Safe in Kabul

I just wanted to share that I've arrived safely in Kabul. A beautiful, but hot (though dry) day. No rest for the weary last night. The IV drip of whiskey by participants contributed to the shrieking in my ear all night. At least they were having fun! The crazy thing is that after a month together I love them so much just to smile through it all.

I managed to get everyone, and their luggage back to Kabul safely as well. The baggage transfer for Afghan citizens if pretty much non-existent. The only way for them to do it is to pay $50 per person. Even doubling up two bags to a person it would have cost $500 to transfer them all, and not really guarantee they'd make it on our flight.

Thus I transferred the 17 bags, weighing in at over 300 kilos from terminal one to terminal two. What else did I have to do between three and five am? I got many strange looks, wondering if I had issues with traveling lightly! They also questioned me about the large quantity of knives in the luggage. I had recalled the participants talking about the fact that knives were a good gift, so I managed to get out of them searching all seventeen bags.

The closest I came to loosing anything was when customs pulled me over for the beloved Buddha that I bought at an antique store in Saigon. Since I bought the Buddha at night and the storekeeper just bubble wrapped and handed the lead weight over in a rice bag, I hadn't given it a good looking over again. So when the guy opened it up to inspect and found cobwebs under the base, as well as about a hundred years of dirt, I had to hold my breath. Luckily it was authentic enough for them to give it a heavy looking over, but not enough to take it off my hands.

Now I've enjoyed a lovely evening having a couple of drinks with colleagues on the back porch with spectacular weather here in Kabul. Very nice way to get back into things. Will wait for work email until the morning!

Cheers,

Miel