Jalalibad-Islamabad-Hong Kong

---

September 7, 2006

The recent days in Jalalibad though expensive have been well worth it. Recuperating and doing nothing for several days besides playing risk and reading has really helped our spirits and the stories from the other "guests" are amazing. After a brief interview with the Consul on our intentions in Pakistan and some questions about Europe and North America we have our passports...I still don't understand why he was positive I was ethnic afghan..must be the beard.... Our new friends from the UN arrange us a 4x4 vehicle and a reliable driver that will get us to the border within a few hours and also facilitate our crossing. Once we arrive a contact from our new friends, a Major is to arrange transport to Peshawar and ensure our safety while going through customs.

Everything goes smoothly on the drive...besides our driver doing the typical subcontinent rally driving. Though he tries to dump us a klick or two from the border we finally get the point across that he will bring us directly to our contact. After having our passports disapear again and sitting in the shade with several armed guards we're escorted across the border, smile, sign the proper books and get loaded in a taxi with our own bodyguard. This results in some unusual driving for 15 minutes after which we switch bodyguards. This time though our new bodyguard is trailed by a gigantic hash cloud and his bright grin makes me truly wonder how seriously our safety is being taken into consideration...

Eventually we arrive safe back in Peshawar, after having to further negotiate with the driver and tipping our bodyguard I'm back at the cozy little Tourist Inn with our strok ridden hash smoking clerk being very happy to see us again.

---