Margala Hills and… the Pakistani Weight Loss Program

There are no true certainties in Pakistan.  I’ve been here just 3 weeks but that much is apparent already.  One near certainty, if you have allergies Islamabad will remind you of it.  I found this truth right out the gate, day 7.  Went for a hike in the Margala Hills.  These look similar to the Santa Monica Mountains of LA… only different, different dirt, different plants, same general shape and height though.  Seven of us hiked, a mix of State Dept. and Military.  We went up trail 3 and back on 5, about 5 or 6 miles total.  At the top of the hike are a pair of restaurants where we hoped to buy some frozen yogurt.  Alas, the yogurt place opens at 10 and we were there at 10:05… so no luck.  Oh, I suppose I should explain that in Pakistan, just because a business opens at a specific time does not mean you can shop at that time.  10 was simply the time the workers arrived.  The yogurt would take a half hour or more before they could sell any.  So, back down we went.  It was a nice day, a good hike amongst the scattered goats and cattle. Seemed an odd place to forage cattle and goats but then who am I to judge?  This is the same area I hope to do some rock climbing in.  Apparently some of the Brits have bolted a number of sport routes in the hills.  Good news for me and once my rock shoes, harness and helmet arrive. 

The haze the day we hiked was also reminiscent of the LA basin.  Well, OK, the LA Basin of the mid-70’s.  Visibility was only a few miles.  Apparently this wasn’t smog so much as dirt, moisture and pollen.  At the end of the day I developed a sore throat that lasted for days.  No stuffy nose, just an inflamed airway.  Not too pleasant.  So I began getting back into my Tai Chi practice, half an hour daily first thing in the morning.  That quickly helped.  We shall see how it works over the course of the next year.       

Another near certainty in Pakistan is that, as a visitor, you will experience the unique Pakistani diet regime.  Or, as the professional medical types refer to it, an intestinal issue.  Be it traveler’s diarrhea, tape worms or whatever.  (Gee, I guess this post is going downhill faster than usual).  It’s now been a week since I properly digested anything.  Great weight loss tool I must say!  So anyway the usual treatment of antibiotics didn’t touch it.  I need to head back to the clinic when they open Monday and see what my next option is.  In the mean time I am beginning to think differently about food.  I do like the local Pakistani fare but at the moment nothing sounds remotely appetizing.  This must be the adventure part the Navy used to advertise!