Is that a Wexford hat??
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Worse, rubby.
Heavy army presence today. Machine guns on the hotel lobby, and this after youâve to pass through two lots of security gates with mirrors under the car etc.
Loads of armed army patrolling everywhere. One of the army lads said they were expecting election protests. The recent Dublin boys wouldnât have got up to much thatâs for sure.
Feels completely safe but still have my man saldaf (sp?) with us 24/7
I absolutely love it here. Itâs a brilliant place.
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Is your ring like a Japanese flag yet or are ya living out of the McDonalds?
Is Saldaf the lad with the tache and the submachine gun?
Whereabouts in Pakistan are you? Looks much greener than I imagined.
Islamabad. Was a drought for a few weeks, then two days rain greened it. Itâs snowed in a half hour north. Itâs absolutely beautiful weather today. Itâs the best place Iâve ever been so far I think. Youâd absolutely love it once youâve a local contact.
I was asked all about Aran jumpers today by a Major General in the army. I promised Iâd send him one. He was showing me photos of his family farm, which was quite literally as far as the eye could see in every direction, an hour north of here.
Islamabad is cool. As a local said to me today, âonce you get used to living in Islamabad, you could never live anywhere elseâ.
The most hospitable people youâd ever meet, but Iâd imagine youâd want to stay the right side of them.
Hoping to come back next year, but bring herself. The Brigadier lad has promised me heâll sort out guides and an itinerary to head up North into Kashmir where the three tallest mountain ranges in the world converge.
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Whatâs the grub like?
Wouldnât it have a bit of everything, climate-wise? Deserts, high mountains, tropics, the works?
(Iâve never been there)
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Swap an Aran sweater for a Kashmir one
Honest question @flattythehurdler are you not shitting yourself?
I mean youâve an armed guard for a reason
Itâs copious. Iâm worried about the button on my pants. Itâs actually really nice, but they feed you everywhere you stop. Itâs middle Eastern with Chinese influence.
Itâs like Ireland really, a region which has suffered invasion after invasion. It feels like youâre at the crossroads of the world.
Iâm not at all. It feels absolutely safe. Went out for a run one morning and was going to run into the hills, but stayed in the park only because it seemed rude to head off on your own after theyve gone to such trouble. Was met off the plane and the army lads just took us straight through the diplomatic passport channel even.
Iâd honestly say they are really similar to us. They love family and friends and like sticking together.
None of them would ever leave if they got a fair shake.
I was sat beside the brigadier at dinner last night in the hotel that got blown up a few years back. Theyâve basically now built an outer perimeter hotel. It got blown up powerfully enough to blow out the fish tanks in the lobby even though the lorry got stopped by the gate security a distance out.
He knew all about Aran jumpers funnily enough, and was delighted when I offered to post him one when I get home.
They blame the yanks for everything. Itâs mighty.
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When you bring it back to basics, we can all relate to the same things
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Flat out bad immigration etiquette there
While youâre there, why do Business Class passengers get to bypass the x-ray machine for US preclearance in Dublin? Are they seen as posing less of a risk or something?
No idea. Didnât know that was a thing
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Weâll be lobbying the deptartment of foreign affairs to get Flatty back before the weekend is over. Flatty sending home a video saying the Mujahideen are treating him very well
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