Hey titoon ! 
how are you ? How's been the cultural schock ? not too rough I hope !
TO be honest I don't know when would be the right time to go Pakistan from now on. I am tempted to think that 2011 isn't the best time, considering all the destruction from floods, which can greatly impair travel possibilities in the mountains. Some people have lost everything and very little help from abroad has been received, so there might be some ressentment in some places.
Better wait 2012 ? Don't know, things happen so fast at so many levels, that it could be worse. US is thinking more & more about non-secret ground operations in pakistan territory and it would certainly not help...
I'm supposed to spend some time there early 2012, but i wish I could find some way to go before that time...
Forgot to say that some valleys might be off-limits, at the request of damn CIA. They have a few stations around they use for their search of ben laden. I know that yarkhun was closed to foreigners some time ago, don't know if still the case.
breixa, there is another way to settle for some time actually. There are NGOs working in the Kalash valleys, and there is certainly some way to find a job there, even more so if money is not a problem for you, right ?
Kalash people are animist, living in the last tree valley that remain from the former kingdom of Kafiristan. There's Birir, Bumboret & Rumbur valley. Kalasha don't grow the plant, but it can be found growing wild in all three valleys, and good wild I suppose for, in Birir, i was told that some French people used to come every year to rub charas from wild plants. Bumboret as a small local cottage production as well, near Krakal.
Only draw-back from working & living there is the possibility of abduction. Well, it's not rampant, but can happen. I think it was last year, some volunteer from Greece got abducted by some Nuristani people (I don't remember if they were taleban or not, will have to check), and was kept for several months until he was peacefully released. He had been very well treated, as a guest, during his captivity so it was all good in the end. He will have nice stories to tell his grand-children during winter nights eheh...
Irie !
how are you ? How's been the cultural schock ? not too rough I hope !TO be honest I don't know when would be the right time to go Pakistan from now on. I am tempted to think that 2011 isn't the best time, considering all the destruction from floods, which can greatly impair travel possibilities in the mountains. Some people have lost everything and very little help from abroad has been received, so there might be some ressentment in some places.
Better wait 2012 ? Don't know, things happen so fast at so many levels, that it could be worse. US is thinking more & more about non-secret ground operations in pakistan territory and it would certainly not help...
I'm supposed to spend some time there early 2012, but i wish I could find some way to go before that time...
Forgot to say that some valleys might be off-limits, at the request of damn CIA. They have a few stations around they use for their search of ben laden. I know that yarkhun was closed to foreigners some time ago, don't know if still the case.
breixa, there is another way to settle for some time actually. There are NGOs working in the Kalash valleys, and there is certainly some way to find a job there, even more so if money is not a problem for you, right ?
Kalash people are animist, living in the last tree valley that remain from the former kingdom of Kafiristan. There's Birir, Bumboret & Rumbur valley. Kalasha don't grow the plant, but it can be found growing wild in all three valleys, and good wild I suppose for, in Birir, i was told that some French people used to come every year to rub charas from wild plants. Bumboret as a small local cottage production as well, near Krakal.
Only draw-back from working & living there is the possibility of abduction. Well, it's not rampant, but can happen. I think it was last year, some volunteer from Greece got abducted by some Nuristani people (I don't remember if they were taleban or not, will have to check), and was kept for several months until he was peacefully released. He had been very well treated, as a guest, during his captivity so it was all good in the end. He will have nice stories to tell his grand-children during winter nights eheh...
Irie !
