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"I lost my wallet in Swat, Pakistan and it didn't take long until a few locals bought it back"

During my wife and mine recent trip to Pakistan in December 2019, we hired a local guy in Islamabad, sort of friends with the hotel management, to take us on day long trips in and around Islamabad. He narrated his own story about one similar event. He said he had some Western lady (maybe Norwegian) hired him for similar day-long trip. At the end of the day, he was given Rs. 35,000 instead of the agreed upon Rs. 3500. These numbers are just approximate--basically, the lady had missed a zero. He returned the money to her. She was in tears! Not believing the honesty of a poor guy like him. Perhaps she's used to been scammed during her travels.

December 2019: Here's the guy--with my wife, as we took off on our town trips from Islamabad. His name is Omar Khayyam--yes, named after the famous poet! He is associated with Delano Guest House in Islamabad. He's very poor, drives an old beatup small vehicle (maybe Suzuki Mehran), and is looking to upgrade his vehicle to some Toyota Corolla or better to take visitors to tours around Islamabad. Good chap from what our experience was!
There is still goodness in the world guys!!


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She was in tears! Not believing the honesty of a poor guy like him. Perhaps she's used to been scammed during her travels.


Our belief in the world and the hereafter, it is about the belief. I hear and see lots of stories about people scammed in our next door eastern neighbor and many foreigners travel first to India and then to Pakistan as otherwise they will be asked all sorts of questions and looked with suspicion, can't believe there is a special clause in the immigration form 'have you been to Pakistan and for what purpose'...can't believe how much paranoid and xenophobic they are against Pakistan.

During my wife and mine recent trip to Pakistan in December 2019, we hired a local guy in Islamabad, sort of friends with the hotel management, to take us on day long trips in and around Islamabad. He narrated his own story about one similar event. He said he had some Western lady (maybe Norwegian) hired him for similar day-long trip. At the end of the day, he was given Rs. 35,000 instead of the agreed upon Rs. 3500. These numbers are just approximate--basically, the lady had missed a zero. He returned the money to her. She was in tears! Not believing the honesty of a poor guy like him. Perhaps she's used to been scammed during her travels.

December 2019: Here's the guy--with my wife, as we took off on our town trips from Islamabad. His name is Omar Khayyam--yes, named after the famous poet! He is associated with Delano Guest House in Islamabad. He's very poor, drives an old beatup small vehicle (maybe Suzuki Mehran), and is looking to upgrade his vehicle to some Toyota Corolla or better to take visitors to tours around Islamabad. Good chap from what our experience was!
There is still goodness in the world guys!!


View attachment 611769


Good to see you and your wife here in Pakistan.
 
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Our belief in the world and the hereafter, it is about the belief. I hear and see lost of stories about people scammed in our next door eastern neighbors and many foreigners travel first to India and then to Pakistan as otherwise they will be asked all sorts of questions and looked with suspicion, can't believe there is a special clause in the immigration form 'have you been to Pakistan and for what purpose'...can't believe how much paranoid and xenophobic they are against Pakistan.

Oh, I absolutely think now Pakistan is a far better tourism destination than India in most respects. But there has been a history and that has to do with what went on in Pakistan after 9/11 until very recently. And it's hard for the world to ignore that. I still have a negative perception of Algeria, for example, for what went on in the 1990s. That country is much better now but perceptions take a long time to go away.

It's is our duty to try to make whatever little help we are able to provide to change the perception...
 

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