One Small Voice

CUBA – Oct/Nov 2006

2006-11-17T20:13:00.000Z

I thought Greece was the main holiday of the year for Katy and I, and Berlin was a little addition. But Katy still wanted her BIG holiday of the year and boy did we get it. Wow! Cuba is such a good country to visit. Again, my expectations were exceeded and again we went at a time when there were not many tourists, which was nice. We did so much and it’s hard to summarise into a blog, but here goes.

We started in Havana for a couple of days – a unique city, with no modern commercialism, buildings from colonial times, and American cars from the 1950’s. We visited the Museum of the Revolution; the Havana Rum Factory; The Capitolio; Hotel Nacional with its spectacular Cabaret Parisiene; and several bars and cafes with great Cuban music.

We then moved on to Pinar del Rio in the countryside, where our hotel had fantastic views. We went horse riding and met a local tobacco farmer who rolled a cigar from the leaf for me to smoke and gave us freshly grown bananas to eat. We explored the local caves and botanical gardens, and rested in the evenings with a massage and sipped our cocktails after a swim in the pool.

We then took a short boat ride to the romantic little island of Cayo Levisa. This became our paradise island; just a couple of kilometres wide, with stunning white sands and turquoise sea. With very few people staying on the island we could walk from one end of the island to the other without meeting a person. One day we went snorkelling on the coral reef and the rest of the time we chilled on the beach, explored the wildlife (hermit crabs, fish, and so many different birds), and relaxed in the bar in the evenings. The highlight of the holiday came at the end of our time on the island when I proposed to Katy on the beach and she kindly accepted!

We then returned to Havana for a night before our final destination – Trinidad (that is really a town in Cuba, not the country). This was a quaint little old colonial town on the coast which is now a World Heritage Site. Although we had been upgraded to a wonderful 5 star hotel, we still ventured out to eat and one evening went to a local house where they made us a real ‘5 star’ dinner, with Lobster and all the trimmings – delicious! We explored the little market streets, the museums, and went on a steam train to an old sugar cane plantation. In the evening I enjoyed sitting on the balcony of our hotel, overlooking the local square, chatting with my fiancée about our future together, whilst drinking Cuban rum and smoking a Cuban cigar.

BERLIN - July 2006

2006-07-20T20:11:00.000+01:00

So, Katy decides going to Greece is not enough holiday for one year and we ponder on where to go for a short break to Europe. After much deliberation we agree on Berlin; neither of us had been there. I have to say that I was very pleasantly surprised. Berlin is very cool! Actually, it was quite hot in June.

Katy is getting a reputation for choosing cheap hotels that are very nice and well situated, and she did it again. In the centre of Berlin, in an area surrounded by ‘posh’ shops, we stayed in a little hotel, which looked like it was built in the 1930’s, particularly with the décor of that time. We explored Berlin, including the Brandenburg gate and adjacent room for reflection and prayer; the longest remaining part of the Berlin Wall, with some very cool paintings on it; Checkpoint Charlie and the very impressive museum there; a number of funky little ‘beach’ bars on the river, with sand, sun, and beer; and a very cool free cafe. It really was a free cafe and you just made a donation, but you had to get there early to get food. There are some funky, cheap café/bars in West Berlin if you go to the ‘arty’ areas.

One day we jumped on the train and ventured about 20 miles north of Berlin to one of the original Nazi concentration camps, which was a very moving experience – seeing where prisoners had been tortured, shot, and burnt.

Part of the reason we chose Berlin on that weekend was because Calling All Nations was on at the Olympic Stadium. This was a fantastic event where thousands of Christians from around Europe met together for a day of prayer and worship, with several good bands, like Delirious. There was space for more people in the stadium, but nonetheless, it was a great day – meeting with so many different Christians from many countries, all singing along to the praise of God.

Berlin - highly recommended for a short break.

GREECE - March 2006

2006-04-12T15:38:00.000+01:00

I’m the type of person who prefers holidays to be well planned in advance. So it was a little out of character for me to be so laid back about the idea of having few arrangements made for a trip to Greece with my girlfriend, Katy, before stepping on to the plane. We had booked a hotel in Athens, for the first and last night of our holiday, and the rest was in God’s hands!

