Rookie Misstep

I walked through the old city of Kabul to interview a former opium addict and her children. The slippery, snow-covered path was precipitous, so I inched along, following in my guides' footsteps, but at one point, I accidentally strayed from the path. I stepped into what I thought was snow, and my leg plunged knee deep into the ground. Not a big deal, I thought, just deep snow. I pried my leg out, only to find that I had fallen into a sewage drain full of human excrement. Thankfully I had knee-high boots on, which was covered in stinky poo. I promptly had my clothes laundered by the housekeeper at work. The neighborhood shoeshine boy cleaned my boots the next day. I pray that I never stray from the path again.