As you can see from the itinerary below, this was quite a daunting schedule for someone who essentially doesn’t like travelling. As I was packing my bag on Sunday afternoon I felt I would very much like to be remaining in New Delhi but after all the palaver to get the visa and the trip set up, I just had to go!
I slept very badly on Sunday night and found it very difficult to settle to anything on Monday morning. Before I went to the airport Julian and Sammy didn’t really seem to be too bothered that I was going, only really thinking about all the mischief they would get up to with Daddy when I was away!
So I set off to the airport.
At the airport in New Delhi I had to say goodbye to Richard at the door of the terminal, as they do not allow non-travellers into the airport at all. I made my way through the security to await the plane, realising that I was the only female travelling to Karachi.
I had always felt it would be the proper thing to do to travel in local dress and I had kitted myself out in a shalwa kameez, which I had made at a local market for £15. I also borrowed one I had bought for Suzanne in England when we first knew they were going to live in Islamabad (which is where they lived before coming to India) and one other that she had. So I was well prepared and felt comfortable in what I was wearing which relieved some of the feelings of anxiety.
Whilst waiting for the flight to board there was some disturbance amongst the many Sikhs in the lounge area and at one stage I thought I would be caught up in a dangerous situation even before I had left India! One of the Sikhs was standing on a table and addressing the crowd about some situation he thought was a slight to the Sikh community. It looked like it could brew into some sort of international incident. The Sikhs are a minority in India but they are very proud. (India has a Sikh prime minister at present). After about twenty minutes things seemed to settle down. Although I was concerned to see the ring leader get onto the same plane as me. I prayed there would be no more trouble whilst we were in the air.
Thankfully the flight went without incident and I arrived an hour and a half later at Karachi airport. I was very disappointed to find that the first thing you see when you come out of the airport is a very large MacDonald’s restaurant.
Waiting to take me to one of the staff houses of the oil company that Rob works for, was a very tall security guard complete with Kalashnikov assault rifle and a very large driver. They held up a board with my name. I had a terrible thought as I got into the car that perhaps they had stolen it from someone else and I was now being driven to I don't know where.
As it was, I soon arrived at the staff house complete with a further two armed guards at the gate, where one of Rob’s colleagues, who had helped with all the travel arrangements, met me.
After a short stop in the staff house, I did decide at their prompting, to venture to see a bit of Karachi. So we went with my armed guard, who to my consternation felt he had to add a few more bullets to his belt store before he got in the car and we headed off! Were there going to be some serious gun battles on the way, that he was expecting to use more ammunition than normal? Perhaps having a white woman in the car might attract a few kidnapping attempts?
First stop was a very western shopping centre to buy a few postcards and from there to the sea. Richard and I were both surprised (foolishly enough) to find in the Pakistan International Airways office in New Delhi that there were pictures of beaches. Well of course Karachi is on the sea. We never knew that!
The sea at Karachi is not very clean but there were a few nice shells I collected for the boys and it was good to paddle, although I did have my armed guard with me the whole time. We then went to a local market where I bought a couple of tee shirts for Julian and Sammy and then it was back to the staff house for dinner and early to bed as I had to be up at 4.30 am to catch the plane to Quetta.
Day one of the trip was complete and I have only got to Karachi.
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