Katy had booked a very welcoming little hotel in the centre of the old part of the city, with fantastic views of the Acropolis from our bedroom window. The local tavernas served great food and the whole area had a very pleasant atmosphere in the evenings. Athens doesn’t seem to have a great reputation with people I’ve spoken to, but I thought it was a good city to explore, if you chose your places carefully. We visited most of the ancient sites, which were intriguing and spectacular, including the incredible Acropolis. There are also some good markets, restaurants and museums in the city if you have a good guide book to find them. The biggest downside was that there were some quite unhelpful locals and even those working in tourist areas were pretty grumpy but that didn’t deter us making the most of, and enjoying, Athens. Fortunately, it was not tourist season so outside of Athens we felt like real explorers, although we noticed that not many people spoke English.

We jumped on a bus to Delphi – the centre of the world according to the ancient Greeks! Ancient Delphi sits high up in a mountainous region dominating the hillside with ancient ruins, including an amphitheatre and an ancient sports stadium. The view from up there is magnificent and the fact that there is nothing around but hills made it feel quite surreal. One evening I ate rabbit – yummy!

From Delphi we caught a bus down to the coast and over into Patras – the European Capital of Culture for 2006 apparently. We didn’t agree. As soon as we entered the city we wondered why we were there and thought it was a bit bland with nothing of particular interest, not even in the guidebook. So we spontaneously decided to jump on the next train out of the Patras and stayed in a little village further down the coast at the foot of a mountain. At 5:30am the next morning we took the little train up to the village at the top of the mountain. It was so high it was snowing, which was a contrast to the mild, sunny, spring weather on the coast.

From there we went to Nafplio on the South coast of Greece and this was our favourite place. It was a very quaint old town with narrow streets climbing the hillside, three forts, unique shops, lovely cafes, beautiful harbour walks, and a very relaxed atmosphere. Returning to Athens, we briefly stopped in Argos and Corinth.

A great adventure! It was so good, spontaneously jumping on trains and buses to unknown destinations, not sure if the single bus of the day would actually turn up! It was made even better by the fact that there were hardly any tourists around and the weather was sunny but mild.

SRI LANKA - March 2006

2006-03-26T15:38:00.000+01:00

It was only eight months previously that I had been in Sri Lanka but this time it was for work. I was travelling with a delegation of government officials to Colombo for discussions on immigration. Being an official visit meant that most of the time was spent working.

Walking around in Colombo wearing a suit in the hot summer temperatures is not advisable but I didn’t have much choice. And anyway, it did feel pretty good jumping in a High Commission Land Rover and following the Deputy High Commissioner in her Jaguar as we sped off to negotiations.

Socially, the restaurants we visited were fantastic, including a beach restaurant just up the coast from Colombo (forgotten the name of the restaurant) which served a great fish platter, as we watched the moon shine on the sea. With Katy there it would have been romantic, with civil servants it was simply a beautiful evening.

ESTONIA / FINLAND - February 2006

2006-02-26T20:03:00.000Z

The former Soviet country is probably known for few things, besides being cold! So it would probably be quite a silly idea to go in the middle of winter. Well, that’s exactly what we did. It wasn’t really my idea to go in February. The group of guys I had been working with in Pakistan were having a reunion and for some unknown reason chose Estonia as the venue. Although the capital, Tallinn, is getting a bit of a reputation for being a centre for stag parties, the winter meant there were few signs of this. In fact, there were hardly any tourists around. This is not surprising considering the temperatures were below freezing, but the constant blanket of snow was beautiful, as was the old city, where we were staying.

We were in a lovely little hotel, L’ermitage, that had a modern nordic feel to it. In fact, since the collapse of communism in Estonia in the 1990’s there has been a lot of reconstruction, not just politically, but also in terms of buildings – both residential and commercial. Entering the city felt like entering a Scandinavian capital. However, the little we saw outside Tallinn showed that tradition had remained in the majority of Estonia.

If going to Estonia in winter is odd, then going for a day trip to Finland, in the middle of winter, on a ferry, is crazy! But that’s what we did one day. It’s hard to imagine what minus 30C feels like, but, for the first time in my life, that’s what I experienced as we crossed the channel between Estonia and Finland – our ferry having to break through the sheets of ice en route – an amazing site of pure white as far as the eye could see. Helsinki was our destination and although it was interesting visiting the Cathedral, art gallery, and a tram trip around the city, we didn’t feel inclined to stay there for more than a day.

