The biggest difference though is that we are staying in a very fancy hotel. We wanted to stay at the same guest house as last time, but it was fully booked. Then there was another hotel that was the second choice, but that too was full. Due to the security requirements and general standard then there are not so many choices left. Therefore we are staying at the Kabul Serena. It is VERY nice!
The view from my room.
The rooms are very big and comfortable; the service excellent, the food delicious and it has all facilities of a fancy hotel (pool, gym, spa, beauty salon etc). But somehow and quite honestly I can not really enjoy it. I find it feels very strange to live like that in a place like Kabul, with the immense poverty just out side the walls.
The pool area.
In here it is a completely different world, you really live in a bubble, in here you don’t even hear the noises of the city. You don’t hear the muezzin, the traffic and all the people shouting and yelling, although the hotel is right in the city centre. I also get a guilty conscience for living here. I feel I waste too much water in a country fighting draught, even though I try to be sparse. I feel bad about the constant supply of electricity because I know it is from a generator running constantly and I can see the dark cloud of diesel fumes coming out from it all day and night. Ok, the guest house as well as all who can afford it have a generator because of the poor electricity supply, but in the guest house the generator was not running constantly and I could tell when the normal power fell out and the generator started, here you never notice any black outs. Of course I hade a nice shower with hot water also in the guest house, but the flow of the water was less generous so it made you remember how scarce water is here and made you automatically take shorter showers. Here the water flows everywhere. Of course it is comfortable, but it feels wrong and it makes you almost forget where you are. I honestly would have preferred to stay at a more low key place.
2 comments:
I’m happy to hear you get out from Dubai airport freezer….
And I’ve really appreciated this post. “Bubble” is the right word.
In the same way, it would be good if people who live in developed countries could think as you do, realizing that developed countries are big bubbles (…but much smaller than rest of the world…), and how is important saving each single drop of water/energy, do not waste food in daily life.
Only to joke, I’m pleased to read you know how is important to save water, do not forget it when you sail….But please don’t forget your hair brush, could be difficult to find someone who can help you when there is only sea around……
Take care of you.
You would be proud if you knew what I wrote on the review of the hotel that the management wanted their guests to fill in, to let then know if you were satisfied with your stay and if you hade any comments or suggestions of improvements. I suggested some improvements that would cause less pollution and save water! God eh?!
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