BELFAST TO WEST PAKISTAN – IN A VW COMBI! 
19 September 2019
The prospect of travelling from Belfast to Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan in Pakistan, would cause many to baulk even today, but what if the 9,000 mile journey was made by a group of five Queen’s students in the late 1960s, overland in a Volkswagen camper van – how unimaginable would that be?
Making that unbelievable 47-day road trip through 8 countries back in 1969 were Queen’s medics Joe McMahon, Chris Corkey, Tony Traub, John Martin and, the author of the report that follows, Chris Smiley.
The plan was hatched by five medical students ending their third year and supported by some ‘grown ups’. We would raise money, take advice about a suitable vehicle from the hospital in Quetta, drive it there and perhaps do 'useful work' on arrival, and fly back to Belfast. What could possibly go wrong?
The United Christian Hospital nominated a VW combi as the utility vehicle that could bring equipment to outlying clinics or locals unable to travel to the centre. To fund the trip, great local support was given by businessmen and churches plus a token amount was received from the University (in the form of a Higginson Scholarship), in return for a report.
We developed responsibilities in our group, with one being good with mechanics, others paperwork and money matters, customs, map reading and so on. In those days of letters, Post Restante (a service designed for travellers where the post office holds the mail in the country of destination until the recipient calls for it), typed papers and with small cameras, expensive film and at a time of no mobile phones, it was a very different world.
We left Belfast on Wednesday 11 June. The journey through Europe was uneventful with long days of driving and YHA (Youth Hostels Association) accommodation. The new VW was travelling well and now in Turkey the roads became more gravelly but we were enjoying new scenery, locals with their friendly waves and hot weather, it being July.
Iran was next and so far no border problems – indeed curiosity was mounting at this ‘ambulance’ with a red cross on its sides (no back windows) and five skinny white guys. Seemingly a very orderly country, we respectfully photographed and walked in amazement through mosques and beautiful buildings including Isfahan. Food seemed cheap, as did fuel and we even found the welcome Post Restante and aerogrammes from girlfriends and family.
Northern Iran was next and we were told that Afghanistan had only one sealed road which connected Kandahar with Kabul. It was said that the Russians and the Americans had shared the building of this road but we were advised by locals not to travel at night. We were over half way by now and loving it! Hot weather, constantly changing scenery and progress towards Quetta.
The concrete road was indeed excellent and the mountains became significantly high, craggy but seemingly barren. A broken windscreen made a stop in Kabul important but apart from this, and a puncture or two, we had few problems.
The British Embassy in Kabul to whom we reported were very friendly, mildly curious and helpful. It was an amazing city back then, high in the hills and a real crossroads for people travelling both west and east. Seemingly safe to walk around, we enjoyed the bazaars, shops and mosques and by that point had become comfortable seeing armed tribesmen walking down the street. The rifle slung over the shoulder and knives hitched on belts seemed ‘de rigour’.
Onward and upward to tackle the Khyber Pass. By now we had learned that big vehicles had priority over little ones and though we were on the left side we often needed to leave the road if a larger truck wanted past. Here we saw busses with a score of individuals holding on to the roof. The Pass is famous being part of the Silk Road which connected Shanghai in the East to Cádiz on the coast of Spain which dates back to the Roman Empire when silk, jade and other luxuries were moved from the China to the west. Around this time too it was known as the hippie trail.
We saw several buses in the valleys below that unfortunately had crashed off the road, so we were very relieved to make it to the border. It was here that we were warned not to go off the road as tribesmen were known to shoot indiscriminately but we were also advised that we needed more paperwork, or was that cash(?), from Kabul. Crestfallen we turned around and returned the necessary 150 miles for another paper to be stamped in the Afghani capital.
Once in Pakistan on the second attempt, we left the mountains and indeed had to drive across the desert. To our surprise after a few hours we came upon a flooded road and several vehicles that had rolled over having driven off the invisible surface. Flash flooding occasionally happens but to motor on or not that was the question. We carefully waded along where we thought the road was, or should have been, and got through; maybe it was the luck of the Irish.
Having taken some circuitous routes through West Pakistan, we arrived in Quetta, almost 9,000 miles after leaving Belfast, on Sunday 27 July safe and sound with our trusty vehicle and were both relieved and proud to be able to deliver it safely. Dr Ronnie Holland, who was the eye surgeon and mission doctor then had the interesting task of wondering what to do with five very ‘under trained’ medical students.
Needless to say, we tried to be useful for a short time before starting back for Belfast. Just as we were about to leave, the hospital administrator declined to take possession of the vehicle! This required us to get more paperwork from Lahore, 600 miles away. It seemed it was too big a decision for this gentleman to make but it was one we eventually managed for him. We were all keen to return home by this time but had had an amazing adventure and seen and learned a lot on our travels.
Occasionally I wonder how many years of service they got from that trusty VW combi.
Of his fellow travellers on that remarkable trip, John would go on to become a Consultant in Public Health with the World Health Organisation in Brussels; Joe became a Consultant in General and Respiratory Medicine at the Belfast City Hospital; Tony Traub was an Obstetrics and Gynaecology Consultant at Belfast's Royal Maternity Hospital and Chris Corkey (who passed away in March 2017) specialised as a Paediatrician in Daisyhill Hospital in Newry. Chris Smiley worked for over 40 years as a rural GP in Waikato in New Zealand and was, for much of that time, a member of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners.
To submit graduate news items, or for general enquiries about this story, please contact Gerry Power, Communications Officer, Development and Alumni Relations Office, Queen's University Belfast or telephone: +44 (0)28 9097 5321.
Back to Main News
Top of Page