Back in Talinn, after walking around the picturesque old city and trying all the traditional eateries (I had wild boar for lunch one day), we spent our final evening in a pub with lots of great beer and some hardcore liquor called Vana Tallinn – that’ll put hairs on your chest! In conclusion, a beautiful little city, great views in the snow, lovely grub, and really good to hang out with the guys again and reminisce on the good old days.

From Canterbury to Ypres

2005-11-15T11:26:00.000Z

Only about a month after returning from Pakistan I was off again, to foreign lands! The family (and my girlfriend, Katy) had met up in Canterbury for the weekend to celebrate my Mum’s birthday, where we stayed in wooden lodges in a beautiful countryside setting, a few miles outside of Canterbury.

Following this, my parents, Katy, and I went for a day trip to Belgium, via the channel tunnel and a pleasant drive through the sunny Belgian countryside. Ypres was our destination and it was an intriguing place to visit. This was the site where the front line of the first world war had been and the trenches were still there to mark this historical event. It was quite eery, being able to walk through the trenches. I even found an underground trench that linked up two main sets of trenches and ventured through the pitch black, wet tunnel. To think that men had walked, slept, lived, died, in those trenches was quite an emotional experience.

Carry on up the Khyber!

2005-09-29T14:33:00.000+01:00

Last weekend I went on a great trip to Peshawar and the Khyber pass is north-west Pakistan. It has been said that in Peshawar everyone carries guns and it is not a very safe place for westerners. However, we found Peshawar a great buzzng city, full of life, and some of the nicest people we've met in Pakistan. As we walked through the husstle and busstle of the city centre markets, kids would ask where we were from and if we liked cricket, and the market traders would ask for their photos to be taken (see pic).
Beyond Peshawar the areas towards the Khyber pass and the Afghan border are generally controlled by local tribes and we had to have two armed guards from the Khyber Rifles accompanying us up the Khyber pass. Our guide was the same guy who had shown Michael Palin the Khyber pass and Peshawar in his latest TV series and he was eager to show us the pictures of himself with Mr Palin.
It was really amazing to be travelling up the famous Khyber pass (see pic) with all the history that had left its mark along the way - old forts, lavish houses of bygone drug barons, and the checkpoints and train tracks of the British empire. Finally, we were within minutes of the Afghan border as we stood on a hill overlooking the valley where we could see Afghanistan.
Another memorable weekend.

Pictures courtesy of me!

My trip to India

2005-09-12T19:28:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I returned from a great weekend in India with my friend Simon. We crossed the border between Pakistan and India at Wagah. We were the first people to cross the border into India on Saturday. Hardly anyone uses the border crossing except the odd tourist.

We stayed in a lovely guest house, Mrs Bhandari's, on the outskirts of Amritsar. It was such a serene setting with large peaceful gardens where you could relax with a book and soak up the sun. I'm currently reading a book on Ghandi, which seemed very appropriate for our weekend.

We went into Amritsar, where we visited Jallianwalla Bagh - a commemorative garden where about 2000 Indians were killed or wounded by the British in 1919 during protests relating to India's independence. It was quite an emotional experience seeing the bullet holes in the walls where British soldiers had shot at protesters, and to see the big well, which hundreds of Indians had fatally thrown themselves into in desperation to escape the gunfire.

We also visited the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Sikhism's holiest site, which was spectacular (see pic). As we left the Temple we found ourselves in the middle of a massive parade with bands and floats, and lots of people wanting us to take photos of them - the most memorable being a man with a sword demanding I take his picture. I couldn't really say no!

We also saw the border closing ceremony at Wagah, where Indian and Pakistani soldiers parade up and down, trying to out-march and out-shout each other for about half-an-hour before closing the border gates. This spectacle is attended by thousands of people on both sides and there's a kind of carnival/football match atmosphere, with each side cheering on their soldiers. A great experience.

(Picture taken from wikipedia.com)

Why is 12 September 2005 a good day?

2005-09-12T19:22:00.000+01:00

Well, it's been good for me because it's my birthday today and life is good! Not only did the hotel where I'm staying give me a birthday cake and flowers (never been given flowers for my B'day before!) but I was also treated to dinner this evening by the guys at work.
Furthermore, it's a good day because to round off a good birthday England won the cricket and regained the Ashes - "En-ger-land, En-ger-land, En-ger-land!"

