Arrival in Islamabad August 27

We arrived safely in Islamabad, Pakistan. The flight took about three hours and clearing customs proved quite easy.

Leaving Dubai this morning at 5:00am, the limo driver had a cold washcloth and chocolates waiting for us when we exited the hotel. The ride to the Abu Dhabi airport took approximately one hour. Unfortunately, we saw a terrible accident with someone covered with a sheet lying in the roadway. Also, large explosions or fireballs were seen in the distance and we couldn't guess what was happening. However, at that time of the morning we did well keeping awake.

The local guide was waiting for us and we were driven by car to the Serena Hotel. The hotel is very nice, the best in the city according to our guide, located in the diplomatic enclave. As you might expect from its location, the security around the hotel is very thorough... five guards inspected every part of the car along with in-ground steel barricades that recede into the ground only after you pass inspection. Various other obstructions, like staggered jersey walls, block a direct drive to the hotel - one needs to drive around them on the way to the hotel’s entrance and finally, airport type security checks you and your luggage as you enter the hotel.

We will have a full briefing tomorrow, but our guide told us that there will be some changes to the original itinerary. For example, we will completely avoid the Swat Valley because some policemen were killed near the town where we were going to stay. We will travel farther east into Baltistan better known as “Little Tibet.” It won't affect the quality of the trip because all of Northern Pakistan is beautiful. We'll be traveling on the Karakoram Highway out of Islamabad, much further east from the original road to Swat. Don't you just love that name, SWAT? Some portions of the road I'm told is full of potholes and rather rugged. By the way, a group of Spaniards had decided to push on to Swat in spite of the incidents, but our guide Claudio feels a group of foreigners is just asking for trouble. Somehow I agree.

Despite the above, our trip will be very safe. We will not be near any problem areas, and the fact is that Pakistanis as a whole are very friendly. The people are much like those we encountered in Mongolia.

Tomorrow we plan on visiting a truck painting factory. The painting is very elaborate, costs $2000., takes 10 weeks to complete and there are 60,000 people employed in the truck painting industry. How do I know all this, my roommate took the tour today before I arrived and she (Antonieta) gave me all the particulars. More to follow. See photo for an initial view of a truck taken on the way from the airport.

Our daily schedule plans include a short tour of Islamabad in the afternoon tomorrow and a welcome dinner in the evening where we meet all of our fellow travelers. In the morning the three of us plan on the truck painting tour, but that plan can change at any moment.

We'll have wireless connection in our rooms for the next two days, but afterwards the Internet will be sparse.

Hope you are enjoying the blog and thanks for the comments. It gives us a touch with home.

Rich, Tamara and Garry

Captions: 1) Sign at Islamabad Airport 2) Cold washclothes and chocolates offered by limo driver 3) Musicians playing as we entered the Serena Hotel in Islamabad 4) The lobby (although dark) of the Serena Hotel 5) Photo of painted truck taken through car window