One year back....

The blogging has went quiet this year and there's no excuse really. What prompted this entry?
I realised that this night exactly one year ago I was living up my last night in Bangkok celebrating 12 months of travelling and all that that entailed....countries, people, cultures, sights, adventures, situations, scams, haggling, diving, trekking, volunteering, many great people and so much more......

So tonight it's a beer to commiserate being back a year, but celebrate the times!

I should really be blogging a lot more as to be honest, despite struggling to get back to reality I had the fortune of having some savings that I shouldn't have blown, had bad luck with a work contract, but despite all this I've done a load in Scotland and in that way it's great to be back. With a little bit better, or more precisely more predicatable, weather this country could match and beat many others - it really is one of the "best little countries in the world" (unfortunately the powers that be ditched that slogan for a very mundane "Welcome to Scotland" in the tourism literature!?!?!).

I've been up to loads here doing my usual exploring, climbing, camping, walking and more so should have loads to blog about....maybe soon I'll catch up but in the meantime I hope some of you enjoy my previous posts.

"If in doubt, start a war". I'm in Florida

That title is one of the bumper stickers I have seen this week in Florida. I could write loads about the place but I'm just checking into the blog just now to wish everyone a great new year and all that stuff......

Florida's a weird place. I better watch what I say as I have family here now ;-> Some probably don't consider Florida to be America, in the same way as Texan's don't think of Texas like America. I find it more funny and ironic each time I enter the country.

Everyone in this place seems to fall into the following category :

• Super nice and friendly
• Part of law enforcement/customs/etc with an attitude and friendlieness of someone you've just kicked in the nuts
• psycho

Where I am in Florida, the housing tends to be in gated communities. While their country bombs other countries, it's harder to get into the gated communities with their gaz guzzling cars than it is to get into a pub in Kabul. Yeh, 30mpg is advertised as good here. I just bought a car in the UK and I'm bitching it only does just above 30mpg. Maybe some American's should be taken over to Europe to drive around for a while, forced to buy some petrol at over £1 a litre, then maybe some places here would be designed so you can actually walk between them rather than take the car.

But it's weird to be back in the alledged free-est country in the world, where you have a 6 lane highway, yet can't go over 35mph, can't hang your washing out to dry outside in the gated community according to their rules (despite being in sunny Florida), and with loads of other things you can't do, but I can't think of them at the moment.

I've been on a bit of buying frenzy. I'm skint but at $33 (£16.50) for a pair of Levi jeans that would cost you more than their dollar price in pounds it would be stupid not too. Many other items of clothing have been stupidly cheap as well. The UK is just too expensive now, and as well as paying too much you usually have to put up with some grump git serving you, or on the other end of the phone.

Anyway, I'm having a bit of a rant. I've been driving around in a 4x4 this week - not necessary but it's what my parents rented, and there's a few of us. And I must admit it is quite nice.

That's enough of my huge generalisations. I'm off to lounge by the pool, in the American side of my family's gated community, drinking imported Heineken that's cheaper to buy here than in Scotland, wearing my less than half price shorts and flip flops.

Happy Holidays!

Doing Nothing

It never seems like I do nothing, but I seem to achieve nothing.....much.

My blog has been quiet since Afghanistan as life (generally) seems not quite so exciting.  I lost my IT contract just before I left so I cam back jobless, with a car that I couldn't really afford any more, and the prospect of a pre-Christmas lull in the contract market.

Despite this, I've pretty much ran my bank account dry just living in the relatively expensive UK.  I've managed to grab a good few weekends away up north to Ben Nevis, Glencoe, Aviemore, back home etc.  I've also decided to accept an offer of a flight to Florida to see my niece before returning to Scotland for New Year (yaah!).  I'll be heading from where something 'old' means the year 1500ish (Edinburgh Castle) to somewhere old being 50 years.....  to one of the 'free-est countries in the world'....but where you cannot let off fireworks in city limits (if my memory serves me right from the last visit).

Coming back, I'll be going from 80 degrees to 30 degrees (thats 28c to 0c) overnight, but at least I should be able to swim in the sea on xmas day with a bit of luck.

