Nightmare in Lahore!

Hello friendz, families and all the other curious guys around the www!

As i wrote last time we were going to visit amazing Lahore. But!
Maybe it wasn´t the best decision to drive to a six million people city while at the same time cancelled chief justice was on the same way! The guy who was fired by President Musharraf because of whatever...came to a city full of frenetic fans who wanted to show that justice is still blind and should stay over everything. Well, at least on that weekend problably x thousands of people were on the streets fighting for the right of law and order. Besides it had around 45 degrees and our driver, (who told us he knows Lahore well), wasn´t really aware about that situation. However, it was an exciting weekend until Saturdays evening time when we tried to escape from the city centre and...normal way from centre to our guesthouse is about good one hour...that time it took us 4 hours!!! It was a state of emergency in the city. Half of the streets were closed because of demonstrators and we were right in the middle! We were pretty much happy to reach at ten in the evening our accomodation. Lahore the city which never sleeps, especially this night! Next day we hurried up to leave the city and went back to Islamabad. And since demonstrations are very popular, this weekend all the main cities were again full of crowd because the politcal parties decided to hold speeches and rally around. Consequence: 18 deaths in Karachi! Thanks God Islamabad was very peaceful but no wonder if every ten minutes some military, heavy armed helicopter was flying over our heads...well, where Musharraf is appearing it is mostly quite secure! So we used the time and visited Sunday market in Islamabad, well check it out, there are some really nice photos again online...
...for the next weekend is a longer trip planned to the Northern Areas of Pakistan. Since we decided not to go to India because of price explosions we will explore the big mountains...the really big ones! So right now there is not much more to say just...Yeti, we´re coming!
Greetz,
jochen

Latest Photolink here...

Stay cool in Paki!

Buenos Dias!
Well, most of the people will now think i am slowly getting completely crazy because of that spanish introduction but since we learned to know some guys from the Argentinian Embassy we try to improve our Espanol. Furthermore now after nearly one month of vegetating in Pakistan it is getting really hot. Slowly they are preparing big ice cubes which will soon land in the swimming pools.
Our new favourite place is the UN Club...well quite clear, since it is one of the less islands in Islamabad where you can cool down with your family. And, i think it will get even more popular since it is JUST spring in Pakistan!!! They say that this is still nothing! When it´s scratching 50 degrees, then Pakis start to complain...?!? However, let´s wait how it´s going on.
Next exciting surprise is that i will have to prolong my stay in this beautiful country, due to delays, till end of July, yes one month longer! This means 50 degrees plus...Aaaaahhh!
Right at the moment we are looking forward to our preparations for the India trip! Yes, indeed we wanna try flying to Delhi and make a trip to Agra, (Taj Mahal), Jaipur, (also known as Pink City), and back to Delhi. If the Indian Embassy is giving us Visas...Hindustan...we´re coming!
But before, we will visit the most exiting city of Pakistan...Lahore! City of Lollywood, Pakistanian´s answer to Hollywood and Bollywood! We are excited and looking forward escaping from Islamabad.
So, see you next time on jkf76´s blog for impressions! Hasta la vista!!!!

Here is the photo link -> photos!

Dobar dan!

Our website of the apartment in Rovinj is now also
available in German language...check it out!

Power to the people!

Hi everybody,

Long time no see! Well, already more than two weeks in Pakistan and slowly everything is going its way. Good progress in business, (although i hardly believe to be back in Europe before end of June), weather is getting again a little bit cooler, (just 40 degrees), and the girls are even more busy than myself. We are now officially members of the UN Club. Well, there you can meet more or less just foreigners, you are able to go for swimming, (a great pool), fitness center is attached and a nice restaurant which reminds me a little bit on home in a commercial way. But you can go at least for a beer legally! Last weekend we met the Austrian community. Well, nearly everbody from Austria is working for OMV in this country, of course! But we met some new nice people also from other parts of the world. We either visited a "safari park". Hm, the funny thing is that this safari park consits of expensive real estates and not how we believed of animals. Yes there are animals, artificial cows, ... ! Another day we went to Taxila museum, a region next to Islamabad where Alexander the Great, the Greek Mythology, Hindus, Buddhists and Moslems where meeting...and this everything between 2 century b.c. - 3 century a.d.! Really exciting, for history freaks ;-). So this is my short descritpion about last week...ah, something i forgot. Yesterday i had my first experience with a real Pakistanian doctor. Since it was so hot the last days, all my stomach muscle got inflamed by ACs, quite uncomfortable. To be secure i went to a doctor suggested by the Austrian embassy. It was interesting...i told him what i think to have and he agreed! And at the end i had to pay 15,-€, incl. medicine. At least private docs in Paki are a real occasion.
Okay so far, more news coming up soon...nice greetingz to everybody! JKA.

Photo link ->

Paki is calling...!

Asalam Aleykum!

Nice greetings from Islamabad...the city which sleeps at ten in the eve!!!
Well, we are now for one week in Pakistan and it´s getting hotter and hotter. Today it had 39 degrees, tomorrow they forecasted 44!!!!! Incredible. I am happy to be blown away by air conditions. Even our accomodation has in each room at least one AC plus a huge ventilator which starts to work when the AC blows too much, kind of new energy ressource ;-). Thanks God that ACs are installled everywhere. I think if you wanna make business in Pakistan you should open a power plant, $ !
Katja and Ameli are already getting used to the different culture and i think soon we will need some bodyguards for Ameli, because everybody wants to grep her, touch and take photos of her!
However, first weekend we visited Rawalpindi and Murree...Pindi is really something completely different to Islamabad. The peak of our visit was the lunch taken in a hotel, for all kind of local travellers, where Osama and his gang were probably just one of the tribal guests form the North West Frontier Province. Really exciting! Last Sunday we have been in Murree, the Lignano for Pakistanians, which is on 2.300m...and i think it had nearly 30 degrees in the sun! Well everything else looks quite nice. Tomorrow we are meeting the Austrian community...finally again a nice cooling beer!
Our next plans are going to see Lahore, Karachi, eventually New Delhi, and another possibility would be Katmandu, although i am already happy with Pakistan so...well, let´s see. Okay, hopefully everybody is fine in good old Europe. Please update me from time to time what´s going on since we are here til mid of June.
Here is a link to the photos of last week...enjoy: Photos

Best wishes,
jochen

Dear all,

New photo galleries have been uploaded...

...Paddy´s Day 2007...
A must for any Guinness friend!

...Freediving in the Adriatic sea 2006...
Check the amazing wildlife underwater!

ng
jochen

Hola,

Some news:

Anybody who is interested in making holidays in beautiful Croatia has now the unique possiblity to choose one of the most pretty and stylish apartments of Rovinj. Besides there are lots of suggestions for activities in the "Toscana of Croatia"!

Check out the link ...Apartment for renting...

cu
jochen