Zuanich Park

As if in prelude for the movie, The Kite Runner, we had planned to watch later in the evening, while walking in the sun along Zuanich Park and then around Squalicum Marina, we enjoyed the flurry of flapping kites along with all the other walkers, bikers, skate boarders, roller bladers and dogs. Trick kites twirled and dived around us, other kites were expertly maneuvered low to the ground and even more soared hundreds of feet above our heads. We watched one young man, powered by his kite as if it were a sail, as he rolled along the path on his skate board.

After exploring the park and watching the scattering of sail boats leisurely coming in and leaving the harbor, we walked along the marina to enjoy the horizon of masts created by the vast number of sail boats harbored there and on past the large assortment of pleasure boats in all types and sizes. Continuing our walk, we meandered along the docks, past Bellingham's local commercial fishing fleet - those strong, working boats - and then made our way through their storage area filled with heap after heap of fishing gear - nets, floats, ropes, crab pots, cables and more - all seemingly stacked, piled, tossed and stowed away.

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Rolls of commercial fishing gear.

The birds-eye view.

Stowed gear.

The horizon of masts.

Even balloons along our path.

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Photos from our walk.

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Zuanich Park

Address: Squalicum Harbor Road, Bellingham, WA, 98225

Hours: Every day Dawn - Dusk

Directions: Drive down Roeder Way from Downtown along the Marina until you come to Coho Way, turn left. Drive to the end of the street and go left again. This will put you on Squalicum Harbor Way, follow it for two blocks and the park is on your right.

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The Kite Runner

Based on the international bestseller by Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner is a fascinating historical epic set in 20th-century Afghanistan. Set in 1978, Amir and Hassan are young boys living in Kabul, where Hassan and his father, Ali work as servants for Amir and his father, Baba. Amir and Hassan make an excellent team in kite competitions, with Hassan having a gift for running down kites, but after one contest, he is bullied by Assef , who does unspeakable things to him as Amir watches from a distance and then runs away, not helping his friend. As the Russians and then the Taliban take over Afghanistan, Baba and Amir escape to America, where they make a new home in San Francisco. But even as he graduates from college and meets a beautiful young woman, Soraya, who is also from Kabul, Amir is haunted by his cowardice and cannot turn down an opportunity to try to make things right when it is offered by his father's old friend Rahim Khan - even if it means risking his life. The Kite Runner was adapted for the screen by David Benioff (The 25th Hour), with much of the dialogue spoken in Dari, one of the primary languages in Afghanistan. Director Marc Foster (Monster's Ball, Finding Neverland) skillfully navigates the complicated story, which moves from Afghanistan to San Francisco and Pakistan (with much of the film actually shot in China), using many nonprofessional actors and a subtle score composed by Alberto Iglesias. The actor is impressive and story heart warming.

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