The CoolBox (English)

The Coolbox
Probably and hopefully our only trainexperience in Pakistan is one not soon to be forgotten. And this is not just as it is our longest trainjourney of our trip: a mere 30.5 hours we have spend in our two person sleeper CoolBox..

As we bump along through the Indus valley (I would like to say ‘glide along’, but trust me: gliding is something completely else. I consider taking a slee downhill on the outskirts of the Himalaya’s even still ‘gliding’. This is truly a bumpy ride of which we have no comparison. You only wonder what the experience of the former Khyber Rail Pass would be like, as this former railpass which was operatable during the British reign in the early years of the former century, truly was summoned to be old-fashioned and rather bumpy).

After just 15 hours our first train conductor pops up and asks us the usual Pakistani ‘no problem Sir?’ question. Well. What can we say. My limbs have nested themselves behind my longues. My stomach makes double Rietbergers by the minute. And our waterbottles think that they run a bellydance show in Disneyland.

Everything just moves and shakes.

Fortunately, our airconditioning works. We finally have found a good reason to use our minus 8 degrees sleeping bags and on this moment of writing I strongly feel the urge to unpack my Rubytec Magic Heat Pad for Outdoor Activities.. ..man we’re in a coolbox-situation here! Just hope that my mini laptop computer doesn’t see this as an encouragement for its favourite instable behaviour: namely. ‘freezing (down)’..

With the landscape and the towns of Pakistan passing by, you start wondering why this country is sliding down. Rarely, I’ve seen such fertile lands in beautiful domesticated surroundings. It all seems to fit. Rich, green lands with crops embedded in the scenery by wide, wet rivers. When we halted in a place called Multan, I randomly said to Lisanne that this was a large tourist town. And here is the word. ‘Was’.

Pakistan is country were truly everyhing 'was' better than it now 'is. Pakistan is 'was'land, not 'is'land.

Pakistan has a trully rich history of domestication, rich cultures and ancient cities that use to thrive until they miraculously seized existing around 500 BC. No man can give a conclusive answer to why these early farmer settlements in the Indus valley like Moen do Jaro suddenly collapsed. Now, Pakistan seems to be faced with its largest challenge to date. The various tribes that encompass Pakistan like the Sinds, Patan, Punjabis andsoforth are in constant quibeling. What’s more, the Suni’s and Sji’its often roll with each other over streets, fighting for their honour, or death.

This interior pressure is being further affected by the large stream of Afghan refugees, often taking the Taliban in their slipstream. This ignites the fury and fire by the Americans who want to control this region to all end. Clearly right now an impossible sitiuation from which as a traveller and spectator still you can’t grasp the reality from. Not even scratching the surface.

I only know that the Pakistani’s on the street, with liberal hearts and thoughfull minds want peace and care for their families and guests like no other nation we’ve came across thus far. It’s nearly unimaginable to have meet so many interesting and kind people in such brief time. Spending time with their friends and families in their houses. No answer this time. Just a mere observation that this situation is utterly difficult and I have thus no clue to what end this country can be pulled in a status of anarchy. Let’s hope not. Let's hope for a next chapter for Pakistan to call itself 'to be'land; with hope, peace and prosperity.