Kabul day 3 and 4

Dear friends,

I have to diguest here a lot. But I feel I am at the right spot. It feels right to be in Kabul. In Afghanistan. Still and for now.

I am still in Spinzar Hotel. I figured out, that I have money for another week. Then I am at 0!!! Puh. That I have to stay in this government Hotel…… brrr. Sure I know, the rule that foreigners should be not in privat hotels has a security reason behind. To prevent kidnapping. And then I have a kind of inside. By ruling forgeigners to stay in governments hotels …. And here I speak about myself, I feel also kind of kidnapped. Sure I am still free to walk everywhere around, and nobody said until now, that it would be unsafe, but there is no other chance for me, than to stay here. And to pay 25$ is the cheapest version. Kidnappers also want to have money, and it seems to me a bit similar…..

I made another peace walk in the city of Kabul. I came to the area of all the embasseys, also to that place where a bomb exploded around 3 weeks ago. In that area and maybe a km around there are so many embasseys and official and government buildings. Big concrete wall where build up in front of anyway 3 to 4 meter walls. For another protection or better protection. After walking a while through this area it becomes depressing. Its walking nearly like being in a tunnel. Everything around is walls. At one place, at one of the walls I see a small graffiti. It says in blue: ‚Kabul Peace city‘ I want to make a photo….. But just leave it, because maybe someone is coming, official buildings are not allowed to be fotographed.

Kabul Ali gave me this two adresses from German organisations and I want just to visit them. Also in the same area. I just want to speak with some foreigners, get maybe to know some friends, speak about, how to live in this city, where to be and have a accommodation…. just orientating a bit more. One is from GIZ, one from another organization, but he gave me description in Farsi, so I have to show and ask. I am in the right area, but people sent me up and down the street. Here I meet Nasim and his brother. Nasim is just 22 years old, a thin men, and was once outside of the country, in Pakistan for a operation. He suffers from a kidney stone. Everything was fine, but again he developed two big new stones. Another need for operation. He tells me that he has a room…. But I am a bit sceptical….. if I go there, I proparbly have to move soon again….. the police. And he is a very needy person….. He would like to go to Germany…… anyway he shows me on mapsme where he lives and I want to see his place….. later. By looking on the map I see, that there is a Sigh temple in Kabul. So interesting. That is another destination for my peace walks…..

Also with Nasim we could not find the adress. I see a sign of the International Red Cross Geneve and decide to knock at the door. There are three big gates and I knock at the first. It does not feel in use. Dust at the door and the handle. No response. Two more tries at the other doors, no reaction, too. Next entrance is a little hospital, maybe someone knows to enter the neighbour property. I have to go around the buildings towards the next street. Entrance is from behind. Again everywhere at least 4m walls with mititary fence in top. I find a bell and a men who opens the door sent me 200 m further, then left. All the way to the end. At the next corner, military…. no, the way through here is closed, a gate, I have to go around again. All the buildings are from he red cross, partly in cooperation with the Red Crecent. Arriving at the third street, I have again to ask 3 times until I find behind a security hut a bell. Military men open a 10 by 10cm window with a grid to see who is there. Finally they open the whole door. But to reach the goal to speak with a foreigner, nope….. here is no-one.  Everybody is back in Germany. 3 streets of buildings and everything empty, orphaned…. only security guards….. uppps. I look again, if I can find the GIZ, but no success. I give up for today. All this fences and walls, protecting official properties from ‚ememies’…. What does it make to the normal Afghanis to see something like that. In my understanding it makes only more separation between officials and the normal people. Sure I know,  that’s not the intention. But there is anyway so much scepticism from people to the government. To see this walls, it feels or has the impression, yes they have something to hide.

I continue my peacewalk and hit back towards my new ‚home‘. Surprisingly, not at the edge of the city, but there is a garden area. Outside stands with fruits. I do arrive a the river, which flows through Kabul. Very little water in it these days. And people put all there rubbish in it. When I see something like that I am almost crying. Lots of grey water make it still flow a little. To my very big surprise I see someone washing his cloth in it.

The last 500m to my hotel so many stands, bazar. Most sellers have a stand on wheels, so they just roll there shop in the evening home. Everyone has a umbrella on top to have some protection from the sun. Its very colourful. In the last days of Ramadan its energy taking and diffucult to stand all day long in he hot sun, not to eat and drink until sunset. Fantastic to see all the goods, hills of watermelons and other fruits, stands full of adgil, all kinds of dry fruits and nuts, I guess this is also famous for breaking the fast in some days. And sure, other stands with cloth and other useful goods.

In the afternoon resting time and communication with some friends later on. It’s unbelievable how much time I need for diguesting, sleeping….

Opening doors, inside and outside, seems to be difficult here. To find a free place to stay…. impossible? no, I don’t believe it, but it takes time.

At the evening around 19h, Iftar, fast breaking time, I look for the people in my first hotel. They are so happy that I show up. We have a good time. Now I find out, that there are also rooms for 500 AFG rupies (7$). Why they not offer this to me. Because you need a bathroom in the room, that say. But, I told you that I have so little money…. it seems that it take a long time, to believe a westener, that he has little money.

Mahmod here in Kabul writes an Sms. He is a friend from Ali in Fariman in Iran and working for Iranian TV here. He is full of worries for me and not really answering on Ali’s and my request, if it is possible to stay maybe at his place? Coversations continue the whole evening between us three…. Later in the night I find a message,  that he will help me a little, whatever that’s means….. He will let me know next day…..

The next day, today a was finally able to speak to the director of the Hotel. I want to let him know about my financial situation and see if there could be something done on the money side. Mr Karimzai listened to me, read my flyer, checked my passport. I told him also I have only money for one more week. In other countries it’s possible, like in Turkey, to go to he mayor or governer, and they always found a solution for a day, some days or week to stay by invitation. Not in Afghanistan. I ask him if I can speak with his ‚boss‘, but in this case it’s the ministry of…. so I  not able to speak with the minister… understandable – super busy person. Anyway, after some thinking he redused my staying fee in the hotel to 15$. He also said, that he is a bit like me, helping people, and the room is 25$. The difference he will pay out of his personal pocket…..

In the afternoon I felt into a long sleep. It’s so surprising – again, how much energy it’s take to open the doors on many levels, only a little bit…..

I checked my account and a unexpected donation arrived from a friend surprisingly. Oh how good.  So I am not running out of money in 7 days…… Thanks. …

Mahmoud, the Iranian TV reporter is just writing SMS. He likes to help me, but he lives also in a government home and it’s not ‚approved‘ that I can stay there. He finally liked to help me. But…. it’s hard to open doors in Afghanistan. …. very interesting and it seems like an adventure…. let’s continue

A have a mouse, a little tiny mouse visiting me in my room. It seems she walks through all the rooms, there are gaps under the doors. Since yesterday I do feed her with some pumkin seeds and water melon. She is very cute, climing up the curtain and balancing on the charger cable of my telefon.

Love from Kabul – Peace City

Th?mas