Electricity's power

I had an unusual experience last night. I watched a film (on tv) that was scheduled to run past 11pm, and I was able to watch it all the way to the credits.... We had 'city power' - and not only until well past midnight, but on waking up this morning, the electricity was still 'on'. This normally only happens when it is a national holiday. For a while now we have been on a regular schedule of having city power every other evening - usually from around 4-5pm until 11pm. The other nights we run a noisy generator and switch it off at 11pm. Electricity is mostly generated by hydro plants on the fast flowing rivers around the country. So as the snow melts and the spring rains come, the availability of electricity increases. The authorities have said that in 10-15 days we will have 24-hour power... I don't quite believe it, but if it happens it will be wonderful. Though at first, I'm sure it will lead to me sleeping less - as I find that I don't really check the time - but instead wait for the power cut to tell me when it was time to go to bed.

Apart from the individual benefits having 24-hour power brings, it may help the general feeling within Afghanistan - as the erratic electricity supply is cited by most Afghans as an example of the lack of development and leads them to ask the question of where has all the donor money gone, if one of the basic utilities cannot be provided in the capital city? I hope that it is true and that we will get 24-hour power in the coming days - not so I can sit up all night and watch tv - but so the average Afghan can begin to feel some of the peace dividend that for many is currently lacking in their daily lives.

The lost luggage mountain of Dubai

I am beginning to think my luggage has opted for early retirement and a quiet life after a few years of sterling service of following me around - it left the snows of Kabul for Dubai more than 3 weeks ago and stayed put. It didn't chase flights, get lugged about the London underground or rush up to Yorkshire and keep on changing locations - or get a cold just before heading back 'home'. Maybe it had an inkling of what was to come and saw an opportunity for a more relaxed time in the sun. It seems that it likes Dubai so much that it has extended its stay - rather than return to the chillier temperatures of Kabul. And no wonder - I have been told that there are approx. 2,500 unclaimed bags in Dubai... so it must have made good friends - imagine, the luggage that passes through Dubai must come from all corners of the world, all with a tale to tell. The around-the-world-on-shoestring rucksack, the Louis Vuttion suitcase, the plastic woven laundry bags tied up with tape and string (visitors to Africa especially, will know what I mean) and the ubiquitous wheelie-case - all jostling for space.

I have been asked to provide a full description of my luggage and in particular any distinguishing marks, as the initial description of a black rucksack doesn't help too much when searching through a 2,500 piece luggage mountain. Are all 2,500 in one pile somewhere? How long does a piece of luggage stay before it is opened and the contents raffled/given away/sold off? Apart from the gifts purchased in Kabul for friends and family there is nothing of interest to anybody but myself. Even for an airport that is a 'regional hub' I feel that 2,500 is rather a lot (and for a seemingly well organised airport it is quite scary that so much can be mislaid) - and what of their owners - did they just give up? Maybe I am lucky because I have UN staff in Dubai trying to locate my luggage while 'regular' travellers just rely on the airlines to do the searching and if they are insured and get compensated maybe they do just give up.

Even though compensation would be nice - I just really want my stuff back. Though I know one should try not to be attached to material possessions - but ... I would like to have my favourite purple shirt back and the pair of jeans... and then there is the baseball cap that was given to me by a good friend. They didn't cost at lot of money - not at all, it is just that I like them, and clothes that I like I keep for years and they become old friends.... Is this silly, sentimental?

Travel woes and lessons learned

I’ve just returned to Kabul after 16 days leave and I’m happy to be home – as it is a sheer joy not to be going near an airport or an aeroplane in the near future and no longer to be living out of a suitcase… It was lovely to be out of Afghanistan, as no matter how well you think you are doing a break from the stains of living here is very welcome. However, for me it was the departure that was the cause of major stress. On waking up on the day that I was to leave I was greeted with the city covered in snow and still more falling steadily from the grey skies. I didn’t even get the chance to check-in as while still in the queue the flight was cancelled and rescheduled for the following day. Normally, this would have been an irritating inconvenience…but for the first time, I was travelling with the need to be somewhere at a certain time – to meet friends to go on holiday. So I rescheduled my flight out of Dubai – and hoped that the forecast would be right and the snow would not continue into the following day. On the way to the airport for the rescheduled flight the sky was a clear blue and the sun was shining brightly. Thankfully, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan allows for planes to fly on a Friday – and thankfully, Kabul international airport is not so busy that it cannot find slot for an unscheduled flight…