Killings overshadow Pakistan elections

2005-09-04T08:47:00.000+01:00

Would you be surprised if I told you 22 people had been killed in violent clashes during the last UK local elections? I would be. In fact, I think there would be a national uproar and international media coverage. Although this is not actually a fact from UK elections it is the shocking fact of the recent Pakistan local elections, held in August. These were the second round of local elections and were a sad continuation of the violence which marred the first round, where 15 people were killed. This was the second of such elections since Musharraf took power in 1999. The killings took place in a number of districts, although police said that deaths in one district were related to an old tribal rivalry, not the elections. More than 150 people were also injured in incidents of violence across Pakistan. Thousands of soldiers and police were deployed to guard polling stations.
A record 218,000 candidates, including more than 55,000 women, contested the elections, although turnout was varied across the country. The third and final phase of local elections will be held on 29 September. The present system of local government was introduced by Musharraf to encourage grassroots democracy. Some commentators have commended the system, suggesting that it provides the transfer of administrative and financial powers to lower tiers of electoral bodies.
In other developments, Pakistan’s Supreme Court issued a ruling that may prevent students from madrassas (religious schools) holding public office. Local election law sets a minimum education qualification for election candidates, which the Court said unregistered madrassas do not meet. The Court said that unregistered madrassas were not affiliated with recognised educational boards and did not provide a curriculum suitable to prepare students for the mainstream. The ruling has meant that some successful candidates in the August elections could face disqualification. Pakistan began its policy to register all madrassas last week.
On a lighter note, it is almost time for me to return home to the UK. I only have a few weeks left and the time has flown by. I can’t believe I’ve been out here for five months. I’ve had a great time out here but I’m also looking forward to returning home.

My trip to Sri Lanka

2005-08-30T15:40:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I returned from a very pleasant four-day trip to Sri Lanka. I went to see my girlfirend, who is working there for a month with some friends.

We visited Colombo, which has some impressive Hindu and Buddhist temples, including one where they keep an elephant. We made our way down the coast to the southern tip of the country and stayed near a place called Galle. The sandy beaches are beautiful, lined with palm trees, and brilliant for sunsets. It was interesting to see those scenes contrasted with some of the devastation from the Tsunami, but there seemed to be some good progress in rebuilding communities, at least where we were. We briefly visited the old fort at Galle and stood on its high walls overlooking the ocean as the sun set on the horizon.

We also visited a turtle hatchery, where we saw turtles that were only hours old and I held a massive turtle that was many years old. We also visited some of the cultural sites, such as Brief Garden, which used to be the home of Sri Lanka's most renowned architect, and the Martin Wickramasinghe Folk Art Museum, which includes the house of the Sri Lankan author.

The trip was rounded off nicely with a surprise early birthday celebration for me, as my girlfriend gave me a big Birthday cake to share with our hosts. So yet another good trip. The heat and the mozzies were the only bad things. Sri Lankan mozzies are vicious!

(Picture from www.srilankatourism.org of beach we passed on way to Galle. )

My trip to Nepal

2005-08-16T17:52:00.000+01:00

Well, for starters, sorry that it's been so long since my last posting on this blog, but things have been pretty busy, and it doesn't look like it's going to slow down in the next few weeks, but more of that later.

NEPAL! Yesterday I returned from a few days away in Kathmandu and it was fantastic. We stayed in the Tibet Guest House (www.tibetguesthouse.com) which I recommend if you ever visit Kathmandu. The people, the culture, the architecture, and of course the food, all make Kathmandu a colourful, friendly and unique city. Even the weather was good for us. This picture is a view from our hotel at night (actually taken from their website) and the light on top of the hill is the "monkey temple". We visited that temple and, indeed, there were a lot of monkeys and even a few sheep roaming around. The monkeys are very tame but one of them jumped on me, thinking I had food, when it was just a camera film in a bright box. Cheeky monkey!

Kathmandu is full of temples and religious sites and it's hard not to get a bit trigger happy with the camera. Every corner you turn there's a temple or a statue or a shrine or a quaint row of shops. All the little houses and shops are unique and there's a great aroma of josticks as you wander through the little streets. Unlike most capital cities Kathmandu does not really have a city centre or any high-rise buildings and it's surrounded by hills, so it's like a city in a big bowl!

One day we went for a walk in a forest just outside Kathmandu and were warned that there were leeches in the forest but didn't really think much of it until we were deep in the forest and saw a leech clinging to someone's foot. I then discovered one on my leg (even though I had trousers on) and at the end of the walk we checked our footwear and I found two or three more inside my shoes.

