A Trip to Kabul

My blog has been on hiatus for a while as my computer died (thank you Best Buy!) and I won't have any photos to post until I get a new one. I am currently borrowing a colleagues netbook.

Last weekend I had an opportunity to go to Kabul when a seat became available on the Deputy Commander's plane. I now realize that the must-have travel accessory in Afghanistan is a General. Doors open, vehicles wait for you, and there's always a seat on the plane. We flew up in a little twin engined turbo prop plane that reminded me of the ones Air Canada uses between Kingston and Toronto...only smaller. I tried to go through normal check-in until I realized that since I was traveling with the General I just had to walk out onto the apron. A weird sensation. The flight was uneventful but the scenery as we flew over the mountains of Southeastern Afghanistan was spectacular. Row after row of barren, snow covered ridges.

We got to Kabul after dark and I was then immersed in the huge ISAF machine in that city. Kabul is a city of 5 million with a functioning economy and government. The footprint of ISAF is everywhere as we drove through security checkpoints and into the Green Zone: the area in central Kabul of greatest security presence. For me coming from the South where we wear our body armour and helmets any time we leave the FOB, seeing soldiers strolling down the streets of the Green Zone without armour was a bit unreal. I parted company with the General at this point and re-entered the plebeian zone. My room, though functional, was Spartan - and by Spartan I don't mean full of half naked Scotsmen yelling "Spartans!" against a green screen, but that it was essentially three bunk beds and a chair. All good though, I had the place to my self.

Another thing about ISAF is that they get up at un-godly hours - 0500 hrs to be exact. We had to be at work to watch the morning brief by VTC. This necessitated a morning drive through Kabul's awakening streets to the Ministry of the Interior building. Very interesting to see the city outside the Green Zone - it reminded me very much of Addis Ababa, where I spent six months in 2006 (see my other blog). A few more meetings with my counterparts in the Ministry of Defence and more driving around Kabul brought me back to the airport where I had to wait for the General and our flight back to Kandahar. I had a surreal moment I wish I had photographed when I had to put by body armour et al. into the scanner like I was boarding a flight back in Canada. Seeing my 9mm pistol going through the screening scanner was odd. then I had to find the VIP lounge, which was unmarked, before boarding our flight - a jet this time, but still a 6-seater. A short 50 minutes later I was back in Kandahar and waiting for my lift back out to Lindsay - where I felt as if I was coming home. Now that I've been once it will be easier to get back.

Before I close I would like to thank all those who sent me care packages over Christmas, though my waistline does not thank you! It was very kind of everyone and much appreciated.