Take it from locals: Super experience in New Orleans entails more than just the French Quarter
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Desiring a more local taste of Big Easy life during Super Bowl week?
There's plenty to explore both in and outside the city center.
Streetcar lines roll to Uptown, Mid-City or City Park. A ferry crosses the Mississippi River to Algiers Point. By car, it's easy to reach Esplanade Ridge; the shops and eateries on Magazine Street or Metairie Road; and seafood spots in Bucktown, along the shore of Lake Pontchartrain.
The Lakeview neighborhood is where you'll find chef Susan Spicer.
She has taken her Louisiana-inspired cuisine to Super Bowl host cities across the country during the past three decades while participating in the Taste of the NFL charity event. She is involved again this year in her hometown, but those who wish to dine in the spot where Spicer does most of her cooking should visit Rosedale Restaurant.
Spicer, whose culinary career has included decades in fine-dining kitchens in the French Quarter and downtown, would by no means advise visitors to eschew the renowned attractions in those historically significant areas.
'There's so much concentrated in the French Quarter, the CBD (central business district) and the Warehouse District, that you can just really get absorbed by everything that's going on there,' Spicer said.
'But if you just venture out a little bit,' she added, 'there's a lot to discover.'
Political pundit James Carville, a Louisiana native and New Orleans resident, says first-time visitors with just a few days in town shouldn't 'feel like if you're going to the French Quarter, you're not being a local.' He says the Friday lunch scene at Galatoire's is 'legendary.'
But if you do decide to explore, here are some options:
Popular Neighborhood Spots
— Rosedale: The community exemplifies the neighborhood restaurant scene in New Orleans, where standards for food are high and must be met for an establishment that can't depend on tourists to make it. The ambiance is casual, the menu includes sandwiches (duck pastrami) and po'boys (cochon de lait), but a lot of work, attention to detail and creativity go into the ingredients and preparation.
— Clancy's. It is located not far from Audubon Park. New Orleans' power brokers are spotted there regularly, as are celebrity residents such as John Goodman, Harry Shearer and members of the Manning family.
Waiters wear tuxedos at this white-table-cloth spot, but the vibe is casual, lively and suitably loud, with diners regularly making the rounds to say hello to friends and acquaintances at other tables or at the compact (and busy) bar area.
— Commander's Palace. It is housed in a converted historic property across from Lafayette Cemetery in the Garden District and is arguably the city's most famous restaurant. Its list of former chefs that rose to culinary stardom includes Emeril Lagasse.
Other popular neighborhood dinner destinations include:
Gautreau's, La Petite Grocery, Brigtsen's, Mr. John's and Jacque-Imo's in Uptown; Cafe Degas, Mandina's and Liuzza's in Mid-City; Tana in Old Metaire; Station 6 in Bucktown; Rizutto's in Lakeview; and N7 on edge of the Bywater Historic District.
Finding that Big Easy staple: Po'boys
— Domilise's, Tracy's and Mahony's. These are well-regarded Uptown spots.
— In Mid-City, there's Parkway Bakery and Liuzza's by the Track — the latter known for its barbecue shrimp po'boy and sinus-clearing roast beef with horseradish.
— In the Bucktown/Lakeview area, a popular spot is R&O's, across the street from the Lake Pontchartrain levee.
The roast beef in a po'boy usually is slow-cooked, often is called 'debris,' for how it falls apart in the pot, and is served with gravy. Central Poboys in suburban Jefferson has developed a strong reputation for this.
Meanwhile, some no-frills takeout seafood spots around town produce highly regarded shrimp, oyster and catfish po'boys, as well as soft-shell crab when in season. Spicer likes to get her oyster po'boys at Zimmer's Seafood, in the Gentilly neighborhood.
When it's time for dessert
— Angelo Brocato. Some of the best gelato and Italian pastries in the South can be found in this beloved Mid-City landmark, which was just celebrating a 100-year anniversary renovation when it was flooded by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Its 2006 reopening was widely celebrated. It's on the Carrollton branch of the red Canal streetcar line and gets busy when school lets out.
— Creole Creamery — a popular ice cream parlor on Prytania Street in Uptown
— Sucre, also Uptown on Magazine Street, offers French style pastries and gelato.
The locals love beignets, too.
— Cafe Du Monde. While its best known location is in Jackson Square, another is next to the New Orleans Museum of Art and sculpture garden in City Park.
— Morning Call. It's the oldest Cafe du Monde rival in the beignet business. There's one at the end of the cemetery branch of the Canal streetcar line.
When it's cocktail hour
Locals take their cocktails seriously and a number of recipes — such as the Sazerac or Ramos Gin Fizz — originated in New Orleans. When the weather is pleasant, boutique hotel bars on St. Charles are among the places to be.
— The Columns Hotel. This converted historic mansion has inviting outdoor seating beneath a sprawling canopy of massive live oaks and offers views off passing streetcars. A similar option is The Chloe, just four blocks down the avenue.
— Hot Tin. This bar is on the roof of the Pontchartrain Hotel — a few doors down from Mr. John's and just blocks away from Commander's Palace — and offers a panoramic view of New Orleans' skyline from the Superdome to the Crescent City Connection bridge.
