Bpeace in Kabul

Afghan welcoming committee for their friends returning from the Haj.

Tonight, we’re tired, but feeling very fortunate. We know that some of you have heard (because we received anxious emails and phone calls) that a flight was turned away from Kabul airport yesterday because of the weather, and later crashed. There were 104 people on board. We were supposed to fly into Kabul yesterday. Some of the friends we made in the waiting room of the Dubai airport lost staff. Very sad. What more can we say?

We arrived in Kabul about 4:30 pm, and because of traffic gridlock, it took as long for us to get from the airport to the hotel, as it did to get from Dubai to here.

Our van didn’t move for an hour as hundreds of Afghan men swarmed the road leading out of the airport. They were the friends and family of Afghan pilgrims returning on a special flight from the Haj--the largest and holiest Muslim religious event of the year. Almost three million Muslims travel to Mecca in Saudi Arabia to perform Haj over a five-day. The men in the street, some carrying metallic and paper festive hearts, were darting between parked cars decorated with ribbons and flowers. They didn’t pay us no never mind. We were just another van in the way of their big welcome.

We finally arrived at the Intercontinental (not part of the chain), but only after one of our vans needed to be pushed up the steep hill. Rooms are adequate, heat isn’t great…we only have space heaters. But we all brought thermal underwear, and Kate bought us all toe warmers.

Tomorrow, our debut at Kabul University, and our first day of training the women in the Bpeace program.