The food was great. It makes a fine end to a grand day if you can find a little cafe overlooking one of the Durbar squares with their temples, as the sun sets, and enjoy a traditional meal with an Everest beer, and round it all off with a cup of Nepal Tea.

Kathmandu was one the most unique and one of the best cities I've been to - what great memories. Next week I'm off to Sri Lanka for a few days, so the hard life continues!

“Set your own house in order”

2005-07-23T13:43:00.000+01:00

These were the words of Pakistan’s President, General Musharraf, directed towards Tony Blair, as he spoke during a TV interview this week. President Musharraf voiced his frustrations that Pakistan had been made the focus of criticism following the London bombings, as he continued his nationwide clampdown on terrorists and religious extremists, on a scale unseen in the UK.

President Musharraf also made a televised address to the nation on Thursday (21 July) stating that he condemned the London attacks and emphasised the need for the UK and Pakistan to stand together. However, he reminded the UK that the alleged London bombers may have been of Pakistani parentage but had been born, bred, and educated in the UK, where extreme organisations also operate. Nevertheless, he asked “Pakistan’s principled position to stand together with the international community in the campaign to eliminate terrorism”. On the domestic situation he said that, “the masses and those practicing enlightened moderation” in Pakistan should come together “against those fanning hatred and injecting germs of violence in the society in the name of religion”. He added that, “all madaris [Islamic religious schools] should get themselves registered by December this year”.

Police Raids on Religious Schools

2005-07-23T13:40:00.000+01:00

Pakistani security forces arrested over 300 people across Pakistan on Tuesday (19 July) and Wednesday. Much of the international media has suggested that this was in response to international pressure to crackdown on extremists after the London bombings. This may be true in part, but these raids are as much about Pakistan’s own ongoing policies to rid its nation of sectarianism and religious extremism. The Pakistan government is determined to clampdown on outlawed religious organisations across the country. Many of the arrests were made during raids on Islamic religious schools. Raids have also targeted shops selling “hate material”. Reports today (Sat 23 July) have stated that detainees from 14 banned religious organisations will be tried under Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Act.

In response to these raids there were violent clashes between protesters and police yesterday (Fri 22 July) in Islamabad. It was reported that at least 2000 people took to the streets, waving placards with slogans such as, ‘we are not involved in London Blasts’. Protesters overwhelmed police as they barged through police barricades, pelted stones smashing streetlights, and burnt a police motorbike.

Pakistani intelligence agencies have warned that there could be further backlashes against the government by banned groups following the recent crackdown on religious extremists. Security forces will be on high alert as it is reported that government ministers and buildings could be targeted.

People of Pakistan react to London Bombings

2005-07-21T13:52:00.000+01:00

It was strange to be an English man in Pakistan on July 07, when the London bombings occurred. I was made aware of the tragic incidents only hours after they had happened due to the speed of modern media. I felt quite helpless, as I tried to phone and text friends and family who live and work in London. I was fortunate in being able to contact people quickly and no-one I knew was in the areas where the blasts took place. I have kept an eye on the progress of the investigations and the discovery that the bombers were allegedly of Pakistani origin, and may have been to Pakistan recently. News of the bombings and the following investigations are still on the front covers of newspapers in Pakistan and the reactions have been interesting. Behind the official lines of support to the British government and people, and the increased security by the Capital Police around the Diplomatic Enclave in Islamabad, the public voice of Pakistan has been the loudest. The 'Letters to the Editor' sections of many national newspapers have become dominated by letters reacting to the bombings.

The initial reaction to the news that UK authorities had labelled the bombers as Muslims of Pakistani origin so quickly upset some Pakistanis. One reader, in his letter to the Dawn newspaper today, condemned the attacks and offered his “heartfelt sympathies” to the victims, but reminded the West that, “The total number of terrorist incidents as well as casualties in Pakistan is more than those in the UK or the US”.

Another reader reflected on the bombings in relation to the recent decision by the English Cricket Board not to play in Karachi during their forthcoming tour of Pakistan, due to a lack of security: “We are dismayed at England’s hasty decision to ignore Karachi as a venue for one of the Tests . . . despite the government’s assurance on security matters. London is now far less safe than Karachi. Does it mean that London is unsafe to stage the 2012 Olympics?” Nevertheless, this reader highlighted that “Pakistanis condemn the London bombings and offer condolences to the families of the victims”, and this has been the overwhelming voice of people across Pakistan. Most people have condemned the attacks and have spoken of their sympathies and support for the British people.

