They were on their way to Khuzdar from Karachi, following the old camel trail, when they came across a wizened old local. He was surprised to come upon this caravan of jeeps on this little used dirt track and asked them where they were headed. To Khuzdar, they said. The old man stared at them in stunned disbelief- “sahib, aap ko malum nahin key Khuzdar tak to eik bohut achhi sarak jati hai.” But given the choice, the members of Karachi’s Offroaders Club would rather choose a dirt track than a tarred road.
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Pass the lab coat
bq.. New passenger-car diesel engines from the Ford-Peugeot Citroen alliance will require workers to be trained to work in a sterile environment. The common-rail diesel design, requiring all cylinders to be injected with fuel at the same pressure, needs a dirt-free environment to ensure there is no blockages in the fuel lines.
*”With the old tractor-type diesel engines it didn’t matter too much about a bit of dirt, but these new engines have much less tolerance of any dirt particles, especially in fuel lines and the fuel head,”* a Ford U.K. spokesman says.
Such attention to detail will require workers in high-tech environments to labor under sterile conditions and powerful lighting. They will be required to wear white coats and protective footwear.
>> ‘Pass me the lab coat; I have diesel engines to build’:http://wardsauto.com/ar/auto_uk_hone_ford/index.htm
Whatever will local mechanics do? Especially when the majority of workshops in this country look like ‘this’:http://offroadpakistan.com/pictures/neza_e_sultan/workshop_at_mashkell.html? Common rail diesels are now becoming common in all the new diesel cars and suvs. A 28,000 psi encounter with a bit of dirt is not going to be pretty…
The 1945 Mekran Earthquake
In 1945 when there was an earthquake off the Mekran coast which resulted in thousands of deaths from the subsequent tidal waves, or tsusami as they would now be called. There were reports from aircraft flying in from the west of volcanic eruptions in Las Bela province, Baluchistan. I didn’t believe the volcanic eruption story as the geology wasn’t right so I and friend Peter Wolf took leave and went on a private expedition to see what had happened.
Unveiling Baluchistans Past
Wednesday March 9 6pm at the Goethe Institue.
A lecture by Ute Frank-Vogt on “Unveiling Baluchistan’s Past”
Results of the recent work of the German-Pakistan archaeological mission to Kalat.
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The Red Car – First Pakistani Car
The very first car built & registered in Pakistan.
Jeep Gladiator
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Jeep Hurricane Concept
Day Trips from Karachi
Just outside Karachi in any direction is some marvelous sightseeing country. Most people living in Karachi do not wander far from the city, at most to the beach and back. Those who do travel, go further away to other cities, or all the way north to the mountains. Like just about any large city, the surrounding areas of Karachi have a lot to offer.
Jeep rebuilders
There was a time when Jeeps were only owned and maintained by the either the Landlords for a visit to the lands or shikari’s (hunters) or contractors engaged in construction/mining in remote areas. With the introduction of Pajeros and Land Cruisers a more comfortable approach to the wilderness was available to the not so outdoors kind. Pakistan Army, the single largest possessor of Jeeps gradually phased out the American Legend and replaced its fleet with Toyotas, the auctioned Jeeps found their way in the driveways of enthusiasts, sparkling and shining rebuilt by a few master professionals.
Karachi to Quetta
“
/> Wherin the author writes about a road trip from Karachi to Quetta, and then on to Ziarat to see the snow, and lastly the famed Bolan Pass. Covered a grand total of 2000 kilometers and seven film rolls in 4 days.
Day 35: Sukkur to Karachi
Sukkur, Khairpur, Kot Diji, Kandiaro, Moro, Hala, Hyderabad, and Karachi.
28th July 2000
Day 34: Multan to Sukkur
27th July 2000
Day 33: Lahore to Multan
Lahore, Pattoki, Okara, Sahiwal, Mian Chunu, Khanewal, Multan.
