Blogs from East, Afghanistan, Asia - page 13

Asia » Afghanistan » East » Kabul March 7th 2006

Another cold night last night. My roommates tried to surprise me; while I was at the Internet cafe, they requisitioned an electric heater from another room (we were the only ones who didn't have one) and plugged it in to get the room warm while I was gone.They turned it on high, which not only melted the cord, but started a small fire in the room. They get props from me for trying, though. We began Day 3 by visiting one of the schools in Kabul that are run by Afghans for Tomorrow, a US based charitable organization. The school is for girls, and encompasses grades 1-8. The school operates on an accellerated schedule, doing two school years of work in a single year - this allows the older girls who were not allowed to go ... read more

Day 2, Kabul

Asia » Afghanistan » East » Kabul March 6th 2006

Me, doing the scarf thing

Sharon Jumper

Brrrr....It was cold and rainy last night and I discovered that the guest house lacks central air and heat. Our room was so cold it was unbearable to even be in without being under three mink blankets. I slept with my ipod, digital camera, and laptop under the covers with me because I was afraid that they would be damaged by the cold. It reminded me of having to sleep with my gear and M-16 inside my sleeping bag when I was in the Army in Korea. The "beds" were 1 inch pieces of foam set on a piece of plywood - not good for my 40 year old back and hips! Waah! Whining done for now. We began the day with a walk across the street to a store shack run by a guy who ... read more

Kabul, Day 1

Asia » Afghanistan » East » Kabul March 5th 2006

Terminal at Kabul International Airport

Sharon Jumper

Hello, everyone. I am now back in the US from Afghanistan and am posting photos and my journal from the 10 day trip to this blog. I was unable to post from Afghanistan due to security problems that made it difficult to get to reliable and"fast" Internet connections. It's good to be home! Day 1 - Dubai to Kabul I knew the trip from Dubai to Kabul would be "different" as soon as I arrived at the airport. Ariana Afghan flights have been relegated to Terminal 2 of the Dubai airport - no fancy stores or palm trees, no food court...lots of people in turbans and robes, carrying burlapped bundles rather than luggage. I met up with our tour group after flight check-in - it wasn't hard to pick out the members of the group in ... read more

One day til wheels up

Asia » Afghanistan » East » Kabul March 1st 2006

Emergency survival kit

Sharon Jumper

I am so excited. I leave for Dubai tomorrow. Today, I'm packing...and I NEVER pack ahead of time. I still haven't decided where I will stay in Dubai for Friday and Saturday night. I keep vacillating between being cheap or saying, "what the hell?" I ought to experience the Burj-al-Arab before I die. ... read more

Preparations for the trip

Asia » Afghanistan » East » Kabul February 25th 2006

Sharon Jumper

What to wear? seemed to be one of the biggest questions in my mind as I got closer to the actual departure date. Members of our group have received different information about what western women should wear in Afghanistan. My son, who served in Kabul and Kandahar said, "wear a burka with body armor underneath." He wasn't much help! The consensus of opinions seemed to be long pants, closed toed shoes, and a bulky tunic type shirt that goes down to right above the knees. I didn't want to waste a bunch of money on clothes that I'd never wear again, and have been told that while our laundry will be done at the place we are staying, we should have sturdy wash 'n wear clothes. I stumbled across a clearance sale at Stein Mart and ... read more

Overland 1972 - Day 49

Asia » Afghanistan » East » Kabul March 31st 1972

Trolley

Day 49 - Friday 31st March I was very worried about the NZ girl and how she would survive without any money. So I negotiated with the manager of the hotel - a pair of my albeit old western shoes to pay for a few nights rent and some food. I left for the Ariana airline office for 8am. Most of my fellow passengers were Americans and Canadians. The proceedure through the airport was fairly slow. I noticed that two travellers were arrested (believed to be for drugs offences) but most people were not searched at all. We all sat in the lounge waiting for the plane - alas I did not have any Afghanis left and therefore could not buy a drink. As a near virgin air traveller, I found the flight quite unnerving. However ... read more

Overland 1972 - Day 48

Asia » Afghanistan » East » Kabul March 30th 1972

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Trolley

Day 48 - Thursday 30th March Today would be the last one in Kabul. I had to return to the clothes shop as some of the seams on my jacket needed strengthening. It was nearly 11am and so I had about an hour to get to the site of the Noon Gun. I walked out of town along the river and although I could see the fortications in the distance, I had trouble finding the route to get there. Too late the gun fired ! I stopped in a small village and had a drink - everywhere was very decrepit and dirty. I returned to the main road and met a few fellow travellers - two Japanese and a Singaporean. The latter was very talkative but he gave a depressing view of India (my next port ... read more

Overland 1972 - Day 47

Asia » Afghanistan » East » Kabul March 29th 1972

Trolley

Day 47 - Wednesday 29th March I was still feeling off colour and was worrying at the prospect of being left in a sickly state in Kabul whilst my friends moved miles away on towards Pakistan. Fortunately by midday, my health started to improve and I began to feel hungry - clearly a good sign. By 2pm, I felt well enough to walk to the Post Office and to my relief, my post included a package containing the replacement student cards, which would be vital in reducing fares throughout Asia - and of course everyone knows that so many cards are counterfeit and risk not being accepted. I could now go to the Ariana offices (Afghan airlines) and arrange for an ongoing flight into India. I was informed that fares would be going up in April. ... read more

Overland 1972 - Day 46

Asia » Afghanistan » East » Kabul March 28th 1972

Trolley

Day 46 - Tuesday 28th March It was one of those quiet days which a traveller needs every now and again. I sat on the verandah of my hotel and read some of the travel brochures, which I had acquired from the Indian Embassy in London. It would appear that heading south would be impractical due to time limitations and the potential heat. After lunch I headed towards the bazaar. En route I met the Canadian traveller who had returned from Bamian - he enjoyed the spectacle of the region and the statues but was totally unnerved by the flight. We were invited into a bakery which had about seven staff working on all of the processes from kneading the dough to preparation for delivery - there did not seem to be any direct selling though. ... read more

Overland 1972 - Day 45

Asia » Afghanistan » East » Kabul March 27th 1972

Trolley

Day 45 - Monday 27th March It was time to do some planning for the next part of the journey and assess whether it was possible to cross borders into India. First stop was the bus company for times and fares for journeys to Peshawar. Second stop was the Indian Embassy but unfortunately they were no help and only confirmed that the border was closed. I decided to go to the British Embassy which was on the outskirts of the city. I managed to get lost and fortunately two rich looking Afghan guys stopped and kindly drove me to the Embassy. The Embassy was an elegant white building set in its own grounds - very picturesque. As I arrived I noticed what appeared to be the Ambassador and his wife standing by a shimmering new looking ... read more

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