We left Dalbandin for Quetta where we stopped for two nights. On the way I noticed that, unlike Iran where culverts were built under the road, here in Pakistan the sides of the road were built up and the rain water allowed to flow over the roads. A much cheaper and easier solution to the problem. There was the odd culvert but they were few and far between. We had a police escort again with escort vehicles front and back at times. As we passed through towns and villages people waved and looked happy to see us, again not as I expected.
In Quetta we stopped at the Hotel Bloom Star with some of us paying extra to share a room rather than having to camp on their lawn. We were told that there was an 1800 hours curfew but, according to the hotel staff, provided we were inside before it was dark it would not be a problem.
During the day Derrick and myself walked round the back streets and enjoyed ourselves talking to the local people. They were all friendly, wanting us to sit down with them and have tea even if we could not understand each other properly. Derrick had his boots and and trousers repaired in different places and they refused to take any money saying that we were guests in their country. We went to another hotel to see if they had wifi, which they did but it was not working, then insisted we sit down and have tea and biscuits with them. We did find an internet cafe but the internet was too slow to use. There were not many women to be seen on the street except for the women beggars, quite a few, with babies or children. Male beggars were seen, but not many.
As is normal in the East the same sort of businesses congregate in one street so we could see a street of shoemakers dentists, chemists, furniture makers, fresh fruit and vegetables, motorbikes and generally anything you can think of.
On the way back to the hotel we were accosted by some students who wanted to talk, which we did. The normal questions are Where are you from – What are you doing here – What is your name, and it usually stops there this being the extent of their English and I certainly do not speak any other language.We spoke to them as we walked along, (their English was very good being university graduates), and said goodbye at the junction where the hotel was. I was then a bit flabbergasted to be told by the student I had been talking to that he was happy that I did not disregard him and wondered where this had come from. It is hard work at times to talk to people with my trying to understand what they mean and replying in a way that they can understand me. I do not ignore anyone who speaks to me and definitely do not brush them off, even the children who want to practise their English. Talking to the smaller children, if they are with relatives, really breaks the ice with everyone around, which goes back to this dis-respect idea I suppose. People are happy to see us here as it means in a way that they are not forgotten in the outside world. They are certainly surprised to find out that I am a tourist, happily surprised. Sorry for the philosophy.
Four youths were parading down the street holding a black and white striped flag. When I asked who they were I was told that they were taliban, then the local people chased them away. Quetta was supposed to be a taliban stronghold but the people around me seemed to have no time for them.
We have been told that three of the people who went to India are in hospital with possible dysentery and others are not too well. Emily and Libby went there separately and are enjoying themselves in Bollywood and Udaipur.
From Quetta we travelled to Sukkur through the Bolan Pass, stopping for two nights because the driver, Adam, had the dreaded lurgy and was unable to drive. Our escort now was either the police or the special commando squad both suitably kitted out with big guns. A lot of fields had been ploughed ready for the monsoon to start I assume. We travelled parallel to the railway and in-fact this would be so all the way to Lahore. The Indus River runs through Sukkur and there is a huge barrage there, built by the British, to control the level in the upper reaches of the river. Even though we were on a major highway (N5) there were still speed bumps in places and a number of toll booths. Being escorted by the police meant that we did not have to stop at some of the toll stations, possibly for safety reasons. No matter with being on a highway there were plenty of donkey carts and the occasional camel cart on the same road. The donkeys are the most placid animal I have seen as they never move at any odd noise and I did see one camel cart going sedately down the highway in the heat of the day with the people on the cart being asleep.
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| The countryside |
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| Our escort |
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| A nomad camp |
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| Lots of brickworks |
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| The Hotel Bloom Star Gardens |
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| A mens shoe makers shop |
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| Fresh chicken |
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| Pretty donkey |
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| Pottery shop |
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| A local street |
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| BBQ chicken and lamb |
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| Sheep going to market |
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| Lunch |
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| A ladies shoe makers shop |
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| The girls dressed all the men in their finery |
As is normal in the East the same sort of businesses congregate in one street so we could see a street of shoemakers dentists, chemists, furniture makers, fresh fruit and vegetables, motorbikes and generally anything you can think of.
On the way back to the hotel we were accosted by some students who wanted to talk, which we did. The normal questions are Where are you from – What are you doing here – What is your name, and it usually stops there this being the extent of their English and I certainly do not speak any other language.We spoke to them as we walked along, (their English was very good being university graduates), and said goodbye at the junction where the hotel was. I was then a bit flabbergasted to be told by the student I had been talking to that he was happy that I did not disregard him and wondered where this had come from. It is hard work at times to talk to people with my trying to understand what they mean and replying in a way that they can understand me. I do not ignore anyone who speaks to me and definitely do not brush them off, even the children who want to practise their English. Talking to the smaller children, if they are with relatives, really breaks the ice with everyone around, which goes back to this dis-respect idea I suppose. People are happy to see us here as it means in a way that they are not forgotten in the outside world. They are certainly surprised to find out that I am a tourist, happily surprised. Sorry for the philosophy.
Four youths were parading down the street holding a black and white striped flag. When I asked who they were I was told that they were taliban, then the local people chased them away. Quetta was supposed to be a taliban stronghold but the people around me seemed to have no time for them.
We have been told that three of the people who went to India are in hospital with possible dysentery and others are not too well. Emily and Libby went there separately and are enjoying themselves in Bollywood and Udaipur.
From Quetta we travelled to Sukkur through the Bolan Pass, stopping for two nights because the driver, Adam, had the dreaded lurgy and was unable to drive. Our escort now was either the police or the special commando squad both suitably kitted out with big guns. A lot of fields had been ploughed ready for the monsoon to start I assume. We travelled parallel to the railway and in-fact this would be so all the way to Lahore. The Indus River runs through Sukkur and there is a huge barrage there, built by the British, to control the level in the upper reaches of the river. Even though we were on a major highway (N5) there were still speed bumps in places and a number of toll booths. Being escorted by the police meant that we did not have to stop at some of the toll stations, possibly for safety reasons. No matter with being on a highway there were plenty of donkey carts and the occasional camel cart on the same road. The donkeys are the most placid animal I have seen as they never move at any odd noise and I did see one camel cart going sedately down the highway in the heat of the day with the people on the cart being asleep.
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| The school bus |
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| A normal bus |
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| A local town street |
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| A village near the Bolan Pass |
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| The Bolan Pass |
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| The Bolan Pass |
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| A railway bridge near the Bolan Pass |
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| Local scenery |
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| Prayer Area! |
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| The main highway |
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| My favourite tractor |
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| The Sukkur Barrage |
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