A most testing day indeed. I slept a bit badly because I was bitten all over by little things. At first I thought it was mosquitoes, but then I came to realise that I was also being bitten in places next to the mattress and covered by the sheet! So, they were in the bed, whatever they were. Then I heard something rustling in my bag which was next to my bag – this wasn’t going very well. And so the night went on until it became light and I got up, a bit
bleary eyed, but pleased to leave my bed nevertheless.Anyway, after breakfast I was just about to set off when I was approached by a youth who started to tell me that Allah is the only God and that all other religions apart from his form of Muslim are mistaken and should give it up. I told him I thought he should be more tolerant of others beliefs and that his attitude is the same one that causes so much trouble all over the world. I mean, it’s great that he believes that he has found the true God, but it would be greater if he recognised that others also believe the same about their own God. I don’t think he liked me and I am sure I didn’t like him.
So I set off and 5 miles into the stony, boiling desert I got a puncture in the rear tyre. 6,000 miles and no puncture and then I get one 5 miles after leaving my little closed mind twerp. The thought did cross my mind about curses and such, but I don’t believe in those – do I?Anyway, seeing that the air has left your tyre in this situation can have a bowel-loosening effect and so the first thing to do was walk a distance from the road and get that sorted out. On returning (feeling a lot better I can tell you) I set about removing the rear wheel.
Well, less than 10 minutes had passed before 2 chaps came by on their bike and stopped to give some help. They stayed with me for more than ½ hour, even though they had their own things to attend to. After they left I worked alone for a while and then, just as I needed them, a van load of men working on power lines stopped and helped get the job finished. In fact, when I told them I was OK now, they said that they would see me leave
the spot first, then they would also move. Although I don’t want any more punctures, this one has certainly shown me that the Pakistanis have big hearts when it comes to giving their time and effort.The day finished a bit strangely. After crossing the brilliant mountains, I was stopped by the police who insisted on giving me an escort. That is good because it means I don’t get lost through towns and cities, but can be very frustrating when on good roads and they still insist on dawdling along at 30mph.
Then, the police said I should stay the night at their station and so I was offered a bathing room next to the Inspectors office. Unfortunately the room had no electric light or window, so I left the door a bit open into the office for some light. And in the office the Inspector was holding court with a couple of dozen folks with various grievances. They have a system where people come to the station to lodge a complaint and the police then round up all the participants in that complaint and they see if the situation can be resolved without official action being taken. So there I was in a strange room wearing nothing but the water from the bucket while all the serious deliberations were going on a few feet from me – a bit strange indeed.(Jonny Krause)
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