Out of Pakistan, through Iran, and into Turkey!

10 July 2009

So much has happened since our last blog entry, it’s hard to know where to start!

Our last days in Pakistan were pretty stressful. We joined a convoy with friends to join another friend in Sukur. The plan was to cross Balochistan together, as a convoy of 5 cars. In Sukur, our friends Laurent and Amandine had brake problems, so we stayed an extra day there. We were in the police station, sort of closed in like zoo animals. I’m pretty sure it was the hottest day I’ve ever experienced. I don’t know if I felt like that because the entire situation was overwhelming, but it was nearly unbearable... Jonny was tummy sick and in the car all day, I can’t imagine what he was living through!

Once out of Sukur, we made it to Quetta and organized police escorts to cross the Balochi desert. There were a few misunderstandings along the way, but all worked out. At 5am we left with our escorts for a long long long day of driving all the way to the border. We slept on the Pakistani side and crossed into Iran the next morning.

Getting 5 cars into Iran is pretty time consuming. Carnets and passports being snatched from our hands from various police officers never makes for a calm situation. Jonathan and I try to stay positive, although I did snap when he disappeared to go look for Fabrice and I was left with an army man who kept walking away from me with our passports... Anyway, in tense situations we say “Jalan Jalan” which means “just visiting, or sight seeing” in Bahasa Indonesia. I see it as a reminder that this is why we’re doing this trip, to visit. If there are bumps along the way, there’s no reason to get riled up and take things personally.

Once in Iran, we weren’t exactly home free. We had police escorts all the way to Bam. Sometimes, they even sat in our cars with us. I don’t like Kalashnikovs in the wombat... One of the escorts was pretty entertaining. He asked me to play guitar for him, something I had never done while in the rolling car. Another one tried on Jonny’s Pakistani hat from Gilgit...we all had a good laugh. I guess you have to remember the good things in the unpleasant situations!

Right away, we could feel that there is a huge difference being the police and the average population in Iran. The police seems to be on this glorified power trip, while the people, at least in public, seem to fear standing out...We saw a man get arrested for no apparent reason in Zahedan. He was walking down the street and the police, who was escorting us, began searching his bags, pushing him around and questioning him. We didn’t see what made the cops want to search him, but it was a horrible sight to witness. We had been in Iran for less than a day, and we already witnessed what the government imposes on the public...I’m starting to feel that making women wear a veil (especially in this heat!) is a drop in the bucket of what the population has forced upon them by the government...

After a hellish evening in Zahedan (trying to find a place to park for the night caused problems), we headed to Kerman. First, some people absolutely needed diesel to make it to Bam. You have to understand that diesel is hard to get in Zahedan because it is near the border. They want to avoid people buying diesel for 2 cents a litre and selling it in Pakistan for a big profit. Also, you need a special government issued card to buy fuel, something none of us have... In Zahedan, you have to be ready to beg if you need diesel. I am so grateful that the Wombat can take 180L of diesel. We had just just just enough to make it to Bam, thank goodness. As Flo was filling his reservoir with a jerrycan, it spilled everywhere. He told me “This is the smell of Iran, get used to it”. It made me laugh.

Once in Kerman, Jonny and I were both surprised at how developed Iran is. It felt like we could have been in Canada! The cars were a bit 1980ish but other than that it was like home! (there is a peugeot 405 factory in Iran. They are everywhere!) We spent 3 days in Kerman doing absolutely nothing! We said goodbye to Lucie and Fabrice who were heading to Teheran. Amusez vous bien les amis!!!

After Kerman, we headed to Persepolis. We spent Jonny’s birthday exploring the ruins. I was really impressed. I kept picturing myself attending one of Xerxes’ New Years parties there 2000 years ago, it must’ve been so much fun. In the evening we had a dinner with some of Jonny’s favourite things: Greek salad, garlic bread, steak, chocolate cake. Our French friends even magically made a beer appear :) Spending your 26th birthday in a strict Islamic (and therefore alcohol free) country could be rough...so thanks Flo, Amandine, and Laurent! On s’est beaucoup amusé.

We said our goodbyes to Flo, Amandine and Laurent after a great time with them. We headed to Isfahan, but they kept going. In Isfahan, we were taken in by a young couple, Millat and Mona. They are our age, and so so so hospitable. They showed us what Iranian hospitality is all about! I was so happy to see that Mona metamorphosed into what I think is a typical 23 year old woman when she was in her home. She changed into jeans and a nice top, took off her veil, styled her hair, laughed, yelled, sang, danced, addressed her in-laws as friends, and spoke to Millat as her equal. It is very sad what people live through in Iran, it’s like a double life! Sure there are a group of strict religious people who agree with what the government imposes, but I think that many aren’t comfortable with what they’re forced to do. Millat told us that you can get arrested for having a glass of water outdoors during Ramadan....

