My journal records that I spent my first night ever on a charpoi bed and that I didn't sleep well since these beds don't have a matress. There was also a security light outside making the room less dark than I'm used to. I kept on waking up and checking the time so my night was a disturbed one. When it was time to get up the sky was once more filled with black clouds and thunder. I found it hard to marry up being in Pakistan with such dark, thunderous clouds. Mobashir and Imran came to ask what I would like for breakfast to which it seems I replied, omelette.
I had a bad case of the runs and my stomach felt rough that day. I hoped I would be able to function without being ill. The rain eventually did stop but my stomach still felt queasy. One of the boys had gone off to get some yogurt because my Pakistan book said that it was generally a good,safe thing to eat. My journal notes how hospitable everyone had been so far and I was grateful to be away from Rawalpindi where I'd felt unsafe out on my own.
That afternoon we ventured out of the compound to look at the colony and take some pictures. I wanted close ups of the painted buses and lorries on the GT Road. We visited a very small, local mosque which was however, richly decorated. I have a photo which I took of a carpenter at work nearby too. I was very interested to walk by the railway line and cross over the tracks for a picture of the grazing sheep and the residence from a distance.
My journal tells me that at 5.00pm we went on a trip to Jhelum where there was a beautiful masjid in Mughal style. Strangely, I have absolutely no recollection of this and no photos either. However, I do have photos showing one of the biggest heaps of stinking rubbish I have ever seen. Since it was the monsoon season everything was flooded out and Jhelum, by the river looked incredibly insanitary.
Jhelum Bridge and GT Road view
I noticed people sitting squat on the rubbish tips rooting out tin cans and such like in order to eek out a living. There were huge crows circling up above awaiting any carrion which might appear. Everything seemed to be decaying and falling apart in Jhelum, at least by the river and at the side of the GT Road. I noted that, for some reason, there appeared to be more women out on the street than I had seen previously. Perhaps it was due to the time of day or activity in the bazaar?
Jhelum needs a facelift.
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