The Smell of this Place

Something I meant to include in my last post, but forgot, was the smell of this city.  When I first traveled to Korea the entire country reeked of Kimchee.  The Philippines, at least Subic Bay, smelled of tropical humidity and raw sewage.  The main sewage outlet from Olongapo was “Shit River”.  I think the river’s true name is the Olongapo River and perhaps they use that name now but for decades the sailors only knew it as Shit River.  Even my father called it that and he last visited was the mid 50’s.  So what is my primary olfactory sensation from Islamabad?  It is the pungent odor of wild marijuana.  Every day I notice more of it, it grows everywhere; on the diplomatic enclave, across from the US Embassy, across the street from one of our General’s houses, in the parks, in the shopping area planters, on Pakistan’s military bases.  The smell is not overpowering and I imagine most American’s don’t even recognize it, but I do.  I find it amazingly surreal to be in a capitol that has that distinct, pungent, smell ever present.