The Trip to LAX
The trip to LAX with my friends is how our memorable experience started. On a significant day, we took a bus, twenty-five of us, and left San Diego for Lax. We were all excited and full of expectations about our destination and the trip in general. We arrived five hours earlier at the airport, but it was to our advantage as we were able to avoid any inconveniences in our new environment. However, I could assume that the major reason for us arriving at the airport five hours to flight takeoff was the fact that we were all excited and anxious to travel out of our city and country. For some like me, this was the first time out of the country. Some of the guys spent time drinking at the airport bar, eating and others just reading books. Our plane finally arrived the gate, the people on the same flight as we let us enter first that was nice of them. It was a long flight from Los Angeles to Dortmund Germany that was our first stop to our destination. Our flight stopped on Germany just to refuel. We made another stop on Manas and switched to a smaller plane because it was now only the 25 of us. The widows were smaller on this plane and I couldn’t see much outside but what I could make out is a lot of sand. Soon, the plane’s back door opened and we had arrived to our destination, Helmand province in Afghanistan. To me, this place seemed like a beach only that there was no water and no fun at all. I stayed in this place for six months, a period in which I gathered a lot from the countries physical features, the borders and the climate trends of the region.
Helmand Province
Helmand province is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. The Helmand province is where the U.S. and other countries who are members of NATO conducted most of their operations. We got out of the plane and our group of 25 was divided to a group of 7 and after a couple classes on the county’s geography and culture we were sent off. We were told that Helmand is considered as one of the largest opium-producing areas. However, the region is also known for the production of sesame, wheat, and peanut. Despite the fact that a greater section of the country is a desert, when we were sent off in our MRAP (vehicles) I noticed that there is a large river and a lot of vegetation around it. I recalled the instructor in charge of a particular lesson telling us that the residents of the province depended on Helmand River for the growth of crops. I could not help but compare California to Afghanistan. Notably, there is also a desert in California with the only difference being the richer lifestyle in the latter than Afghanistan.
Mountainous Terrain
Mountains cover the land, and it is due to this landscape nature that Afghanistan is widely recognized for the mountainous terrain. Going on patrols I could definitely see a beauty in this place. The large mountains reminded me of South California and I even had the perception that were we on the other side of the mountain, we would be home. The large mountains provided a natural view of the surroundings and presented a good opportunity for those who love hiking to practice their skill. Remarkably, I thought to myself that in future, these mountains would provide a tourist attraction site in Afghanistan. Going on patrol missions at this location was a difficult challenge because of the rocky terrain that make it hard to go up and hard to come down. Making any wrong step would make someone go straight down in the abyss. Nonetheless, this was quite an adventurous activity.
Challenges and Agriculture
Soil erosion and drought are the primary challenges that farmers in this region faced. Additionally, due to the sandstorms, it was hard to walk in such a kind of condition, a phenomenon referred to as moon dust. However, not all Afghans suffer from water shortage. For instance, those that are close to the river have good and fertile soil. They live in what is referred to as the green zone. In the green zone there are giant fields full of Marijuana. This was spectacular because for these farmers, it was not an illegal activity but was rather comparable to the cultivation of maize plantations.
Extreme Temperatures
While in Afghanistan, one gets hit with intense temperatures that go as high as 130 degrees Celsius. Fascinatingly, it was so hot that I managed to fry eggs on a metal surface. An unusual phenomenon that I observed in this place is the presence of flies. Markedly, these must have been hybrid flies as they managed to survive in such an environment with high temperatures. There were several confusing moments of my stay in Afghanistan. While citizens in this country are generally perceived to be hostile, I got to interact with people who did not seem to hate Americans as much. Notably some of them even offered us food. However, it was annoying that little children would come asking for candy or money. Markedly, they would react violently when not given any candy or money by throwing stones at us. This led to my confirmation that the kind of lifestyle that these kids have been raised through has made them become violent and hostile towards visitors in the country.
Final Thoughts
Despite the high temperatures in Afghanistan, the trip to this place was adventurous. However, the only peaceful times were at night when we just made our beds and got to see the clear night skies that were sometimes interrupted by firefights. Afghan is chaotic but I wouldn’t mind going back with my friends for another spring break as I got to experience diversity on a whole new level. For instance, houses in Afghanistan are made of mud while in California, they are properly built and furnished. Markedly, I learnt that Afghan is not entirely a desert but also has a nice scenery. California too has a desert but can be differentiated from Afghanistan by the lifestyle of residents. With the implementation of the proper strategies to end the chaos in the country, it could become a significant tourist attraction destination in the future. All in all, the trip to Afghanistan made me to have a completely different view of the hostile perceived location. Notably, there were people who were very welcoming and despite the different in their culture, it felt like home away from home, giving me memories am likely to remember for a very long time.
