*** DUE TO THE OBVIOUS SITUATION IN PAKISTAN AT THE MOMENT, THIS EXPEDITION IS UNABLE TO PROCEED THIS SIDE OF 2010…***
We are all so sad to see this dream get postponed, but despite your wonderful generosity, current circumstances mean it is impossible for us to complete our route. Our window of opportunity closes in November and we have therefore been forced to postpone leaving until September 2011.
The High Commission have insisted we do not attempt to pass through en route to India due to the current situation regarding flooding, food, clean water and the outbreaks of cholera.
We have informed them of our route plans and in return they informed us that the dry, desert areas such as Balochistan now contain 12 million homeless people whom are starving.
We would inevitably become instant targets and our safety could be jeopardised. We feel that it would be foolish to carry on as we are and enter ourselves into this current unstable environment.
Our contact in Islamabad says 29 bridges are down and most roads have turned into soft silt tracks.
We are all deeply disappointed.
The First Overland 2010 team.
Monday 13 September 2010
Sunday 5 September 2010
Unforeseable Problems
No, sadly we have not departed yet.
We are awaiting Iranian visa's still but the real problem lies in Pakistan.
Everybody who has heard the news or read the papers will know a large part of the Punjab and more, is severely under water at the moment. Now for us that is not too much of a problem as we are in Land Rovers and they are capable of fording through up to two foot of water safely. The problem is the displaced country men and the issue with the military.
The Pakistani high commission in London has advised us against all but essential travel and we would not want to arrive at the border only to be turned back.
The military fact is that as the military are working as hard as they can at the moment trying to keep the situation under control, they are not able to offer us an escort through Baluchistan or a safe place to stay in Karachi, which is understandable.
The main issue though as the team sees it is not all of this but what the poor, starving Pakistani people will do for just some food or clean water - i.e. an ambush. We have just had some news come in from a friend in Islamabad and he informs us that where there was once arid, empty countryside it is now full of starving families that have had their homes and lively hoods washed away by mother nature.
He tells us that these people are desperate and will do anything to get a drink or some food. So the team feels it is unwise to depart until the situation improves. We cannot risk being ambushed or having our Land Rover ransacked or even stolen.
We have arranged to meet with Cambridge University tomorrow to discuss our plans and from there will we will decide on a departure date which is at the moment set to be October 2nd. Watch this space!
Sorry for the bad news but our safety must come first.
F/O team
We are awaiting Iranian visa's still but the real problem lies in Pakistan.
Everybody who has heard the news or read the papers will know a large part of the Punjab and more, is severely under water at the moment. Now for us that is not too much of a problem as we are in Land Rovers and they are capable of fording through up to two foot of water safely. The problem is the displaced country men and the issue with the military.
The Pakistani high commission in London has advised us against all but essential travel and we would not want to arrive at the border only to be turned back.
The military fact is that as the military are working as hard as they can at the moment trying to keep the situation under control, they are not able to offer us an escort through Baluchistan or a safe place to stay in Karachi, which is understandable.
The main issue though as the team sees it is not all of this but what the poor, starving Pakistani people will do for just some food or clean water - i.e. an ambush. We have just had some news come in from a friend in Islamabad and he informs us that where there was once arid, empty countryside it is now full of starving families that have had their homes and lively hoods washed away by mother nature.
He tells us that these people are desperate and will do anything to get a drink or some food. So the team feels it is unwise to depart until the situation improves. We cannot risk being ambushed or having our Land Rover ransacked or even stolen.
We have arranged to meet with Cambridge University tomorrow to discuss our plans and from there will we will decide on a departure date which is at the moment set to be October 2nd. Watch this space!
Sorry for the bad news but our safety must come first.
F/O team
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