Kabul Traffic

I saw every form of travel, expect for trains, imaginable on the streets of Kabul. The streets are filled with ruts, pot holes, and dirt. In order to travel about the city, we had to go with a guard and driver either in their personal vehicle or in an armored SUV. The following report gives you a good insight into what I saw.

Visitng Turquoise Mountain Foundation

The Turquoise Mountain Foundation is a non-profit, non-governmental organization which invests in Afghanistan’s traditional crafts, historic building and landscapes in order to preserve cultural heritage, improve living conditions and create economic opportunities. The Turquoise Mountain Foundation believes that the preservation of Afghan culture is vitally and urgently linked to the country’s much needed economic, social and urban regeneration. The Foundation currently has a ceramics school in Kabul and a Resource Center in the town ofIstalif , where Afghan potters come daily to learn safer, more effective techniques. The aim of the Turquoise Mountain’s work is not to alter traditional skills, but to preserve Afghanistan's crafts while opening them to wider markets. www.turquoisemountain.org.

Istalif, Afghanistan

I spent an afternoon in Istalif which is about an hour drive north of Kabul. It is located on the Shomali Plane. The Soviets came through the Shomali valley when they invaded Afghanistan. The Taliban later destroyed the village, forcing the inhabitants to leave. The village is known for its pottery tradition.

Below is an article from Ceramics Today about Istalif and the rebuilding of the Afghan ceramic tradition.

Rebuilding Afghanistan Pot by Pot: The Turquoise Mountain Foundation and the Potters of Istalifby Noah Coburn and Ester Svensson

Areas such as the Shomali Plain north of Kabul were devastated by fighting with the Taliban and have been very slow to rebuild. Many of these towns have struggled to reconstruct themselves and have been forced to find their own means of economic development. For Istalif, a town an hour and a half north of Kabul, in the foothills of the Hindu Kush, this means returning to their traditional crafts to drive their own rebuilding process. Istalifi potters in particular have come back to rebuild their kilns and return to methods of potting which have been passed from father to son for generations.

Istalif has long been renowned for its gardens and traditional crafts. The Empire Babur praised the beauty of Istalif’s gardens. Before the Soviet invasion, Istalif was a popular spot for tourists and Kabulis to visit on the weekend. However, Istalif’s location also made it a target for military strikes during Afghanistan’s 25 years of war.

As a primarily Tajik town, at the edge of the mountains and therefore an ideal route between Kabul and the safety of the hills for resistance fighters, the Taliban saw Istalif as a threat to their rule of Kabul. As a result after weeks of fierce fighting, the Taliban took control of the town. They gave the residents a few hours warning and then slowly and methodically buried or razed every building in town.
Most of the potters in Istalif fled to Kabul, many walking for almost a month to avoid the intense fighting while carrying all their positions. Most remained in Kabul, living in poverty with relatives or in squatter villages, until the fall of the Taliban. Almost immediately after Hamid Karzai’s interim government arrived, Istalifi potters began to move slowly back to their destroyed homes and returned to what they do best, making pots.

The Hindu Kush Mountains above some of the still unrepaired houses of Istalif.
Istalifi Pottery:

The methods of the Istalifi potters have changed little despite the upheaval of the past three decades. They use a mixture of earthenware clays that they collect in the mountains above Istalif and bring to their workshops by donkey. To the clay they add a plant fiber called gul-e loch, which makes the clay more workable, but also makes their pots much more brittle. They do all their measuring by eye and then the clay is mixed together by stamping it with their feet for between two and four hours.
The Istalifi potters are masters on the kick wheel and traditionally make a variety of bowls and plates. They throw off a hump and often produce as many as 50 bowls an hour when they are pressed for time. Since the 1970s however, they have increasingly made candlesticks and other decorative objects, which both foreigners and visiting Kabulis purchase.


The Turquoise Mountain Foundation’s work in Istalif began by primarily aiding the potters and their families, but the unique history and geography of Istalif are allowing traditional crafts slowly to revive the economy of the town. This is a town which can be reconstructed, primarily by relying on the appeal of their ancient craft. The Turquoise Mountain Foundation is in the process of building a visitor’s center near the town bazaar. This center will have museum displays about the history of Afghan pottery and will also be a place for the potters to display their work for visitors from Kabul and abroad.

Maasai Villagers, Kenya

The Maasai are an indigenous African ethnic group of semi-nomadic people located in Kenya and northern Tanzania. Due to their distinctive customs and dress and residence near the many game parks of East Africa, they are among the most well-known African ethnic groups internationally.[3] They speak Maa, which is a part of the Nilo-Saharan language family — similar languages include Dinka, Nuer, Turkana and Songhai — and are also educated in the official languages of Kenya and Tanzania: Swahili and English. The Maasai population has been variously estimated as 377,089 from the 1989 Censusor as 453,000 language speakers in Kenya in 1994 and 430,000 in Tanzania in 1993 with a total estimated as "approaching 900,000" Estimates of the respective Maasai populations in both countries are complicated by the remote locations of many villages, and their semi-nomadic nature.

