http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Afghanistan That's the world from my perspective - with a free weblog from blogigo. en Armin2 Armin2 Thu, 01 Feb 2007 01:58:00 +0100 daily 1 In summer 2006 after the construction of production wells in the cities of Gardez, Ghazni and Chel Dokhtaran I left Afghanistan and returned to Germany. It was just a short stay, since I work now in Rio de Janeiro, see: http://www.blogigo.de/Rio The links below are just an experimental thing, hope it works: Click the colored links below: View Recent Visitors and this one is even better: Map Display! var sc_project=2239231; var sc_invisible=0; var sc_partition=20; var sc_security="144b1d19"; This really works! Thu, 01 Feb 2007 01:58:00 +0100 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Afghanistan/Khoda-Hafiz-Afghanistan/40/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Afghanistan/Khoda-Hafiz-Afghanistan/40/ Thu, 03 Aug 2006 15:15:18 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Afghanistan/ROOF-PARTY-IN-KABUL/39/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Afghanistan/ROOF-PARTY-IN-KABUL/39/ Last pumping test with 125 h3/hr flow rate Fri, 07 Jul 2006 10:32:02 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Afghanistan/LAST-PUMPING-TEST-IN-G./38/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Afghanistan/LAST-PUMPING-TEST-IN-G./38/   Dust devil near our compound in G. Dust devils are created when air near the surface becomes much warmer than the air above.  This creates an instability in which the warm air rises. With intense insolation, temperatures well above 100 o F up to 140 o F (40 to 60°C) are not uncommon on the desert floors during the summer months.  Dust devils typically occur in open areas where large quantities of air are heated.  An isolated area begins to rise due to its instability and soon much of the surrounding air rushes in and intensifies this upward movement.  The Coriolis effect gives the dust devil its characteristic spin (counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere).  The open, flat desert floor also minimizes frictional drag so the rush of hot air towards the rising vortex is maintained.  The abundance of dust enhances our view of the air movement. This isolated dust devil nicely shows the cylindrical shape created by the ascending air.  Commonly a... Fri, 07 Jul 2006 10:04:50 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Afghanistan/DUST-DEVIL/37/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Afghanistan/DUST-DEVIL/37/   Looking for the recharge of our aquifer we made a trip upstream the mighty Ghazni river. I knew about last year's dam burst (see below), so I was curious what happened in the meantime... Dam Burst: Band-e-Sultan Following Heavy Rains and Melting of Snow on March 28, 2005    Band-e-Sultan Dam after it Burst due to Higher Level of Water Following Heavy Winter Snowfall Southern Ghazni: Band-e-Sultan's Burst Dam Caused Massive Flooding in the Region Visit on May 23, 2006: Reconstruction of the dam almost completed Low water  exposes the 1,000 year old dam inside the retention basin   Looks like my friends have been here before having fun...   Taliban signature still visible in the marble stone   Walking on the old dam (which after construction of the new dam normally is submerged)           The old dam opening... Fri, 23 Jun 2006 19:07:31 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Afghanistan/BAND-E-SULTAN/36/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Afghanistan/BAND-E-SULTAN/36/ Two 120mm rockets connected to batteries and ready for detonation were discovered less than 150m from our compound in one of our places of work on Tuesday, 13 June. They appeared to be pointed in the direction of our camp. However, there is a significant government building (the new Police Headquarter for 4 provinces) inside our compound. Our security people handled the situation and alerted the local authorities and the IEDs were diffused.   Note: Having police around does not always mean more security (not in this country)... Fri, 23 Jun 2006 10:07:12 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Afghanistan/INSURGENT-ROCKETS/35/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Afghanistan/INSURGENT-ROCKETS/35/ After finishing their works successfully Kopi and Jerry were finally allowed to leave home. For Kopi a perfect timing, as he will arrive in Germany just in time for the opening game of the FIFA world cup!  Of course our cooks prepared a BBQ   Prost! Bazar-salamati! Cheers! Be-salamati... We speak international                         See you soon in Germany!  Fri, 09 Jun 2006 10:44:40 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Afghanistan/GOOD-BYE-TO-KOPI-AND-JERRY/33/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Afghanistan/GOOD-BYE-TO-KOPI-AND-JERRY/33/ On the 2 hour drive from Kabul to one our well locations we passed the place were earlier this week a roadside bomb exploded.       Fri, 09 Jun 2006 10:13:30 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Afghanistan/TRAVEL-TO-THE-WELL-SITE/32/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Afghanistan/TRAVEL-TO-THE-WELL-SITE/32/ It is Friday. We are once again locked down. Time for a pool tournament This guy is dangerous...                     Note the perfect outfit... the color of cue and pants fit perfectly Fri, 09 Jun 2006 09:37:00 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Afghanistan/POOL-TOURNAMENT/31/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Afghanistan/POOL-TOURNAMENT/31/ or Good-bye Party for John!   