我在本拉登的compound拍了视频，可惜华人只能贴Youtube或Twitter上发表的视频，因此无法放上来。
I was standing on Osmar Bin Laden''''s compound in Abbottabad, where he was captured and shot dead by US Navy Seal on May 2nd, 2011.
Before I recount how I got here, a huge “thank you” to Juan who suggested this visit two days ago. It wasn''''t on my list originally, but it''''s a great journey to venture out so I added it last minute.
I also modified Juan''''s suggestion of hiring a car from Islamabad, instead, I took Daewoo Bus from Lahore to Abbottabad directly. It was a 6.5 hours journey.
My plan was to walk to Bin Laden''''s house by foot from my hotel. The hotel manager asked me where I was going, I casually brushed it off “Nothing much, just walk around.” He insisted finding a body guard for me, or walking as a guardian as my company. I politely and insistently refused.
As Abbottabad is heavily militarized, I tried my best to lay low and blend in, however, my LOWA Renegade and my constantly dropping headscarf were quite the telltale signs of a foreign woman. I pretended walking very confidently, without looking at my phone for direction all the time, only glimpsed at it when no one was around.
I did get a few curious inquiries, and I would just politely respond with “tourist, just walking around”. I saw soldiers carrying guns guarding at doors, I walked by without showing any doubts nor did I make any eye contact.
The alleys were narrow and winding. I snatched a few pictures along my way. All the houses were equipped with barb wires, and some of them were quite grand in local standard.
As I turned into the last alley, a bearded young man from a seemingly wealthy dwelling asked me what I was looking for. I somehow felt safe to tell him I was looking for Osmar Bin Laden''''''''s compound. He said, "It''''s right over there. I''''ll show you".
So here I was, at the place where Bin Laden took his last breath. The young men took a ton of pictures for me, from all angles. When I asked to take a picture of him or with him, he declined. That was quite surprising to me, as I was literally asked to take pictures with, almost everywhere I went in Pakistan, as if I were a celebrity (Not very enjoyable experience BTW, when the requests get excessive).
After I was done with pictures, another man from an ambulance asked my identity and purpose. I told him the truth, and the man offered me a ride on the ambulance to take me to the main road, where I could hail a shared taxi to my next destination.
This is not a tourist destination, but I''''m glad I visited, on my own, with help from so many.
