I will remember the route from Dalbandin to Quetta for a long time because it is a beautiful desert route. Along the way we come across camels on and next to the road several times and in some places the sand dunes have been blown half over the road.
The wind is getting stronger and dustier and in the afternoon we even get into a real sandstorm with visibility that is less than 50 meters now and then. The dust is really in and on everything and is quite stubborn. There is no tapping or blowing away and I notice how the dust also collects on my visor. The Levies indicate that we are going to take shelter and we stop at a kind of thatched hut along the road and we wait for it to be over. When the 'storm' is over, I notice that the start button of my engine is very stiff and I intend to clean it at the first opportunity.
The landscape we drive through is beautiful, but because of the dust I have a lot of trouble with my lenses and almost continuously moist eyes. When we enter the city of Quetta it is already dark and I am really happy that we are following the Levies. Traffic in Quetta is total chaos! Everything is mixed up, cars, tuk-tuks, motorbikes, mopeds and we are constantly working to defend our spot on the street and to stay together as a group. If there is only 50 cm of space between our motorcycles, a moped or motorcycle will jump right in. Add another shovel of dust, horns, flashing lights in all colors and choking exhaust and the chaos is complete.
Fortunately we can reach the police station in all that crowds, but no warm welcome awaits us there. The chief agent thinks our group is way too big and refuses to give us shelter, but we have nowhere to go. A long discussion with our Indian-speaking travel companion ensues, but in the end we are taken to the Bloomstar Hotel, infamous by overlanders. The reviews of that place alone leave you disgusted, but we have no choice. It can't be much worse than the first night at the Taftan border office.
15 minutes later we are in the notorious hotel. For 1000 Rupees (€4.50) we can spend the night there. At the moment we think everything is fine. But I have to say that I really like it. The shower is cold and the beds dusty, but I've seen worse. Fortunately we all have our own sleeping gear and for that money there is nothing to complain about. If we pay a little extra we even get breakfast.
The next day we are picked up early by the police to go to an office for our NOC (No Objection Certificate) papers. Without that permit, we are not allowed to travel through the upcoming Pakistani regions. For the umpteenth time we hand over our passport, visa and Carnet and 1.5 hours later we are outside again. The Levies bring us back to the hotel, but first we have to go to a money changer, SiMcard shop and bazaar to get the necessary stuff. Only one person from the group is allowed to go with them at a time and so a lot is handled in the back of the pickup truck and money is counted.
Arriving back at the hotel, the Vespa drivers want to continue as soon as possible and they say goodbye to us. The four of us stay an extra night in the hotel because we don't want to leave so far in the afternoon to end up in a police station again after a short route. We prefer to use the extra time to relax, work and use the internet.