John wearing the Genghis Khan headgear   Kopi doing the Genghis Khan thing   Keith, another fierce-looking Mongolian fighter ...but the nicest Genghis Khan is Omayra!   Pashtoon Jerry meeting Mongolian Queen   Tom joining   Seth keeps a low profile   John in local wear   last minute financial transactions   the blue dot special   roof time!                       John, we will miss you! Fri, 09 Jun 2006 08:39:43 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Afghanistan/THE-LAST-WALTZ/30/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Afghanistan/THE-LAST-WALTZ/30/ Be careful on the roads and don't drive into potato storages as one of our escort drivers did lately   Hazara women harvesting on the fields   ...and the landowner supervises the works   Crossing the river... Normally each sheep drove has at least one goat joining and leading the sheep. In this case there is no goat, and the shepherd is forced to drag one of the sheeps to the other river side so the others will follow   Not a cry for help, but the construction work of a German aid organization   Drying sheep wool after washing in the river   Doing laundry   Passerby   John taking a water sample during a pumping test   James E. dressed as Pashtoon   The author installing transducer   Flowmeter-readings to calculate the discharge   The hat says: listen, think, deliver... Fri, 19 May 2006 13:06:58 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Afghanistan/LATEST-UPDATE/29/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Afghanistan/LATEST-UPDATE/29/ Kuchi nomads following the seasons across the land on there way north   Where the Kuchi put up their tents...   demining-teams still search for unexploded ordnance and landmines   Still snow in the mountains   Graves are marked with flags Sat, 06 May 2006 19:15:36 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Afghanistan/TRIP-TO-GARDEZ/28/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Afghanistan/TRIP-TO-GARDEZ/28/ For deeper wells the more advanced method of rotary-drilling is used (compared to percussion drilling shown in the previous entries). Capacity building is an important part of the project. Jerry, experienced driller from the states, and Köpi, doing quality control on the drilling fluid, train the local drillers on site.   Mud pits are excavated prior drilling   ...and the pit system consisting of a discharge pit, a desander suction pit, desander discharge pit, mud suction pit and pre mix pit filled with drilling fluid in order to wash out the cuttings from the borehole.   Well borehole and the discharge pit    The desanders     Mary, John and Hamidullah discussing     Our drivers and shooter    Driving back home... John getting wet    Somehow we all got wet on the way back...  Fri, 14 Apr 2006 12:44:54 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Afghanistan/MUD-DRILLING/27/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Afghanistan/MUD-DRILLING/27/ Percussion Drilling for Installing 12-inch Water Well   Father and son farming     Tea-time   Running the Pumping Test   Nasser and Köpi having a break   Haroon waiting for the next water-level reading...   Team-Hydro at work?   Our Shooter   Mother with daughters passing by   Nasser joining the after-work party    Suddenly all join the Hydro-Team   Nasser   Asil   ... and John!   Mr. Kopi and Mr. Jay   Engineer Asil   Another Roof-Party   Köpi sleeping on the roof under the stars Good night Mon, 27 Mar 2006 18:32:57 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Afghanistan/DRILLING-AND-AFTER-DRILLING/26/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Afghanistan/DRILLING-AND-AFTER-DRILLING/26/ Bizarrely, the Russians built a swimming pool (now in total disrepair) at the top of the hill. Saying goes that Andropow told his soldiers: Get me Kabul. But they understood: I want a pool!    Kids play soccer...   ...where the Taliban/warlords presumably executed people. Y ou can see the bullet holes in the wall   A view north, with the airport and then the snow capped mountains of the Panshir   A view southwest with an abandoned APC in the foreground   ...and an old fort on another hill Tue, 28 Feb 2006 13:29:09 +0100 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Afghanistan/TAPA-I-BIBI-MAH-RU/25/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Afghanistan/TAPA-I-BIBI-MAH-RU/25/ Sat, 25 Feb 2006 15:55:14 +0100 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Afghanistan/THE-WELL-SITE-WATCHDOG/24/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Afghanistan/THE-WELL-SITE-WATCHDOG/24/ Sat, 25 Feb 2006 15:44:55 +0100 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Afghanistan/AFTER-WORK-ROOF-PARTY/23/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Afghanistan/AFTER-WORK-ROOF-PARTY/23/ From left to right: Karzai, Köpi and Massoud   Wed, 22 Feb 2006 13:28:41 +0100 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Afghanistan/WELCOME-PARTY-FOR-KOePI/22/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Afghanistan/WELCOME-PARTY-FOR-KOePI/22/ Wed, 22 Feb 2006 08:13:51 +0100 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Afghanistan/WHO-NEEDS-RIO-WHEN-YOU-HAVE-KABUL/21/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Afghanistan/WHO-NEEDS-RIO-WHEN-YOU-HAVE-KABUL/21/ Wed, 22 Feb 2006 07:51:22 +0100 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Afghanistan/WORKWEAR/20/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Afghanistan/WORKWEAR/20/