Blogs from Islamabad, Pakistan, Asia - page 4

Seriously. First it was with all the hype before she arrived; then the blast in Karachi that killed all those people; then over in Rawalpindi, the streets lined with an assortment of posters with pictures of her: devoutly praying with eyes closed in ecstasy and her hijab casually slipped on to her shoulders (a statement in itself); with a mount half-open in admonition and looking quite stern, usually with floating faces of two other dudes (probably supposed to appear noble and leader-like, but only managing to look well-groomed and well-fed). I think it's ridiculous that they're obviously trying to portray her as good-looking: vote for BB; she's getting on in years, but she's still a real looker! And then, the final straw... I'm running on perfect timing. My daypack fits everything I think will be essential ... read more

Aboard the red eye from Kansai to Bangkok passengers are served onigiri, rice balls and an omelette at breakfast eaten with chopsticks if you so choose. The midday flight to Islamabad serves curry. The young man was upset with the attendant. He had failed to order a 'special meal'. His meat must be hilal, prepared by a muslim. Most passengers on the flight are Muslim but don't seem in such a quandry. My neighbor in the aisle seat is from PeSHAwar. He studies accounting in Guandong. How many muslim chefs are there in Guandong? I'm in the toilet when the plane experiences turbulence. I am surprised by my good aim. We are descending on the edge of an electrical storm. Between white fluffy clouds, the plane shakes and I spy verdent hillsides, meandering chai brown streams ... read more

I'll go really fast on this episode of my trip as I prefer not to think about it. Wednesday September 27th I was going to Islamabad this day to get my Indian visa application going. I said goodbye to everyone at the guesthouse and took the bus to the bus station. There I had to ask around for the minivan, then wait for an hour for enough passengers to pile up. We hit a massive protest in some town on the way which made us lose a lot of time. Even then, the driver was trying to escape it by going on the sidewalk and honking at the walkers. The police told him to go back, but he tried a second time and we got through, after only an hour of waiting. Then at one toll ... read more

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 ... read more

After 31 grueling hours of travel Seattle to JFK in New York to Dubai to Islamabad (delayed flights, only had one check-in bag and it didn’t get to Islamabad - wonder where it DID go???) I am literally half-way around the world, with a 12-hour time difference. It’s not Kansas! Random thoughts: the young taxi driver told me this am: he’s highly educated, but lost his good-paying job 1 ½ years ago. Now works driving a cab for 2500 Pakistani rupees a month (about US $ 41-42), says it takes about R 4000 a month to maintain a family of 3 (him, his young wife and 1 yr-old baby) but they live with his parents, also. So my $1 tip (since I didn’t even have time to change money) is about half again more than he ... read more