Richard in Afghanistan

Wed 5th
Trying to get many loose ends tied up before trip to Afghanistan & Pakistan. AM checked to see if passports returned from Pak and Af embassies yet. No post had arrived at 10.30am. Forgot to re-check until 16.00, John says no passports have arrived! Called Afghan embassy polite gentleman apologised for not sending passport back as promised in the conversation he recalled of... last last Friday was it? It's on his desk but it's too late to post tonight. Similar story at Pakistani High Commission very genial official apologised profusely, visa is complete but it seemed it had not been posted on Monday as promised in Fridays e-mail. I'm Flying Saturday, flights are booked, can't risk passports not being returned on time, will have to go to London tomorrow.

Thurs 6th
06.30 train to KingsX, tube and brisk walk to Afghan Embassy. Very hot have to keep nice and polite, collect passport 1, find somewhere to have a phone conference at 11.00 and get to Pakistani High Commission by 12 to collect passport 2. Afghans polite give me passport back but refuse to give me a credit for my visa fee despite not giving me a visa and the normal price being £50 not £100 I paid for a fast track. Calm, calm, calm. Find a table at the tennis club in Hyde Park, get coffee and cake and log into phone conference re Fairtrade almonds we hope to supply to a very large company who are getting involved in fair trade. All questions are answered everything looks good just need to confirm with our partner they will be able to bring delivery forward so we can get 16 tonnes in January. Plenty of time to stroll down to Pakistan HC the helpful official calls me just as I arrive at the door so i walk in and out in 5 minutes. Back to Kings Cross and jump on the 13.30 train to Durham. On the drive home the company who will process the almond for the large company call. They have problem with the almond price can I check my quote. I check it, price still same as in April I email both for comparison and go to the pub.

Friday 7th
Get to factory early hoping for early finish travelling tomorrow but there is a 20 item to do list. I speak to our partner in Pakistan January is no problem. Revise the delivery and payment schedule and send. Try to speak to my contacts at the large company and their supplier. Some hours later I find that there has been a price error. The complicated roasted chopped cluster is now too expensive and the whole project is in jeopardy. If this does not come off it means 12 months of on and off unpaid work for us. At least I got to the bottom of the to do list (with the help of pretty much everyone in the factory).

Saturday 8th
Get to airport in good time with new pair of sandals purchased on route. Quick call to brief Peter our MD on Almonds - he has been off work since Wednesday on holiday. Catch flight to Dubai I have to stay here for two nights while the NGO we are working with get me a visa for Afghanistan. Should definitely have left it to them rather than trying to 'save time' by getting one in London.

Saturday 9th
Quick breakfast before a brief exposure to the 40 degree heat of Dubai between the hotel and taxi, whew what a scorcher but is nice and cool in the taxi. The local fixer skilfully negotiates the Afghan Embassy queue and gets me some forms to fill in, pretty painless I think but it is quite warm in this room hope this doesn't take long. After 30 minutes and several visits to the harassed official behind the counter we repair to the waiting room proper. Long thin undecorated, sticky black plastic seats and very very very hot. Its a little piece of Kabul transferred to an even hotter climate. My fixer insists that I sit down while he joins the 100 man scrum which besieges two windows staffed by underpaid functionaries. Documents are handed in at one window and a chit is handed back at the other (some hours later). It is very difficult for people to leave the front of the queue once they complete their business. Except when the crowd parts Red Sea like to allow window access to a Female NGO worker. We wait from 10.30 til 14.00. Amongst the crowd there's a group of Brits who are new recruits to a company doing close security work (convoy escorts etc). All in their 40's their military days/careers are long past, most are family men who the credit crunch has forced to fall back on skills last used in the first gulf war. Eventually we get the chit and go outside it's at least 45 degrees now. The chit has to go back to the Afghan Embassy at 1700 to be swapped for my passport. I don't have to go with it, its certainly one of those days that makes you thankful not to be a visa scrumger for soft NGO dilettantes.