The Best Port-a-loo

We arrived late to meet Gran and she escorted us to the tents where her family was - again another hike up a shere cliff!

Two babies born after the earthquake had know nothing but living in a tent. They were well though.

Later that day after missing helicopter rides - driving up here and down there we arrived at a village where the Armed Forces Chief was visiting. The Brit Major had been invited too so we tagged along with him.

Now when you are a Chief of Staff your toilet facilites must always be just so…

So we discovered!

After the ceremony we were very cruel and bagged a ride back to Islamabad in his chopper and let the driver and fixer make their own way with most of the kit.

Chaide happy not to be squashed in the back of a 4x4.

Alex ear wigging on the flight crew’s conversation - no doubt something in French about “its those two who forgot their equipment again".

Me and the Major.

Flying as the sunset was spectacular, and we just made it before nightfall.

After two days of editing, arguing with and changing hotels, we do a live with the Head of NATO forces, a Brit AirComm in the grounds of the Serena - a very nice hotel indeed.

I must write these sooner as impressions have faded - it was a long couple of days but worth it. Good pictures.

Tea at 8000ft

Before we left the NATO base in Islamabad we found out the there were still some British Army Engineers in the field finishing off their work before they had to leave in a few days time. Leaving Muzzafrabad at 5.00am we drive back to Bagh - which took5 hours to meet up with them and a breakfast of ready made beans and bacon from a ration pack.

They then drove us up to where they are finishing off a school they have been building. Not forgetting a hike up the last few hundred feet.

The only work left was to finish off the roof before they handed it over to the local village in a ceremony attended by the local Pakistani General in charge.

This ended up with tea and cakes afterwards! Another one for the bizzare things we have done file.

Finished with tea - and a trek down the current hill to the car we head off still with the Brit Army to 8,340ft where we are promised some snow.

Snow had fallen in early Jan but it was quickly receeding - thankfully a mild start to the winter. It could return though.

At the top we film plenty for the library and do a couple of pieces to camera for use sometime in the future as we can see the Line of Control (LoC) with India - very much a part of disputed Kashmir.

Not very good snow for snow balls though - very icy.

With cold feet we head down the valley again. On the way we stop at a couple of houses still above the snow line to see what the families story was.

We find the family in a small shed like room filled with smoke.

Eye watering to say the least its only when I finally get down to floor level I can see properly. The photo doesn’t do it justice but on video though it did look awesome with the light streaming through the smoke. They family’s house had fallen down but other than that they were doing OK.

Two children had moved down to the valley as they had newborns. When we left we took the grandmother down with us. Arriving at dusk we left her to climb up to their camp and arranged to see her in the morning to do some more filming.

Back at the British camp we were offered beds by the Major in his tent - Alex and Chiade made themselves at home with their pink duvets - a nice contrast to olive green.

Muzzafrabad

Up at first light we jump on another heli - UN this time - and fly to Muzzafrabad.

We visit a school not far out from the town - but again up a hill. The damn place is full of them.

The school was knocked down in the quake and now the children have all their lessons outside. This includes reciting numbers, times tables and the alphabet.

Some of the grandad’s who come with the children find it a little too much.

Just below the school we again visit another family who have nothing left - are slowly building their lives again but are still incredibly hospitable and insist we have some tea before we leave as the cows look on.

The Third Time

Back in Pakistan we head back to the quake zone - this time to Bagh. The winter has been mild but it threarens to get much worse.

We take a small NATO helicopter supplied by Luxemborg. Halfway into our journey I realise we had left the tripod behind at the field hospital in Islamabad.

Alex explains the bad news to the pilot and asks if they can deliver it that later afternoon.

We are being shown around by Save the children and they take us to one of their distribution points where they are giving out corregated sheeting.

We find a family who is picking up their goods and arrange to go home with them. Just a short way - 900ft down the hill - straight down the hill.

The men carrying the sheeting 50kg worth seem to take it all in their stride - though they have to rest too.

Finally we reach their home after about 45mins of climbing down. Shoot for 20 mins at their tented home and then start the long climb the way up. I soon give away the camera as hauling myself up is hard work enough. Thankfully we only have to go half way as the car is waiting on the road - still took another 45mins though.

