Well, today is my last day in Kabul. I just returned from the Bearingpoint compound where I turned in my armored vest, helmet, and other supplies. I didn’t wear it once, other than modeling for the picture that I posted on the website. I did see other foreigners around town wearing them though and when I was in Camp Eggers there is a sign on the inside of the compound as you are approaching the gate to go outside that everyone is required to wear one…..no exceptions. Of course, while I was there I didn’t have mine and wasn’t wearing it.
I learned a new expression today, Kabul cough. Because of the fine dust here that everyone breathes in, it is common to get a cough and sinus infections. Yep, I have been coughing and coughing up phlegm for a few days so it has a name….that is good to know. The nice fresh air of Atlanta will be good to come home to or at least the dust free air.
This has been an interesting trip. I have met some new friends, experienced a new culture, have a better understanding of daily life in Afghanistan for both locals as well as foreign nationals, and have a better appreciation of the safety of home. I have traveled all over the world but I haven’t been in an environment like this where there is potential risk anytime you are outside.
It will be interesting to see what happens in the next few years here. There are numerous foreign aid agencies here trying to assist the Afghanis but at the same time you have a strengthened and more active effort by the Taliban and other insurgents. Many people here appreciate the effort of the international community and the military….especially the faculty of the university. The Chair of the Faculty at Kabul University expressed his gratitude for the US military who has given them their freedom again from the Taliban. There are numerous stories of people who did heroic deeds to maintain Afghan history. I had dinner with a music professor at Kabul University who had buried all the music equipment during the time of Taliban, since they had banned all music…even pet birds, and left it buried until a year after the Taliban were pushed out of Kabul City to make sure it was safe to bring it out again. There are other stories of people hiding important pieces of art and documentation of history so that they would not be destroyed. Another story that has stuck with me is about one of the guards and custodians at Kabul Polytechnic University that I would see each day. He walks with a limp and the other day he showed me a scar on his head and his swollen knee. He told me that the Taliban had beat him because he did not grow a beard and the sad part is that he can not grow a beard. He doesn’t have facial hair. He has been at KPU for about 40 years and he limps around doing his job because of an inability to grow a beard. I know there are many mothers and fathers who have lost sons here in Afghanistan and probably question our role here. I would encourage them to come here and meet the people and hear the stories. Even though it will not bring back their son, they will see the impact the military presence has had and they will hear the appreciation from the people.
There are many sad stories here but the Afghan people seem to stay upbeat and look forward to the next day. When I think about the many petty things that happen in the states and sometimes immobilize work, I shake my head. I think this experience will have a lasting impression on me and hopefully help me to look past those petty things when that happens to me.
Okay. The armored car is here to pick me up so I am headed to the airport. Next stop….Dubai and then ATL.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Day 13 in Kabul
Sorry that I have not provided an update in the last couple days. I didn’t get back to my room until late the night before last and then yesterday I got sick so I didn’t do much yesterday night. I had lunch with the faculty at the university, see picture in the picture gallery, and I think I ate something bad. I started feeling sick during my class yesterday and then by the time I got back to my room, I had a fever, body aches, and then threw up. So all night I had body aches and fever but today I felt a little better….kind of like having a bad hang over but now I feel much better. So whatever it was, is gone….I hope.
My last class was today and it went well. At first I thought that the students were going to skip the class. The class is supposed to start at 1:00 and the first student showed up at 1:30 and the rest about 2:00. But it went well and we made it through all the material. They were a fun group and very interested in GIS.
One of the things that I found interesting is the way the sheep graze in Kabul City. Around the city you see sheep being moved around the city but you don’t see much for them to graze on. The Afghanis will dump their garbage in a common pile around various neighborhoods and the sheep eat it. So when you drive around town, you will see the sheep in garbage piles.
I have really enjoyed this experience. The Afghan people are wonderful and I can see why there are many ex-pats living here even though there is danger. I think this would be a wonderful place if the fighting could end but right now it is a little tough for a foreigner. You have to really want to be here and accept the risks that come with it.
Tomorrow I fly out. I will go to the airport in an armored car and then fly to Dubai where I will hang out until 2330 and then a straight flight to Atlanta….arriving there at 0645. I am sure I will be very tired this weekend but happy to be home. It will be nice to see everyone.
