this will be a very short post.
i visited this country only once in my whole life. it was a sensitive location to visit and i had to change a couple of flight before i landed in this country. it was really an eye opening trip for me, not just the country itself, but also for the fact that i had the wonderful opportunity to transit via switzerland and thus was able to check out some of the touristy sites there. anyway, i visited country r with my commander and his deputy and once we landed in the airport we were put through a very thorough security check. in fact, when our bags were check by the country's immigration personnel, there was another set of personnel in a different "country's" police uniform observing the checks. this, we understood was the arrangement for all immigration checks there.
anyway, once after all the immigration formalities and customs checks, we were quickly whizzed to our hotel by our host. i couldn't help but notice along the way how everything look so homogenous and was quickly informed that the local laws requires all building to be build using only local materials and that there are strict rules about the exterior... or something like that. also, i noticed that there were security personnel carrying rifles and keeping watch on top of some tall building. it was quite unsettling frankly, coming from a place where security is taken as a norm. after a nights' rest, we visited some of the key schools to observe how they conduct their lessons and exercises. it was as real as it gets and i was really impressed by how professional their troops are. to them, rank didn't matter when it came to questioning logics behind military plans. i personally witnessed how a lance corporal questioned a brigadier about his operational plans and he patiently explained the details to her. amazing.
i was also intrigued by the food habits. i recalled vividly a meal that was hosted by the commandant. we were invited to the commandant's tent during one of their exercises. we were ushered to our seats once we arrived and food was promptly served. i was awed by the variety of bread and spreads served and happily tried quite a few. it was a really hearty meal and just when i thought i felt really bloated and had enough, our host announced that the mains will be served next! omg! i didn't realize all the bread was only the appetiser! and the whole process of serving huge amounts of meat came next. again, out of courtesy, we ate a bit of everything and was so gorged with food when the host then told us that dessert will be next. and then came the post-meal drinks. food became a torture after a certain point. hahah...
after we completed what we had planned to do, our host brought us around to some of the most famous tourist sites of the country. it was really good to be able to view these sites personally and see how the religion is being practised by the locals. it was also the first time i came across men in tall black hats and long "pigtails". heh...
don't think i'll ever get a chance to head back there.
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