Afghanistan - Day 16 - Souvenirs

This morning I woke up and slept in a bit. After a lazy breakfast I walked my 4 miles and got back to the business of reading. After lunch I forced myself out of the tent and into the bazaar at the entrance to the Special Forces camp. (I suppose those shopkeepers need extra protection or something...)

It was a flash back through time as I walked amongst the stalls, examining the wares on display and haggling with the shopkeepers. Beautifully carved gemstones, handmade fur coats, "Karzai" hats, pirated movies, brass vessels, cell phones, Afghan clothing, carpets and more covered every available space. I selected a few items, bargained for a better price and left knowing that I still overpaid. But I was happy to pay what I did for the souvenirs, so I didn't mind stimulating the local economy.

The word "souvenir" is a French verb meaning, "to remember." And there will be many wonderful things about my time here that I will remember:

• Rubbing shoulders with America's Finest soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines
• Nutrition labels at the buffet lines in the DFAC that kept me from overeating
• Sleeping in a tent less than 150 meters from an uncleared minefield
• The warmth with which I was received by the soldiers
• The beautiful, snow-capped mountains that surrounded the post
• The "bird tree" - a large tree filled with birds that chirped so loud that my ears would sting as I walked underneath on my way to and from work
• The Bar-B-Que DFAC
• Knowing that there were lots of people back home praying for my safety (Thanks!)

Tomorrow I will be flying to Dubai, then home via Atlanta. Talk to you then!