Sunset over Bagh Valley.

We head back to Save the Children’s house and have a well earned meal and a couple of sneaky beers thanks to ‘Fish’ - a German contractor.

Richard & Alex

You may have noticed that before Christmas I wasn’t working with Richard much. That’s because Richard was preparing to return to Sky London to work there.

This picture is from one of our first shoots - if not the first, back in April 2004 ish- for the Irish bulletin about smoking bans in public places.

Whilst he enjoyed travelling across the region, the Indian bureaucracy did not treat him well and he found it very hard to come to terms with.

After 7 years overseas, he was looking forward to returning somewhere clean, orgainsed and easy to live.

Back to work tomorrow with a new correspondent, Alex Crawford who is fresh out from the UK and rearing to go.

The next few months are going to be busy.

Back Safe & Well

Just a quick note to say that we are back safe and well in Delhi. That is despite having to run for our connection in Bangkok and then for our bags not to arrive in Delhi - despite the fact that on asking we were told the delayed passengers bags were being loaded.

Not all bad though, we got £230 incompensation from the airline and the bags arrived the next day.

Jessica is feeling much better now - back to her normal self, though she still coughs every now and again.

She’ll be back to 100% in a few days though we will give her the first few days off school.

Nurse Jessica

Its great being a nurse. I get to give myself injections.

Its soooo cool.

I’m feeling much better today and will going home after some more chest therapy.

Nurse Jessica

Therapy

Meanwhile as Jessica undergoes chest therapy to help get rid of the bronchitis…

Aaron and Ben undertake some solar / hydra therapy…

Not sure we will be going back to that pool though - I cut my finger when I jumped in and Ben gashed his foot when he got out.

No plasters on site either, so we had to wrap his foot up in toilet paper till we could get back home.

Time for a Walk

I’m feeling much better today. Dad took me for a walk.

Then we went back to the room and I drew about it. Nasty Dad also turned off the TV.

A picture of me on my walk.

Me in bed.

Jessica x

In To Hospital

Jessica feinted this morning just after breakfast. She has had a cold for a while and hasn’t eaten that much over the last few days. Kathy and Dot took her to the Ram Hospital in Chiang Mai where the doctor suspected she had pneumonia so she was admitted. After tests it has turned out to be bronchitis, low red blood cell count and a bit of dehydration.

Not a bad view either really.

Poor thing is on a drip though it has put much needed colour back in her cheeks.

And of course she has a machine that goes ‘bing’ - well more like ‘beoung’ actually!

But it is all helped her new freind when ‘Elle’ came to visit and stay.

More so than her brothers….

Aaron deep in the sports pages and Ben drawing… but it needs to be said, at the time they were worried though.

But then what more could you want when you have your own broadband connection to play Neopets on?

Oh yes - a nice hot sweet cup of tea!!

Why do all good things need to be interupted? Blood pressure and temperature time.

Kathy having been here all day, I am now on night watch tonight and she is currently sound asleep. Even I’m not that heartless to take her photo now.

The nurse and doctor have just been in and her temperature is better and blood pressure too. Hopefully they will now let her sleep undisturbed.

OK yes I am.

Sweet dreams Sweet Pea.

What to do?

With Jess in the hospital, the boys and I couldn’t stay there all day and didn’t want to mope around the flat so we decided to go and play some mini golf, once we had sorted out the confusion over if it was open or not. It was.

Aaron is taking this far too seriously me thinks.

After a couple of games and the boys had had very nice cheeseburgers for lunch - made out of beef - we waited for Deng to come and pick us up and take us to the hospital.

As soon as Jess gets out of hopsital, we will take her for a game too.

Bowling

To recover we went bowling. Notice the tongue and hand - all required to be an expert.

Ben did very well despite not having any lane guards. He didn’t get upset and kept on trying even if he did only get 29 and 3.

Aaron also finally got the hang of it - with out lane guards and managed very reasonable scores keeping the ball on the lane.

Kathy and Jess gave up and went shopping half way through. Can’t really be blamed - it is much better that India.

A satisfied and bowled out Ben.