Nov 8, 2007 - Return to Peshawar, Pakistan

Ian and I parted company with Seb, who is flying out to Herat and then over the border to Iran, before we caught a taxi to the Pakistani border and experience the scariest part of my journey so far. Our taxi driver and his companion turn out to be a couple of morons, who despite agreeing to taking only us to the border, decide to try and pick up more passengers at a very dodgy looking town just outside Kabul and managed to get lost in the town just for good measure. Our protests were eventually listened to, and we pressed onwards to the...

Oct 24, 2007 - Peshawar

I'm moving onto Peshawar at last, which is located in more conservative western Pakistan. Its a 3 hour train journey from 'pindi, and I remember the journey most for talking the guards who sat next to me with their guns rested in my direction! I arrived at Peshawar in the early evening, which didnt prove to be good timing at all. Every hotel I went to was fully booked, and it was during my soul destroying walk between hotels that I met Mohammed, a Pashtun guy who eventually fixed me up with a family who took pity on me and let me sleep on...

Jun 19, 2007 - Another long gap

Greetings from Peshawar, Northern Pakistan. Although I write this in Peshawar, who knows where it will be posted as access to t'internet is rather scarse thus far. So you ask, wot has he been up to since the last exciting episode. I do note from the trip journal web site that there is some traffic through when I post so I'll try keep it up. OK, I'll start with a quick Iran review. Loved the friendliness of the people but definitely don't like this segregation of the sexes mallarky. Babak castle has also been trip highlight thus far. I know...

Feb 7, 2006 - Peshawar

Well im in Peshawar now. i saw a cricket match between Pakistan and India. It was a really good time. Rob(brit) and i had no tickets so we rushed the gate with others and got in. 7 hours of cricket,but time well spent. today we went to the smugelers bazzar and had alook at some guns. we only entered the tribal area by maybe 50 meters and were soon rushed out. it seemed as though the pushtans let you take a quick look and then usher you out. a little strange. so i am off to Kabul tomorrow, i may have to stay in Jalalabad,but not if i can...

Nov 8, 2005 - The CarpetMan of Peshawar

We left our jeep and driver in Chitral town, and took a minibus to Peshawar. This is without a doubt the worst decision I have ever made in my life!!! Image a minibus just a bit longer then the average mini-van owned by millions of Canadian families. Now image 18 people plus 1 driver in the mini-van. Four rows of seats each with 4 people. We were in the back row, and believe me I had no leg room. I have no idea how my travel companions survived as they are much taller than me. So 10 hours, and 4 stops later we arrived in Peshawar. I have...

Nov 8, 2005 - The CarpetMan of Peshawar

We left our jeep and driver in Chitral town, and took a minibus to Peshawar. This is without a doubt the worst decision I have ever made in my life!!! Image a minibus just a bit longer then the average mini-van owned by millions of Canadian families. Now image 18 people plus 1 driver in the mini-van. Four rows of seats each with 4 people. We were in the back row, and believe me I had no leg room. I have no idea how my travel companions survived as they are much taller than me. So 10 hours, and 4 stops later we arrived in Peshawar. I have...

Oct 24, 2004 - Cricket and the Khyber Pass

Oct 22 Faisalabad and Peshawar On our way to the Khyber pass we noticed a sign off the motorway (yes there is a motorway in Pakistan and very good it is too, empty, fast and cheap) to Faisabal where I remembered that Pakistan was playing Sri Lanka in a test match. So off we went arriving just before the cricket stated. The game was great fun especially as we had the local Pakistani comedians behind us! Everytime Karen went past they said "Hello darling!", presumably a chatup line they learnt at school as even the policeman call Karen...

Aug 20, 2004 - Peshawar

Peshawar On the bus to Peshawar the one noticeable thing was the increase in the number of women wearing burquas. In 'Pindi, as I guess in any big city, the women tended to be more liberal, whereas in the areas in which I trekked the women largely still wore the traditional dress of whatever their native group was, which again tended to be more open than the Muslim norm. Here the full on cloak of invisibility was quite frequently seen, and one of the guys from whom I bought a shalwar kameez was very keen for me to buy one to take home for...