Valley of the grapes

Impressions

Harkin’s house, where we are invited, forms a rectangle around a courtyard with many rooms. In one of them, a man of about 70 with a beard and blue eyes greets us with one of his grandsons in his arms. We settle down in the same way we did at the musician’s and have a bowl of laghman. In a moment of inattention, I spill the broth on my shirt. I rinse it in the river right next to the driver’s house. After having eaten and thanked our hosts, we take the road again. A new separation for a new discovery. We discover a minaret made of clay which has a large base that gets narrower towards the end. I discuss with dad the entrance fee, since I find it much too expensive, but dad negotiates by saying that a mosque, like all houses of God, must be free for believers, but it doesn’t work. So, we don’t go in the minaret. We head back with the driver towards the valley of grapes. Under the vines, a DJ plays music so that the girls and women can dance. We take the time to observe the scene. When we leave, the DJ dedicates a song to “his new friends from France”. On the way back, a man and his son are selling grapes. We take 2 kilos and I eat half during the drive back. We go see Liu Jia and I offer her some grapes, but since she already bought some, she tells me: “yours are rotten.” I admit it, I was annoyed. I had always learned from my parents that when someone offers you something, you must have the heart to thank the person and accept the gift; without criticizing or else it’s like a slap in the face.