Will Work for Ammo

Just a quick one today. I have another post ready to go Sunday, but I didn't want folks to think I've disappeared or anything. I did make "rounds" today...it's been a busy week.

My new T-shirt...couldn't pass it up.

Every Morning in Kabul

Even before the sun lifts itself above the eastern mountain range to bathe Kabul in its light, the merchants are readying for another day. The bakers must be like the Dunkin' Donut guy of the commercials. Fresh-baked bread is on display by 05:30. People are out buying the day's groceries before 06:00. What we would call the commercial districts with computer shops, clothing stores and the like are still asleep, but where people live is alive with trade. I'm not really a morning person, but I love watching Kabul wake up in the morning.

Neighborhood bakery setting out the bread.

You typically see people carrying their bread home early in the morning and late in the afternoon.

I continue to be amazed at both the quantity and quality of the produce on display at the many vendors in town.

If you get your meat early in the day, it will be fresh...as in just slaughtered.
You can watch the whole process if you like.
Main fare here is beef and goat, but they sometimes have a few chickens too.

Meat on display all day. Of course, you don't eat anything rare here.
The fat layer is left on to protect the meat from both heat and flies.

Surplus Ammo...and Some Pictures, But Not of Ammo

Word on the street is that the bad guys have had trouble expending their explosives and ammo this summer. Gee, in only a couple months the high mountain passes will start getting difficult. By late fall many passes will be closed with snow. What to do? Can't have all this excess capability lying about.

So, the other word is that the bad guys may step up attacks just to get rid of inventory before winter sets in. Storing all that stuff is a bugger during the winter. Unfortunately for them, the bad guys find it difficult to operate during the winter. Not so the US forces and Afghan National Army. Since we can still get around...at least better than the bad guys...we will be rooting out all their caches. Not a pleasant thought for the bad guys. Explosives and ammo do cost money and the bad guy budget is limited in spite of record opium production.

I'm just worried that all this might affect my picture-taking. Bloody inconsiderate of the bad guys to threaten death and mayhem when I'm trying to show everyone outside Afghanistan that things aren't as bad as portrayed by the media...at least not in Kabul. With that in mind, I'm just putting up some people pictures today. Enjoy.

These three people have one thing in common (apart from being Afghans).
They all have full shopping bags, having completed their visit to the local vendors.

Two school girls going home on the last day of school.
They don't appear happy of that fact.

One of the guys I work with surrounded by some of our local friends.
The girl's older brother on the left was seriously injured by a landmine three years ago.
He lost his left eye, about half his teeth and his right arm just below the elbow.

The market opens.

Women waiting for a taxi, workmen resting and an old man on a bicycle.
Just ordinary people going about their business.