A big HELLO from home

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Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2010 12:09 pm

I'm back from Lahore and resting beore I begin the mamoth task of uploading nearly two thousand pics. I'll post some once I've finished the job.

Some reflections.

I really enjoyed the trip, but I'm glad to be out of there. Contradictory, definately. Local people were really friendly, but could be hostile too. If it had been left to my sister in law's brother we would have gone nowhere, just shut up in the house for our safety. He worried that three foreigners in the house might attract the attention of the local Pakistani Taliban sympathisers. The neighbours were said to be worried that a car bomb might be left in the road.

Going out shopping and on trips I had to be careful with taking photos which is why so many of my shots will be very badly framed. I just lifted the camera up, pointed in the general direction shoot, and get it the hell out of sight. I had to shoot through the windows. Open windows were a big no no, because someone might shove a gun in your face. During the first week of our stay, there were three robberies and two car jackings.

The first priority was to dress locally. The tailor they used for me, was pretty quick. Three salwar kamez took about three days. One set was ready by the next day. The tailor the family hose for my Mom on the other had was a complete wanker. He buggered up everything. In fact, some of her clothing was finally picked up the day before the flight back.

The people. That is a difficult question to answer. They stared, and stared and stared. They could be friendly and that could turn to hostility so quickly. Kids and school groups were the worst. On a visit to Lahore fort and Badshahi Mosque the same group that had been saying hello and pestering for their photos to be taken were later throwing cricket balls and empty water bottles at us. My sister in law dealt with it brilliently. She told them "I'm like your teacher, I will slap you if you misbehave." The kids explained the cricket ball as an 'accident'. Bullshit. She refused to hand the ball back, despite being threatened by the teachers and threw the ball into a rubbish bin. Pakistani rubbish bins in that heat are disgusting. Also, think of the humiliation of rummaging through the bin to recover the ball. We were constantly mobbed by people taking photos of us. Every minute were had people asking for shots of us. Patience did wear thin.

I'm off back to sleep, so I'll carry this on later today.

Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2010 2:31 pm

Sounds like a holiday at Center Parcs here in the UK.

Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2010 11:23 pm

A vacation in Juarez or Tijuana would be right up your alley. Laughing

Work is looking for voluntary transfers to Pakistan...

Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2010 12:44 am

Being a frequent traveller to Baja California in the past, even with the drug violence in Mexico, I would go to Mexico without hesitation. I don't even want to fly in the vicinity of Pakistan!!

That's just me.

Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2010 7:30 pm

So much for another update later. I find jet lag to be a real killer.

The strange thing is that you hear so many horror stories about the place, yet back home can be far more dangerous for you with car accidents, and all the other dangerous delights of living in the west.

One woman asked if she could take a 'snack' of us, unfortunately for her it was after being mobbed in Lahore fort.

The beggers. They are run more like an organised business. Some we saw being dropped off by a posh car at their spots. The in laws say always ignore them, the real dirt poor are too busy working for a living to beg.