Thank you GISCorps for allowing me to support Kabul Polytechnic University and Kabul University…this has been a great experience.
My last class was today and it went well. At first I thought that the students were going to skip the class. The class is supposed to start at 1:00 and the first student showed up at 1:30 and the rest about 2:00. But it went well and we made it through all the material. They were a fun group and very interested in GIS.
One of the things that I found interesting is the way the sheep graze in Kabul City. Around the city you see sheep being moved around the city but you don’t see much for them to graze on. The Afghanis will dump their garbage in a common pile around various neighborhoods and the sheep eat it. So when you drive around town, you will see the sheep in garbage piles.
I have really enjoyed this experience. The Afghan people are wonderful and I can see why there are many ex-pats living here even though there is danger. I think this would be a wonderful place if the fighting could end but right now it is a little tough for a foreigner. You have to really want to be here and accept the risks that come with it.
Tomorrow I fly out. I will go to the airport in an armored car and then fly to Dubai where I will hang out until 2330 and then a straight flight to Atlanta….arriving there at 0645. I am sure I will be very tired this weekend but happy to be home. It will be nice to see everyone.
Thank you GISCorps for allowing me to support Kabul Polytechnic University and Kabul University…this has been a great experience.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Day 10 in Kabul
Day 10 in Kabul wasn’t too exciting. My class went well. The students wanted to start early so we began at 1100 rather than 1300 so that they could have more time for the exercises. We started the 3D Analyst class today and will go through it and model builder until Wednesday. The faculty provided lunch for me which consisted of Kabob. When they get Kabob “to go”, they remove the meat from the skewer and wrap it in Naun bread and then wrap in newspaper. It is a very good meal….if you like meat…..which I do.
Since today didn’t have too much news, I decided to toss in some observations and an excerpt from our security updates so that you can see what doesn’t make the news and why the security groups stay edgy.
First the observations.
One of the first things that you notice here is number of helicopters that buzz around the city. You constantly have helicopters flying over you. I find myself looking up at them all the time to see what kind they are. The helicopters range from humanitarian to Afghan police/military to US military. There are some crazy looking helicopters. I won’t know what to think when I get back to the quite of Snellville.
Another observation is how early it gets light here. Sunrise is about 0500 and almost immediately bright. You wake up at 0530 and think it is about 0900 and feel like you need to get up and get busy.
The number of beggars is amazing. One of the roads that we take which connects two major roads…could be renamed as beggars row. I have included a couple pictures. Women will sit in the middle of the road and cars will drive on both sides. The road is dirt so the women are covered in dirt. You feel bad that you can not give money to all of them. In addition to the women, you will have men who have lost a leg and they will also sit in the middle of the road with cars squeezing right up to them on both sides as they drive by. Many times they will have small kids sitting in their laps or they will be carrying them as they beg from passing cars. It is very sad but there is so much poverty here and it is getting worse since the cost of wheat is going up. Naun, which is a staple of the Afghan diet, has doubled in price.
Another thing that I have noticed at the university is that my Afghan friends and students make sure to always accompany me. Yesterday and today the class ended before the car showed up to pick me up and they waited by my side until the car arrived. I had told everyone, when the class had ended that they could go, but a couple students told me that they would stay with me until the car arrived. The custodian always stands with me too until the car arrives. Of course when it the armored car arrives with its tinted windows, everyone looks at it and me wondering who I am. Needless to say, everyone knows that I am on campus and teach everyday in the afternoon.
Okay, enough observations for day. I have included an excerpt from security reports that get sent out to us so that you get an idea of what all goes on here that you don’t hear about in the news….and most people around Kabul don’t hear about. Usually, the general public doesn’t hear about events unless it is big but you can see why the security groups are nervous about our safety.
8 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City. Possible AGE Arrest: ANP arrested one local suspect in connection with the Indian embassy bombing.
7 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City, PD 9, Yakatoot Area. Weapon and ANP Equipment Seized: ANP searched a suspected house and confiscated one illegal weapon and some police equipments.
7 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City, PD 16, Khair Khana Area. Abduction: at around 0700 hrs, gunmen abducted a local civilian and hijacked his private car.
7 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City KAIA UN Terminal. UXO: ABP located and unexploded mortar bomb in the vicinity of the terminal. Later an IM EOD team neutralized the device.
