting friendships. He has traded gems and stories with Afghan miners, ethnic peoples, freedom fighters, government officials, scientist, and on a few occasions, international spies. |
Contents
Diamond and Lapis | 13 |
Danger in Kabul | 31 |
First Gem Symposium The Great Game | 55 |
Peshawar The Spy Capital | 69 |
Into The Lions Den | 87 |
The Lion of Panjsher | 105 |
Emerald Hunting in Panjsher Valley | 123 |
Gem Symposiums | 149 |
The Lost MineKuhiLal | 237 |
Rise of the Taliban Seekers After Truth | 281 |
Political Hurdles and Roadblocks | 295 |
Escape from Panjsher 1999 Expedition | 313 |
The War Years | 337 |
Epilogue | 361 |
Afghan News as Reported by Mr Gary 124977602 | 370 |
Glossary | 404 |
A Field Trip to The Land of Light | 163 |
Trouble in Namak Mandi | 179 |
Ruby Hunting at Jegdalek | 195 |
A Trip to the Lapis Mines | 217 |
| 427 | |
| 476 | |
| 484 | |
Common terms and phrases
Abdul Abdullah Afghan Afghanistan Ahmed Shah Massoud Akbar American Army arrived asked Badakhshan Baghlan Bamiyan bazaar Bazarak border Bowersox chai-khana Chitral Commander Massoud Dehzad Derrold door Dorah Pass driver Embassy emerald mines Es'Haq Eskazer Farah Field F fighting forces Gary gem and mineral Gem Hunter Ghazni Ghor guard Haji Hakim Hekmatyar helicopter Herat Hesbi Honolulu horse Iran Islamic Jalalabad Jamiat jeep Jegdalek Joao Jon Mohammad Kabul Kandahar Khan Khudai killed Kuh-i-Lal Laghman lapis later leader located Loghar looked meeting military Minister minutes morning Moslem mountain MrGary Mujahideen Nangarhar night Northern Alliance Nuristan Oruzghan Osama bin Laden Pakistan Paktia Panjsher Valley Parwan Pashtun Pass Peshawar plans political President Prokofiev Rashuddien returned road Roohullah ruby mines Saleh Samanghan Saudi soldiers Soviet stopped Symposium Tajik Tajikistan Takhar Taliban Taloqan told trip troops truck village visa walked wanted Zabul