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Dispatch: First Day of Solace Islamabad/Rawalpindi, Pakistan - Wednesday, May 24, 2000
Midnight in Rawalpindi. I am sitting on the roof of the Shalimar Hotel, alone, writing postcards and enjoying the moment of relative peace and privacy. The chaotic noises of the city have subsided, and there is a bat flying around trying to catch bugs that are illuminated in the beam of my headlamp. At our meeting last night, the team decided that it is important to adhere to the planned itinerary as closely as possible, and that the exodus from Islamabad should happen today. I have decided to stay behind, to try to retrieve the sat phone. And so 16 left this morning, in a whirlwind of last-minute activity. About five of the members boarding the bus were sick with various degrees of gastro-intestinal discomfort, so Jen and Ginger set up an infirmary in the back of the bus, with plenty of plastic bags and two doctors (Fred and Ivan) on board. Greg Ritchie, one of the National Geographic TV cameramen, has stayed behind with me to film the sat phone saga. We are planning to leave at about 9:00 tomorrow morning for the airport, where we will hopefully bail the phone out of customs. With any luck, we should have the loot by noon, hit the road right after lunch, and be able to catch up with the team on Friday by driving 24 hours nonstop. In an odd way, this delay has been a blessing in disguise. Although I am missing time to bond with the team, it is also the first day of solace I have had in weeks. — Heidi Howkins, MountainZone.com Correspondent |
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