7 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City, PD 4, Indian Embassy. SVDIED Attach – Update Follows: At around 0830 hrs, a suicide bomber detonated his VBIED at the main gate of the Indian Embassy in Kabul. The bomber apparently targeted two diplomatic vehicles at the embassy gate. At least 28 people were killed (the number may change) and about 141 wounded in the incident. Four different UN agencies national staff members were injured. UN agency office in the vicinity suffered damage due to the blast. No one has yet claimed the responsibility of the attack.
Update on the 7 July attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul City: the latest casualty figures as of 8 July are 42 killed and at least 130 wounded. Security in the Kabul City as been stepped up in response to further threats of suicide attacks in the city.
7 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City, PD 4, Sherpur Square. Shooting: At around 1000 hrs, an ISAF convoy reportedly opened fire at a civilian vehicle, which allegedly drove too close to the convoy. One person was killed and another wounded in the incident.
6 July, Kabul Province, Shakar Dar District, Sia Sang Village. Local Resistance – AGE Arrest: At around 0030 hrs, a group of 12 suspected AGE attempted to enter the village to operate from there. The villagers resisted the group that resulted in a brief firefight after which the group fled the area. No casualties were reported in the incident. One of the suspects was arrested by NDS.
6 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City, PD 4, Taymani Square. Arrest: at about 2300 hrs, ANP arrested a local suspect and seized a firearm during a vehicle search in the area. The suspect is currently undergoing investigation.
6 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City, PD 17, Khair Khana, Area. Abductee Released: An Afghan national abducted in Shakar Dara District on 4 July was released.
6 July, Kabul Province, Paghman District, Khaldaree Area, IED Find: ANP found and defused a roadside IED in the area.
6 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City, PD 15. Cache Find: During the day, ANP discovered a cache in a graveyard containing eight hand grenades.
Since today didn’t have too much news, I decided to toss in some observations and an excerpt from our security updates so that you can see what doesn’t make the news and why the security groups stay edgy.
First the observations.
One of the first things that you notice here is number of helicopters that buzz around the city. You constantly have helicopters flying over you. I find myself looking up at them all the time to see what kind they are. The helicopters range from humanitarian to Afghan police/military to US military. There are some crazy looking helicopters. I won’t know what to think when I get back to the quite of Snellville.
Another observation is how early it gets light here. Sunrise is about 0500 and almost immediately bright. You wake up at 0530 and think it is about 0900 and feel like you need to get up and get busy.
The number of beggars is amazing. One of the roads that we take which connects two major roads…could be renamed as beggars row. I have included a couple pictures. Women will sit in the middle of the road and cars will drive on both sides. The road is dirt so the women are covered in dirt. You feel bad that you can not give money to all of them. In addition to the women, you will have men who have lost a leg and they will also sit in the middle of the road with cars squeezing right up to them on both sides as they drive by. Many times they will have small kids sitting in their laps or they will be carrying them as they beg from passing cars. It is very sad but there is so much poverty here and it is getting worse since the cost of wheat is going up. Naun, which is a staple of the Afghan diet, has doubled in price.
Another thing that I have noticed at the university is that my Afghan friends and students make sure to always accompany me. Yesterday and today the class ended before the car showed up to pick me up and they waited by my side until the car arrived. I had told everyone, when the class had ended that they could go, but a couple students told me that they would stay with me until the car arrived. The custodian always stands with me too until the car arrives. Of course when it the armored car arrives with its tinted windows, everyone looks at it and me wondering who I am. Needless to say, everyone knows that I am on campus and teach everyday in the afternoon.
Okay, enough observations for day. I have included an excerpt from security reports that get sent out to us so that you get an idea of what all goes on here that you don’t hear about in the news….and most people around Kabul don’t hear about. Usually, the general public doesn’t hear about events unless it is big but you can see why the security groups are nervous about our safety.
8 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City. Possible AGE Arrest: ANP arrested one local suspect in connection with the Indian embassy bombing.
7 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City, PD 9, Yakatoot Area. Weapon and ANP Equipment Seized: ANP searched a suspected house and confiscated one illegal weapon and some police equipments.
7 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City, PD 16, Khair Khana Area. Abduction: at around 0700 hrs, gunmen abducted a local civilian and hijacked his private car.
