(Daniel) I packed up the tent after getting up at 7 this morning. Then drove across the road to collect Rowan and Gabby from the Country Inn, where they stayed last night. Then we grabbed some breakfast from a bakery and went through the same park and ride security system from yesterday to get back to the Indian embassy. At the embassy there was a huge queue but luckily as foreign tourists we were ushered to use the emergency channel.
We stood there with documents ready, applications filled in and visa fee in hand, as the curtain behind the service window opened and a lady took our papers. “No problem” She said “These should be ready in around 7 days.” Our faces fell, we asked many questions trying to find a faster option, but to no avail. We took our paperwork back and huddled in a corner of the busy area to discuss this bombshell. Rowan and Gabby were as devastated as me. We felt like this country which made it so hard to get around and move on was finally playing its coup de gras.
This new development would mean staying in Islamabad for seven days, or return to Lahore and then possibly face further hardship with the trailer. It would also prevent Rowan and Gabby from having a much needed break, not to mention allowing me to get some recovery time and an equally much needed rest. We had to think fast, other people were crowding around the emergency window and soon we wouldn’t be able to get the application seen today either.
I think it was me that made the suggestion, that the three of us go separate ways here, but basically the idea was that I drive to Karachi, to arrange shipping the Wolf to Malaysia. The others could either come down there with me and fly to Nepal, or fly from Lahore while I travel down to the Port town of Karachi alone. I was very aware of Rowan and Gabby’s need to get away, and have time alone, and that crossing through Myanmar was still unknown. We agreed that this plan or something like it would be the best option and boarded the bus back to the car park and the Wolf.
As I drove back to Lahore, Gabby looked up Karachi and the Sindh Province in her guides. Not unusually, it turned out that the area was still quite dangerous, with tanks on the streets in Karachi. I called the tourism authority to ask about an escort, they told me that daytime travel was safe enough, and that escorts would be the decision of the local police. This would mean a two or three day drive before arriving in Karachi, and then having to arrange shipping from there.
In the midst of this planning, Nick phoned me on my mobile, I asked him to look into shipping offices in Lahore, so that we might possibly put the vehicle in a container there, then send it by road and ship to Malaysia. While he got on the case, I discussed my own options with Rowan and Gabbs. I had been very ill and was still suffering badly. As a result of the driving and recent lack of proper eating, I was now considerably thinner than I would like. This meant that I was short on reserves, and although this would not in any way stop me, how would is affect the remaining leg of the Expedition?
I could not really go to Nepal, as this would make it harder for Rowan and Gabby to relax and get time to themselves. It would also hinder me in any efforts of recovery. I opted to head for Bangkok, and then after a much needed haircut, some good food and time to relax, I would head for one of the surrounding countries for my own holiday from the Expedition. This would mean missing the drive through India, but I had driven through the Punjab to the Border now, as Lahore sits on the crossing with India. This answer seemed to successfully put to bed a number of issues that had been laying around unsolved. Provided we could find a good agent, we could be on our way very soon.
At the end of this discussion we were approaching Lahore. Nick phoned back to say that he had found an agent called ‘Dart Asia’, and that they were prepared to take on our case. Once I had finished talking to Nick, I got in touch with the company that had taken the trailer, to check on progress. Hopefully if we could collect the trailer without any delays, we might just make it to the shipping office to make arrangements today!
The Trailer was finished, but they had been unable to find the steel, and had instead made a different kind of repair, making a new spindle, but longer, and inserting into the end of the beam, having drilled it out. They then inserted a pin to lock the inserted spindle in place, and had told me that they were very confident in the standard of the repair. Having been in Pakistan for three weeks now, I really wasn’t surprised by this change of direction. I thanked my lucky stars that I had not paid a deposit for the steel, which would now have been considerably more than the cost of the job. We switched the sat nav on and followed it back to the factory where the trailer was.
As we arrived the doors were opened, and I was ushered into the office. There I could see straight away that something was not right. The Director was being overly nice to me, and trying to fuss over me about everything from my chair to tea or should he send someone to get me a drink from the shop. I explained that we were in a real hurry, and that I would have to pay and leave. He wouldn’t hear of it, and continued his polite conversation and fussing. After a while Rowan came up to see what was going on, this prompted the man to fuss over Rowan, but somehow the two of us managed to insist that we had to go.
All we needed was a price, and then came the punch line. “Nothing.” He said, smiling. I was not having it, of course we would pay. It would only be $30 at most anyway. He was insistent, and it was then that he made his own play. “There is just one thing which you can do for me, have dinner at my house. Then we will be friends, and I will have helped you. You are a visitor to my country, and this is my service.” He then added. “Of course, there is one other thing that you could do for me… As your father works for the home office, and my son is coming to your country to study soon. You could help him.”
I looked at Rowan, who then looked at me, and all of a sudden the comments that Mr. Khan, the man that I had met in my hotel, came home to roost. We both insisted, and refused to accept no for an answer, but the man wouldn’t take a penny, and still insisted on my having dinner at their family house tomorrow. I agreed, with the intention of canceling as politely as possible later that day. Then went out to attach the trailer. Rowan was fuming, and so was I. How dare this man play with peoples emotions like that, making them think that their ship had come in, and that they were in a position to put the son of a home office senior in their debt.
We hooked up the trailer and were just pulling out when I remembered the old steel which I had bought and was still in the back of the truck. I had paid over $45 dollars for it, and it would certainly be worth that to them. I took it out and explained that it would only hinder my journey, and could they please dispose of it for me. They really didn’t want to, knowing that this would at least partly clear my obligation with them. I was able to insist upon this, and finally we managed to pull out of the factory and into the evening rush hour to pick our way across town, to the shipping office.
By the time we gave up, we had driven through the whole of Lahore and back in heavy traffic. We decided to try again tomorrow, and stopped at the Best Western to ask about a room. They had doubled the prices due to the Bazant (Kite) festival that would take place over the next few days, and were not prepared to negotiate. They were not wrong either, as we walked and drove around several other places, all of whom were either full or asking twice the normal rate due to the festival.
The stress was starting to show, but luck was on our side, and there is a good tip coming up about staying in Lahore. As we walked out of yet another full hotel, I asked the Concierge about any other places to stay. He said that we could try a guesthouse, and that he would take us to one that was nearby. Suddenly a car appeared and drove us to a guesthouse a few streets away, and here is the tip: Sod Hotels, if you want to stay in Lahore, stay in a guesthouse. So much nicer and cleaner, with an armed guard and a car park, the place where he took us was called the Decent Palace. But don’t let the name fool you, this is a prime location, and the rooms are easily as good as the ones that you would pay twice as much for in a hotel.
After checking in, we walked to the restaurant street nearby and ate a hearty meal before returning to the guesthouse and bed.
Distance driven 450km