Although the Tanzanian and Kenyan governments have instituted programs to encourage the Maasai to abandon their traditional semi-nomadic lifestyle, the people have clung to their age-old customs. Recently, Oxfam has claimed that the lifestyle of the Maasai should be embraced as a response to climate change because of their ability to farm in deserts and scrublands.

The Great Migration

Thousands upon thousands of wildebeests cross from Tanzina over the Mara River into Kenya. Herds and herds run back and forth looking for the right place to cross.

Kabul Street Scene

I spent the day with my Afghan driver and guard, Mr. Azem and Mr. John. They showed me around Kabul including the Zoo, T.V. Hill, the National Museum, and Babur’s Garden. Kabul is a busy city with lots of people going about their business. Street vendors, women in burkas, muddy rut filled streets, traffic, live stock, carts, bicycles, buses, cars, armed guards, Afghan National Police, bullet riddled buldings, beggars, street children, and open sewers are part of the landscape.

Safari

Spent three days in the Masai Mara, Kenya to see the Great Migration. It was amazing to see so many animals, lions, elephants, zebras, hippos etc. We had two excellent safari guides Charles and Soloman.

Check out these lions, literally 10 feet away. Turn up your speakers!

Kenya

Leah and I spent three days on safari and 4 days on Lamu Island. I will write more when I have more time, but I wanted to post a few pictures.

Gold Cappuchino In Abu Dhabi

After checking in to our hotel, we hired a car and went down the coast to Abu Dhabi. We met Leah's friend at the Palace of the Emirates. The thing to have is a Palace Cappuchino because they sprinkle real gold on top! It is an incredible place and a memorable birthday experience. The Palace was beautiful, very ornate and encrusted with gold leafing.

My Birthday in Dubai

Well I finally did it, I turned 43! I don't feel old. We just arrived from Kabul. Getting out of the airport was quite the experience. We had our passports checked 5 times.

To celebrate my birthday, my sister and I drank champagne in Le Meridian Hotel in Dubai. Dubai and Kabul are the extreme opposites. I'm still thinking about all the wonderful people I met in Kabul. One of the guards at my sister's compound had his cousin (who is a tailor) make me a traditional Afghan outfit. Another guard bought me a melon as a going away gift.

Beer Running in Kabul

Greetings from Afghanistan where I actually did a beer run! I hooked up with the Kabul chapter of the Hash House Harriers and ran through the streets of Kabul. Did I just read that Jon was

complaining about running in a little heat? First of all, Kabul is 6000 feet above sea level and the
altitude really kicked my butt. I felt like a first day runner. Not to mention running past open sewers, weaving around goats, women in burkas, guards with AK-47s, and puzzled looking people.

An armoured SUV trailed us and the team leaders carried guns. It was a memorable and surreal experience. In the drinking and hazing circle at the end, we drank beer to the sound of a mosque's call to prayers and a mine explosion.

It just goes to show you how people strive to create normalcy out of chaos. It is quite remarkable that there are so many normal activities going on amidst the danger. I sat in gardens, restaurants, and even a mall. There are constants reminders that this is a war zone as I saw armed guards, police, armoured SUVs, and the occasional International Assistance Force convoy.


A Hasher is given his new Hash name and is dowsed with beer, flower, and eggs.

Pictures At Flickr

I'm keeping a written journal of my journey which I will post when I have more time. Until then, please my photos here.

Greetings From Kabul

I made it! Not sure where or how to begin describing what I've seen so far. Guns, dirt, open sewers, poverty, goats, mules, crazy drivers, burkas, kites, children.....

Philly More Dangerous Than Kabul?

Wednesday night, the evening before my trip, I witnessed a gang shooting in South Philly. In fact, I was in the middle of it. I was at a stop light when all the sudden a pack of kids came riding by on their bikes. About 30 feet in front of me they all started to fight. I put the car in reverse to get out of there. A tall skinny kid in a white t-shirt pulled out a gun and started shooting. I heard pop, pop, pop, pop, and a bullet whizzed by the car. Everyone scattered but one kid who got shot in the leg. The shooter started walking my way then he ran away. It was over in 30 seconds. It is amazing how fast this happened and how close I came to being killed.

Pleae don't tell my mom about this, she would only worry!

Stuck In Atlanta

I arrived at Philadelphia Airport two hours ahead of my flight, however the flight was delayed. We sat on the the runway for 2.5 hours! I missed my connection in Atlanta for Dubai. Next flight not for 24 hours so I'm stuck in Atlanta. By the way, Delta sucks. They did not offer me any assistance.

