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Sent: 05 September 2003 03:16
To: David Clark; Jen Clark
Subject: Need an Elevator
Hope everything is going well in Canada, and things are going well here. Had an
interesting week. I ended up climbing a small mountain to reach some of our
troops. The hill had three levels, each about 100 feet higher. Our jeeps could
only reach the first plateau, so the rest was on foot.
Wearing body armour and carrying 18L of water was quite exhausting. The box
containing the water bottles came apart half way up, and that caused some
amusement. We eventually reached the top, and were rewarded with an
excellent view.
A derelict Russian tank was at the summit, probably placed there as a strongpoint
by one of the many factions that have fought here. It is empty of all gear and
does not even have an engine. There was also a solitary grave, festooned with
green flags. He must have been somebody important, possibly a high ranking
fighter. Later in the day I saw a grave up against a wall beside a road. Perhaps
they bury fighters where they fall.
Kabul still offers surprises after a month. One old fellow in the market has a
pelican. I don't know where it came from, perhaps it is a refugee from the zoo!
People still smile and wave at us, although one little girl stuck her tongue out at
us! I have noticed that the prevalance of burquas varies with the neighbourhood.
The downtown markets are pretty much burqua central, and I think that they
are a sign of urban sophistication. Refugees and women working in the outskirts
do not seem to wear the burqua (probably impracticle).
Well, I'm off to have lunch. Take care and say hello to everyone for me!
Iain
has a special mission
in Afghanistan. Read
about it in a
National Post article