Before we came to Iran, there was a federal election. A large group of people were not happy with the results and protests were held in Tehran. There seems to be a revolution on the horizon...Many people seem to be ready for a change.

The rest of our time in Iran was good. We saw great sights, had good tea, welcomed new friends to practise their English with us. We are astounded by the hospitality in this country. You read about it, but you don’t understand it until you’ve lived it! I will come back to Iran some day. It is a fascinating place, with so many layers to discover!!!

(by the way, I learned to dress like a real hip and liberal young Iranian woman: Pretty tunic or stylish tight trench coat, jeans, styled front of hair, veil pulled back as far as it can go without falling, and tons of makeup...serious amounts of make up!)

Coming into Turkey was a bit of a hassle. Not complicated, there was just a lot of waiting. Now that we’re here, we feel like we’re “home free”. There were some realities we had to face while travelling in Pakistan and some parts of Iran that could made things stressful. Now, we feel like it will be smooth sailing until we get to Luxembourg.

We’ve booked our flights to Montreal. We leave Paris on the 22nd of July. That’s in 12 days... and we’re sitting next to a pool at a campsite with wifi near amazing sedimentary structures...it’s hard to get our ass in gear!!!

I’m really looking forward to seeing everybody back home. We are so happy to have had the chance to do this trip, it’s been an amazing journey, but I can’t wait to hug all my family members and loved ones at once. When I return, I request the world’s largest group hug to occur.

Marie-Claude

Karakoram and now back in Islamabad

2 June 2009

The day before we planned to leave for the North, our friends Lucie and Fabrice showed up at the Islamabad campsite! They applied for their Iranian visas, and we left together for Gilgit.

We had a good time in the North. The Karakoram highway is very impressive! There is construction everywhere, dust storms to face, and overturned trucks every once in a while. It made the road very thrilling. We relaxed up north. Lucie and Fabrice taught us to play “La belotte” and “La coinche”, it was so much fun!

The mountains in the North are incredible. It is so impressive how much of them you see! You can see 3 or 4 km of mountain for the valleys to the peak! The mountains are so steep that soil can’t develop on them, so they are bare of vegetation. This makes for a geologists’ dream, as the mountain ranges are kilometres and kilometres of impressive outcrop! There are lots of snow capped hills as well. Absolutely stunning. No pictures can make justice of the sights you see in the North.

We were escorted for a little while, as we passed about 30 km from the SWAT valley. We learned that refugees were not aloud in the neighbouring territory and were told to go down to Islamabad. So although we were quite close to SWAT, we didn’t witness any hints of war other than escorts and guards.

People in Pakistan are very welcoming and take hospitality to a whole new level. We’re constantly offered tea, food, and never have trouble finding a place to camp. It’s a huge contrast from India where you feel constantly cheated as a foreigner. We’re very grateful.

The highlight of the week was a polo match we attended in Gilgit. It was a final match between two army regiments of the region. The horsemanship was phenomenal! We learned that in England, you typically change horses every 10 minutes when you play polo. Here, the horses played for a full hour, in a final match (in normal matches, you play until one team scores 9) There was a short half time where everyone, horse and rider, looked exhausted. It was so impressive to watch a polo match, I wish I had a big hat.

We met a nice man working for the UN who invited us to his field station for a bbq. We ended up have a big dinner with 12 people and had a fun time! Afterwards, we headed to the after party of the winning polo team. It was about 50 men sitting on the ground in a circle listening to a band. The band was three flutes and 2 drummers. To us, all the songs sounded the same, but to the locals they were worlds apart. They would get up and dance these simple little dances. It was so weird to be 1 of 3 women there... Yonika, a nice Dutch girl we met, Johan and I went up to dance. It was an experience! Jonny was the first out of all of us to get up and dance. He’s got some moves!

After an amazing time in the North, we came back to Islamabad, hoping to get our Iranian visas. We called yesterday, after 15 days of waiting, and were told to call in 3 days. Darn. Islamabad is a fun place, so we’re not too sad to be “stuck” here. There are many other overlanders from France, Germany, and Denmark waiting for their visas. It’s a little party at the campsite.

Now I’m at Toyota, in the waiting room. Jonny is playing with the mechanics, but I was told to stay in the waiting room. They offer me tea every 10 minutes, I just had a samosa and I’m reaping their free wifi...I can’t complain, but it’s the lack of freedom that bothers me! If I were a man, I would LOVE this country, but it’s a bit frustrating to travel here as a woman...

We’re happy, healthy and having fun.

Marie-Claude

Islamabad is Islamagood

20 May 2009

So we’ve made it to Pakistan. The country we’ve been curious and eager to get to since the beginning of the trip. Despite everything that is on the news, we had a feeling this country had a lot to offer. We met many travellers who had passed through Pakistan and were returning once more, so we were confident we would be safe.

