Blog

The plan was to leave Quetta early and take route 65 to Sukkur. I had been told it’s a good road and not at all like the Robbers Road. I awoke at 4:50am to the sound of explosions from incoming mortars, or possibly some sort of rockets. They were landing quite close as the whole hotel vibrated and it was only a two storey building. The mortars were followed by the clatter of small arms fire. I got dressed and went down to the lobby and out into the grounds. The security guards, who are all armed with either AK47’s or pump action shot guns, were milling around the extensive garden and car park area. I went back in the lobby and spoke to the duty receptionist, asking if it he could find out from the police if it was still safe for me to travel. It transpired that “they’re not answering the phone because it’s Sunday!” I suggested they weren’t answering...

The drive from Bam to the Iran/Pakistan border was a severe test for Bridget. The weather was like the hottest summers day in the UK plus a hot wind, similar to standing behind a plane’s jet engine, and, just to make it interesting, there was a dust storm as well. The dust is very fine and gets into everything reducing visibility to under half a mile. It was like this for almost the whole of the 200 miles journey which included traversing a mountain range. At least at the top of the mountains the dust was far less. There was only one service station shown on the map and unfortunately when I arrived at the site it was all boarded up and deserted, so once again I had to use the jerry cans. Anyway we arrived safely and I took Bridget into a car wash to spruce her up. The guys that operate these washes just go mad over the car and...