Later that day we were introduced to our guide Barbu, (he was also Micheal Palin's guide in his tv series Himalaya, shown a few years later.)Barbu was a very friendly and likable man in his late forties who knew the area very well and had walked in the mountains most of his life. We sat and talked for hours, poured over Mastood's excellent maps and eventually came up with a route for the next couple of weeks. The plan was to travel by jeep with Barbu, his apprentice Sulu and two porters to Kiya where we would pick up two more porters and begin the first part of the trek up the Barum valley and out onto the Barum Glacier up to Tirich Mir base camp, about four days and then maybe on to camp one. We would then return down the valley to pick up a jeep to take us to the old British fort at Mastuj. From there it would be a short jeep ride to a little village called Sor Laspur where we would hopefully pick up fresh porters for the trek over the Katchakani Pass and then down into Swat Valley and on to the road head before heading back by road to Rawalpindi. With all this sorted out Tim and I decided to walk into town and retrieve our abandoned baggage from the bus. We found the bus and our unfortunate driver who had badly damaged his big toe after kicking the bus wheel in frustration after the puncture up in the mountains. The poor fellow had certainly experienced a troublesome journey, three beatings and what looked like a broken toe in less than forty eight hours, just driving his bus. Anyway we put our baggage on the back of a small Datsun truck bid our farewells and headed back to the hotel. That evening Mastood joined us in the Summer House, a lovely wooden building in the leafy garden of the hotel for dinner as we poured over our plans for the next couple of weeks. He even brought out a fine bottle of wine and (secretly) joined us in a toast to a safe and enjoyable trip. Tomorrow we would rest and prepare everything for the journey up into the mountains, I was quite excited. The next day we went into town to buy more supplies, some cooking equipment, and a present for Dave (Birthday cake) as it was his Birthday. After a quick tour of Chitral and a visit to the Fort (see the video I've posted about the seige of Chitral) we returned to the hotel to party on the lawn celebrating Dave's Birthday. Barbu turned up with another cake and The Colonels cousin from Mastuj fort where we would be staying overnight on the journey to Swat. So with everything packed, a last check of the maps, it was time to head over to the Judges house for dinner. His driver tuned up early evening a took us to the Judges large house on the outskirts of town. We were warmly greeted by the judge and invited to (soft) drinks on the lawn before dinner in the large dinning room. The food was fantastic, prepared by his wife who even though we had been introduced to his two daughters we would never get to meet. She was busily preparing each course and when we asked the judge what it was we were eating, he would shout into the kitchen to his wife and ask her exactly what she had prepared. At no point during the evening did she leave the kitchen to introduce herself. I found this quite strange, but then this was Pakistan. Tomorrow the trek begins!!!
It grants attention because it's so rare... is my point. It's noticeable because it's not normal. Aside from that, can you not tell when a point is somewhat slapstick?[/quote]
More often than not, yes. But you made a claim that was incorrect, I really can't see how you can call it "slapstick."
Oldest bungee jumper - world record set by Mohr Keet
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa -- Mohr Keet, of George, 96, bungee jumped off the Bloukrans Bridge outside Mossel Bay, judged to be the world's highest bungee jump (jumpers fall around 160m off the 216m-high bridge) - setting the world record for the Oldest bungee jumper.
The previous Guinness world record for the oldest bungee jumper was James Guyer, aged 74 years 47 days.
"It was too short," Mohr Keet, a pensioner from George said after he bungee jumped off the 216m Bloukrans Bridge in the Eastern Cape.
It is the fifth jump completed by Keet who is no stranger to adrenaline activities, having been white water rafting and parachuting in his 80s.
Keet said there was no reason why other people could not do the same. Keet – who first made the jump a decade ago when he was 88 – said he bungy jumped for “the thrill” and to “get rid of fear”.
It will indeed. The last time we won the European Cup at Wembley I was there as a starry eyed teenager. It was an emotional experience, almost exactly ten years after Munich.
bodleing Forum Posts (13,810)
RE: Adventure writing
Forgot to post the video.