Day 1- Pakistan Trip: Lost

I just got back from a 9 day trip to Pakistan, where we did a review of our Pakistan office.

I was very anxious before the trip. Weeks before my flight, a Malaysian Airlines plane, MH370, just disappeared and until now, no one knows for sure what happened to the plane, or to the passengers. Saying that it was disconcerting is a major understatement.  I dreaded the trip.

Nonetheless, it pushed through. I literally surrendered myself to God as I boarded the plane. After 8 hours of nerve-wracking flying time, I thanked Him that the trip was un-eventful.

We arrived at Islamabad on the midnight of Saturday, April 5, on board Thai Airways, and I was surprised to see that they now have a lady immigration officer.  During my trip two years ago, they were all men. One lady out of 4 immigration officers is a good development.

The driver of our Pakistan office was already waiting for us outside of the airport and he kindly took us to the guest house where we were booked. The guest house, Capri Executive, is a big 9 bedroom house.

Capri Executive, Islamabad

The next day, Sunday, 5 members of the review team met at our Pakistan office.  Two of us came from the Philippines, and we were overseeing the peer review.  The other one came from our Nepal office, the other from our Vietnam office and the other one was from Vehari, Pakistan. We were to train them on how to do the peer review. 

We had lunch at Centaurus Mall- a very new mall which was also non-existent 2 years ago. I was surprised that there is now abundance of "western", branded clothes being sold at the mall. 

Queue to the mall

It was a long day. Security Officer came to give us a briefing in the afternoon.  One of his reminders was: to make sure we are already inside the guest house after dark or at around 6:20pm.

At 5:30 pm, we went to Jinna Market, which is 15 minute walk from our guest house, to have some of our dollars changed, and have dinner.  Our colleague from Vehari was with us and he was our “guide”. Dinner was good at Kabul Restaurant, where they serve very good barbecue and Afghan food.

Afghan naan bread

After dinner, we saw an old man selling strawberries on the streets.  It was not an extraordinary sight…but what was extra-ordinary was the weighing scale!  It was the oldest old school weighing scale I have ever seen!

The strawberry vendor and his old school weighing scale

It was not until before 7 when we decided to head back to our guest house. We were already defying the security officer’s advice. We walked back to the hotel, and after an hour, we were still walking. We knew then that we were lost! The side streets do not have street lights, and it was very dark. There were men loitering the streets- and there was not a woman to be seen.  And there we were- four foreign looking women and a man, who is not from Islamabad, looking confused and lost. A lady stopped her car - I guess it was obvious that we were lost because she asked where we are going.  She pointed to us the direction.  We walked, got to an intersection, and did not know where to turn again.  It was a good thing a taxi stopped and he knows the guest house.  We took the smallest taxi I have ever seen, even if it is only for 4 people, tops.  Our colleague from Vietnam had to sit on my lap.

After ten minutes, we reached the guest house.  Safe and in one piece.

I. Will.Never.Ever.Again.Go.Out.At.Night.In.Islamabad.

I swear.