Thats my girl..my inspiration..

This is my girl...she has been with me for so long... it feels like we have been together since forever..
Cant even imagine today what i would or where would have I been without her.

We have had our share of misfourtunes and hardtimes...

But she always had hey eye on the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow which came up at the end of the hard rain...

U want to know what it is... its that smile and that mischief in those eyes and a heart so full of life and love...

Thats my girl..my inspiration...

Yup thats me  

NEXT STOP GHANA

Ghana is completely diff from all these places. I land there without a visa. I was supposed to get a visa on arrival and hence was a bit nervous. But the gentleman at the immigration window was so nice.. “I don’t have a visa, I am supposed to get one on arrival” No problem sir, please come this way”. Inside the room, I was actually offered water and a local phone to call my point of contact to come and give the papers. But best of all he sees me as I finish my call and says with a slight smile

“ Long flight, hope it was good? If you smoke please go this way and don’t worry about your luggage it is safe here. Just please before you go tell him (guy standing in the corner) if you would like some tea or coffee. For anything else that we can help you just call me”

Now where in the world do you get that kind of service? This was like the exact thing that can sweep a traveler off his feet.

The moment one steps out of the airport the pure cool breeze captures you. Even though the airport is almost in the middle of the city its still got fresh air around it(and if luck is by your side then the rain has just left and sweet smells of fresh wet soil is all around).

The place is absolutely opposite of other West African states. For starters, having been a English dominated community most people can converse in English unlike most other WA countries which were French dominated and believe me if one doesn’t know French it’s a pain in the wrong place.

Infrastructure wise this country is really doing its bit to get up ahead of the other WA countries. I mention WA countries cos this is where I have been a lot recently. They have built a lovely expressway between the two most important cities ACCRA (the capital) & TEMA (the port/industrial hub). See it this way that kind of a road is a blessing for any city or country. Plain, flat, no potholes and they have already started barricading it on both sides to avoid stray animals. This has increased the traffic movement almost by double.

The people here are also an amazing species. Why Amazing ?? This is the first place that I have seen where people are actually smiling and happy. They have smiles even when u don’t know them or don’t have work with them. They are genuinely happy people.
U go to shop no one is jostling you (believe me some of us had a really hard time in other places with people following you till the end of earth to buy from them just because u asked them the price).

This place is so different (well something’s don’t change u still have to bargain here BIGTIME). Street Vendors / small shops will smile and call u in.. no hurries u are most welcome to look around and if u feel like it ask for a price if not u are still receiving their smiles. Prices if they are wage don’t worry the next line is a polite “we can bargain if u are interested.” But be rest assured no one is going to jostle you after you have declined.
An amazing experience that I had in Tema: My client (later became friends) wanted to buy some wine. So we go to a wine shop to pick up some wine. The moment we landed this lady who was pretty heavy set greets us with a huge smile and a welcome. We say we want to buy some wine and she goes ok great lets start by tasting these…and then the tasting never stopped. We had about 7-8 diff wines and she opened all new bottles for us without asking how much we wanted to buy. We could have probably been there to buy just one bottle and still gotten the same attention and service. Good for her cos we were so happy we ended up buying our entire quota of about 13 cases from her.

This country has quite a low crime rate. The police and the government are doing a good job that I can vouch for.

Another amazing fact is that surprisingly people here have very good traffic sense. Still always better to hire a car/taxi for the day as if u don’t know the road’s u’ll end up getting serious traffic violations (which are not very lightly dealt here). That’s their way of keeping the traffic in order.

No one is in a hurry all cars pace themselves except the one odd one in a hurry, horns are also very seldom heard (a blessing actually). The traffic is pretty heavy in the morning and evening office hours and not a very nice time to leave cos u get really stuck in it.

Accra is neither a very big city nor too many attractions but bowls you over with the simplicity and the happy attitude of the people. U have an artisan village where one can get wooden / leather artifacts, like the African tribal faces in wood etc, but whats amazing is the paintings done by the locals (Artistic and natural both). They are no Michelangelo’s but they are pretty good, the draft hand is what I am actually talking about and the colour’s & the subjects.

