Greetings from a very very tired Jenny. We arrived in Kabul this afternoon after the engineers took our plane apart on the tarmac in Pakistan..literally..because the engine wasn’t working. I was outside with them trying to use my satellite phone to inform our contacts in Kabul that we would be late. Its not very reassuring when the engineer shrugs, as if resigned to his fate, announces he’ll fly with us and hopefully we’ll make it to Kabul inshallah…. (if God wills it).

Thankfully, we did make it here and it’s like entering a different world. I’ve had my share of third world countries, trust me; but, nothing prepares you for this. Military of all types roam the streets, military jets occupy the airports and almost the minute we got off the plane, we had security around us, bullet proof vests on our bodies and we were rushed to an armored SUV with M16’s inside (which I now know how to shoot!). You drive through the streets and there are no driving laws—cars come at you and you have to swerve to avoid them as well as the hundreds of people walking downtown. The poverty is nearly incomprehensible; all you see is a land torn by decades of war, bombed out buildings and shantys set up on the side of the road with makeshift shops. Many of the women still wear full burqas with the little screen covering their eyes. Little girls wear them too. You see people with missing limbs begging or walking or trying to walk.After passing through the streets, we arrived at our hotel which looks like a military compound on the outside but is quite beautiful on the inside. However, before we enter there are several levels of security to go through, including vehicle inspection to make sure we are not driving cars with bombs attached.

Stan Knee and his security returned after dropping us off to check in and brought us to Camp Gibson for dinner. We ate with the contract workers all spending 2 or 3 years here…and they are actually really excited about a lot of the progress being made. Its very sad that what we see is progress.

I shot some blogs but don’t have the energy to send them now. I havent slept for 30 hours and am about to pass out. I hope you are all well and will write more later.