i flew via frankfurt. on the frankfurt to tashkent flight were two guys who looked like muscular frat boys. they each had a duffle bag which said "bagram, afghanistan" written on the side. a uzbekistan airways representative told them they had to check the bags, but they refused, saying the bags contained things issued by the u.s. military. the representative insisted, saying that the bags were much too big under their regulations. the military guys wouldn't budge. this argument happened right in front of me. i'm not sure if they knew i understood english. the military guys told the rep. to talk to his superior. he disappeared. later, when i was on the plane, i saw the soldiers boarding with their bagram bags.
the guy next to me was also an american. he worked for brown and root, a civilian contractor for the u.s. military and was on route to bagram, afghanistan too. he didn't have a visa for uzbekistan (which i was told everyone has to get, even if they are just transiting). he showed me this photo i.d. around his neck that said "u.s. army" in big bold letters. he told me that the badge practically gives him diplomatic immunity. they can't search his bags, or hassle him at the airport. that's how the soldiers got their bags on board too.
i tried to imagine an american air carrier allowing unsearched bags which admittedly contain military equipment aboard a civilian aircraft.
meanwhile, tashkent is great. i spent the day walking around, blunding my way through with my 5 words of uzbek and hand signals. i got to use my arabic to talk my way into a mosque. when they heard me speak, they asked if i was muslim, but i evaded the question. its pretty hot here.
as much as i like this city, i might leave tomorrow. i have to come back here anyway to catch my flight home and i am anxious to get moving again. after all, i have been in this city a whoppin 20 hours. i just like to keep moving when i travel.
