Day 274: The Hill

On occasion, a convoy heads into Khowst City to attend a meeting atop Matun Hill which overlooks the city. The meetings are attended by US & Afghan military leaders to discuss any security concerns. While this leader engagement is going on, the rest of the convoy crew hang out and take in the history...





You see, on Matun Hill is an old castle built by the British in the late 1800s when they occupied Afghanistan. Here are some pictures of our sightseeing adventures from the outside of the castle to the tower to a shot of the inner courtyard. One of my good friends Capt (AF) Salazar took a picture with me holding the American Flag.



The coolest part about the castle is the beautiful view of Khowst City. For a few moments, as you take in the view, you briefly forget that you are in a country that is at war. You can see the architectural beauty of the Khowst mosque, lush green fields, traffic, people in the marketplace, the hustle and bustle of everyday life.



After a bit of sightseeing and exploration of the castle grounds, the remainder of the day was spent looking for something to do as the meetings would go on for several hours. On this particular trip we decided to put together a rock throwing competition with our Afghan Police friends. These skinny guys can chuck a rock like nobody's business! After a long day of sightseeing, pictures, and rock throwing...it was finally time to head home. Talk about a rough day. I hope you enjoyed the trip.