Moonlit Mountains

I started the day with a shorter run than yesterday, only three laps, and stretched for a while in the gym. After breakfast the commander's conference started. My presentation was a bit later, after a 15 minute coffee break. It went ok. Afterwards I was approached by the Swedish Development Adviser responsible for the Samangan province and an American journalist from the Forward Media Team, who wanted to ask about the situation and different projects in Samangan. They also wanted to come and visit Aybak some time soon. On the lunch break I went to see the tailor, who had finally gotten my insignia of rank ready. My nametags were in the PO's mailbox, along with the nametags of all the other new arrivals.


And this is what my new nametag and insignia of rank look like.

The conference ended at about 1500, which was earlier than expected. I hurried over to where Lion and Bunny were waiting, where M and M were carrying all the cars' equipment from the container where we stashed it and putting it back into place in the vehicles. It seemed like we would get back to Aybak by nightfall. However, the signals equipment did not have the required settings, and we spent over two hours just to get a communications check with one radio. After all the other preparations were done, we didn't get to leave CNL before dusk. At Marmal, we picked up T, who had spent two nights there after the dentist's appointment, prepared our equipment for darkness and tried the other radio. It wouldn't work to begin with, either, so M spent almost and hour to get the settings right. In the mean time we changed Bunny's right front tyre, that was damaged.

The drive to Aybak took more than two hours as there was surprisingly much traffic. Heavy lorries, overloaded with various goods, were driving sometimes without lights at only 40 km/hour. At the police checkpoints the road was blocked, but the police lets ISAF vehicles through quickly. And the radio worked fine. It was full moon and not a cloud in the sky. The mountains on both sides of the road looked like they were made of silver. At the PO's gate we were greeted by the stray dogs, who were barking at us. There was also the usual smells in the dry and dusty air: coal smoke, garbage rotting in the heat, and the cows in the neighbours yard. It was like coming home.


P.S.: There are peculiar signs in Camp Northern Lights, too.