A different view of Kabul

Enclosed is a description of one of my husband's layover experiences in Kabul-there is nothing like flying into Kabul Afghanistan to give you a different perspective on life there. It is a far cry from his USAirways layovers ...

It was a quiet week in my home town, Kabul, Afghanistan...the fall colors were brilliant, glowing in the bright morning sun with the snowcapped peaks of the Hindu Kush as a back drop. There was a slight chill in the fresh morning air but the brilliant Afghan sun produced a comfortable environment for the Afghan trekking adventure.The golf pro from the Kabul Golf Course would be our guide to the immobilized Soviet tank position located on the summit of a mountainpeak overlooking the golf course and Kabul city. He asked us what pace he should maintain and we told him we would keep up. The 50 year old former prisoner of war gave us a work out and soon the sweaters were shed and it gave us an excuse to take a short break. Enroute we enjoyed climbing on the Soviet tank bunker's which were additional reminders of the "occupation" three decades ago.Our first Afghan mountain summit was soon realized with the bonus of an awesome vista from our perch on a disabled Soviet tank. Garreth and I took turns photographing each other as "Senior Tank Commander's" while a vivid oral description of that era came to life by our local Afghanwitness. It was much like visiting Gettysburg, except we werewitnessinga life size diorama on location with a play by play of the Mujahedinand the Soviet's exercising their independent combat strategy. We all too soon had to depart from our "Walter Mitty" experience, a bit reluctantly.Visual aids certainly make the geography and history lessons more interesting and memorable while a written documentary solidifies and confirms the experience. It was truly a day to remember and we were non-to-less for the wear. And that's the way it was in Kabul where thewomen wear burkas, the men carry "AK-47"s and the children are all too soon adults.