Crossing the border took no time. We arrived at the Wagha border at 330 and were into Pakistan and finished with all the paperwork by 415ish. We had to move the clock ahead 30 minutes. We thought we would be going back in time, but Pakistan has daylight savings, so we are ahead of India. Right away in Pakistan, I was being ignored by some men. At the border, I rolled down my window to speak to a customs officer who refused to look or speak to me. He look at Jonny and said “Your wife? your wife?”. It was like he was wondering where his wife was...Jonny realized he was asking about me and answered him. I guess I’ll have to get used to that...

We found the hotel right near customs where we would park for the night. We changed our last 200 Indian Rupes (4 USD) into Pakistani Rupees and had enough for quite a few cold soft drinks. Things are actually cheaper in Pakistan than in India. We went to see the border closing ceremony again. This time, we go to see a lot more because we were allowed to sit right in front. We got some nice video footage and are looking forward to sharing it!

The next day, we drove out of the customs compound and into real Pakistan. We headed to Lahore. The countryside is pretty dry and desolate... The drivers are more civilized that in India (they use their signal lights the way we do, and honk less liberally). Once in Lahore, we found a hotel that was recommended to us. It was clean and cheap and friendly. There were many westerners staying there, most were frolicking around Pakistan. We had a chance to get laundry done, and it dried instantly in the 50C weather. I washed many items of clothing I knew I wouldn’t wear for quite a while...Pakistan and Iran prefers their women in potato sacks.

Outside of the hotel, one man told me to cover my hair. I was a little shocked! I was wearing a loose t-shirt and baggy Thai pants. I didn’t realize I would have to cover up in Pakistan... I was told by the hotel attendees it was better to wear a scarf on my head. I guess I’ll have to get used to that too.

We went to food street to get dinner, it was splendid. I got a new watch battery and the man refused to take my money! He said my watch was cheap and he liked Canadians so he gave it to me as a gift. So nice. I bought some tunics to fit in a little better, and I fought until I had a local price. People seemed generally happy to make our acquaintance, it is nice. People stop us on the street to shake our hands.

After one night in Lahore we moved on to Islamabad to apply for our Iranian visas. On the way, we stopped for a milkshake, one thing Pakistanis do very well, and have available everywhere. For about 50 cents you get a HUGE milkshake (or ice cream shake) with the fruit of your choice! Once it was time to pay, our money was refused. It turns out the manager of the super modern rest stop lived in Montreal for 6 years! He invited us in his office. It was so strange to hear “Cote Vertu, Laval, Parc Extension”...with a Pakistani accent! He was a fast food delivery man in Montreal and in Pakistan, he owns and operates a petrol stop, hotel, restaurant and tuck shop....He seems to be a very well respected man. It makes you realize that the immigrants who come to Canada (or any country) for a better life, lived very different lives in their home country.

MC

JD continues

We made it to Islamabad, at the camp site we heard so much about, without a hitch. It is very nicely located right next to Apbara market, so all necessities are easily available. At the campsite, a few fellow travellers were there and we chatted about the latest news on visas and road conditions, and soon after crashed in bed. The road really wears you out!

Next day we went straight to the Iranian embassy. We got dropped off at a strange airport-like building, where you had to buy a bus ticket for the embassy of your choice. It turns out all the embassies are located in a super safe compound, and most people cannot enter without going through these government-run bus services.

At the Iranian embassy, we were again surprised to see copious amounts of pot growing right across the street. It smelled really nice at first, but got overwhelming after a while! The staff at the embassy were really friendly and helpful, and answering all of our questions with a smile. We submitted our application, and got warned that it isn’t up to them to grant the visas, but that they receive orders from the foreign ministry in Teheran. We stayed optimistic, and headed back to camp, stopping on the way for “Checken Cheez Bargars”. Yum yum. Quiet dinner with our friends at the camp, and off to bed.

Yesterday was a big day for the wombat, as we headed over to Toyota and opened up the hood to get the timing belt replaced. Unfortunately, due to the wombats size, it couldn’t fit in the workshop, so all the work had to be done in the sun outside. In no time, the work was done, and we took the afternoon to inspect and clean the break pads, balance the wheels, and check the transmission oil. There seems to be a slight leak in the rear suspension, so we might go back at a later date and have a look at that. But for the rest, it was high quality work for a very decent price! Nadeem, the mechanic who did all the work on the wombat, admitted later that his nickname in the workshop was ‘Cruiser Master’. Awesome!

Now we plan on heading up the famous Karakoram highway, maybe all the way to the Chinese border. It is supposed to be really beautiful, and the people really hospitable, although it will be tough to beat the warm reception we’ve had so far in Pakistan!

JD