I have lots to catch up on and will try to do that soon, but I just found something I loved today in ways similar to SCUBA. After feeling a bit trepidacious, I climbed up into the helicopter surely looking like a dork in my helmet and flak jacket unsure how my fear of heights would impact me.
I sat in the middle and within 2 minutes, really wished I hadn't. WOW! I never want to be on a plane again! We had 4 stops as I made my way up into Nuristan from Jalalabad. It was incredible to see the snow-capped mountains, the dusty plains, the river valleys with the intricate array of terraced crops. I took a bunch of pictures...this may be the first country I've visited that I have more pictures from the air than the ground! I loved it and can't wait to jump in again.
Granted, sitting there isn't as fun as swimming around underwater, but I had that same "otherworldly" feel...that maybe you aren't supposed to be here (as it is the realm of birds), but it is great to pretend and so much easier without the boxed in feel of a plane. Maybe the Wright brothers had the best idea after all! I just hope that the skies are perfectly clear next time.
Speaking of, I'm up in the mountains at a base, and there are almost no lights to be seen. A few beams coming from under the doors, but if you look up, even on this overcast night, some stars are gleaming. I can't wait to see the sky the next few nights. It is going to be as incredible as Namibia was for sure. Maybe even better! I'm sure you might have thought I meant Hollywood royalty when I mentioned stars, but alas no, I just left Jalalabad as Christine Amanpour was coming in for a CNN spotlight on the Hearts and Minds Campaign here. That is fine by me, the goofy picture of me and Biden in Georgia was enough international coverage for the year.
I feel much better here, the air is clear, the mountains are back around me, and the food is still good. Tomorrow kicks off a big day, so I'd better head on. Will be playing catch up with this now that I have a bit of access over the next few days.
Peace...
I sat in the middle and within 2 minutes, really wished I hadn't. WOW! I never want to be on a plane again! We had 4 stops as I made my way up into Nuristan from Jalalabad. It was incredible to see the snow-capped mountains, the dusty plains, the river valleys with the intricate array of terraced crops. I took a bunch of pictures...this may be the first country I've visited that I have more pictures from the air than the ground! I loved it and can't wait to jump in again.
Granted, sitting there isn't as fun as swimming around underwater, but I had that same "otherworldly" feel...that maybe you aren't supposed to be here (as it is the realm of birds), but it is great to pretend and so much easier without the boxed in feel of a plane. Maybe the Wright brothers had the best idea after all! I just hope that the skies are perfectly clear next time.
Speaking of, I'm up in the mountains at a base, and there are almost no lights to be seen. A few beams coming from under the doors, but if you look up, even on this overcast night, some stars are gleaming. I can't wait to see the sky the next few nights. It is going to be as incredible as Namibia was for sure. Maybe even better! I'm sure you might have thought I meant Hollywood royalty when I mentioned stars, but alas no, I just left Jalalabad as Christine Amanpour was coming in for a CNN spotlight on the Hearts and Minds Campaign here. That is fine by me, the goofy picture of me and Biden in Georgia was enough international coverage for the year.
I feel much better here, the air is clear, the mountains are back around me, and the food is still good. Tomorrow kicks off a big day, so I'd better head on. Will be playing catch up with this now that I have a bit of access over the next few days.
Peace...
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