Kabul Favorites

Favorite thing: Afghanistan is a Moslem country. Do not bring alcohol into the country even though they come from a duty-free shop in the airport you've been to before coming to Kabul. Afghan Customs Officer will not only confiscate them but be ready for consequences. Please don't say nobody warned you.

Favorite thing: There are some Internet cafes in Kabul but I discourage you from going to one. A suicide bomber blew himself up in one of those cafes a few years ago in Kabul. Afghans are not used yet to seeing tourists in Internet cafes. I recommend that you check out your Guesthouse first before settling down. A good guesthouse should be able to provide Internet connection.

Favorite thing: You may need to ask an Afghan for a favour to secure a SIM card for you. They do not cost much. There are 3 famous telephone companies at the moment: AWCC, Areeba and Roshan. Believe me, you will not hear the same answer when you ask people which one is the best (cost, connection/reception). You won't have any problem in topping up your credit. Phone cards are sold almost in every corner at AFA 250, AFA 500, etc.

Favorite thing: One of the places we shot at was this school- for both boys and girls. An enthusiastic bunch of children and teachers...
It was a very welcome sight to see kids here, rather than the kids whose faces we saw on the streets everyday...

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Favorite thing: The prices in Kabul are skyrocketing. From rent to goods and services. Everything is available but at a price. The value of the local currency - the afghani- is almost the same as is the Indian rupee vs the dollar. And children on the streets will often come up and ask for dollars.
There has been criticism of the aid received - which is being termed ineffective and the buzzword in the finance ministry circles is `aid effectiveness'. One example of this which was quoted is that it may be much cheaper to bring in an engineer from India to work on a certain project as against going in for a high cost option from the west.

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Favorite thing: Among the most noticable changes in Kabul- visually at least- is the new buildings and construction projects mushrooming around the city. Some rather swanky buildings, including the Kabul Serena, the fancy 5 star hotel. That apart, i was at a shopping mall, that had just gotten ready, complete with escalators and elevators, and also modern looking phone booths, installed across the city.
This was something new and quite a contrast to either of my earlier trips.
That being said, its something that dosent represent the large chunk of its poorer majority, and there are real problems and issues- like power supply. Kabul and the rest of the country, face severe power shortages and diesel gensets are a way of life...
The Government does plan to buy power from the neighbouring countries soon and eventually generate power on its own.

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Favorite thing: The traffic moves to the right hand side, but the cars are often left hand drive... thats because many of them are imported used cars from the gulf region.
I tried my hands at the wheels of a landrover - driving up to the airport once... somewhat confusing!

Favorite thing: Don't pay in dollar, unless your buying something that cost a lot of money. You will get better prices if you pay in Afghani and try to speak some Persian. Learn a few frases before you go and use them frequently.