Aug
03
2009
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Travel Notes Dubai |
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Written by JD Johannes
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Tuesday, 04 August 2009 |
"You are not afraid to fly into Kabul?" the woman at the information desk of Dubai International Airport asked me.
Obviously not.
I am currently sitting in economy class on the Kam air flight to Kabul.
I'm feeling good, well rested and ready to get operating. What else should I expect, I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night.
The Holiday Inn Express in the Knowledge City section of Dubai is a two-star hotel according to the Dubai tourism and marketing agency.
But, if that hotel was in the US, it would be a three to four star easy.
But, in Dubai, the five star standard is set pretty high.
Taxi service is reliable and they don't over charge too much. Dubai is a success as a city state because the systems are reliable and predictable. The taxi may have been the cleanest I have ever been in.
I caught the Kam air flight with minimal trouble--even with a change in flight due to arriving a day late in Dubai.
Kam air is in Terminal 2, which is away from the main terminals, smaller, less plush, but still with a good duty free.
I picked up some items for a few friends I'll be meeting later.
Flying commercial into Kabul may seem daunting, but really, understand that Kabul, though more screwed up than most third world capital cities, is still the hub of a lot of traffic and commercial activity.
And Kam is a real regional airline--you can book your flight online. Be sure to print your ticket from the auto-response email.
There are NGO, contractor and reporter types. Behind me is a family who looks like they are coming home from an extended shopping vacation in Dubai.
In front of me are a foursome of drop dead gorgeous Persian women with US passports and manicured toes.
Yeah, it all seemed pretty brave until the previous sentence, didn't it?
But that is the nature of conflict in the modern era.
Paul Herbert, the director of the 1st Infantry Division Museum, brought that up to me when I met him a few weeks ago.
In WWI and WWII, the civilians got out of the way of the war. But in the current way of war, civilians are part of the terrain of war. Commerce continues, people go about their lives as the battle goes on sporadically around them.
Hence, a family from Kabul flying to Dubai for a shopping trip and a bevy of beautiful sisters flying to visit family.
And why I told the girl the at the airport information desk that "No, I'm not afraid to fly to Kabul. A lot of people fly to Kabul."
So, if you are ever headed to Kabul, I currently recommend taking Delta airlines to Dubai (DXB), stay at the Holiday Inn Express, then take Kam airlines to Kabul (KBL).
Update: KBL is a little and friendly airport. Baggage claim worked as it should. But remember to keep you baggage claim tags handy, they ask for them before you go through customs.
Full Disclosure: No one paid me to plug any of the above companies, but I appreciate after-the fact comps!
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