Accra has lots of CASINOS, fitting all kind of players. Starting form 50Cents going upto min 10$ a bet Blackjack tables. They are scattered all over town. Good ones and really shady kinds, its all there. La Palm, Golden Tulip, Labadi and one more cant remember the names are the really nice places to stay and chill. See the beach is not the kind where u can go for a swim or sunbath; so you gotta rely on the hotels pool and gardens. The La palm also has a Piano in the lobby and a bar in the pool so its quite good fun. All the above-mentioned have their own Casinos and a pretty decent crowd so it’s a pretty nice experience.
There are a few discs also which are pretty nice like “Tantras” its in the middle of town and a very nice place. Owned by an Indian managed by a European couple this place is visited by a nice mixed crowd of locals and tourists. Its like a lounge with a small restaurant and bar overlooking a small dance floor. They have a few other discs which better if visited with locals as they are on the outskirts.

Back for a day

Well didn’t last here for too long; was on my way back to Dubai!!!! Didn’t last there too long either. The day I reached my pal KC was off to London (he actually postponed his trip so we could meet up before he left). He left in the night and the next day I was off back to AFRICA. Yes Africa, Ghana.

The flight this time was better than the earlier one and by now I had figured out how to tackle long haul flights. This one started at some 5 in the morning and was for about 8-9 hrs. Mehirr my bro insisted he drop me to the airport at some God for saken hour of 2.30 am.

See Dubai has this very effective system called the E – Card. Its basically an immigration card which lets u thru the immigration by electronically checking your card against your fingerprint. Result you end up saving some ½ hour to 45 min both while entering or exiting the country. (fortunately got one made and was at the duty free in 5 min)

And what is that greets you first is the car.. I mean “THE CAR” Michel’s Ferrari is sitting proudly bang in the middle of the duty free zone. You cant miss it and if you are a avid Formula 1 watcher you want a picture of yourself with that lean mean speed machine.

Also once you are there you want to surf the duty free and see what are the best deals going on.. There were a few but I resisted till I reached the ciggi section; they had a free Ferrari gift for every two packs of regular Marlboros u purchase. Knowing how thrilled my fiancé would be I promptly purchased two packs (even though I knew wouldn’t be able to finish them for probably a month and a half). Got a free Ferrari lighter, which I kept aside for her.

Now was the other ordeal; getting a book for the long flight and the stay there and the long drives I was expecting there. I had seen back in Afghanistan Dan Browns new book Illuminati but the only thing that stopped me from buying it was the fact that it was in German. So here I went again looking for it. Unfortunately it was a sell out (again as expected). So I settled in for my next choice James Patterson “four blind mice”. Good book.

The flight went off uneventful.. Few beers, salad, more beer more salad book movie and please put on your seat belt we are ready for landing. Now started my totally new experience to tourism. I say that so because I have visited a few countries (not too many) but the kind of behavior you get at immigration at all places is almost similar “cold and unfriendly”.

TRAVELLING TIPS

Before I post out my latest exploration I want to post a travelling log that one of my friend Deepu "the IT WHIZ" (can fix almost fix anything that has a chip in it )created. He visited london and has made a complete log of his visit including tips. Hhere it goes..
Hope everyone who reads finds something useful.
Especially my girl who is on her way to london...

Memoirs of my trip to London – The Capital City of the British Empire.

Day 1

The day I landed in London, it was not as cold as what everyone told me. I just felt a bit colder than the winter nights in Dubai. I came out to the emigration counter and stood there watching the emigration officers of “Indian” origin confusing and troubling the passengers who come on visit and on business purpose. Being in the fast track, all the passengers were getting irritated for the unwanted time delay caused by them.

After the emigration procedures were over, I walked towards the arrival lounge and one sight really caught my attention. In the Duty free shop (Which is much smaller than Dubai), you can actually taste the liquor before you buy it. I was tempted but having enough alcohol in my body which I cherished from the Business class hospitality from the flight and the excitement of being in London told my conscious to move on.

Finally I reached the arrival lounge and Tony was waiting for me. We went to his house from there, which was about 40 minutes drive from the airport. The weather was cloudy and no sign of the sun rays anywhere. On our way he was telling me about London and what to do and what not to do. After we reached home we had Lunch together (excellent Mutton Biriyani made by him), {did not forget to pay gratitude to the Biriyani Bhai of all times}.

After lunch, we took rest for a while and evening we started off to Heathrow airport again to see one of Tony’s friend who was coming back from his vacation. It gets dark very fast in London and that day it was dark by 17:30. The airport was packed with Indians, Pakistanis and other nationals and hardly any British. I was just wondering whether I’m actually in London or not.
We came back home after meeting his friend and we started discussing what all to do the next day. He gave me a big map of London and started explaining and he gave me a tube map for London too.