7 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City KAIA UN Terminal. UXO: ABP located and unexploded mortar bomb in the vicinity of the terminal. Later an IM EOD team neutralized the device.
7 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City, PD 4, Indian Embassy. SVDIED Attach – Update Follows: At around 0830 hrs, a suicide bomber detonated his VBIED at the main gate of the Indian Embassy in Kabul. The bomber apparently targeted two diplomatic vehicles at the embassy gate. At least 28 people were killed (the number may change) and about 141 wounded in the incident. Four different UN agencies national staff members were injured. UN agency office in the vicinity suffered damage due to the blast. No one has yet claimed the responsibility of the attack.
Update on the 7 July attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul City: the latest casualty figures as of 8 July are 42 killed and at least 130 wounded. Security in the Kabul City as been stepped up in response to further threats of suicide attacks in the city.
7 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City, PD 4, Sherpur Square. Shooting: At around 1000 hrs, an ISAF convoy reportedly opened fire at a civilian vehicle, which allegedly drove too close to the convoy. One person was killed and another wounded in the incident.
6 July, Kabul Province, Shakar Dar District, Sia Sang Village. Local Resistance – AGE Arrest: At around 0030 hrs, a group of 12 suspected AGE attempted to enter the village to operate from there. The villagers resisted the group that resulted in a brief firefight after which the group fled the area. No casualties were reported in the incident. One of the suspects was arrested by NDS.
6 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City, PD 4, Taymani Square. Arrest: at about 2300 hrs, ANP arrested a local suspect and seized a firearm during a vehicle search in the area. The suspect is currently undergoing investigation.
6 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City, PD 17, Khair Khana, Area. Abductee Released: An Afghan national abducted in Shakar Dara District on 4 July was released.
6 July, Kabul Province, Paghman District, Khaldaree Area, IED Find: ANP found and defused a roadside IED in the area.
6 July, Kabul Province, Kabul City, PD 15. Cache Find: During the day, ANP discovered a cache in a graveyard containing eight hand grenades.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Day 9 in Kabul
Day 9 started at 3:00 am with a bad headache. I tried to ignore it since I didn't have any medicine for a headache but it didn't work very well. Luckily Friday's are the day off here so I didn't have to teach.
Since I didn't teach today I met with the BearingPoint folks for lunch and talked about GIS opportunities here. There seem to be quite a few. They told me that they would like me to come back for a few weeks to meet with their clients so I may be returning at some point.
The guys that I had lunch with took me to Camp Eggers. Camp Eggers is a US military base in Kabul. There is a bazaar just inside the entrance that is behind security but not on base yet and there is some pretty neat stuff. You can buy anything from the last season of Lost on DVD to a old sword or gun. I saw an old sextant that was pretty neat and almost bought it. It is the old brass ones from the days that the English were here.
One of the guys that I was with has an ID that would allow me to go on the actual base so we did. We bought some stuff from the store, got a haircut, and had a great mango shake. The military base is a hodgepodge of structures and it feels odd being around all the military folks carrying weapons but you feel very safe. They have quite a few little shops around the small base so they have access to some of the conveniences of home. On Friday nights, it is steak and lobster night and we talked about staying but everyone had work to do so we left and I returned to my residence.
I was talking to one of the guys about the headache and he said that it happens here. Whether it is the dust, elevation (it is about 6,000 feet here), lack of water (since it is very dry you have to drink a lot of water), or something else, but he said he has heard that from a lot of people. I bought some sinus medicine at the base store and it seemed to work.
The guys from BearingPoint suggested that I leave the hotel and move into one the BearingPoint houses so we visited it and it pretty nice. The meals and laundry are done for them so that would be nice and since it is all BearingPoint folks, there is no cost....right now I am paying $90 per day.
I went to an English restaurant tonight with Jim and his wife. She had just returned from a week in the province where she helps manage an orphanage. We had a very nice dinner talking about her work there and across Afghanistan. She travels to the rural areas with no security. Well she has a couple Afghan guys that go but they don't have weapons. They just had a boy show up who is about 13 and have been trying to figure out what to do with him. Kids can't just walk into the orphanage and stay. The orphanage has to check for family and other relatives before they can allow them to stay. She said that he was very unhealthy and had been living on his own for about a year. He told her that he as been working for naun and tea so that is what he has been living on. He told her that the reason that he wanted to live in the orphanage is because he wants an education and that his brother went to the Madrasa. Many kids that come out of the Madrases tend to join the Taliban and become potential suicide bombers or foot soldiers so she was very happy that he did not what that life. Madrases are religious schools in the rural areas. The English Restaurant that we ate at has swords and guns that were used in the Anglo-Afghan war and they are all for sell and some of them are pretty neat.
