Hi,
I am finally back in Islamabad, happy to report that both driver and Volkswagen Beetle are doing fine after a Karachi-Islamabad round trip; we got in Friday night.
As you probably know, I make it a point of attending the annual Vintage and Classic car show in Karachi, and this year was no exception. Its the ONE place you can see autos ranging from Rolls Royces to Isettas, and I wasn't going to miss out!
The easy way of course is to fly, but driving down in a Beetle should be more fun, right? It would give me the added attraction of a stopover in Bahawalpur for the Cholistan Jeep Safari.
Yours Truly started off by sending off emails to all and sundry inviting them along for the trip, but true to form, our armchair adventurers stood (or should I say, sat united, as not ONE person volunteered to come along) I can see why the Tourism Ministry of Pakistan isn't going to be overworked any time soon 
Maps, guidebooks, tea, sleeping bag, mosquito repellent, car papers (More of that later), sunscreen, cap..and so on, you get the drift, and it was time to leave.
Off 7th morning, planning to do the scenic Grand Trunk to Lahore, only to be confronted by the mother of all traffic jams just past the Airport, so turned around, tried to go through Rawalpindi, $*&^@#!!, another jam at the railway crossing near the airport gate. Not to be deterred, I drive back to Islamabad, and take the looong boring Motorway. 8pm, Lahore.
Next morning I take off for Bahawalpur, take a wrong turn at Khanewal, and end up on a rutted bumpy single lane towards my destination. Half hour into my trip, (the road is crawling with overloaded trucks and bus drivers hell bent on breaking the land speed record), I see a motorbike flying through the air and come to rest on my side of the road. Fearing the worst, all traffic come to a standstill, crowds materialise on cue, and we expect to find the rider squashed under the triple axle truck. Its a miracle! An elderly Chacha type is helped to his feet by the some people, and as I walk towards him my mind is saying "Don't move him, check his arms and legs", miraculously, he has been thrown clear, minor bruising on knees and two fingers. He isn't wearing a helmet, however a cap is still firmly planted on his head, hell, his spectacles still perch on his nose!
I quickly seat him in my car and start checking for other any other damage; he all the while saying "I want a smoke!" Cool customer! A cigarette is lit, and we proceed with the washing and dressing of his nicks and cuts. Meanwhile, the driver of the truck, having recovered from the shock, starts grumbling that running over the motorbike has ruined his tyres; this of course provokes the crowd who tell him to #$%#@# off and be thankful the old man wasn't killed.
We have by now realised the the old biker probably had a minor fit, or momentary distraction, veered too close to truck, hit the fender, was thrown off and the motorbike ended up under its wheels. I walk over to inspect its remains. Its road kill with a capital R, front rim has been ripped off, frame mangled, you get the picture. The rest of the journey to Bahawalpur, you will be glad to know, passes off without further ado. 5pm, and I am at the Silver star guest house. No sign of the Lone Ranger or Tonto though..
Sunday morning dawns bright and clear, and we are off to the rally. BTW, its not in Bahawalpur, but a hundred kilometers south into the desert besides the famous Derawar fort! Not to be deterred by such minor detail, yours truly and gang (a group of young men from Islamabad and Lahore) of fellow enthusiasts drive off to the start point.
Cholistan is a hot dusty place, hundreds of local villagers milling about, Pakistan Rangers personnel, in a vain attempt to prevent fatal accidents try to keep them away from the track,
but no, our intrepid fellow countrymen also want to live life on the edge; so off they scamper across the start line, Ranger with crowd control stick in pursuit, just as yet another turbocharged 500 horsepower Jeep blasts off the line. Its amazing there are no fatalities.
The utter lack of facilities for spectators at Government managed events should come as no surprise, however sponsorship of the race by a European cellular firm would lead one to expect some responsible corporate organisation. So why no drinking water, bathrooms, viewing vantage points and so on?
I wonder what the locals get out of this? Does any of the large amounts of money spent trickle down? Shouldn't they be encouraged to set up tents facilities for tourists? I might be wrong, but all they seem to be left with is the large piles of garbage our day trippers fling around. Perhaps Wastebusters could be contracted to clean up at next years event?
Our next stop was Derawar fort, a kilometer from the race site. Its an amazing structure, and worth a trip just on its own; nearby stand the beautifully tiled tombs of the ruling Abbasi family, including the tomb of the last Nawab's English wife. The tombs are off limits to the public, however we could see dozens of people clambering over the high walls to get in. I suppose its a good place to get away from the desert heat!
We then got back into our cars and drove back to Bahwalpur for the night; next morning, our fellow travellers parted to journey back to Lahore and Islamabad, while I and my new passenger Khurrum or KP for short, hit the road heading South, next stop Sukkur!
I realise travel stories are not of interest to all, however, if you have read so far and want to know more, email me, and I will send part two of this letter plus photos.
Its good to be back in Islamabad though! As I rush this off to you, excuse the grammatical and syntax mistakes!
For pictures paste this link in yr browser:
http://picasaweb.google.com/romanokarim/KarachiTrip?authkey=fLIUJhTIzr8