Odometer: 131095, 26th July 2000
Day 32: Lahore
25th July 2000
Day 31: Sialkot to Lahore
Day 30: Islamabad to Sialkot
Islamabad, Riwat, Mendra, Gujar Khan, Mangla reservoir (on the Jhelum River), Dina, Rohtas Fort (a fine castle, built by Sher shah Suri in 1543), Jhelum (military town, has a 19th century Gothic Church), Sarei Alamgir, Kharian, Lala Musa, Gujrat, Wazirabad, Sodhra, Sambrial, Sialkot.
23rd July 2000
Day 29: Islamabad
22 July 2000
Travelogue:
It would be a lazy day today as we would all rest and recuperate from the tiring drives that we had endured. The boys woke up late in the morning and ordered breakfast from the guesthouse, bread with butter and jam. We had breakfast in the room. The washing arrived in bundles that had been sent to the dhobi the day before, Amjad’s wife had kindly arranged the “dhobi” for us. The excess baggage such as the tent and warm clothes, fishing rods etc, which were not needed for the rest of the trip were packed in neat cardboard boxes and Hamid had his office boys deliver the boxes to the TCS who would ship it to Karachi. This would lighten the load on the vehicle. I sent two boxes of fishing and camping equipment by TCS to Karachi.
We drove to the shopping centers in the late afternoon and bought pearls as presents for the folks at home. Anika wanted to go to the “Hot shots” shopping mall in the evening. The shops cater for the kids with good quality fashion wear such as jeans and T-shirts, they also sell nick knacks for the kids and Anika enjoyed the shops.
That night’s food was at Pappasalies restaurant the delicacy of Islamabad. The vehicle was packed before I went to bed that night so that I would not need to do much in the morning. We would be driving to Sialkot tomorrow to visit Taimur’s relatives and to see the Hilbro surgical factory. The drive on the Motorway would be quite different from the long grueling drives in the mountains.
Day 28: Islamabad
21 July 2000
Travelogue:
I had already planned that I would have the 4×4 serviced early in the morning as it was in real need of having the gunk of the past few weeks washed off and the joints greased. The Caltex pump next to the rest house had already been informed that a few would be coming in the morning and that they should not over book for that day. I was the first to drive in, the service boys were ready and waiting. It took them a good two hours to wash the gunk off the vehicle. I polished the interior and the engine, all of us are rather finicky when it comes to our vehicles and this constructive competition is very healthy for their up keep as they are maintained at their best. Taimur was next to arrive, then Imad, Khalid and Abid came in last. Hamid walked in late. The vehicles were serviced by three-o clock in the afternoon and looked clean and fresh. The women wanted to go shopping in the afternoon. Our first stop was the Jinnah super and the next Super market both the shopping centers have antique shops, which the women love. Taimur and Sheheryar sat on the footpath as they watched a football match being played by the locals in the park, while sipping hot coffee from the bakery. It was a lot of fun as we cheered the goals. Dinner was planned for the evening and we drove up to the local barbecue restaurant, the weather suddenly changed as we parked our vehicles. The musty smell of rain was in the air yet there were no cloud visible. We ordered our food and were enjoying the barbecued chicken and parathas, just as we finished the heavens broke loose and it poured down with thunder. There was a commotion in the restaurant and everyone ran for cover. Most of the barbecue restaurants serve food out in the garden and with unpredictable weather like this the party is disrupted. While driving back to the rest house the rain stopped. For us Karachiets rain was a pleasant change.
Day 27: Besham to Islamabad
Beesham, Shiwi, Thakot, Batagram, Mansera, Abbotabad, Nathia gali, Muree, Islamabad.
20th July 2000
Travelogue:
In our late night discussion it was decided that we would drive up to Nathia Gali and then on to Islamabad which is our destination for today. The 4×4’s were all ready and packed by ten in the morning. It was bright and sunny, and our first stop was the petrol pump past the PTDC turning on the KKH. By the time we were on the road heading towards Thakot it was eleven in the morning. The road from Besham on the way back travels on the right of the river and just before Thakot it crosses over to the left by the large suspension bridge. The terrain is flat valley as you leave Besham and there are few bends on the road so one can drive quite fast. The road then climbs up and the hairpin bends and sharp corners start to appear again, the terrain also changes, and the green Himalayan fauna is a pleasant change. The famous monument marking the distances between the cities both of Pakistan and China is also situated here. The road past Thakot is through a landslide area, we have been very lucky so far as we have had no landslides this trip. Last time we drove through this place a diesel tanker had been trapped in the rubble of the slide and we had to drive over it to get to the other side. There had been a traffic jam on both sides of the landslide for miles.
