Parallelin' the Pech

An explanatory note first to all who may be just tuning in, or have not been so curious as to read all 56 previous entries... I am currently back in hot, dusty & safe FOB Salerno, and am still posting photos and ramblings from events two months ago. So sit back, enjoy, and (inshallah) I'll get this journal caught up sometime.

Your thoughts, prayers and comments have been warmly received, and I appreciate everyone who's taken the time to write and let me know what you think. I apologize for my inability to shed any light on the current operation in the south of the country, as I often learn its progress in mostly the same ways that you all can - through internet and TV coverage. Again, these photos pick up where I left off, on a convoy along the Pech River road with some engineers who let me hitch a ride.

The frequent stops along a route-clearing convoy were fine with me, as it gave me a chance to step out of the humvee and soak in more new surroundings. Most likely these boys are trying out their latest learned swears on the soldiers.

Nothing quite lifts your spirits as much as seeing the children at play when driving through their villages. It really is amazing how alike children are the world over when something exciting is happening in the neighborhood. We're like the ice cream truck here...if the ice cream truck had to be wary of mines and ambushes instead of just kids on bicycles.

These are a few of my favorites. I really did enjoy this particular journey along the river road, because of how seemingly peaceful and beautiful it seemed while conflict raged within a couple of miles.







Alas, the combination of a moving, bouncing humvee and a slow shutter resulted in little clarity in some of my attempts. But there were beautiful children and interesting sights in every town, and they would come running from the river, through the alleys, from everywhere to see the convoy roll through. Rock stars in a strange muddy world...

Getting up close & personal with the river I'd heard so much about. The route got pretty dicey in some places, but was nothing compared to what awaited me deeper into the valleys.

Up a slight rocky incline here and there did have its rewards...

Namely, amazing views of the river valley. It amazed me, and others I spoke with in various conversations across these travels, that such a lush region could be so poor, and such a seemingly serene setting could be so rife with hostility. Of course the latter has a great deal to do with the former.

Next up: Changing course again, and how to get across that river?