When the giant Buddha statues in Bamyan, Afghanistan were destroyed by the Taliban in April, 2001, it literally left a gaping hole where centuries of history once resided.

The Buddha's in Bamyan signified an Afghanistan of centuries ago before it became under such strict Islamic e had spent some years living in Canada and was very keen on developing the tourism opportunity of Bamyan. “I envision ski mountains, skating rinks, - ice hockey in Afghanistan! People will come because of the famous Buddha's. It is a sure way of creating interest.”

We stood at the base of the Buddha's and stared up. The gaping caverns were massive, and I couldn't believe that we were actually going to climb up inside of them. Abdullah led us up the windy, steep and dusty staircase that led us to the very top of the Buddha, now peering down into an empty hole, down to the ground that we had been standing on less than an hour earlier. Vertigo kicked in once I saw the distance the small pebbles at my feet were falling. We quickly moved across the scaffolding to the other side.

It was from here that we could explore the many caves that had been dug out as living homes so many years ago, first for the Buddhists, and then by the Taliban before they pumped the statues full of dynamite.

Some of the caves were inlaid with tiles and etchings. The ceiling of one room was covered in footprints that had mysteriously been able to make their mark.

The historical significance was tangible.

Dusk was falling so we slowly made our way down the steps. When we reached the base we glanced up and realized the enormous achievement the construction of the Buddha’s was and the horrible shame losing them has been for both Afghanistan and the for the world’s natural heritage collection.