Well my intro class is finished and tomorrow I start the advanced class. The same students that were in the intro class will be in the advanced class so it should be pretty interesting and definitely slow. Well, I better go....time for me look over my material.
Since I didn't teach today I met with the BearingPoint folks for lunch and talked about GIS opportunities here. There seem to be quite a few. They told me that they would like me to come back for a few weeks to meet with their clients so I may be returning at some point.
The guys that I had lunch with took me to Camp Eggers. Camp Eggers is a US military base in Kabul. There is a bazaar just inside the entrance that is behind security but not on base yet and there is some pretty neat stuff. You can buy anything from the last season of Lost on DVD to a old sword or gun. I saw an old sextant that was pretty neat and almost bought it. It is the old brass ones from the days that the English were here.
One of the guys that I was with has an ID that would allow me to go on the actual base so we did. We bought some stuff from the store, got a haircut, and had a great mango shake. The military base is a hodgepodge of structures and it feels odd being around all the military folks carrying weapons but you feel very safe. They have quite a few little shops around the small base so they have access to some of the conveniences of home. On Friday nights, it is steak and lobster night and we talked about staying but everyone had work to do so we left and I returned to my residence.
I was talking to one of the guys about the headache and he said that it happens here. Whether it is the dust, elevation (it is about 6,000 feet here), lack of water (since it is very dry you have to drink a lot of water), or something else, but he said he has heard that from a lot of people. I bought some sinus medicine at the base store and it seemed to work.
The guys from BearingPoint suggested that I leave the hotel and move into one the BearingPoint houses so we visited it and it pretty nice. The meals and laundry are done for them so that would be nice and since it is all BearingPoint folks, there is no cost....right now I am paying $90 per day.
I went to an English restaurant tonight with Jim and his wife. She had just returned from a week in the province where she helps manage an orphanage. We had a very nice dinner talking about her work there and across Afghanistan. She travels to the rural areas with no security. Well she has a couple Afghan guys that go but they don't have weapons. They just had a boy show up who is about 13 and have been trying to figure out what to do with him. Kids can't just walk into the orphanage and stay. The orphanage has to check for family and other relatives before they can allow them to stay. She said that he was very unhealthy and had been living on his own for about a year. He told her that he as been working for naun and tea so that is what he has been living on. He told her that the reason that he wanted to live in the orphanage is because he wants an education and that his brother went to the Madrasa. Many kids that come out of the Madrases tend to join the Taliban and become potential suicide bombers or foot soldiers so she was very happy that he did not what that life. Madrases are religious schools in the rural areas. The English Restaurant that we ate at has swords and guns that were used in the Anglo-Afghan war and they are all for sell and some of them are pretty neat.
Well my intro class is finished and tomorrow I start the advanced class. The same students that were in the intro class will be in the advanced class so it should be pretty interesting and definitely slow. Well, I better go....time for me look over my material.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Day 8 in Kabul
Well Day 8 started with a security briefing. A security vehicle picked me up at my new digs and took me to the BearingPoint security office. The security vehicle pulls right up to the gate and once it is there, they open the door and after that door is open, they open the gate from the hotel compound and I walk a couple steps and I am in the vehicle....no long walks and lots of armed folks around.
I got a security briefing on the country and was given a security pack that consists of a armored vest, helmet, cell phone, and hand radio amongst other things. So I am well protected and connected now. Just think, day before yesterday I was walking around in slacks and no radio......and drove around in a normal vehicle....what was I thinking. :)
Since the university is in the Red Zone, they drive me there in an armored vehicle and they drive me right up to the door at the building where I teach. When they drive the vehicle, they don't mess around. They swerve all over and keep moving. Don't stop in front of us.....or else...
Class went well today. We finished the introduction to ArcGIS I class and on Saturday we will start the 3D analyst and modelbuilder class. A week from today, I will be heading back to the states. I can't believe that a week has already sailed by.
