Back to Pak

Today I'm leaving for Pakistan. I'd thought I'd spend the next week in Islamabad, the capital, but just learned the work has shifted to Lahore. It might shift back to Islamabad again - who knows? The plan is to continue on to Kabul around Nov. 13th, assuming my Afghan visa arrives on time. I'll be arriving in Pakistan during Eid, the celebration at the end of Ramadan, and it's a good bet the Afghan embassy will be closed for the duration.

My bags are (mostly) packed, stuffed full of bulky winter clothes. I've got my new iPod in hand and a cunning plan to smuggle wine onto the airplane. It's just wrong that American carriers charge $5/bottle for trans-continental flights... even worse that they don't have change. Why not just keep everyone in blissful ignorance, charge an extra $20 a ticket, and give us "free" drinks?