5am hike

I went to the top of the mountain near our house yesterday... we left at 5 am!! Our goal was to avoid any muggings by addicts (we figured they'd still be sleeping then) and also to avoid the heat of the sun.. i still worked up a sweat tho! We were back by 7.30... safe and sound. It was amazing.

First we (3 guys and me) walked through alleys/streets to the bottom of the hill. Then we climbed up to the fort, following the sewage line in the middle of the street/ alley through houses and basically past and through peoples front and back yards. There were a few people around collecting water or whatever but it was pretty quiet. There are a couple of canons up at the fort that used to be fired everyday at 12pm as a way of people knowing the time. Now instead there are explosions about the same time as they are clearing mines on another hill. As we got higher up we could see a few people sleeping on their rooves... flat mud style... and as the houses aren't very big it's probably the most cool and private spot around.

It amazes me how people have built into the hills here- there were no roads for vehicles where we were walking so to build all the buildings we saw, people must have used donkeys or human labour... tough going. Above the town we followed a bit of a track up the mountain to the wall and eventually to the top. (Wise to follow the track as there is a risk of mines up there). I am trying to find out the story of the wall and getting varying versions.. but one is that it was built at the time of Alexander the great (i.e. more than 2000 years ago) and it was a way of protecting the city at that time. It goes from the bottom of the hill all the way to the top and then around the corner and down the other side. Anyway we walked on it, took pictures and enjoyed the 360degree views of the mountains and the sprawling city below. A bit scary to be so high and look down at the air we breathe... all smoggy and polluted... like a fog over the city.

We saw lots of empty shell cases from machine guns up at the top... strange to imagine guys up there fighting... although it shouldn't be that hard to imagine when all over the city there are delapidated buildings and holes in everything from guns/ grenades whatever. This place has really been destroyed and it is amazing to see how new buildings are going up right next to bombed out ones... there are also people living in the ruins with the help of some tents or materials... i think it is the mix of destruction and rebuilding that makes driving around so fascinating here. At the end of our walk we walked through a big area which apparently used to house American clubs etc and it is totally destroyed... kind of airy walking through there.

Right i better go... today has been busy and tonight i am going to an engagement party. The afghan guy who is assistant manager with ORA is getting married. Should be fun!