I have been invited to another wedding party on Sunday but I don't think the security group will let me go. I have been given a list of acceptable places and it is pretty limited.
Well....time to do some work. I am having drinks with one of the iMMAP guys (I worked with iMMAP in Myanmar) tonight and then at 9:30 pm I have a BearingPoint conference call.
I got a security briefing on the country and was given a security pack that consists of a armored vest, helmet, cell phone, and hand radio amongst other things. So I am well protected and connected now. Just think, day before yesterday I was walking around in slacks and no radio......and drove around in a normal vehicle....what was I thinking. :)
Since the university is in the Red Zone, they drive me there in an armored vehicle and they drive me right up to the door at the building where I teach. When they drive the vehicle, they don't mess around. They swerve all over and keep moving. Don't stop in front of us.....or else...
Class went well today. We finished the introduction to ArcGIS I class and on Saturday we will start the 3D analyst and modelbuilder class. A week from today, I will be heading back to the states. I can't believe that a week has already sailed by.
I have been invited to another wedding party on Sunday but I don't think the security group will let me go. I have been given a list of acceptable places and it is pretty limited.
Well....time to do some work. I am having drinks with one of the iMMAP guys (I worked with iMMAP in Myanmar) tonight and then at 9:30 pm I have a BearingPoint conference call.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Day 7 in Kabul Part 2
Well the teaching day started with no electricity again but then it came on about 30 minutes into the class time. I have discovered some interesting things teaching here. I hate to generalize but Afghans tend to want to get to the answer very quickly without thinking through the problem. I know that is a broad statement and I apologize for that but it is consistent throughout my class. If I am walking around, they will ask very simple questions that they can answer themselves if they would think through it. So now I won’t answer the question right away. I ask them to tell me and if they really have problems then I answer it other wise I make them think through it and most of the time they know or can figure it out. The class went the rest of the day without a hitch once the electricity came on. As a matter of fact, I had to leave before many of them. At 5:30, they were all still working but I had to be back at my guesthouse by 6:00 to move to my new housing.
The hard sided car showed up at 6:00 to move me. There was a driver and Jeremy, who had a pistol on his side. They loaded my stuff in the land cruiser and headed for the new hotel. These guys don’t mess around driving. The swerve around folks….on either side and push their way to the front. I almost miss the sportage….Jim’s car. Jim’s car has very little for shocks so you feel every bump and the power steering squeals like a pig caught in the fence (for you Nebraska folks that have heard a pig squeal when it is caught in the fence you know what I mean…for you others folks…..it is loud..and annoying). The AC and fan didn’t work so you have to keep the windows down to keep from burning up. The land cruiser rides smoothly, even going over bumps, has AC and doesn’t squeal. It is a whole new experience. Kind of like borrowing mom and dad’s car on a date when you are growing up instead of using your old beater…..you feel…..fancy.
So I moved from an area that is considered to be in the Red Zone but the folks there say that the area that I am moving to is the Red Zone since it is in town where all the embassies and foreigners are located. The manager of the hotel where I moved to, told me that the place that I moved from is very safe….but oh well, I am moved now.
The place that I am at is heavily guarded. It is surrounded by a huge concrete wall and it has armed guards out front. When you walk in, you have to stand in a cage thing until the door behind you closes and then you exit out of the cage door and enter the court yard for the hotel. Immediately in from of that door is a sand bag fortification with a guy with a machine gun and there are other guards around the courtyard. The hotel is large, not a big Hilton, but large. It has a restaurant, bar, pool, and tennis courts. In the states it wouldn’t rate very high, kind of like a Motel 6 that was really nice in the 60’s when the town had tourists, so it is a little run down but it is still nice. Unfortunately all the rooms are smoking. I asked the guy at the desk if there are any no smoking rooms and he told me yes….I didn’t have to smoke in my room. I said no, do you have rooms that people are not allowed to smoke in them and he replied no, but there is AC. I am not sure how the AC will fix the smoke smell problem but fine. The AC units are in the rooms so it just circulates air in the room. My rooms reeks of smoke…enough that it makes my skin tingle but I will just have to deal with it for a week.
