Very Very Disappointed...
By Hannu Berghäll

Location: Afghanistan Consulate (Peshawar, Pakistan)
Date: July 28, 2000

Just a few days ago I wrote to you guys that my next destination would be Afghanistan. Well, so were my plans, but not the Talibans'. When I went to the Afghanistan consulate on Tuesday morning, after having even waited one day longer then the 7 they had told me it would take, I was surprised to hear that my application had been turned down. Me, a Swede? We are so famous for always being neutral, never annoying any government? The reasons they gave me was "the quota is full" and "Kabul can not guarantee your safety". All of this was of course utter rubbish. People that had applied for their visas a day before me and a day after me, got their visas. Together with these I went back to the consulate and said "Why not me?", but it didn't help. I have talked to the vice consul a few times, and to people working in the country, people that I have got to know here in Pakistan and Peshawar. Via contacts these people have I and they have tried too, but... Today's final reply was "You can definitely not get a visa here in Peshawar. Try in Frankfurt or London"... As if that was an option...

I have thought and thought over again and again what could have been the reason. I have no stamp from Israel in my passport, I don't look like a freak, I smiled and acted well when applying, I dress in a local Pakistani/Afghani dress, I took my earrings out when visiting the consulate... Everything in vain...

So in a day or two I'll head north to China instead. That too will be nice, coming to a country where beer is sold freely and one can talk to both sexes again. Afghanistan would have been an adventure, but... Some other day. I haven't stopped traveling yet. I'm still alive for a while...

Hannu

Read more of Hannu's adventures.