A story by EriN&Sami about NewCapeGrace Guest House in Islamabad & their trip

Aug. 3 - 12: Visa break in Islamabad We took the bus from Lahore to Islamabad to avoid the remote risk of kidnapping, as well as the oppressive August heat. The bus was nice and air conditioned, but with the rise of terrorism in the country, security was tight around the bus station. We had to show passports to purchase tickets, went through metal detector wand and frisking to board the bus, and once all passengers were on, a bus employee went around and video taped everyone's faces for security reasons. The bus dropped us off several kilometers from where we intended to stay, and although we had planned on riding into Islamabad, the afternoon heat was seriously draining and we got a truck taxi instead. But the driver didn't seem too familiar with the address of the hotel we gave him, and after driving around apparently aimlessly for a while, we requested he leave us at a street corner and we'd make our own way to the hotel. Rating: Great pics (1) Me getting the guesthouse number off the computer to

call for emergency instructions. It was so hot, my pants are wet with sweat after our taxi ride to this street corner. We called up the hotel to ask for directions from where we were, not actually knowing where we were, and were told by Sammy, the guy at reception, that he would drive out around the neighborhood to find us. He did, and led us slowly back to the hotel - our first experience with what turned out to be impressively accommodating staff at our chosen digs. Rating: (0)

With the father-son team of Karim and Sammy who run New Cape Grace, best value accommodation we've had. Karim, having worked in Texas in management of a large American hotel chain, knew his business. He's trained his staff to American standards, and his attention to detail and competency ranks him as one of the most competent hotel managers we've come across over the last year. His son, Sammy, with an American degree in computer engineering, had the place wired with the best uninterrupted wi-fi we've seen since Bangkok. Journalists comprised the bulk of their guest

roster, most of whom were off for days at a time to Quetta and Swat to report on front line action. When we checked in amidst the journalist hubbub, we felt a little foolish saying we were just here to bicycle, what with all this serious war stuff going on in other parts of the country. Rating: (0) With good AC, cable TV and wi-fi, we found little reason to leave our room during our nine days in Islamabad. First on our to-do list in Islamabad was arrange visas for China, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. We took care of the Chinese one first, and found it a remarkably easy process from Islamabad. We got as many days as we requested (45) and it was done within a day. The Tajik and Kyrgyz visas were similarly easy, each also ready within a day.

Rating: Interesting (1) Islamabad was planned in the 1950s on a grid system, featuring wide, green boulevards. The haze is humidity - the city has little pollution with most of the cars running on compressed natural gas. Most of Pakistan's cars and buses run on compressed natural gas, sporting little "CNG" stickers in their rear windows. Although more environmentally friendly than petrol-driven cars (it still emits CO2 but less, and doesn't release the particulate matter that causes smog in cities), Pakistan relies on CNG more because of abundant domestic supply. All the gas stations were CNG, and after a day of driving between embassies, banks and back to embassies with the same taxi driver, he needed to refuel and the bill came to only a couple dollars. With the government subsidies, CNG is incredibly cheap and one reason why taxi rides in Pakistan are alarmingly cheap (if properly negotiated).

Rating: (0) An enthusiastic CNG station attendant fills up our taxi with natural gas. After a week in Islamabad, we got word from the post office that our package had arrived and we could come by and pick it up. Sam headed straight over, was gone three hours, only to return to me in the guesthouse without a package and in an agitated state. Seemed the customs office in Rawalpindi had tacked our package for duties for nearly $50. Karim, ever helpful in matters of negotiating corrupt Pakistani bureaucracy, said this had happened to a photographer staying at the hotel before, and that guy had gone to Rawalpindi to argue his case. So off we went in a taxi one city over, about a 45 minute ride, to sit through numerous rounds of tea with ever-increasing ranks of postal officials until we finally had the tariff down to about $5. It had taken most of the day and put everyone in sour moods. So back we went to the post office the next day, new payment form in hand, again having to wait out rounds of paperwork to be able to take our box.

Rating: (0) At the Islamabad GPO. No one is happy in this picture, each party waiting out the other in the paperwork game to be able to take our box and go. After the headaches, sweet treats! The box was stuffed with new bicycle parts - we replaced all our tires and sent the old ones home, replaced a brake lever that had been bent, and installed the much needed brake pads. Also in the box were loads of new clothes from Sierra Trading Post, along with our guidebooks to the next few countries, including our book for Pakistan and the Karakorum Highway. Until now, we'd been traveling in Pakistan blindly, without a guidebook, and it was excellent to again feel informed as to where we were and what we should be seeing.

Rating: (0) Box o' goodies! Sam holds a new brake lever, new books, tires

and clothes and shoes visible, most of it from our ever-generous sponsor, Sierra Trading Post. After accomplishing all we needed in Islamabad, we had another couple nights of dinner with friends. Rating: (0) Dinner with Omar at the Serena Hotel in Islamabad. First with Omar, who was in town from Lahore on business, then with Khorram, a friend of Omar's who runs a charitable trust organization for children in the Kaghan valley. We spent a night at his villa outside of Islamabad, having dinner and talking politics until the wee morning hours, also getting to meet the troupe of foreign teachers he has teaching at the school. The

teachers were in Islamabad for a week of curriculum planning, and among them were Ruth and Graham, fellow CGAOBers (with a journal here) who bicycled from China to Pakistan (where Ruth was to start teaching) the long way around, Graham going most of the way while Ruth was already in Pakistan to start the school year. It was so remarkable to meet them at Khorram's house, and as luck would have it, they were heading back to the school that weekend and the school was located in the valley we were planning on heading up. They heartily invited us to stop by on our way north, so we left Islamabad at least knowing we would see some of our new-found friends again soon.

A story by EriN&Sami about NewCapeGrace Guest House in Islamabad & their trip

by KariM Meghji on Sep 11, 2009

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A story by EriN&Sami about NewCapeGrace Guest House in Islamabad & their trip — Document Transcript