(Tip #1)By that time it was getting cold and I was really sleepy because of the tiredness and the time difference so we turned on the heaters and went to bed. (There instead of Air conditioners every room will have a heating system installed)

Day 2

Morning I woke up late and by that time Tony left for work. I made breakfast (On my OWN) and watched TV for some time.
By 11:00 I got ready (Tip #2) and walked towards the Kenton station (It’s just 5 minutes walk from his place). The weather was still cloudy and cold but it was bright not dark. I took a daily pass (Tip #3) for the Underground railway service and a map (Tip #4) and waited for the train to come.

I got into the train and it was almost empty and I thought of going to Buckingham Palace first. For reaching there, I had to change the train so I decided to do it in Piccadilly Circus. Reached Piccadilly and got out of the station and I saw the first images of London city.
The streets were busy and so many people walking by on stone pavements and overall it was a pleasant sight. I just walked up and down the Reagent Street and came back to the station to catch the next train to Green Park. I reached Green Park station and I didn’t know where to go from there. I walked outside the station and found a small grocery shop and bought a beer and a London pocket map (Tip #5).

I looked in the map to find Buckingham Palace but got myself confused so I asked a cabbie where it is and he showed me the way. I was standing next to Green Park and the Palace was just across. I walked through the park and reached the Palace. The Palace is not open for public and is heavily guarded. I took some pictures around and walked towards the Guards Museum. On my way I came across the Diana memorial walk and St James Park and finally I reached the museum and it was closed for renovation. I went to the museum shop which was open and found a magnificent collection of small soldiers and other interesting items which are on display. I chatted with the shop owner and found out about the displays which are kept. It’s an interesting fact that all of them are hand painted and took almost three months to arrange such a display in the shop.

I wanted to see the Change of Guard in the Palace but unfortunately it happens every alternate days so I walked back towards the station to go back home.
I changed two trains and came back home and had my lunch and took rest for sometime before I headed to Piccadilly Circus to see the place called SOHO. (Details about SOHO is only available to selected persons on request)
After seeing SOHO, I came back home and had couple of beers and dinner and slept.

Day 3

On this day, I wanted to see the Change of Guards ceremony in Buckingham Palace but when I woke up, it was already late. So I thought of seeing the London Eye since the day was clear and sunny. London Eye is a very slow moving Giant Wheel totally sponsored by British Airways where you can see all of London when we reach on top. I went to the tube station to go to Waterloo but today was different. I’d taken my MP3 player along with me because the journey was long and I didn’t have anything else to do until I reach there (Tip #6).

I reached the destination and found a very big queue for buying the ticket (Tip #7). People from all over came that day and it was fun listening to them talking to each other because I didn’t understand a word what they were talking about. (I was getting bored going alone and standing in the queue). Finally I got my ticket and walked towards the structure. There was a souvenir shop on the way and spend some time there looking for something to buy but didn’t find anything interesting. I started walking again only to find another big queue to get into the London Eye. After a security check we were grouped as a group of 6-8 people for one cabin. The view was fantastic and is a must see when you visit London but depends on the weather too.

After taking snaps and enjoying the view, I walked towards the Westminster Bridge. Right across the Bridge is the Westminster and the Big Ben. The whole area was under tight security so I took some snaps of both the structures from outside and walked on. I went to the Westminster Station to go to London Bridge station to see the London Bridge. From London Bridge, you get a good view of the famous Tower Bridge so I decided to cross the bridge. There was a Navy ship named HMS Belfast anchored in between the London Bridge and the Tower Bridge and I took some snaps of both and I reached the other side.

When I was walking, I checked the map and found something called “Monument” as a place of interest. I decided to check it out. It’s a tall structure with a height of 202 feet and the history of the structure is written on a big slab of stone outside the Monument. This was built in 1677 to commemorate the Great fire of London which happened in 1666. The height of the structure is actually the distance between where the fire broke out and ended. To get on top of this, there is a spiral stairway of 311 steps. I decided to climb to the top to have a view from there (Tip #8). It was so steep that I had to stop in between to catch my breath. But on top, the view was breathtaking. Luckily, it was not crowded so I was able to enjoy the view thoroughly.

