Monday afternoon in Islamabad

Hey all,

I am sitting in front a computer running DSL, anticipating a hot shower in a couple of hours, and plan to sleep in a warm bed. Ah, luxury.
I came into Is-bad this afternoon to meet the next group of men coming. One group came from Lithuania this afternoon and another group comes from Philly tomorrow morning at 6am.

When I left Bugna, our group was just about to drag the second of four shelters into a new location. Most of today will be spent improvingthe main compound so it is usable as a hopsital/pharmacy. Within Islamic culture there is greater sensitivity regarding men and women interacting so it is necessary to create some separation so the women will feel comfortable comingto the hospital.

I expect that a number of our men will also get out into the villages today and start to asses the needs there. This has taken a little longer than we had hoped due to some political concerns. The HDF board is showing up over the next week so it is important that we be visible and thatthe site be in excellent condition. I understand these concerns but I don't want them to outweigh the other needs here also.

Still recovering from seeing Muzzarafabad yesterday. I have never seen such death and destruction and pray I never will again. Entire buildings, schools, hospitals, hotels, simply gone, with thousands forever trapped inside. During our time there we saw one site where larger construction vehicles (Ezra would have loved it) were working. And this was run by Americans. There simply isn't the capacity nor the space for such vehicles to work. Too many of the houses are not accessible by anything other than foot. So we drive by people working at the stone with hammers, and if they are lucky, pickaxes. There is an entire cottage industry being created by people willing to spend their days salvaging rebar and other building materials.

Looking down over the river one sees families collecting sand and gravel for cement. Carried up by hand, by donkey, or very rarely, tractor, these materials are mixed right by the side of the road because there is no other place to work. Driving in this country is a whole other experience, dodging landslide debris, building materials. beggars, and any number of different vehicles.

Coming down from Bugna today it took close to a half hour to getto the bottom of the first mountain. This trip, averaging 30kms/hr, consists of hairpin turns every 20 seconds, mostly 1.5 lanes, avoiding donkeys, people, and agressive bus drivers who stop for no one and then stop suddenly for a passenger, oh, and one 50m straightaway.

The rest of the trip is much calmer, with hairpins less than every two minutes and wonderful opportunities to look at the road you are suppose to be on lying 100m below in pieces. And that section wasn't because of the earthquake, simply the general landslides that happen periodically.

This is a hard country, with little natural resources that we have been able to discover. Fiercely independent, and proud of the differences between them and India, Pakistanis, and especially Kashmiris, seem to be able to make a life out of nothing. We are making fast friends with a number of boys, and then slowly their fathers. We will miss these people when we leave, most definitely.

A note on their hospitality. Earlier, I risked by declining an offer of tea from the HDF CEO. He was a little surprised but recovered well. Since then I have been asked four times, every time by someone different, if I need anything, especially tea. Each time I have assured them i am fine. Moments ago a man simply brought me a cup of tea, asking no questions. One can work alone in an office on the computer for a few hours, but one cannot go with out tea!

For those that know me, I am not a big tea drinker. Thankfully this stuff is black tea made with mix of water and milk, with plenty of sugar. Mostly palatable.

Well, i should sign off.

take care, and I thank you for the amazing support.

Jon UB