What is it like in Kandahar? weather, terrain, etc

Did I mention the "poo pond", yes the smell is not good.

Kandahar is a trading center for sheep, wool, cotton, silk, and tobacco, also produces a major global supply of pomegranates. The city has factories for canning, drying, and packing fruit, although I have not visited them (I am sure that the tour lines are not long if you are interested in checking them out, good luck!). So you ask how will I get to Kandahar. No problem!

Kandahar International Airport has been used by the NATO forces to deliver troops and humanitarian supplies since late 2001; the airport re-opened for civilian use in late 2006 (so If you would like to plan a vacation here there are flights, good luck getting a travel visa and a hotel when you arrive). I would offer you a room at my place, but I have 5 roommates in a 20' x 20', so space is a bit limited.

Kandahar has an arid, continental climate characterized by little precipitation and high variation between summer and winter temperatures. (basically this place is a desert! hot with very little rain and water (not many lakes and rivers (at least with water in them) etc, some in the southwest.

The Helmand River is the longest river in Afghanistan, stretching over 1,000 kilometers. It descends from the Hindu Kush Mountains in Wardak Province, west of Kabul – passing through Bamyan, Uruzgan, Helmand, Nimruz and crossing into Sistan and Baluchistan Province of Iran.

Summers start in mid-May, last until late-September, and are extremely dry and hot (can get over 100 degrees F and stay there for many days). However it was quite cold and rainy when I first arrived here (global warming is affecting ever corner of the world, no earthquakes at the moment, however last year a moderate one occurred in Northern Afghanistan).

We have an Asian dining facility which serves some local cuisine and other foods from Asia and Southeastern Asia, lots of curry dishes, vegetarian dishes, lamb, etc. I have not had "dinner reservations" at a local restaurant, maybe next time I visit Afghanistan. I will have to trust that the food in the dining facility on base is representative of the true thing.

Interesting Fact:

The people of Kandahar have a reputation in Afghanistan as very attractive. For example, Afghan girls usually prefer Kandahari boys over others, so naturally this makes the non-Kandahari men jealous. So given that Afghani men are very jealous of Kandahari men (yes they are Afghans), I do not think that many Americans or other Westerners will have much luck with local women, at least to live and tell about it.

I recall from my college days that the local men in my college town were very jealous of the college men dating "their women". Unfortunately, many of these situations resulted in fights and in rare cases shootings.