As Friday is the sabbath day in Islamic countries, the office was closed. I wasn't looking forward to an entire day in a guest house with no other guests. However Gerry came to the rescue and took me to the Flower Street Cafe where I had real coffee and some Fajitas. Mexican food in Afghanistan - why not? It was good to get out and Friday afternoon seems to have passed peacefully in Kabul, although there have been reports of more problems in the North and West of the country.
I sent off the final version of my report to the secretariat in Europe as well as to the managers here and I read through various documents I had not caught up with during the week.
Tomorrow I will definitely be going on a two day trip by road to Jalalabad (heading East). I got the all clear from Jalalabad today: there was no trouble after prayers. However I have to take extra precautions, these are: I have to wear traditional Afghan clothing - enormous baggy trousers and long shirt (in pea green nylon) along with a flat woollen hat. I have also stopped shaving today, by Sunday I might look a bit stubbly. But the main precaution is that I have to travel in a two car convoy, with an empty car following behind me. If something happens to my car (anything from a flat tyre to, well, you know...) there needs to be a spare car to make sure that I am not stuck in the countryside. Nice that they are thinking about me (gulp).
The road to Jalalabad is apparently the very busy main highway to Pakistan and so should be safe and busy, I won't be winding through mountain passes and it won't be near where the fighting is,basically it is the opposite direction: but given that we are talking about an insurgency there really isn't a front line. However with my costume and travelling on a busy road in an unremarkable vehicle, I think I will be okay.
I'll let you know on Sunday.
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