We were due to depart at 0930, and at 0930 we were called and I breathed a deep sigh of relief, thinking that the bad luck was over… But instead of boarding the plane we were taken to a separate building to be given breakfast and to be informed that we would have a few hours wait before our departure. The reason for the delay? It obviously wasn’t the visibility as it was clear and bright… We listened in disbelief when the airport officials said that we were waiting for the sun to melt the snow on the runway. Kabul International Airport is not the most sophisticated, as perhaps you might expect…however it is used by the international military and the UN and these organisations have contributed to improving the infrastructure. So the fact that we were waiting for the sun to clear the runway was a little hard to take in – and to be reassured that the snow would melt in the number of hours claimed. The airport apparently does have a de-icer, but it was in a state of disrepair, in the middle of winter.

After a couple of hours wait our disbelief was confounded and it was announced that the sun had indeed burned brightly and melted the snow on the runway. Though happy to be finally beginning my journey, I knew that I had missed my connecting flight once again in Dubai. On arrival at Dubai’s Terminal 2, it was remarkably busy given the odd locations it services (see previous post Making money from trouble). The queue at the transfer desk swamped the official on duty, his continued calls into his radio for assistance were finally met only after he had dealt with all the harassed travellers desperate to make their connections.

I was able to reschedule my flight, though the new flight was to arrive in London an hour before I was due to depart with my friend on holiday… So very tight, and only possible if very lucky. And for my extra delight I had 9 hours to kill in Dubai before departing at 3am. On arrival in London I was spared the mad dash as we arrived late and so I already knew that I had missed the connection. I took my time and rescheduled yet another flight to enable me to finally get to my holiday destination. On arrival at the baggage reclaim I realised that the laws of probability had finally caught up with me. Given the number of times that I fly I often stand at baggage reclaim thinking that it must be my time to have my luggage go missing. And this was that time.

Lesson learned 1. If you have enough time (and the visa) to transfer between the two terminals at Dubai on the outside, carrying your luggage yourself, then do it.

Lesson learned 2. It is amazing how easy it is to travel with only a few items. And don’t pack anything you would be sorry to lose permanently.

Lesson learned 3. Put your mobile phone charger in your carry on luggage (this is a lesson that I really should not have had to learn through experience)

Lesson learned 4. Don’t make connecting travel plans when leaving Afghanistan in the winter, unless it involves a long lay over in the first destination.

Lesson learned 5. A bad experience is never totally negative. Due to checking in 9 hours before the flight, I was allocated (without asking) what some people consider to be the best seat on a plane (in economy at least), the window seat by the emergency exit – the one with the leg room. So I was able to sleep a little. And with missing my connection in London I had plenty of time to shop – to get a few essential items that I no longer had due to the missing luggage.

My return journey was smooth – the hotel in Dubai relaxing and all flights were on time. Kabul was an almost pleasurable 6°C on arrival. And I travelled in the knowledge that my bag had been located in Dubai and should be waiting back in Kabul for me. However, it seems that my luggage decided that it prefers the warmer climes of Dubai and so far still hasn’t turned up. I am still trying to discover how a found bag can again become lost, though no-one has been able to enlighten me on this one. In the meantime, I have been asked once again for the tag number… I hope that my bad luck is now over and that I will be reunited with my luggage, when it is ready to return.

And my holiday? It was lovely to be in warm sunshine, be out in the fresh air (away from the dust and smoke of Kabul), to be able walk around and to travel to places at will – without needing official permission. It was great to see family and friends, to eat good food and to have 24 hour power and central heating. And it is these simple things, those that normally one would take for granted, that give such pleasure.