Hospitality/Recreation
Kandahar
KAF would be very nice base, quite photogenic. Aircraft take off night and day, the fighters taking off on afterburner are like a free fireworks show every night. The A10s are some of the coolest planes ever and there aren’t that many places to see them any more.
The downside to the base is the Poo Pond. It is, perhaps the most famous feature of the base. It was built by the Russians, a gigantic open cesspool.
The smell… the smell is truly incredible. Imagine being locked in an overfull outhouse on a hot, windless day, but spreading downwind for miles and inescapable. It is one of those things that is better experienced vicariously.
But at sunset, aside from the retching stink, it is quite photogenic – the black, viscous liquid is mirror like, still and reflects the sunset just beyond the bio hazard signs.
Luxury is Relative
At the COB, Green Beans is a real, but essential, luxury. We started our day with a triple cappuccino expertly served up by the unexpectedly named Robert Rodriquez (perhaps an homage) and felt pretty well taken care of.
A Few Pretty Spots at VBC
Saddam managed to build a fairly pretty complex here, with lots of artificial lakes (originally filled with potable water). Along one of those lakes is the Gates of Babylon restaurant. The food is excellent and the adjoining room is a hookah bar. The Nex5 does a pretty good job at night.
The palace is pretty inside, though the construction is legendarily shoddy and parts of the palace are starting to disintegrate as salt in the sand mixed in with the concrete disintegrates it. The main hall is quite dramatic with a three story chandelier.
Rain in the Desert
The road to our camp turns into a 4wheel drive adventure.
A little different from the sun a day before
Inner-city Wildlife
A very loud cat came in to eat cat fud. It turned out to be a big raccoon.
After scampering to the cat door (in the floor) and trying to pass itself off as basement raccoon watching us, it ran out.
I went out to take a picture of it and as I was turning to go in, I noticed the Great Sky Possum was perched on the roof keeping a wary eye on Basement Raccoon.
Time to get an automated feeder.
Combinations Coffee at TXL
As airport coffee makers go, this one is mediocre. The milk handling is excellent and it produced light and even froth, but the coffee flavor is weak.
Holiday Inn On King Patch
The room patch panel at the Holiday Inn on King in Toronto is the best I’ve encountered in a hotel. Watch you tube on the room’s large LCD TV… Play your iPod through the sound system. Free broadband. All hotels should do this.
Red Brick Café, Guelph
As I’m spending more time in Guelph lately than expected, it has been a very good thing to discover the Red Brick Cafe. They have good food items and excellent coffee. No overheated milk and they know the difference between a cappuccino and a latte. With the favorable (to the US) exchange rate, it is a great deal too.
Late night food in YYZ
576 Queen St. W. in Toronto (416) 504-9736 at Bathurst.
Good shwarma. I got dinner there are 1:30am on Tuesday. Open late and very satisfying.
Mizu YYZ
We had a lovely dinner at Mizu on King St. in Toronto. Very good, very fresh Sushi and a very nice owner who kindly shared with us his two favorite sushi restaurants in Toronto:
- Kazi Sushi in Queen’s Way
- Hiro Sushi on King St. East