DAY 1 – IRELAND TO ISLAMABAD PAKISTAN.
The long goodbye is finally over and that was one tough week.
without a doubt this was the toughest parting , left home at 1.30am sunday and saying goodbye to my two beautiful daughters who now have grown into the most incredible individuals ,creative sensitive ,strong and independent. Incredibly proud of who they have become ,I said good bye known it was the easier of the two goodbyes I had to do , Sharon was next “not so easy” honestly i could not get my breath as we held each other ,one keeping it strong for the other yet both bursting inside….I reaffirmed my promise to return and turned and left on that number 32 bus over the port bridge ,looking around for one last glimps at the polestar feature that now has become my towns signature welcome.
I’ve now cut that ambibigal cord with that world and now enter a very different world where I really rely on my inner strength ,self belief to survive.
After busses trains and flying machines I arrive in Islamabad Pakistan right in the middle of Ramadan ,their strongest religious passage in the Islamic calendar. Ignorant to this I asked the taxi driver now called Liam ” well that what I took from “zebapoliam”, it sounded like Liam so i laim him up and laim him down for the next 30 mins. He explained that in the month of Ramadan they fast for the complete month, STOP did you say fast as I broke into a cold sweet “, I asked. yes as Muslims we fast during day light hours from dawn to sunset. Right ok Liam ,I replied, thinking to myself well thats not too bad sounds like a typical vampire shift at the voodoo lounge. by now I’m submerged in a welcoming new culture filled with continuous loud proclaims of prayer transmitted by loud speaker and the strong smells of fabulous spices and herbs in a unique arcuticture symbolic of eastern culture.
My adjenda now is to meet the rest of my international team mates over the coming days Along with tashi and Pemba our climbing Sherpa partners.
Exciting times ,blessed to be here.
Jason
K2 Irish Expedition 2015
Best of luck Jason.