The terrain changes as you leave the Besham area from the barren Karakorams to the green Himalayas the two mountain ranges gradually blend with each other to change the scenery from rugged rocks to green vegetation. The smell of pine trees suddenly appears and is very refreshing. We stopped before Mansera for tea at a local restaurant and to let Hamid catch up with us. The boys ordered chicken karahi. The food was unexpectedly good and served quickly. The boys are very fond of chicken karahi and they polished it off in no time.
While driving through one of the many small towns on the KKH, Taimur had a little mishap on the road. He was honking as he drove through the bazaar when suddenly out of nowhere a girl ran onto the road and hit the side of the jeep, she fell besides the vehicle dazed on the road. He thought of the worst, luckily she escaped any injury but was in a state of shock. One of the shopkeepers had seen what had happened, he advised Taimur to drive away, as he was worried that the locals would cause trouble by making it into a big incident and demand money. Hamid had a similar experience, with an old fellow who kept on crossing the road even though he knew that a vehicle was approaching and would hit him if it did not brake, that did not deter the old local who was obviously unaware of his surroundings. It is dangerous driving through these small towns, as on many an occasion people just walk onto the roads. One is constantly on the lookout that any moment anyone may jump across in front of the vehicle with disastrous consequences. I honk continuously while driving through these terror towns.
We reached Mansera at three in the afternoon. The drive from Mansera to Abottabad is very picturesque along some exquisite pine forests. The road is also in very good condition and the distances don’t seem much. We reached Abottabad at about three forty and waited again for Hamid to catch up. He drives at a leisurely pace and is constantly lagging behind.
Abbottabad to Nathia Gali is a drive worth the detour. The road to Nathia Gali turns left from the main road before the overhead bridge and carries along the cantonment area till it starts to climb towards the Nathia Gali hill resort. The road has been recently opened for traffic and is a duel carriage all the way, with center islands and side railings. These modern safety measures seem odd after having driven through some of the most treacherous terrain’s and road conditions this country has to offer. These modern safety measures are the need of the day with increasing number of fast cars however I prefer to drive on the old tracks at a slow leisurely pace anytime. I remember driving on the same road in 1993 when it was a broken single road and oncoming traffic could barely squeeze past. The same road is now transformed into a duel carriage and the surface is so good that you hardly feel a bump as one takes the sharp bends all the way up to Nathia Gali. The climb is a 4×4 low range effort and the vehicle with the entire load takes it in second gear. The weather began to change as we climbed the mountain and it was overcast and drizzling, the mist engulfed the area as we approached the hill resort. The clouds come in through the windows as they are at level with the vehicle and the road, it is an enthralling experience.
The drive to the Greens hotel is along a narrow lane, which climbs at quite a steep gradient, the hotel is situated at the end of the road, and in fact the road ends in the car park. We reached the hotel at five thirty in the evening, the temperature outside is twenty degrees and very pleasant. There is this strange wet feeling in the air with the moisture of the clouds in the atmosphere. The water rich clouds form a mist around us. We sat on the terrace outside and ordered tea and sandwiches. The view of the tall trees and the clouds as they mingle with each other in front of us, was quite an experience.
We started our drive down towards Islamabad as the sun was setting. The view of the sunset up in the mountains is breathtaking as the dark silhouette of the hills and the trees blend with the orange hue of the horizon. I had to take stills of this moment and the results were beautiful. The drive on to Murree is dangerous, as it was now dark and the road was slippery because of being wet with the rain. I breathed a sigh of relief as the lights of Murree came into view, the road improves after Murree with traffic and lights on the road improving the visibility.
We reached the Islamabad guest house by nine thirty that night, with the mileage at 1330324 and the temperature thirty degrees. We have been on the road almost 4500 km so far.