It’s like Afghanistan, except a lot better

The simulated Afghan villages built for active-duty military at Marine Corps Training Area Bellows certainly look realistic in the photos published Friday, right down to the costumes of those posing as villagers.

The "infantry immersion trainer" built for $42 million came with dusty roadways, barred windows, street markets, graffiti in Arabic on stucco walls, fighters firing AK-47s into the air. There were the Afghan "avatars" who might shoot at any moment, their images projected on the walls, but other effects were fully three-dimensional.

The giveaway that this was not Afghanistan, besides the cooler weather, was the beach, arrayed enticingly not far away. When all that hot soldiering is done, a dip in the blue Waimanalo waters could restore any soul.

If the real Afghanistan had an oceanfront like that, the umpteenth deployment for the troops might not seem quite so bad. Might not.

Plan escape routes before APEC hits

At first glance, the maps the Star-Advertiser published on Friday outlining the restricted zones — principally the Waikiki, airport and Ko Olina areas — don’t look too scary, with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit just around the bend. Heck, there’s still a lot of Oahu left for the rest of us to play in, right?

Think again. It’s hard to put everything on the maps, which can’t show every instance when the bigwigs in limos will end up tying up the freeways and streets. Let’s face it: When almost any Honolulu street gets blocked, there aren’t too many detour routes available.

This might be the time to plan for a little stay-cation, as far from town and the Leeward Coast as possible. How about Kailua? Might as well take your chance in November, because if the president comes back as usual for Christmas, that area might get barricaded off next.