I still hum and haw about what to do as an alternative to IT.  I loved the photojournalism work I did recently.....now if only I could get that to pay.....or even better find out how to find the markets!  Afghan pictures anyone?

More soon hopefully.....

Fingers crossed for Scotland

 

Please, please, surely we can beat Italy tomorrow night!!

Reflections on Afghanistan

(Pic : Sunset over Kabul from Murad Khane)
Although it's only two days ago I left Kabul, it seems so long ago, especially flying into the modern metropolis of Dubai, apparently home of 20% of the world's cranes.  If only some of the building equipment here could be moved over to Afghanistan.

Now I'll never, ever, try to say I have an understanding of Afghanistan after a fleeting 10 day visit.  I was lucky to be able to speak to many people out there working - both Afghans and foreigners, Afghan businesswomen, many locals, and tour guides during my time.

(Picture : some traditional herbs used for medicine...and mulberry bread given to us by ex-mujahaddin, which they felt was necessary after I gave them a Scottish postcard as a thank you for tea and cakes in Panshjir valley)

(Picture : Carpet seller in old bizarre, downtown Kabul)

All the time I was speaking through interpreters, so I was never sure if I was really hearing the truth, especially some of the circumstances I found myself in.

(Picture : A typical butcher!  Yes, even next to the dusty roads)

One thing I am absolutely sure about though is that the country is not as dangerous to visit as you would believe if all you read if the western media.  Find other sources on the internet etc if you are thinking about travelling there.  Speak to the local guides over there.  Obviously the place is not without it's risks - there were several incidents we heard of that would never make the news.

(Picture : a '70 or 71 year old year - he's not sure' market pottery trader)

It's a confusing place to try and grab a realistic opinion of.  Some people say the media is great now and pretty free to say what they want, as long as they are balanced, yet others say there are loads of problems with journalists being pressurised from officials.  No-one painted a great picture of the police force which is a shame as you see them everywhere.  But maybe they should be paid a bit more than the $50 a month figure I heard, assuming that's true.

(Picture : a chickpea vendor in the market)

Some of the local's seemed very hopeful for the future, whereas others apparently still don't have any belief in what the future holds, wandering why large parts of their countries are still at war.

I can understand the Afghan's frustration at the lack of progress.  In Kabul there are still hardly any paved streets, no street lighting, and power is still not something to be relied upon.  Meanwhile the American's are 'restoring democracy' from a compound where the majority of them are forbidden to leave.

Although I met, and stayed with some great NGO's I am a tad skeptical about this area of regenaration.  Some of the people I met were from superb educational backgrounds and had a real passion for introducing new (actually very traditional, old in reality) techniques to Afghan labourers, and letting them experiment to see what would work and what wouldn't.  Many of these NGO's were making a real effort to learn the language as well.  The labourers who worked for them seemed to enjoy their time there and totally appreciate the work and opportunities they had been offered.

There is a real need to fill the sad educational gap from the last few decades of war in the country.  However the cynical side of me fears there are too many NGO's using countries like Afghanistan to try out their own pet projects, to do something they couldn't do at home, get a shit load of funding, then walking away when it runs out.  If you were really cynical you may think it's the place where people from Berkeley and Harvard end up when they don't know what else to do (this is a huge generalisation as I met a load of wonderful people from this background who were doing a world of good out there - sometimes it just felt like I never met anyone without an educational background from Harvard, Berkeley or Oxford universities).

Anyway, that's my waffle on Afghanistan as I sit in Dubai, recovering from 'afghan belly', preparing for my flight back to a cold Scotland in a couple of days time.

Everyone we met there was great, and the locals were fascinating, but sadly sometimes for the sad reasons that can't really be described as fascinating - leaving their country due to war, or living through decades of hardship.  There's a potential great future in the country, with loads of opportunities for tourism from trekking to culture to rafting and climbing.  If only the 'powers that be' can sort their shit out!