In church on Sunday morning one local man came up to me after the service, knowing that I’m from the UK, and offered his condolences for what had happened. As I left church a Police Sergeant guarding the church introduced himself and also said he was saddened by the bombings. “I am a Muslim and you are a Christian, but we both smile and we are equals”. And we did smile together as I told him how impressed I was by his beard – far more impressive than mine!

A View From The Himalayas

2005-07-20T10:28:00.000+01:00

OK, well setting up this blog and adding my first posting seemed pretty simple, considering I'm no techno-wizard! So, I think I'm going to attempt adding a photo (steady on!). So here goes. This is a picture of Lake Saiful Mulk near a small town called Naran in the southern Himalayas of Pakistan. It was taken by a friend a few weeks ago when we went hiking up there. Well, actually, we got a jeep half way up and walked the rest. The views were spectacular. The lake is approximately 3200 metres above see level surrounded by glaciers and mountains that reach nearly 5000 metres.

The ice on this lake melted and broke the day before this picture was taken, flooding the road leading down to Naran. The night we arrived in Naran we couldn't get to our hotel because the river had broken the man-made barriers and part of the road had crumbled away. Even during our hike, we noticed on the way back from the lake that there had been rock falls, blocking the mountian path. For someone not keen on heights, this really did test my ability to face my fears - climbing over fallen rocks overlooking the edge of the mountain.

The last few weeks have seen some devastating floods here in Pakistan and one of the newspaper headlines read: "320,000 displaced by floods, nine more people die. 660 villages evacuated." You may not here about this in the international news headlines, but it makes me think about how many devastating facts go undetected or unreported by the international media.

Churches threatened by suicide attacks in Pakistan

2005-07-20T07:11:00.000+01:00

On Monday 11 July, only days after the London bombings, newspapers in Pakistan reported that banned Jihad organisations were allegedly preparing operations in protest against the Pakistan government for its pro-US stance and for clamping down on Jihad groups in Pakistan. Newspapers reported how intelligence reports had revealed that a number of government ministers were being targeted, as well as various foreign diplomats, and a number of churches.

Reports said that Jihad organisations had selected churches across Pakistan, but five churches were specifically named in the capital, Islamabad, and the neighbouring town of Rawalpindi.

The reports added that Jihad groups were being formed and equipped with automatic weapons and explosives in preparation for attacks. Sources revealed that such operations could be in the form of car bombings or suicide attacks, and were aimed at putting pressure on the Pakistan government into reconsidering its policies on Jihad organisations and its co-operation with the US and other western governments.

As the Pakistan government continues its co-operation with the British government on the suspected links of the London bombers with Pakistan, no link has been made with the 07 July bombings and these latest threats.

170 people die in Pakistan train crash

2005-07-16T11:11:00.000+01:00

On Wednesday 13 July the tragic news that at least 170 people had died and hundreds had been injured in a triple train crash shocked Pakistan.

The incident occurred in Ghotki, southern Pakistan, and was said to be one of the worst disasters in the history of Pakistan Railways. Newspapers reported that the accident happened when the Quetta-Express developed a fault and stopped at a station. The Karachi-Express, which was following on the same track, rammed into the stationary Quetta-Express from behind. The impact derailed some of Quetta-Express carriages on to another track where a third train was travelling in the opposite direction and crashed into the wreckage.

“Villagers were the first at the scene, bringing food, tea, water and cold drinks for the victims, followed by soldiers and rescue workers who scrambled over the carnage, looking for survivors”, reported The Nation newspaper on Thursday 14 July. As people frantically searched for loved ones and cried at the loss of family members, the scenes at hospitals became chaotic, as the overwhelming number of people meant some had to be treated on hospital lawns.

President Musharraf has announced compensation packages for the families of those who have died and for the injured, according to the Daily Times on Friday 15 July. A control centre has been set up at the scene of the crash to co-ordinate the continuing relief operation, which includes assistance from the Pakistan Army and Navy medical teams.

Welcome - the blog has begun!

2005-07-10T10:08:00.000+01:00

WELCOME to the first posting for my new blog. I am completely new to all of this, so please forgive any mistakes I make in getting used to it all. Over the coming weeks, months, etc., I hope to keep this blog updated with what I am doing and provide some views on current affairs. Actually, I don't really have a masterplan here, so it could go anywhere! Your comments are welcome. Enjoy.