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Published: October 5th 2014
Serena Hotel
Posh, ideal for diplomat & ministers of state, very secure.Stayed in Quetta 4 nights, one with Assistant police commissioner, nice but bit tricky to get out with no WiFi.
Serena hotel is best hotel in area, ideal for diplomats & ministers of state, top knotch security and price to go with it, did give me a 20% discount. But it was a lock in!, steel doors U can't see out of, steel raised ramps, Xray luggage, security team, very friendly staff and a pool. A run out to shops required van & 3 man police escort - well what did I require? Just nuts & ice cream was a poor answer.
Quetta is more of a tourist area, onwardvtravel only possible with NOC document apply at home-office, but shut on weekends. So Monday morning could go for my NOC travel document, issued to travel next day, would I stay 3rd night in Serena sorry no, get me out!
Bloom star hotel, much more my scene, 1/13th cost at 10$/night, friendly banter, like minded travelers to chat too.
Escort booked for 8am Tuesday, needed to be in Iran next day to meet my guide, just 650km jolly to Taftan
Security
Steel door, to first barrier, raise & remote lower steel ramp, 2nd barrier - open bonnet & use mirror underneath car, finally weave between plants. Missing pool photo, pool OK, but armed guard sat on boundary wall above it makes U think. border, but actually left town at 1pm, with 10 different escorts, Inc an armoured car. 4pm still only 230km from Quetta, "U must stop here", I think to provide interest for check point staff, but insisted I needed to be in Dalwinny for any chance to meet my guide in Iran.
Road to Dalwinnie in dark chasing U'r escort, with sand dunes blown across road - just like a snowdrift in UK. Dalwinnie another don't leave U'r hotel place, nice people, fill bike from plastic container. Did get early start to Taftan, still 300km, ended up with police officer & his gun on my pillion seat, pushing hard to get to Iran, 1pm in Pakistan side - not posh basically a gravel yard.
If U'r going to Iran with a vehicle get a carnet (vehicle import form), this was seen by 3 different officials, also drive on right!
Scary moment when U meet first official in army fatigues and Arab bandana on border, speaks no English - what was I doing here? But Mr Yazd soon turned up, my guide to Iran, essential this year when bringing own vehicle, bit expensive at over
Salena BBQ
Kebabs of Chicken, Lamb or kofte (mince beef).
14 tureens with variety of local dishes, quite nice. 3000€ for 14days but this does include hotels.
On leaving border, have bit water from my camel water pack - "It's only vodka" is wrong thing to say, both customs man & me laughed eventually "Welcome to Iran!".
Security officer essential for my safety retains my passport, first one travels in the guides car, then in machine gun float (was big gun mounted on 4WD), then private car which wanted to race away 140kmh with my passport - let it go or keep up? Hardly enhances my safety, (then found his car tyre has 6" lengthlength of tread missing - real risky), finally follow police bike to Eshangle hotel in Zaheedan.
So is Pakistan safe - yes in my opinion. Obviously had a lot of security support from police, but very hard for me to measure risk, in thecpress last week another 6 police killed in a bomb blast. The German I meet in Bloom start was on his 4th visit in 30 years, but Frenchman Heré had been advised against a visit by authorities in Paris - was amazed at my visit. The view fro US is softening a bit,
Bloom Star Hotel
Much more my style, gates only locked at night. now admit Pak has government & functioning police, which is good, But Drone strikes must stop, the pilots in Wisconsin can't tast the Chai, or talk to cook, but could vaporise brew by accident.
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