Chapter 1- The Journey Begins
The airport check-in was very confusing and everyone got some strange looks by the airport staff especially as some people did wudhu(ritual washing of arms, face and feet). Our whole group of ten from Pennsylvania and New Jersey made it through without trouble. This included Dr. Arshad Jan and his wife Ambreen, Dr. Nadeem Shamsi and his wife Nadia, the Rajput Family, with Dr. Rajput, his wife and two sons, Zaashan, 26, and Arshan, 22.
THe departure lounge in Kennedy. This one travel agent came up to me and said she was so glad that I had made it in and that she had been looking all over for me. She wanted me to wear my credentials that were sent by the travel agency. After I had put them on it turned out that she was looking for some other Iqbal! Poor woman had to go rushing off again. I saw her a number of times later on and teased her about losing her people.