Day 122: Exotic Istanbul

First, for those who were thinking about Istanbul for great prices on jewelry, leather and gold ... well, not so much. Since turning to the Euro, and probably well before that even, the prices here are much more in line with that of any big city USA or Europe. Dinner for two averages $55, adult beverages $3-$5 and leather, gold and any other previously good bargain is now at big city prices.

It is, however, still very much exotic -- with the daily prayers and mix of old Asia with modern day Europe.

If you like Mediterranean food, you'll love Turkish cuisine. If you love exploring ancient cultures, you'll love Turkish sightseeing.

If you're looking for bargain shopping, you may want to look into Korea, Philippines, China or other Middle East locations.

For me, however, it was about getting away for a bit of R&R. And all I needed for that to be successful is a nice hotel, good food and some sights. All of which Turkey has.

It's day 122 as far as Kabul is concerned, and this much needed break from the realities of war there has been good to me. I've enjoyed living again -- waking when I want to, exploring where I want to, just feeling free to come and go as I please. To use a knife and fork. To use a bathroom located in my own room. To walk the streets without fear of who was watching.

I may take another three or four days in Dubai at the end of this. But for now, I'm feeling pretty good about the vacation.

Bring the heat

Today, day four in country, brought a nice taste of the summer months to come. It must have nipped at the 90 degree mark; the morning welcomed me with a nice dust storm off in the distance making it hard to discern the mountains normally so easily viewed.

The bits of dirt stuck to my face, my eyes got crusty and irritated. It didn't stop me from taking my first trip to check out some local merchants selling rugs, knock off watches, local crafts, custom made suits etc. I've been on such trips before, and in many different countries. What I've noticed is that these are a creative people -- they'll make money the old fashioned way. And if commerce takes hold and is provided the political stability to thrive, so will they.

The country, like Dubai, is under construction. Here, however, it centers around military infrastructure -- at least in the beginning. The coalition is training up the future of Afghanistan's military and national police to ensure the stability needed to turn the corner is achieved from an economical and social perspective. Police enjoy a major show of force on the roads in Kabul and the new national police are professionals worthy of respect by the citizens they protect.

I have no doubt that, given the opportunity, they (Afghans) will succeed -- they've been through worse over the years.

A trip to the box: Rectifying a wrong

The box refers to the sandbox, or any number of countries we're now deeply entrenched in throughout the Middle East. My sandbox is Afghanistan for the time being, the trip here was largely an excruciatingly painful stay aboard various aircraft, in terminals and in hotels.

Total time was somewhere in the neighborhood of two days -- including three nights in two separate hotels, 20 hours in the air, and 10 hours loitering in terminals while awaiting another flight. Seven of those hours were spent in Amsterdam alone, staring at two or three dozen others in the same predicament -- waiting on a trip to Dubai.

On the positive side, I caught up on all the movies that have come out recently: "No country for old men," "I am Legend," "American Gangster," "Meet the Spartans," and "Charlie Wilson's War." The latter an appropriate watch given where I was headed.

One could actually argue it foreshadowed American presence in Afghanistan now, and its efforts not to leave our allies "hanging," like we did following the defeat of the Soviets there nearly two decades ago.

“Those things happened. They were glorious, and they changed the world. And then we fucked up the endgame."

-- Charlie Wilson's War

We (the U.S.) have the reputation overseas of pulling out of difficult situations with unfinished business left behind. It's the equivalent of tossing a mongoose into a snake pit and then leaving as the carnage begins.

Our presence in Iraq and Afghanistan is, in large part, an effort to rectify such perception. The question is whether we (those who make up the coalition effort) have the political foresight and strength of character to stay the course until stability is restored.

It's a tall order given our nation's zest for quick fixes -- instant gratification on a global scale. That's a story for later though -- back to the trip.

I arrived in Dubai at midnight of the 16th. It was still in the low 80s. People say that some 150 ethnic peoples live and work in Dubai, and judging by the throngs of ex pats gathered at the terminal, it may very well be spot on.

It was hot as hell there.Your eyes burn from the sun glare off the sand ... my dress shoes -- once a sparkling brown -- were quickly covered in white powder.The local culture is an eclectic mix of Middle Eastern, Asian and European ex-pats. The whole country, from my vantage point, was under construction. I was told by a young lady sitting next to me on the plane over that we (outsiders) can own land/property etc. in Dubai. I plan on finding out, since it would be nice to have a condo overlooking the beach here.

I spent two nights in Dubai and flew into Kabul on May 18th: it was a fabulous ride ... up 'til the time we entered the valley in which Kabul sits. The plane met with heavy winds which blew it from side to side, up and down ... violent jerks had passengers grabbing for arm rests, there was a pucker factor. At the last minute the pilot thought better of setting it down during the first go and essentially made it a "touch and go." The second time around he came in "hotter" and positioned himself a tad bit better.

Afghanistan is hot and dusty also; the people friendly enough. I'm surrounded by very nice looking mountains -- the heat a dry heat so far. My understanding is that the winters are harsh.