Went with the group outside the base over to the neighboring US base, Camp Eggers for steak at dinner time. Both Camp Eggers and the base I stay on, ISAF HQ are contained in the Kabul Green Zone as well as various other places like the US Embassy. This zone is patrolled by the Afghan Military with checkpoints and searches. You also have to have a reason to go into the Green Zone. In this way it is relatively safe. Below is a map showing the various places in the Green Zone. Camp Eggers is located where it says "Coalition HQ".
They do allow the local school children in the Green Zone though. On the way all these afghan children hound you trying to get money or other things. You aren’t supposed to give anything out though because then there will just be more. People do anyways though. The kids take various approaches. Some are very aggressive. Some are the best salesmen/women you can find anywhere. They could seriously sell someone lakefront property in Arizona; someone needs to hire them. Some of them will be your bodyguard, shielding you from the rest. It is very interesting watching them. Apparently, according to a news article that came out, some of these kids make about $15 a day. That is about 5 times what many adults around Kabul make apparently.
At the US base there was steak, friend shrimp, macaroni and cheese, baked potato, and other good food. Best of all it had actual sweet tea… WITH ICE. It was really good and the best meal since I had been here. Even the fried shrimp was really good even though I am usually not a big shrimp person. I went back for seconds… which you could do here. Having a taste of US food is a nice change after eating at the mediocre DFAC for a week. It will be something to look forward to on Fridays.
~David
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