• Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
Live and Let's Fly
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
Home  >  Afghanistan • Trip Reports  >  Kabul – The Green Zone and British Cemetery
AfghanistanTrip Reports

Kabul – The Green Zone and British Cemetery

Matthew Klint Posted onJune 17, 2013December 9, 2016 1 Comment

Although the term “Green Zone” is more closely associated with Baghdad, Kabul has its own Green Zone housing the diplomatic missions of various countries and the seat of the Afghan government.

The walled city within a city is accessible by car and foot but not surprisingly checkpoints at two entrances carefully screen those who come in…at least in theory.  Our vehicle was stopped but when they saw me—the white guy—in the backseat they just waived us right through.

as-afghanistan-kabul-panjshir-valley-green-zone-157

as-afghanistan-kabul-panjshir-valley-green-zone-158

as-afghanistan-kabul-panjshir-valley-green-zone-159

as-afghanistan-kabul-panjshir-valley-green-zone-160

as-afghanistan-kabul-panjshir-valley-green-zone-161

as-afghanistan-kabul-panjshir-valley-green-zone-163

as-afghanistan-kabul-panjshir-valley-green-zone-164

as-afghanistan-kabul-panjshir-valley-green-zone-165

as-afghanistan-kabul-panjshir-valley-green-zone-166

as-afghanistan-kabul-panjshir-valley-green-zone-167

as-afghanistan-kabul-panjshir-valley-green-zone-168

My first order of business was to try to find an ATM. My team wanted to be paid in cash and I only had a few c-notes in my wallet. Instead of going to a bank, we pulled up to a market with a heavy sliding barricade over the entrance and a guard outside. My guide directed me to go inside and there would be an ATM.

After being frisked outside, the door slid open and I found myself in a well-stocked grocery store with an extensive liquor section run by an Indian guy. Two ATMs sat near the entrance with an out of order sign on one of them. I inserted my ATM card into the machine, entered my PIN, and received an error message that the machine was out of money. Great…

Outside, my team did not bat an eye when I mentioned was unable to retrieve any money and drove me a few blocks away to a competing market that also had an ATM machine. After going through the same stop and frisk, I made my way to the back of the store where I was able to successfully draw out four crisp $100 bills—the  machine did not even offer Afghan Afghanis.

Down the streets were several western embassies and it was amazing to see the army of mercenary garrisons hanging around each embassy compound. The zone seemed relatively tranquil, but it has seen its share of violence.

My little video camera captured our trek through the area and at point one outside the United States CIA compound a guard saw that I was filming and expressed a priceless look of incredulity and annoyance before furiously motioning me to stop. 

Our last stop in the Kabul City tour was the British Cemetery, in a quiet back street of the Green Zone. Also known as Sherpur Cantonment, the cemetery showcases the carnage of occupation and war, with graves of fallen soldiers dating back 130 years to the present. First established during the Second Anglo-Afghan War in the 1870s (if only the Soviets knew their history!) the cemetery primarily contains the remains of Kabul’s European residents during the relatively peaceful 60s/70s/80s. But I could not help but to notice more recent graves of coalition forced, a bitter reminder that war continues in Afghanistan.

 as-afghanistan-kabul-panjshir-valley-green-zone-169

as-afghanistan-kabul-panjshir-valley-green-zone-171

as-afghanistan-kabul-panjshir-valley-green-zone-172

as-afghanistan-kabul-panjshir-valley-green-zone-173

The tour of Kabul was over—it was time to depart.


Read more of my Saudi Arabia + Afghanistan Trip Report–

Introduction: A Journey to Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan
How to Obtain a Saudi Arabian Transit Visa
New York JFK to Jeddah in Saudia Economy Class
Review: Park Hyatt Jeddah
Pictures from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Jeddah to Dubai in Saudia Economy Class
Dubai to Kabul on Ariana Afghan Airlines
Arrival in Afghanistan
The Panjshir Valley of Afghanistan
My Hotel, er Compound, in Kabul, Afghanistan
Kabul – TV Tower Hill and Darul Aman Palace
Kabul – National Museum of Afghanistan
Kabul – Gardens of Babur and Kart-e Sakhi Mosque
Kabul – The Green Zone and British Cemetery
Kabul International Airport and Departing Afghanistan
The Afghanistan Dilemma
Kabul to Dubai on flydubai
Dubai to New York via Jeddah in Saudia Economy Class 

Previous Article Kabul – Gardens of Babur and Kart-e Sakhi Mosque
Next Article Minimum Spend Requirements for Elite Status Coming to United in 2014

About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

Related Posts

  • Makause Squatter Camp

    From Ritzy Bedfordview To Destitute Makause Squatter Camp…

    May 22, 2023
  • Driving Faroe Islands

    Driving On The Faroe Islands

    April 10, 2023
  • Lovely Sunday Zürich

    A Lovely Sunday In Zürich

    April 4, 2023

1 Comment

  1. TravelBloggerBuzz Reply
    June 18, 2013 at 9:07 pm

    This has been an awesome series of posts. Glad you made it out alive:-)

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Search

Hot Deals for May

Note: Please see my Advertiser Disclosure

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Earn 60,000 Points
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Earn 75,000 Miles!
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Earn 75,000 Miles
Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
Earn $750 Cash Back
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Earn 120,000 Membership Reward® Points

