days 3 and 4

I continue to be "wowed" by the sites and overwhelmed with the kindness and generosity of the Pakistan people. Tuesday we spent most of the day with the Colonel and his family. First we met him and his wife at their house in Rawalpindi. The driving alone in 'Pindi capitivates me. For example, the public transport.
And the side panel of a Pakistani 18-wheeler.
Soooo much to look at. Not only do I at times feel like a zoo animal on exhibit but also I find myself staring back---a mutual gawkers' society I call it. The Colonel and his wife were lovely hosts. For those who do not remember, our friend Father Laurence in Brussels put us in touch with Colonel Azam. They know each other from way back, when the Father was here in Pakistan running Jesuit schools. We know Father Laurence because of a mutual affection for the Westmalle Tripel, one of Belgium's finest Trappist beers. Funny how the world works sometimes.... The Colonel's wife prepared sandwiches and cakes for us---this was before we were going to lunch by the way---and we spent a couple hours discussing politics, the media, and ultimately the commonality we all share. We gave them a handpainted plate from the village as gratitude, particularly for the Colonel's help in securing my visa; I was given a beautiful beaded shawl in return. THIS is Pakistan. We then met their daughter and her two children, ages 6 and 2. Adorable and again completely fascinated and curious of Big Jim and me. Lots of big-eyed stares. We ate (again) at a restaurant near the military compound---chicken jalfrezi and daal (spicy lentils) and mounds of hot naan. Much of the conversation was about our life in the village and religion in general. I was educated in the many sects of Islam (it is not nearly as simple as just Shia and Sunni), and they were amazed to find out how many types of Prostestant religions there are in Christianity. Five hours later, we left to return to Islamabad. I was exhausted from all the talking, but not too tired to stop at one of the markets. :-) There I picked up three beautiful silk and cotton, beaded shalwar kameez sets, so I now have gone completely native (and I must have made good choices because today I have had three Pakistanis compliment me on my outfit). Nasir was formerly a tailor, so he looked over everything first to check the quality and also helped to negotiate an even better price. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of a good driver here. And Nasir is fantastic. We then had a little wander about the rest of the market. If the thousands of choices already available don't catch your fancy, the fabrics can be dyed to your liking right on the spot.
The man in the velvety-type painting is Jinna, the father of Pakistan and whose portrait is found on all hard currency here. The market is also filled with all sorts of delicious smells...roasting chicken, vats of curry and chai tea, and cakes.
Here the pans are filled with boiling milk. The cakes, which are piled up next to the boy, are then put in the milk to soften them. Too sweet for my liking but not of course for Big Jim. :-) This morning we went to the Pakistan Tourist Bureau. The Colonel spoke with them yesterday and asked them to arrange the rest of our travel plans. At their urging/insistence, we have decided to skip our trip to Lahore and instead spend the next couple of days in Naran. Naran is a 7-hour drive from Islambad, in the mountains with a large lake and riverfront cabins, one of which has been reserved for us. We have also been booked into hotels for next week: first and fourth night in Besham and second and third nights in Gilgit, from where we will travel to Hunza and, we hope, to the border with China. While we waited, again we were brought tea, and when the general manager found out friends of the Colonel were there, we were invited to meet him as well. It turns out they are old military buddies. If you haven't gathered, the military plays an important role here, and most all of the better jobs are filled by ex-military and their relations. The general manager was also incredibly friendly if not a little eccentric. He shares his office with his three pet pigeons (because his wife doesn't like them flying about their house all day), one of which made my shoulder his home for much of our hour-long stay. More tea, more bisquits, more chatting. One can simply not pop into any shop or make any appointment without expecting it to take at least an hour. So two hours later, we went to the Maharaja for more shopping. I was going to put the link to their web site here, but I tried it first and it doesn't exist. Not surprising really...even the GM of the tourist bureau admitted Pakistan is still way behind the times Internet-wise. Here are a couple shots of inside the Maharaja shop, though, to give you some idea of the countless buying opportunities.

Seriously, how is one to chose from the thousands of silk, cashmere, and fine cotton rugs, bed covers, shawls, table coverings, sweaters. It is just way too much of a visual assault. The men pull out one after another, and finally there is nothing to do but scream "uncle"! In the end, we managed to fill an entire giant green duffle bag, much of which we are having shipped back to Spain. Some of the things are for ourselves, but we also managed to finish much of our Christmas shopping as well. As the pile of purchases grew, I could not help but feel uncomfortable of spending so freely in front of Nasir. We spent a little more than a day's wages for us but a year's salary for an average Pakistani. I was assured this is okay, that he understands this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us, that HE is grateful for all that we have done for him. But still....The division between rich and poor here is vast and absolute. Connections are everything, and if you are a nonmilitary Christian like Nasir, you are just thankful to have any work at all. Cruel and unfair to me, but this too is Pakistan. Tonight we are off to our traditional dinner with Moeiz's family. Ramadan (which is called Ramazan here) was to have begun yesterday, but because no moon was spotted Tuesday evening, it will begin tomorrow. Therefore, tonight's meal will be all the more special. Hasta pronto, mylifeinspain