getting ready to head home

[waterman]

Just 27 more hours until our flight leave for home and then 27 hours of flights and airports. Will be good to get home. I have enjoyed the trip to Pakistan but I am ready to be home. Definitely will be busy when I get back to work.

For the most part, this trip for a project has been enlightening. The treatment by the people here has been great. The vast majority have been very welcoming. We have met numerous high ranking officials in their department of agriculture so I am know people in power here. ;)

You also get to see true poverty. It has been said you will never have peace until the people have a full belly. I can really see that after this trip. You can say what you want about the good old usa but until you leave the country for a place like this you don't realize how good we have it.

The food has been great but there is only so much chicken and lamb you can eat and after a while everything tastes the same with the curry, turmeric and other seasonings.

One thing about it, I never felt unsafe except when in their traffic. We were followed by an armed guard just about everywhere in islamabad. Only time we weren't is when we went to one of the major research facilities about 100 miles away. Now the traffic is a differentstory. I would never ride a motorcycle in this country. No, no how. Just having the driver of the car was enough to scare you straight. I don't know how many time I wanted to rip the steering wheel out of his hands.

[George]

They had a tv show on here, it was called extreme trucking or something like that and they had truckers from Canada and the USA driving over there in the mountains. Roads were barely wide enough for one vehicle let alone two passing each other in opposite directions. All I can say is not this cowboy

[waterman]

Everything is flat here but I remember that show. It was in India or the country just north of there. Yep, close but without the fall. The trucks look nearly like that. Very interesting and actually pretty.

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by George

They had a tv show on here, it was called extreme trucking or something like that and they had truckers from Canada and the USA driving over there in the mountains. Roads were barely wide enough for one vehicle let alone two passing each other in opposite directions. All I can say is not this cowboy

Ice Road Truckers: The Himalayas.

They were driving those POS Indian made trucks with wooden bodies across some of the worst road conditions I have ever seen.

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by waterman

The vast majority have been very welcoming. We have met numerous high ranking officials in their department of agriculture so I am know people in power here. ;)

I think you need to know a good grammar teacher.

Personally, I don't trust the Pakistani government as far as I could throw them.

[George]

Originally Posted by cactusjack

Ice Road Truckers: The Himalayas.

They were driving those POS Indian made trucks with wooden bodies across some of the worst road conditions I have ever seen.

Thank you sir

[waterman]

Originally Posted by cactusjack

I think you need to know a good grammar teacher.

Personally, I don't trust the Pakistani government as far as I could throw them.

Typing on the damn phone. So how far can you throw our government officials? The department of agriculture probably doesn't carry the same weight as the military. I would probably trust them mmore than the other positions in government.

[Rasta]

Totally agree with you Joel, once you see how the other side live, how much the life we have here in the good old USA is appreciated. We need to send our yougens out there at least once just for that!

[dshelly]

Sounds like an interesting trip. Now as long as nobody hijacks one of your planes you should be home before you know it.

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by waterman

Typing on the damn phone. So how far can you throw our government officials? The department of agriculture probably doesn't carry the same weight as the military. I would probably trust them mmore than the other positions in government.

Yeah, agriculture guys probably aren't hiding Al Qaeda training camps.

[ringadingh]

I think I would starve to death on their food, Ive tried it a couple times and can't get used to it at all.

[Loafer]

Be sure to check your suitcases for monkeys and bad dates. Indiana Jones didn't have any luck with them.
When will you be home?

Have a safe trip home!

[Silent Sam]

Yep..Been there done that...(while "passing" as an "Agricultural Consultant")..
Sure made me notice how good the food supply in the "western world" is...

AND How great it is to have fair to excellent ROADS to travel on ! as compared to so many places in the world !

[Kawhead]

I know what you mean. My only international travels were a few European counties where the standard of living was OK compared to ours, but my beloved company hires people from all over the world and some are from third world countries where these people were raised in villages no running water or electricity. These people know hunger, poverty, no opportunity, and oppression first hand. I remember a Russian emigrant telling us about having to submit paper work to officials in order to attend a family party.

I know we have it good here.

[glwilson]

That's interesting Joel... Travel safe getting home.

Regarding the food... I would have starved. You are better than me for eating it. I cannot eat curry at all.