Recent Posts

  • Coat Overhead Bin
    Is It Rude To Place Your Coat In The Aircraft Overhead Bin? May 29, 2023
  • United Club Fly Lounge DEN Review
    Review: United Club Fly Lounge Denver (DEN) May 29, 2023
  • United Pop-Up Club DEN Review
    Review: United Airlines Pop-Up Club Denver (DEN) May 29, 2023
  • TSA Abolish ID Checks
    The Points Guy Calls TSA Relatively Unskilled, Is He Wrong? May 28, 2023

Categories

Popular Posts

  • Punches United Airlines Gate Agent
    Man Repeatedly Punches United Airlines Gate Agent After She Asked Him To Vacate First Class Seat He Poached May 3, 2023
  • Delta Air Lines Seat Recline
    Delta Air Lines Passenger Freaks Out After Passenger Pushed Her Seat When She Reclined May 1, 2023
  • American Airlines Pins Cockpit Door
    American Airlines First Class Passenger So Angry Over Meal Choices He Pins Flight Attendant To Cockpit Door May 11, 2023
  • Cursing Fight United Airlines
    “Don’t You Ever Tell Me To Speak English!” (Fight Breaks Out On My United Airlines Flight) May 17, 2023

Archives

May 2023
M T W T F S S
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
293031  
« Apr    

As seen on:

live_and_lets_fly

The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles is the most beautiful of all Polaris Lounges. Stay tuned for a detailed look and many more photos on the blog tomorrow. Well done @united.
@malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire i @malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire its A380 fleet. While not surprising, it is sad to see the growing list of carriers retiring this superjumbo jet. On Malaysia Airlines, I flew the #A380 once from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to London (LHR) and had the entire first class cabin to myself (full review on the blog). It was a beautiful flight that I will always remember.
Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! I am so excited tha Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! I am so excited that a new carrier, Avelo, has launched, especially from an airport just 12 minutes from my home!
I greatly miss the @lufthansa #747-8 at @flylaxair I greatly miss the @lufthansa #747-8 at @flylaxairport. Hopefully this summer it will return.

.
.
.
.
#Lufthansa #FirstClass #747 #747-8 #StarAlliance #Miles #Points
I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. This is not only a lovely, all-inclusive resort, but one of the best properties to use your @hyatt World of Hyatt points.
.
.
.
.
#Hyatt #BigSur #California #WorldofHyatt #CA-1 #Points #Hotels
In terms of a spacious first class product, the @E In terms of a spacious first class product, the @Emirates suite on a 777-300ER is hard to beat. My preference is Suite 2K.

.
.
.
.
#Emirates #777 #firstclass
Nearly five years ago, I took a “break” from I Nearly five years ago, I took a “break” from Instagram ahead of the birth of my first child. Goodness, how time flies. While I’ve enjoyed catching up on others over the years, now it is time for me to return to Instagram. In this first post, I highlight two joys in my life, my two children, whom I trust will grow up to be prolific travelers that circumnavigate the globe as ambassadors of love and respect.

.
.
.
.
.

#travel #airplanes #airlines #miles #points #familytravel #human #integrity #honor
United Airlines' new Polaris seat is a huge improv United Airlines' new Polaris seat is a huge improvement over UA's current business class seat. Check out my blog at liveandletsfly.com for 70+ photos of how @united is transforming its entire business class experience starting this December!
The perfect @flysas name tag for #Longyearben! The perfect @flysas name tag for #Longyearben!
Spotted four #polarbear outside of #longyearbyen - Spotted four #polarbear outside of #longyearbyen -- oh, and I love 40°F summer weather!
One of the best crews I have ever had the pleasure One of the best crews I have ever had the pleasure of flying with in all my years of flying. Thank you @flysas SK940 on 11 Aug 2016
Next stop ARN! But dear @flysas , next time if I a Next stop ARN! But dear @flysas , next time if I assign a window seat months in advance, don't move me to a center seat "for my convenience" with no way to get my original seat back... 😞
Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be rac Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be racing the #Delta flight to JFK at the gate next to us, which also departs at 12:45p. With @onemileatatime
Another room with a beautiful view... #hyattregenc Another room with a beautiful view... #hyattregencycasablanca #cassablanca #hyatt
Enjoying #shanghai with @onemileatatime from the i Enjoying #shanghai with @onemileatatime from the inside of the @grandhyatt_shanghai ... It is 40°C outside! 😓
From my front gate to my boarding gate in 15 minut From my front gate to my boarding gate in 15 minutes flat. I ❤️ #bur #burbankairport
@malaysiaairlines #747 out of retirement and in se @malaysiaairlines #747 out of retirement and in service at #kul -- beautiful livery!
View from my 61st floor room at the beautiful bran View from my 61st floor room at the beautiful brand new @parkhyattguangzhou -- look for a full review coming soon on the blog #hyatt #parkhyatt #guangzhou #parkhyattguangzhou
Will miss the @united #globalfirstlounge at #ord, Will miss the @united #globalfirstlounge at #ord, which closes tomorrow and the Queen of the Skies #747 which will be retired in 2018.
The colonial #architecture of #mumbai is stunning. The colonial #architecture of #mumbai is stunning. If you're ever here, get up at 5am and have a walk around the city before it gets busy. You can hear the birds instead of honking horns.
Load More... Follow on Instagram
facebook twitter instagram rss

Privacy Policy

© Live and Let's Fly All Rights Reserved.
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Live and Let's Fly with appropriate and specific directions to the original content.