Two Continents

My trip to Afghanistan will include a trip to Kenya. Leah and I will fly from Dubai to Nairobi for my birthday. We will go on a Safari and will stay several days on Lamu Island.

Lamu Island

Lamu Island is a part of Kenya's Lamu Archipelago, and there is one town and three villages on the island. As Kenya's oldest living town, Lamu has retained all the charm and character built up over centuries.

We will also go to Masai Mara National Reserve. The Masai Mara is a large park reserve in south-western Kenya, which is effectively the northern continuation of the Serengeti National Park game reserve in Tanzania. Named for the Maasai people (the traditional inhabitants of the area) and the Mara River, which divides it, it is famous for its exceptional population of game and the annual migration of zebra and the wildebeest from the Serengeti every year from July to October, a migration so immense it is called the Great Migration.

Afghan Blogger

While researching my trip, I came across the blog of an Afghan named Nasim Fekrat. This is how he describes himself on his blog:

My name is Nasim Fekrat and I'm 25 years old. I born in the land of pain and injustice. Whatever I want for myself, I wish for the others. I write from Kabul. I write what I see and what I hear. I am the winner of the in 2005 Freedom of Expression Blog Awards of RSF (Reporters without Borders) - France among seven Bloggers throughout the world. I am obviously a defender of freedom of expression and independent media free of threats and intimidation. I want to highlight the problems of my society in an independent manner, without fear and in a non-partisan manner in regards any group or political interest in Afghanistan.

I 've had several e-mail correspondences with him and I've learned that he is an amazing young man. He sees blogs as an alternative media source. He writes that most of the Afghan media is slanted by political parties. He believes that blogs are an alternative method for getting the truth out about what is happening in his country. For more about Nasim, see this recent article in Slate.

His mission is to teach Afghans about blogging. He has held workshops and is planning more. He is seeking donations of money as well as computer equipment including laptops and memory sticks. If interested in making a donation, please let me know. I'm planing to meet him when I'm in Kabul.

Click here to see his amazing pictures of Afghanistan.

Off To Kenya

My sisters Sandra and Leah, are the adventurous world travellers of the family. Between the two of them, they have been to India, Nepal, Cambodia, Turkey, Belize, South Africa, Zambia, Russia, Thailand, Macedonia, Kazakhstan, and of course Afghanistan.

So I'm excited that Leah suggested I go with her from Kabul to Kenya for her vacation. It will be quite a contrast, one that I'm looking forward to seeing.

Dubai, Here I Come

I booked a room in Dubai. They have some amazing hotels. This is where I'm staying.

I will stay one night here before flying to Kabul. Leah and I will explore Dubai when we come back through on our way to Kenya.

Trip is Still On

On Monday, July 7 there was a bombing at the Indian Embassy which killed 41 people and injured 140. Leah called to say that she was safe, but that the blast occurred in an area that was otherwise secure. The force of the blast shook her office and blew out all the windows of her bosses house. She expressed concern about my pending visit. We agreed to monitor the situation. The plan is to fly to Dubai. If the violence worsens, then I will stay there for a week, then Leah and I will go to Kenya.

My Sister's Project

Many people ask me , "What does your sister do in Afghanistan, is she in the military?" My sister, Leah April, works for BearPoint Management & Technowledgy Consultants. BearingPoint received a $218 million contract from USAID for capacity building in key public and private sectors in Afghanistan. BearingPoint, Inc. (NYSE: BE) is one of the world's largest providers of management and technology consulting services to Global 2000 companies and government organizations in 60 countries worldwide. Based in McLean, Va., the firm has over 17,000 employees and major practice areas focusing on the Public Services, Financial Services and Commercial Services markets.

Leah is heading up the Public Sector portion of the USAID Capacity Building Progrm. The Public Sector component is dedicated to developing competencies and capabilities in the ministries, agencies and employees of the Government of Afghanistan that will lead to sustained and self-generating improvement of the services they provide to all citizens.

Leah has been in and out of Afghanistan for about three years.

News Isn't Good

Summer is the fighting season and attacks by the Taliban are picking up in the south and eastern areas. Taliban tactics have changed according to the Supreme NATO commander. They are targeting westerners and civilians by way of suicide bombings and roadside bombs.

My plan is to see what the next month brings. I'll make an assessment when I get to Dubai. At that point if things are unstable in Kabul, then I will stay in Dubai and use it as a base to go elsewhere.

Received My VISA

My VISA cam from the Afghan Embassy. It only took three days.

Booked My Flights

Wow, that really hurt my pocket book! I ordered my tickets. I fly from Philadelphia to Atlanta to Dubai to Kabul. Thr return trip is Kabul to Dubai to Paris to Philadelphia.

Preparations

On June 4, I received my immunization shots which included: Hepatitis A & B, Tetanus, and Typhoid Fever. I also completed my VISA application and mailed it off to the Afghan Embassy in Washington.