(Picture : the traditionally poorer end of the market)

Buying War Carpets (or rugs) on Chicken Street, Kabul

Here are some shots of the war carpets I looked at in Chicken Street, just before we left Kabul.  Obviously the carpet shop owners weren't going to let us escape without rolling out more rugs, but I had more than enough stuff to take back that my $7 sports bag I bought wouldn't survive with any more in it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All the ones were saw were cheap versions but that was fine as I wasn't going to spend a lot on these.  You can only guess the quality based in the spelling in the carpets, but maybe I'm judging too much based on the lack of education the Afghan population has had to suffer over the last few decades.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course, like everyone we met the owners were more than happy to show us more and tell us their stories.

Return to Dubai

I never managed to venture further than the hammock out the back today.  Terrible sleep, and things coming out of places you don't want to know this morning.  Seems like it's my time to get Afghan belly.

It sucked not being able to do anything, but despite feeling completely drained, it was kinda nice to lie on the hammock and do bugger all all day long, apart from snooze.

It looks like Dubai will be a chilled out few days and I may not even make it in to town.  Although Afghanistan now seems like ages ago, despite feeling like we were there a long time when there, I think the manic 10 days is starting to take it's toll!

Leaving Kabul

Yesterday was my last day in Kabul.  We were lucky to get a free car from mid morning to take us to Chicken Street -the traditional hippy shopping street when the Silk Route was followed by many.

Needless to say I had to buy a war carpet as a souvenir.  There are different styles (all pretty ugly!) - some with the twin towers on them, and some with areas of Afghanistan depicted by the weapons of choice in the region.

We then headed to the airport and got dropped as close to the terminal as you can, with most people quite a bit further away than us.  Unfortunately news started to trickle through about our flight being delayed until somewhere between 6 and 9pm, when it was originally meant to leave at 1530.  Kabul isn't the best airport to be sitting around as you don't get anywhere near the terminal building until check in time.

After a while some people started to get offered flight changes to catch connecting flights that night, so suddenly we had a connecting flight too, organised by our 'fixer' in Dubai (therefore explaining why we never had tickets ;->).

After being barred from the airport by the Afghan police, and Kate being taken out again after managing to get through, we finally made it in.  At each step someone else tried to stop us getting further, even at the final hurdle of the x-ray machine.  One cop said "no", while his mate took my arm and said "go through my friend".  I was lucky at getting through all the stages without paying any bribes at all despite having probably 4 opportunities where I could have used one to ease my passage through.

Eventually we were in the last 5 people to get our Kam Air flights changed to Pamir Airways - so good the ISAF troops are banned from using them.  The stewardesses were grim not raising a smile once, and the pilot decided to pump his brakes at various points along the runway after we landed.  The interior was definitely due a refit, but I'm sure there are many worse airlines in the world.

Finally we landed in Dubai only 90 mins or so after our original arrival time, and my body seemed to lapse after a hectic 10 days in Afghanistan.  Walking off the plane reminded me of arriving in Bangkok after visiting Burma last year - it felt like you had just came from another world.  No dust, modern buildings, and everywhere was lit up.

Last full day in Kabul

Today was my last full day in and around Kabul....for this trip anyway ;->

It wasn't quite as manic as some others but we stopped in past a couple of design houses in town before heading to Istalif, an hour north of Kabul. We went there to see some pottery projects to improve the quality of the pottery in the area for the export market.

I have a whole bunch of photos I'd like to show on this blog and on my site but I'm just so tired in the evenings now that all I can do is download my images, order room service, then crash out. 

Tomorrow is our first slow start in 10 days and we are getting a car to take us through Chicken Street in Kabul (the old 'hippy street' from the Silk Road travels) on route to the airport, then it's destination Dubai.

I'm a bit sad to leave here as there is so much to follow up, and so many stories to find out more about, however it will be interesting to see if I can make my images work for me when I get back, and I am desperate for a bit of a chill out.

I have one full on day visiting galleries in Dubai, but the rest of the time there I can see myself just chilling by the pool and recuperating!  Usually I'd say this would be a waste of time, but it's been a hectic 10 days here.

I moved out of the fort the same day where most of the residents were woken up by a couple of rockets going off in a nearby area - but nothing too much to worry about (if that doesn't sound too mad to say!).