Jalalabad

I had a chance to visit Jalalabad a week or so ago. One of my colleagues, an Afghan with security connections, arranged for a group of us to travel along the somewhat dangerous Jalalabad road which leads to the Khyber Pass and Pakistan. It's a 3 hour trip given no traffic problems or shootouts.
Here are some pictures on the way out of Kabul.

And then the road took a turn and voila!

A real camel in the distance!

I'd taken some 'be calm' pills by this point.

Did I mention that we had an armed guard and a police escort with us. That's a Kalashnikov rifle for those of you not living in a war zone.

Here's the first of the really bad hairpin turns. Most goods into Afghanistan come by road - this road is one of the more heavily-traveled. Young boy as Director of Traffic.
Note the wooden door.

Here's a truck which missed the turn.

Here's what looks like a bus that really 'missed the turn.'

A graveyard?

Nomads.

Our first meal in Jalalabad - at a restaurant on the Kabul River. We had our own room with windows facing the river and swimming children. The blue plastic floor cloth was rolled out between us; the young waiter then walked barefoot down the 'cloth' to lay out the food.
Food prep!

And then we went sightseeing.

Enjoying the park.

Another park where we had tea.

And watched the water.

Here's the hotel.

And here's what you can get for $60/night. That's the TV on top of the fridge.

On the other hand the hotel had beautiful grounds.

Gardener tending his domain.

The next morning we went back to the Kabul River for a short boat ride. When we returned we were greeted by a crowd from the top of the levee. Just looking at us.

We had planned to travel further east towards the Pakistan border, but were told that 'they' knew 'we' were in town and it wasn't safe to travel further. 'They' being the Taliban, presumably. We were oddities: a bunch of foreigners, including four women, just walking around. It was suggested that I stop waving at bystanders (children) as it called attention to us. Low key was the order of the day.

Also on the levee - snooker tables. Go figure.

Omar is a company that removes mines; its name on the wall means the area is mine-free. Swell.

Several gas stations that we passed were like this one - all gussied up!

Broken chair.

What a happy shop!

And then one of the high points of the trip: the traffic jam. Four lanes forced into one lane going through a tunnel. About an hour of stopping and starting. And sweating (not an air-conditioned van).

These guys were also stuck - and not happy.

And then there were the camels and they just didn't care.

I stare at him; he stares at me.

The camel driver - tickled with himself.

Next to us, a family transporting a dead body in their station wagon.

It was very hot.

Lunch - fish yippee. I haven't had seafood - even fish - since I've been in Afghanistan. Here's the guard that stood outside the 'facilities' where we women did our business. Not a pleasant experience.

Kitchen facilities.

On the road we stopped for vegetables and Jalalabad oranges. The young man is carrying his scale.

And then back to Kabul.

Us taking pictures of us.

I was sick for two days after this trip - so was one other traveler - we think a shared plate of fried fish was the culprit .

Even so, the trip was worth it for the scenery alone. And, of course, the funnest thing most of do from week to week is grocery shopping.

spring rain?

Kabul doesn't have April Showers, per se. I haven't experienced a 'downpour' here - they're drizzles - maybe for an hour or so, maybe for five minutes.
The storm warning, however, is scary.

The light changes.

The sky darkens.

And the sun is taken over.

But then...nothing or, perhaps, a drizzle.

Very rarely thunder is part of the storm warning. Not a pleasant sound here - sounds like an explosion when woken from a sound sleep.

And sometimes there is a rainbow.

My housemate said this was the first rainbow (hard to see, I know) she'd seen in her 15 months here.

Rarely the holes outside our guesthouse get enough water to form a puddle!
It is slightly raining in this shot. The umbrella on the ground is actually being held over a man's head who is standing in the ditch - presumably digging, when not holding the umbrella.

My shadow over the cracked dry earth. It will turn to a powder as the season ages and the 'drought' continues.

the view

One of my joys living here in Kabul (and they are precious being few) is the view from my room. Through the grillwork of the balcony ironwork and over the housetops, I can see one of the mountains that encircle the city.

However...it was decided that since we could see out, others could see in and it was time to build another barrier.

And we got this - not only couldn't anybody see in, I could see out only barely.
After a certain amount of whining, I got a compromise. The portion of the railing that was in front of my window and in my line of sight as I sat at the computer would have hinged panels that I could swing out.

And some of my view is back . Better than nothing.

spring is here.

Spring arrived. What a pretty season. The new growth on the trees is still bright green. Dusty gray comes later as the air particles settle on the leaves.
The roses at the guesthouse are starting to emerge.

The grape arbor has begun.

And so has springcleaning.

Hosing down the rugs: Housewife with Scarf.

And then there's the peacocks that have shown up next door. Here's the male, not quite strutting.
The cry/call is raucous and enduring: starting with a goose-like honk, graduating to a squawk which is repeated until everyone is listening. I suspect it's the male making the racket.
Don't see much of the female. Now that's a surprise!
Once the rooster with the sore throat gets cranked up in the morning and then the peacock joins in - waking the yapping dog, roommate of the peacocks - there's quite a chorus. And, at about the time, the call to prayer is heard followed by the broadcast throughout the neighborhood of the muezzin's 'sermon.'
Spring mornings at the 'house are early and full of sound.

The Darulaman Palace has blooming trees. And the grounds where we walk/run are spotted with spring colors and movement. A lovely spring arrival.
And a 'field' of them.

The butterflies are doing their thing.

The ants are scurrying about.
There's another layer of rust on the remnants of the Soviet occupation.
But the mountains to the north, haven't quite lost their snowy caps.

The Kabul River has a little more water flowing thanks to snow melt, drowning its huge litter layer until summer. Then the water flow will be less, more and more litter will appear and the goats and sheep will once again have a fertile feeding ground.

And at school...

Cricket.New plants. Everything ready to bloom.

And...April Showers?

Stay tuned.