Can anyone see Kabul?

Our journey from Bagram to Kabul was filled with a scenery that many of us only see in the Rockie mountains or on the movie, "The Sound of Music". That is, the mountains were sprinkled with a fine layer of white, heavenly snow. Now, the countryside did not match the beauty of the rising rocks in the backdrop. Most of the homes along the way were either inside a mud wall compound that reminds me of a small fort while others lived in homes that we label as condemned or not safe to enter. Large dogs, maybe the size of Greyhounds, were seen lounging on dirt piles or sitting outside the entrance to the homes. Electricity did not appear to be available in this area, many did not have vehicles but there were bike riders traveling to and from work. And the wonderful little boys!!! How could I forget their innocent, dirt-smudged faces as they ran from their homes towards the road as we approached and offered us a hearty wave as we passed by. I snapped photos during this trip and will get them onlin soon.

As we approached the city of Kabul, the sun disappeared and a thick haze covered the blue sky. It looked like low lying storm clouds but the smell gave away the fact that these were not going to produce rain...they were there telling a sad tale of a city that knows nothing about "saving the globe." My first glance out the window onto the side of the road showed weather-beaten tin roof shacks with no electricity, men dressed in soiled "man dresses", women in an array of attire from the conservative burka and full covering to the modern pants and sweater, and glooming stares on most of the faces followed our vehicle as we passed by. Further into the city, we noticed older shops, billboards advertising cell phones, military vehicles (go figure?) and apartment buildings with large groups of children playing in a dirt field. The trip ended as we arrived safely at our base, one that offers 24/7 electricity, heat, running hot/cold water, internet access and a phone that can reach every country in the world. How fortunate we are to have such a safe, stable home in the U.S.

The average life exspectancy of an Afghan is on 47 years old. That would mean I only have another 13 years on this earth. The most shocking part about this statistic is that many of them look 70 years old when they die. The air here has high levels of toxic chemicals that cause respiratory problems, over 80% of the water in this city is non-potable, which means they cannot distill the water to make it safe for consumption, and many Afghans don't have anything to set their minds on except the thickening smog and prayers to Allah.

But, with that said, I was almost in tears as I witnessed a Muslim man setting out his towel-sized rug in a muddy field to pray to Allah, facing his holy land of Mecca. This man was smiling, peaceful and full of God's graces. The only thing that mattered to him was to thank Allah for the gift of air in his lungs, legs that allowed him to work and a heart to help others in his tribe. Sounds like he is my new go to person the next time I start to feel sorry for myself.

Oh...and there are more cats here at my base in Kabul and I know where they hang out so I can go by at random times to pet them!!

Good night Afghanistan and may Peace be with you:)