Dara Adem Khel-Part 2
After the gun making factories I did the round of
the gun shops in the main street. I do the usual posing shots with the guns. I
walk down the street and shots fire from all directions. It's hard to get used
to and I duck frequently, much to the amusment of the locals:)
And this is our new German model....
In fact shots are fired regularly only a few metres from my head. It's
estimated that between 400 and 700 guns are turned out here daily and they all
need testing. Each gun gets the two bullet test. I watch as a shop owner loads
about 7 guns each with two bullets and then his son walks out of the front door
and stands on the steps of his shop on the main street and fires up into the
air. A child stands next to him holding a cardboard box to collect the spent
cartridges as these are refilled and used again. In fact the place is piled
high with spent cartridges brought in from
Afghanistan.
It's a bit like Arthur Dailys warehouse!
Soon the tour is coming to an end and he asks me if I want to shoot a
Kalashnakov. He knows I do and tells me a price, it's high. Rp1500 (U$25ish)
for 30 bullets. He knows the score and explains how little it is in my money
and if I don't do it now I'll regret it forever....I have very little bargaing
power here and he's ready to put me on the first bus out of here. I settle for
Rp1000 for 25 bullets and he walks me into the quiet fields to the rear of
Dara.
He gives me 10 seconds instruction and leaves me to my own devices. I aim into
the hill and let off a few single shots. Then I flick the lever, stick the
Kalashnakov under my arm and blast off the rest of the bullets in machine gun
mode. It's way cool and my ears ring from the noise:)
We head off back to the road. He tell me he likes me and he shows me a few more
shops. I take this as meaning I've paid way too much for the bullets:)
Looks like I'm all "gunned out"!
I don't care as I'm happy now. Dara is awesome. How long it will last I
don't know? Soon
Pakistan
has to bring the tribal areas under it's control and places like this have to
be eradicated. But for now it lives on high on the travel adgendas for visiting
tourists.
A pen gun that actually writes.
Firing single shots into the hole.
This is the style....machine gun...."Don't puush
mee"!
NEXT
