Afghanistan Through My Eyes - travel in country

Finally, in Kabul after one convoy, two chopper rides and 3 C130 flights complete with Taliban detainees and evidence!

This has been an amazing trip. I have met so many interesting people. Last night on one of the flights a EOD contractor sat next to me. He was decked out in some pretty fancy gear and sort of a mercenary uniform. It's really interesting all the men who retire and then can't stay away from this life. I totally understand.

While I am on a base, not all the troops here are carrying. I got so used to eating, traveling and even taking a shower with troops carrying. I've always experienced a little culture shock with my foreign travels, but I think this could be very different.

The base I'm on now is a transient base. There are troops from all over. FYI France is our new best Ally. I was over in Bastion yesterday, the British side of Leatherneck and it came through on a direct brief while I was sitting there. I do not exactly know what this means, but politically here in Afghanistan, the Afghans love the US and do not like the British at all. It goes way back in history.

Tomorrow, I'm going to try and get off base into Kabul. I found a travel agency on this base, which no one else I've talked to seems to know about. You definitely have to be an experienced traveler to go to war as a civilian.