Just incase you are still reading

I head back to Kabul at the end of October. My flight is booked, and I am just trying to gather all the paperwork I need to get my visa - it's not alot it's just I've been on the move constantly and I have no idea where things are. I had the chance to spend 3 weeks in the States this July learning more about the history of Afghanistan as well as the politics, the language and the culture. It was fascinating stuff and I soaked it all up. I am hoping to continue with the language learning more now I'm back in the UK. I have contacted all the people that I got a chance to meet when I was last in Kabul and most of them are happy to see me again when I am in country. I think I am becoming addicted to this place, constantly wanting to visit and maybe work over there.

Goodbye

In the car, out the car, in the car, out the car.  This is what it is like getting into Kabul airport.  I was picked up from my guest house this morning at 6am and we had a fairly good journey until we neared the airport.  Then my driver indicated I needed to get out.  Bags stay inside he said, you go out and walk!  Thankfully I noticed some Afghan women climbing out of their taxis, and I remembered a conversation we'd had at dinner a few days ago with some other foreign guests at the guest house.  So I got out the car, went into the female search area, got patted down, walked about 50 yards and climbed back in the car.  About another 50-100 yards down the road we did the same thing, only this time my luggage got scanned as well.  Then my driver dropped me off in the middle of a parking lot and bid me farewell after parking my luggage on a trolley pushed by an Afghan man.  He then pushed my luggage and guided me to another car park that had buses in it, and my luggage was loaded onto a bus to take me the short distance to the airport terminal!  Next my luggage gets unloaded off the bus, and there is another helpful luggage trolley guy who takes my luggage and wheels me to the front of a very long queue (there are sometimes advantages of being a woman!!), I then got in another line to be patted down in another female search area and my luggage was scanned once again before I checked in.  I gave each of the Afghan trolley guys 100 Afs which is about $2, neither of them were very happy about it, but apparently that is still quite a generous tip.   I have checked in (though due to Internet access I will likely post this when I get home) and sincerely hope that my luggage is checked all the way through to London.  I will definitely be checking in Dubai that it is through.   Goodbye Kabul.  This is it for now, but I hope to see you again soon, and hopefully in the same state, or better than I left you!!!

All done

The last conversation over, the last checkpoint and security been through. The last handing over of my passport as id for going into yet another UN compound. Tomorrow I leave Kabul. It has been an amazing time, and alot of it wouldn't have been possible without Ali and Amir. They have been my two drivers. Amir is very quiet, speaks a little English and drives with the A/C on so that I am comfortable. Ali is the boss and is a noisy, young, crazy guy who always blasts the radio at high volume and asks me yet again if I like this song (we had Celine Dion this afternoon!!). Ali speaks fairly good English and seems to know exactly where everything is. Amir can never understand my English pronounciation and invaribly a phone call needs to be made either to my contact so they can give him directions, or to Ali who has a better idea of what I'm trying to say! They have shuttled me around town to places as diverse as the British Embassy, the UNAMA compound, different NGO offices, Flower Street Cafe and Chicken St. I don't know what I would have done if they hadn't helped me get around. I head home tomorrow, today apparently the airport road would have been pretty crazy, lots of VIPs coming and going. I am hopeful that it will be quieter tomorrow when I leave!

It's the little things

It's the little things here. Covering your head when you go out and not making eye contact especially with the opposite sex Planes and helicopters constantly flying overhead, and knowing they are military! Toilet paper going in the bucket beside the toilet rather than in the toilet Blast film on the windows Guns and blast doors everytime you enter a restaurant or coffeeshop Barbed wire covering most walls Bullet holes in the walls Being unable to walk freely in certain areas of the city because of security concerns The call to prayer Weekends being Friday and Saturday Armoured vehicles UN vehicles Some of these things are seen in other countries round the world as well, but it's been the little things here that have made this place stand out!

Cancelled

I was supposed to have two meetings today and they have both been cancelled. As I am nearing the end of my time here this is less surprising, and also means that I can't rearrange meetings for other days as I will be gone. While it sucks a little that these meetings won't happen they were bonus rather than essential. The really good conversations that I wanted to have I managed to get. And really my time here in Kabul was really just to see how things were. To find out first hand a little bit what life was like here, and that in some small way I have achieved.

A new dawn

Its a new day here in Kabul. I just woke up to see the dawn rise over the city. The cockerel crows, and then the dawn chorus starts with all the birds singing as the dark tuns to light. You can hear the call to prayer, and then further afield traffic start up on the road. The dogs are barking as well,and you can hear the drone of an aircraft somewhere in the sky. I have today and tomorrow left in Kabul and then I leave. In someways I am looking forward to going home, there are things happening there that I don't want to miss. But this country has made an impression on me, and even though I know I haven't experienced it in the same way that others have, I still want to return, at least for a short while.

Hiking

Today is the second day of our weekend, so it means no meetings etc. I was invited to go out with some other visitors that are over here,and we all went to a nearby lake....somehow in my head I thought that would be quite relaxing. Instead we hiked all the way up a hill, which at altitude and with my level of fitness was exhausting. We had a great view (from a distance) over the city which was marvellous, and a good view of the mountains and hills surrounding the city as well. There was a restaurant at the lake, and we had a nice Afghan lunch there of quabli pilau, kebob, manitou and nan. It was delicious. After we got back, myself and another British girl decided to hop into a taxi (with the guy that has been running me around all week) and head out to Chicken St to do some more shopping. I know I got ripped off for my carpet, especially when he threw in a "gift", but I think we did pretty well at the jewellery store which was fun, and we finished off the day with sandwiches and drinks at my new favourite cafe - Flower St Cafe. All in all, it was a nice relaxing day. I have two conversations tomorrow, and then one on Monday (provisionally booked) and then I'm done! On Tuesday I head back home, loaded down with souvenirs and some amazing memories of this wonderful place.