WORST FOOD POISONING, JALALABAD14 min read

THE AFGHAN SERIES, DAY 11, 12, 13

MAZARE SHARIF – KABUL – JALALABAD – KABUL

Worst food poisoning, Jalalabad. I rarely get ill during travels, maybe sometimes the odd hangover but rarely would I be physically sick.

WHAT I NEEDED WAS TWO TOILETS, ONE IN FRONT AND ONE BEHIND

That was all about to change when I finally arrived in Jalalabad this evening to be greeted with some of the worst toilet antics I have experienced.

WHERE IS JALALABAD?

Jalalabad

Luckily, before I hit rock bottom, I was well enough to enjoy the flight over the Salang Pass, which had the quickest change of scenery I have seen. One moment, there would be snow-capped mountains, and the next, there would be nothing but flat desert. We even managed a quick glimpse of Bagram, an old American Army base just north of Kabul, another place out of reach to tourists.

Worst food poisoning Jalalabad

THE AMAZING DRIVE TO JALALABAD

Once we landed, we met up with Ackmad Shaw, the driver I had been with from the start. Remarkably, he had driven here almost overnight. The man is a machine, fuelled entirely by energy drinks.

The initial one‑hour drive to the Mahipar Pass was incredible and offered some of the finest views I have ever seen. These breathtaking landscapes continued for most of the journey, right up until we stopped for a delightful plate of fish.

Worst food poisoning Jalalabad

ROADSIDE CAFÉ

Honestly, I have no one else to blame but myself. I knew from the moment I got out of the car, this was not a place for a dog to eat, let alone me and my sensitive soul, but I had been enjoying everything here and decided to plough on, sure what’s the worst that could happen.

The preparation, or what I saw of it, was even more worrying. You could barely see the ground for the flies, and the chef even dropped a slice for good measure, but sure back in it went, and I winced only to be laughed at by my guide and driver – I don’t blame themIt’sts turned out that the driver (or apprentice guide) didn’t ea,t which should have been red flag number 384.

Worst food poisoning Jalalabad

THAT MEAL

Everything was wrong; even the fridge was falling apart from the mould that had taken hold of it, but the spices and smell seemed appetising – I feel myself getting nauseous just from telling this story. But anyway, I ended up with very little, not because of the risk or the taste, but the damn bones were so tiny it was hard to eat. So after maybe two mouthfuls (yes, just two), I said enough was enough.

Unfortunately, the damage was already done, and by the time I had made it to the hotel, I was feeling every ounce of it in my stomach. No point going on, but the next 36 hours were spent in what has to be one of the hardest beds I have ever slept in, with no home comforts here!

Worst food poisoning Jalalabad

Day 12–13: Recovery & Missed Plans

There was nothing but noise and smells from day 12. We can swiftly move on to day 13, our only sightseeing day here in Jalalabad and the day we headed onwards. The original plan was to go as far as Asadabad, but since I wasn’t two days behind, I decided to give it a miss—a shame, as it means missing out on the incredible Korengal Valley.

GUN MARKET

The central place to visit here was the gun market, and after a moment of trying to gain the trust of a few sellers, one was happy enough to invite me in for… You guessed it… Some chai! He eventually went on to invite me back to his house for some food, but I’m still a day or two away from having an appetite.

It seems that this little open square has been around for quite a while and sells mainly air rifles to locals for shooting animals. However, there was an odd assault rifle, a handgun, and a repairman who offered me anything in his shop as a gift. I could never imagine this at home!

KABUL ABC SUPERMARKET

As we had lost valuable time, it was essential to head back to Kabul to get back on track. After not eating for a few days, I knew there was only one place that I wanted to visit…ABC supermarket.

ABC supermarket has to be one of my biggest surprises here. Not only does it have noodles and Nutella, but it also features a few Irish delicacies, most notably Kerrygold butter and HP sauce (not Irish, but may as well be!). Fair enough, I’m not going to have a plate of butter with a smattering of brown sauce (I’ve seen enough of that recently), but it’s the vast selection of home comforts that one needs after having their guts emptied over the past 48 hours.

Later, we checked into the Landmark, not in the same league as the Serena Hotel Kabul, but it was certainly good to lie on a bed that wasn’t going to break my back!

TODAY’S YOUTUBE VIDEOS

If you want to see today from a different perspective, and catch a few different stories from the front row, then check out today’s YouTube videos below.

FINAL THOUGHTS

These past few days haven’t been easy, but I can blame no one but myself! Days like these are my worst fear when travelling. I rarely build my itinerary with spare days to use, so it can often ruin a trip. Not to mention, it usually takes several days to recover. Here’s hoping I am past the worst of it!

SAFE TRAVELS, DS x
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NEXT UP

The cameraman and theme park of Kabul!! Click to read.

This post was part of The Afghan Series, for the entire series click here or for episode 1, click here.

To see a different side of my trip head to my social channels; YouTube, Instagram & TikTok. Links at top of the page.