We were supposed to moor to a pier in Karachi, Pakistan, but there were some problems when we stopped, we were a destroyer carrying nuclear weapons and the people of Karachi did not want our ship to be moored to the pier. so a rule of thumb was that we had to anchor at least a mile from shore.

We were able to do that, and the trip ashore, in smaller boats, that we always carry with us, every time we go on a deployment, it wasn’t as bad as a trip to shore. There were many boats around, so there was something to see everywhere.

Before arriving at the port of Karachi, Pakistan, we were told what to do and what to avoid, just like any other port we stopped at. For Pakistan, the Navy told us, do not eat any of the products that contain refrigerated items, because you could get sick, and other things like that, they would tell us to be careful.

We were told that the Holiday Inn, in Karachi, was the best place to eat. It was very expensive to stay there, and almost everyone stays on the ship for the night. Almost everyone on the ship ate at the Holiday Inn, because that was the only place, everyone felt really safe eating, the food.

I remember walking the streets of Karachi, Pakistan, and thinking to myself, “OMG, this place is how I used to think it would look like when I was a kid, and we would sit around the table for dinner, and my dad would watch the news. , and Walter Kronkite was on, while we had dinner, at the same time, most nights. ” When walking down the street, what you do in Karachi, as there really is no sidewalk for anyone to walk.

The road would look so damaged. The roads were littered with big blocks of rocks, or pieces of concrete, and old tires, and things just got thrown anywhere and in the middle of the road, towards me. We wouldn’t see any women around.

If we saw any women, they would all be dressed in black, from head to toe, almost everything was covered except the eyes. Pakistan was the first country I was in, where women dressed like that, like I used to see on TV, when I was a child. I can’t believe women put up with it, but these countries are way back in time, if you ask me.

The guys and I were wondering, “How would you sleep in this country? Where was all the pussy? We wanted to know.” It wasn’t there, and neither was alcohol. I remember walking down the street and I walked up to this single concrete wall, and it didn’t have any glass in the window, but it had bars in front of it. When I looked inside, I saw two women inside, and they were still dressed in the black clothes they wear outside, then one of them saw me and yelled something in her language, and I kept going, back down the road.

We couldn’t find any place to drink, to have a drink, when we were in Pakistan. It must have been one of those places where alcohol was strictly forbidden. I remember the city, it had some really nice shopping places to shop. It was one of the best places to buy leather, bronze, and green onyx.

On the ship, we were told that this was a good place to buy gems, brass, green onyx, and leather, so everyone bought almost all of those kinds of items. I didn’t know anything about jewelry or gemstones, but other guys did. Some of them spent a lot of money buying different types of gemstones.

I bought a lot of brass items, green onyx items, and a nice brown leather jacket, which I still have. I bought a nice leather jacket, very cheap. I bought another jacket in Hong Kong, but I made it to measure, they bring you a beer, they measure you and you come back the next day, and your jacket is ready. I paid more for that one, but it fit me perfectly.

The only thing I did, that still gives me chills today, when I think about it, was when I was walking down the street next to the shopping section, I saw a guy playing a flute in front of a basket. I wondered what he was doing and wondered what was in the basket.

I walked over and stood about 12 inches to the side of the basket, because I wanted to see what was inside. I didn’t even think a big-ass king cobra would come out. The lid came off the basket, and a big-ass snake came out, and I was standing right next to the basket, I almost had a heart attack, and then I slowly backed away a few feet.

I looked and saw more of the snake come out, and then I realized: “What the hell am I doing? These people have probably never heard of the United States, they don’t care what happens to me, you better be more careful “. of what I’m doing. “

I thought of the cartoons I saw on TV as a kid, where the guy with the turban hat, that’s wrapped around his head, and he’s playing a flute, and a big snake comes out of the basket. He couldn’t believe this was real, and then there were other men, sitting, playing their flutes, and snakes were coming out of their basket too.

Pakistan wasn’t the most fun place to stop, the city was completely dry, the woman was off limits, but the shopping made up for it, and we weren’t in that country for long anyway.