I have arrived in Islamabad. I took the Daewoo bus, opting for the luxury version where you can get a seat to yourself and are served a meal that I didn’t eat, having had a very large breakfast of paratha with some very tasty qeema with simla mirch. Delicious but enough to keep one going and terrible for the arteries.
All along the motorway there were fields on fire. No wonder the smog in Lahore is as bad as it is. The main contributors, of unrestrained urbanisation and emissions, is ignored and crop burning is blamed. But when the crops are are still burned with impunity, then what hope that the brick kilns, the factories, the monstrous growth in vehicles, will be dealt with?
Anyhow, I arrived in Islamabad in good time and made my way to the house of the friends I am staying with. It used to be a single friend, but then she married and now it is two. I am a bit nervous of him, as I am landing here for rather a long time and will take care to stay out of sight as much as I can.