Coming down was rather easy and when I reached the entrance, I was given a certificate which says that I climbed all the 311 steps of the Monument. After a long day of walking and climbing stairs, I was tired and I decided to go home and take rest.

Day 4

This day I decided to go see the famous Madame Tussaud’s and when I reached there, I saw a big queue which reached outside the building and there I found a board which said it will take approx 60 minutes to reach the ticket counter. I waited patiently, slowly moving with the queue but even on the way, there were displays which show how they make the wax models and had wax replicas of hands of famous people. Finally I got the ticket and went in to see and was really amazed to see the perfection with which those wax models were made. It was spread around the room and I couldn’t differentiate the models and the people looking at it. (I almost touched a lady thinking that it was a wax model so you can imagine how true to life those are). I took snaps of all the famous celebrities and political leaders and when I reached the Chinese section, there was a man sitting and writing names in Chinese. I also got myself a paper which has my name written in Chinese. After seeing those amazing wax models, I moved towards the Chamber of Horrors – Live (Tip #9) which is a special feature in Madame Tussauds’.

The specialty of this is that, there are live actors in it unlike the Chamber of Horrors in any other Madame Tussauds’. Those who didn’t want to go in were shown a different way but those who were going in were given strict instructions that we should not touch the performing actors and they also will not touch you. I thought myself why we would ever want to touch them, and entered. When I entered, I saw two dead bodies hanging and two of them kept standing leaning on the wall. I started walking and suddenly one of the dead bodies moved and made a big sound. I was shit scared and all my hairs on the body stood erect. The actor knew I was scared and started following me. The path is so narrow that I had to struggle not to touch the actor and I think that’s what they intended when they made this. From then onwards I was very cautious when I walked forward and there were more actors to scare the shit out of you. I could hear girls screaming both from ahead and behind me and I was thinking of the mental agony they might be going through.

Finally I came out of the Chamber in one piece and further down there was a special ride which was arranged by the tourism ministry to show the different stages of British history. By that, the tour was over and I came out of the building. I didn’t know what to do next and I was walking and suddenly I realized that it was the Baker Street and the famous Sherlock Holmes lived in that street. I walked towards 221b Baker Street and found a museum which modeled the life and times of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. It was a three storied building with lots of narration of their life time. It was worth seeing it since I’m a big fan of Mr. Holmes.
I returned home after a long and scary day but with the satisfaction of ending the day with pleasant memories of my favorite detective.

Day 5

I was determined to see the Change of Guards Ceremony this day or otherwise I might not see at all. So I got up early and got ready and walked towards the station. When I reached the station, I realized that I should’ve come earlier because being a Sunday, the frequency of trains was less and I had to change trains too. But I had hopes (That I always do) and got into the first train and started my journey. In between I heard an announcement that the train services were delayed in the other line where I had to go. I quickly checked the map and found out the nearest station where this train will stop and decided to walk from there. I got out of the station thinking that I’ve missed the beginning of it since it was 10 past 11 and I walked as fast as I could. When I reached the Palace, it was already 11:20 and the place was crowded and there were barricades kept to control the crowd. Fortunately for me, on Sundays, the ceremony starts at 11:30 (Tip #10) so I could see it from the beginning. It was a good sight to see the rhythmic movements of the Guards and the performance that they do. After seeing this, I decided to go to see the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge.

Tower of London is a fortress built in 1078 and has served as a Prison, Royal Mint, and the safe house for the Crown Jewels over the many years of its existence. It has got a vast history to tell and is very clearly explained in the guided tour by the Royal Guardians of the place named as Yeoman Warders (Tip #11). Yeoman Warder that took us for the tour explained the history of Tower of London that includes treachery, cruelty, murder and love. He explained to us about the execution of 17 year old Lady Jane and her lover and is still considered as the saddest execution to take place at the Scaffold Site in Tower of London. There is a Chapel inside Tower of London (Tip #12) which has a history of its own and it currently exist on the ground where all the dead bodies were buried.

There are Ravens bred in that place following the well known superstition that the Monarchy of England will fall once the Ravens leave Tower of London. It is said that there should be at least 6 Ravens always present in the Tower of London so they’ve clipped the flying feathers so that they could not fly and they have one Raven extra, just in case. All the 7 Ravens are let outside in the day time and are kept in a cage in the night.
The Waterloo block in Tower of London holds the famous Crown Jewels and is a heavily guarded area. You can see all the Royal Jewelry including the famous Crown which has the Kohinoor Diamond. The doors to these rooms are made of 1 ft. thick steel doors and the whole area is monitored by CCTV.