I am a little disappointed that I had to move. I liked the guest house. It is like a home…nothing fancy. Dinner is at 7 and you get whatever Afghan meal is made….and it is good food. Each night I would have dinner with the other two guests, a married couple doing volunteer work here. We would talk about the day and other stuff. I got to know the staff and they were teaching me Dari. Now I am in a hotel with lots of other folks. You go to the restaurant and order whatever food you want. It is nice is some ways and not in others. I like the guesthouse for the cultural experience but the hotel for the security and conveniences. I have my own bath room, TV, and dorm frig….where at the guest house I had my own…..bed.
The hard sided car showed up at 6:00 to move me. There was a driver and Jeremy, who had a pistol on his side. They loaded my stuff in the land cruiser and headed for the new hotel. These guys don’t mess around driving. The swerve around folks….on either side and push their way to the front. I almost miss the sportage….Jim’s car. Jim’s car has very little for shocks so you feel every bump and the power steering squeals like a pig caught in the fence (for you Nebraska folks that have heard a pig squeal when it is caught in the fence you know what I mean…for you others folks…..it is loud..and annoying). The AC and fan didn’t work so you have to keep the windows down to keep from burning up. The land cruiser rides smoothly, even going over bumps, has AC and doesn’t squeal. It is a whole new experience. Kind of like borrowing mom and dad’s car on a date when you are growing up instead of using your old beater…..you feel…..fancy.
So I moved from an area that is considered to be in the Red Zone but the folks there say that the area that I am moving to is the Red Zone since it is in town where all the embassies and foreigners are located. The manager of the hotel where I moved to, told me that the place that I moved from is very safe….but oh well, I am moved now.
The place that I am at is heavily guarded. It is surrounded by a huge concrete wall and it has armed guards out front. When you walk in, you have to stand in a cage thing until the door behind you closes and then you exit out of the cage door and enter the court yard for the hotel. Immediately in from of that door is a sand bag fortification with a guy with a machine gun and there are other guards around the courtyard. The hotel is large, not a big Hilton, but large. It has a restaurant, bar, pool, and tennis courts. In the states it wouldn’t rate very high, kind of like a Motel 6 that was really nice in the 60’s when the town had tourists, so it is a little run down but it is still nice. Unfortunately all the rooms are smoking. I asked the guy at the desk if there are any no smoking rooms and he told me yes….I didn’t have to smoke in my room. I said no, do you have rooms that people are not allowed to smoke in them and he replied no, but there is AC. I am not sure how the AC will fix the smoke smell problem but fine. The AC units are in the rooms so it just circulates air in the room. My rooms reeks of smoke…enough that it makes my skin tingle but I will just have to deal with it for a week.
I am a little disappointed that I had to move. I liked the guest house. It is like a home…nothing fancy. Dinner is at 7 and you get whatever Afghan meal is made….and it is good food. Each night I would have dinner with the other two guests, a married couple doing volunteer work here. We would talk about the day and other stuff. I got to know the staff and they were teaching me Dari. Now I am in a hotel with lots of other folks. You go to the restaurant and order whatever food you want. It is nice is some ways and not in others. I like the guesthouse for the cultural experience but the hotel for the security and conveniences. I have my own bath room, TV, and dorm frig….where at the guest house I had my own…..bed.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Day 7 in Kabul Part 1
I decided to break up Day 7 in to two parts because I am moving to a new location. So part 1 will be from my current guesthouse and part 2 will be from my new one. Up until now, BearingPoint has allowed me to fly under the radar on my trip here since it was only a two week trip and the logistics were being handled by GISCorps but because of the recent bombing and the threat of additional ones their security group would like me to be under the BearingPoint security. This morning one of the security guys came to visit me and inspected my guesthouse. He told me that they needed to move me for several reasons....the main one is that I am staying and working in the Red Zone. Up until now I have been traveling in a soft skinned car but they told me that the policy for any travel in the Red Zone is with a hard skinned (armored) car. So today I am going to teach as usual and travel with Jim to the university but then after class they will meet me back at the guesthouse to move me. After they move me, I will be traveling to and from the university with the security guys and their vehicle.
I have really enjoyed my stay at the guesthouse. The staff and food are great. I understand the need to move to a secure location but at the same time this has been a wonderful experience. I will write more later tonight after my move.
I have really enjoyed my stay at the guesthouse. The staff and food are great. I understand the need to move to a secure location but at the same time this has been a wonderful experience. I will write more later tonight after my move.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
