Wouldn't Recommend Afghanistan for a Vacation

That is, unless you really like opium. The poppy fields are quite stunning this time of year.

“This year’s harvest will be around 6,100 metric tons of opium — a staggering 92 percent of total world supply. It exceeds global consumption by 30 percent,” said Antonio Costa, the executive director of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime.

Afghanistan's in really bad shape, with the Taliban insurgents making more and more of the country an anarchical cesspool, and the small numbers of Afghani police and military the U.S. and a few other countries have tried to train under the spell of corruption. It's not nearly as bad as the fiasco in Iraq, so it's not going to get the headlines. Unlike Iraq, at least, most Afghanis were happy to think that we might step in and do some good in their country, as the majority of their citizens have been disgusted with their situation since the last American-induced renaissance in the 60's and 70's, but our initial efforts at reconstruction, just as in Iraq, proved that it just wasn't as simple a thing as the administration thought it might be. And after the U.S. got started in Iraq, they let things slide in Afghanistan.

Right now the Taliban is busy encouraging farmers to grow more opium in exchange for protection. The Taliban is making good profit from the sales. Also it is believed that by pitting farmers against anti-drug groups, the Afghani farmers will get angry at the foreign influences trying to take away their only source of money.

If you do decide to try Afghanistan for a vacation spot this year, I'd recommend staying within crowded spaces and not going off by yourself or in small groups on secluded roads or open area. You will probably get shot.