The White Tower contains a great exhibition of armors and armories which were used in the Medieval Ages and it was interesting to see the different types of weapons which were used at those times.

After a very exciting tour of Tower of London I walked towards the Tower of London. It is a magnificent structure built in 1894 across the river Thames. It has got two draw-bridges to allow big ships to pass through (Similar to Dubai’s Maktoum Bridge, but this is big and opens on both sides)
After a long and exciting day, I was tired and decided to go home and sleep.

Day 6

By this day, I finished seeing almost all the famous place in London city and it was a day off for Tony so we decided to go see Greenwich and its Royal Observatory. This is where the Meridian Line is and the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is calculated from here. The Prime Meridian with a Longitude 0˚ is the boundary between the Eastern and Western hemisphere of the earth. We can stand on the Meridian line where your one foot will be in the East and the other one in the West. In the Museum we can see the different equipments used for astronomical purposes including the 28 inch refractor telescope built in 1893 which is the largest of it’s type in Britain and is a must see for people who are interested in Astronomy. The National Maritime Museum is also worth watching with all the details explaining the navigational techniques and replicas of famous Ships and details of their interiors. There is a Planetarium which shows the stellar constellations and other details. When we went, we were the only ones to see the show and we got a personalized show explaining in detail about each aspects of astronomy and details of the stars and constellations in the sky.

After our trip to Greenwich, we decided to go see Poplar where the three famous high rise buildings are situated. By the time we reached, the temperature went down to -1˚C and it was freezing. We took some snaps and went back home for a good nights sleep.

Day 7

(Details of day 7 is only available to selected persons on request)

Day 8

This was the last day in London and I woke up early, packed my things and Tony dropped me in the airport. The airport was busy and so many flights waiting to get a bay and I waited till my departure gate was displayed on the screen and walked towards the gate catching the last glimpses of London and with sweet memories of a week long tour to the Capital City of a Great Empire.


Tips

1. Try to get a map of London (Preferably a pocket map and make sure that it has got the details of all the famous places and not just the map.) before you start your travel so that you can plan your trip accordingly and once you reach there, get a map for the Underground Rail Services.

2. It will be difficult to adjust to the time difference but try to get up early because most of the events start early.

3. A daily pass to Zones 1-4 will cover almost all the famous places in London and is convenient since the same pass can be used on regular bus services.

4. Tube Map is a must if you are traveling in the Underground Railways and make sure you get the different lines which operate. There will be displays and announcements if there are any delays in any line so watch out for that.

5. You can buy any alcohol from the shops and can even drink in almost all the public places unless it’s specified. This is a good alternative for the expensive soft drinks.

6. Having an MP3 player or a book is good when you are traveling but make sure you listen to all the announcements made during your journey and be cautious when you travel alone in the night.

7. Most of the tickets can be purchased online, so if you plan the trip accordingly, you can avoid these unwanted delays.

8. If you are planning to climb the steps on the monument, I would suggest doing it on the last day of your trip. Your legs will pain after climbing it.

9. Chamber of Horrors is SCARY and people with heart problems and small kids are not allowed inside.

10. Normally the change of guards happens every alternate day at 11:00 but it is advisable to check the correct timings in the internet or call and confirm before you go.

11. The tour by Yeoman Warders happens every hour and the correct time is displayed at the main entrance to the Tower. Wait until one of them come and start the tour unless you want to see the Tower of London on your own.

12. There is Holy Service on Sundays in this Chapel, so if you want to go for it, check the timings and go accordingly.

Life goes on !!!!

Somehow I managed to land alive.... as there was this Canadian lady next to me who made me nervous because she was nervous... Gawd how she clutched my arm just as the plane took off and when it landed... I tried my level best to sleep but she was too nervous to let me sleep.. Even the slightest tilt of the plane and she would jerk as if it was Armageddon and so out of the window went my sleep…. The landing was the best, bumpy almost representing a crazy ball…

The amazement of the place never stopped… it’s great to be received by at least 10 to 15 attendants all weapon loaded.

Made it finally to my residence / office. Brrr this place was as cold I never felt in Dubai. It is March but felt as if going on to Dec, as each from the day I landed the temp kept on dipping till it reached as low as ‘0’ one night.

I love the way this place is located.. Mountains circle this little town / city.
People bustling all day long, small roads and heavy traffic both pedestrian and cars. Thankfully this place doesn’t have as much two-wheeler traffic.
Pollution is added with dust smoke and soot to create a mist so strong and dense that at times you cannot see 100mts leave alone the mountains. But when you look carefully or on a good day (Friday as it is a holiday) you can still marvel at the snow-covered peaks in the far distance. Closer still you can see the peaks scattered with mud hatchments all along the slopes.

Life here seems to be so normal even after the history of conflict that has been going on since the last 40years or so. When I saw these people, talked to them, have been with them and worked with them, shared their joys and have seen and felt what causes pain and still carry on their everyday lives as a new day everyday I just remembered a statement made in a movie
“God must be in love with crazy people…He makes so many of them”.

I ventured out on the first day with extreme caution and a look over my shoulder where ever I went..but slowly that ceased and I was completely at home by the third day. When one passes through the city one can see the trails of the war that has caused this apology of life here. Building are scattered all over the city littered with gunshots on the entire wall. At places entire buildings resemble the World War I era, as you pass the streets you will not only see the mockery of what was once a building but also at places rubble and wreckage.

Surprise seems to be the second name for this place because that is what I got at every new phase of discovery here. You can get almost anything that you want.. if not locally then it will be procured from the nearest place or where ever you desire. That’s what small little population is surviving on. The market is small yet enough. Mobiles seem to be a hit here too like the rest of the Asian market. Bollywood is more popular than Hollywood and Hindi music is in the air almost everywhere.

This place is on the rise and I am sure that no sooner peace is attained this place has all the prospects to bloom and will not only benefit the people in this region but will be the backbone of the entire country. India has done its bit here too, building a beautiful school and a hospital. The laws and rules are coming up slowly but surely.

One cannot spend a day without the zipping of 4 x 4’s, glasses pulled up and UN written on the sides or being pushed aside by the passing of the various troops in their armored HUMVEES with a bold guy standing out of it with his gun pointed straight. (Brave b’cos he has to take in all the dust and the smoke & believe me there is lots of that)
The security forces seem to be everywhere and in all places. All streets and at places you have gun yielding security guards looking suspiciously at you even if you are the neighbour.

Ah I almost forgot this place has a very nice restaurant, which serves pretty good food and has a little variety of wine. The best part is it has a small bar on the top adjoining which is a dance floor, believe me it is full on the weekends as its security cleared and people of all races and dialects come here to unwind & let down their hair.

So far that’s all I have, I am on my way to Africa. Will fill you in on that.

Just Landed

Life for me has been a long journey so far... I hope it carries on so...

Starting form a small town back in India how I landed here....Of all the places in Kabul Afghanistan is a story in itself...

Before I got here I had my own demons & scares to fight off but still putting up a bold face in front of the world 'cos I had asked for this. Also taking in the fright on the faces of all you and those who don't know you but very well where you heading too...

What I had heard on the news without any clue that I was destined to land here, all came back to me. The gory stories and the deadly clashes..the amount of troops and money being pumped into this country- I looked them all up. Believe me it was as intimidating as exciting.

I am the kind of person who gets a kick out of life in traveling to different places, unexplored territory and doing things which others are scared or unwilling to try.

This was almost the perfect place..

For the past three days the weather has been like London (on hearsay I have never been there) but I believe it gets pretty cloudy to the extent of being gloomy and then rains.
To add to all this we had a hailstorm too.. sounds crazy but this is the beginning of summer.

"Kabul" a small habitat surrounded by beautiful mountains. The clouds kiss the mountains all day and the mornings are as beautiful as can get. I remember, as a kid in school I used to draw mountains with clouds passing through and the sun rising from behind. This is the second place I have witnessed the same & believe me it's a breathtaking sight. I saw this as I crossed the mountains and headed towards the Kabul airport.

The flight itself was a journey..The plane looked straight out of a 20century fox antique museum, complete with wobbly tyres and all. Another first time for me was when the plane was about to take off... normally the plane aligns with the runway and then thrusts ahead. Not so for this one....it taxis out and then waits at a turn..suddenly you feel the kick in the back of your spine and the whoosh of the engine and you know you are heading for take off. No security announcements no seatbelts...have a happy journey!!!!