— The Paradise Lounge. Located in the Hotel St. Vincent on Magazine Street, its dark wood and marble-top bar and tropical-themed wall paper make for an inviting place to meet friends for a drink in the Lower Garden District.
— Cure. Housed in a handsomely renovated building along the popular Freret Street corridor, Cure is committed to craft cocktails.
— Jewel of the South. This relatively new spot is drawing critical acclaim for its cocktail scene. It is a small, inventive restaurant on the edge of the French Quarter.
If you're looking for live music
— Frenchman Street, which begins where the French Quarter ends at Esplanade Avenue, has several bars or clubs showcasing live traditional and modern jazz, brass, blues, funk and other genres. One is Snug Harbor, among the more sophisticated Jazz spots in the city. DBA, virtually next door, and the Spotted Cat across the street offer multiple options within steps of one another.
— Tipitinas is one of the most revered music venues in town; it is Uptown near the river. Many of New Orleans' best known bands and musicians play there between dates booked with traveling, widely known acts.
— For a more intimate music scene, try the Maple Leaf on Oak Street (next door to Jacque-Imo's); Dos Jefes on Tchoupitoulas Street; or Bacchanal, a rustic wine shop deep in the Bywater with outdoor seating and performances by a regular rotation of musicians.
Some other attractions
— Audubon Park and City Park.
These are beloved public spaces filled with large oak trees adorned with dangling Spanish moss, as well as magnolia trees and subtropical vegetation. Joggers and walkers flock to both (as do migrating birds).
There are challenging public golf courses, as well as other attractions, contained within each of the parks. Audubon has the zoo, City Park has the New Orleans Museum of Art and Sculpture Garden, as well as paddle boats and the Children's Museum.
— Other museum favorites of New Orleans residents include the Ogden Museum of Southern Art and the World War II Museum.
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Hamilton Spectator
33 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Lebanon aims to lure back wealthy Gulf tourists to jumpstart its war-torn economy
BEIRUT (AP) — Fireworks lit up the night sky over Beirut's famous St. Georges Hotel as hit songs from the 1960s and 70s filled the air in a courtyard overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. The retro-themed event was hosted last month by Lebanon's Tourism Ministry to promote the upcoming summer season and perhaps recapture some of the good vibes from an era viewed as a golden one for the country. In the years before a civil war began in 1975, Lebanon was the go-to destination for wealthy tourists from neighboring Gulf countries seeking beaches in summer, snow-capped mountains in winter and urban nightlife year-round. In the decade after the war, tourists from Gulf countries – and crucially, Saudi Arabia – came back, and so did Lebanon's economy. But by the early 2000s, as the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah gained power, Lebanon's relations with Gulf countries began to sour. Tourism gradually dried up, starving its economy of billions of dollars in annual spending. Now, after last year's bruising war with Israel, Hezbollah is much weaker and Lebanon's new political leaders sense an opportunity to revitalize the economy once again with help from wealthy neighbors. They aim to disarm Hezbollah and rekindle ties with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries, which in recent years have prohibited their citizens from visiting Lebanon or importing its products . 'Tourism is a big catalyst, and so it's very important that the bans get lifted,' said Laura Khazen Lahoud, the country's tourism minister. On the highway leading to the Beirut airport, once-ubiquitous banners touting Hezbollah's leadership have been replaced with commercial billboards and posters that read 'a new era for Lebanon.' In the center of Beirut, and especially in neighborhoods that hope to attract tourists, political posters are coming down, and police and army patrols are on the rise. There are signs of thawing relations with some Gulf neighbors. The United Arab Emirates and Kuwait have lifted yearslong travel bans . All eyes are now on Saudi Arabia , a regional political and economic powerhouse, to see if it will follow suit, according to Lahoud and other Lebanese officials. A key sticking point is security, these officials say. Although a ceasefire with Israel has been in place since November, near-daily airstrikes have continued in southern and eastern Lebanon, where Hezbollah over the years had built its political base and powerful military arsenal. Tourism as a diplomatic and economic bridge As vital as tourism is — it accounted for almost 20% of Lebanon's economy before it tanked in 2019 — the country's leaders say it is just one piece of a larger puzzle they are trying to put back together. Lebanon's agricultural and industrial sectors are in shambles, suffering a major blow in 2021, when Saudi Arabia banned their exports after accusing Hezbollah of smuggling drugs into Riyadh. Years of economic dysfunction have left the country's once-thriving middle class in a state of desperation. The World Bank says poverty nearly tripled in Lebanon over the past decade , affecting close to half its population of nearly 6 million. To make matters worse, inflation is soaring, with the Lebanese pound losing 90% of its value, and many families lost their savings when banks collapsed. Tourism is seen by Lebanon's leaders as the best way to kickstart the reconciliation needed with Gulf countries — and only then can they move on to exports and other economic growth opportunities. 'It's the thing that makes most sense, because that's all Lebanon can sell now,' said Sami Zoughaib, research manager at The Policy Initiative, a Beirut-based think tank. With summer still weeks away, flights to Lebanon are already packed with expats and locals from countries that overturned their travel bans, and hotels say bookings have been brisk. At the event hosted last month by the tourism ministry, the owner of the St. Georges Hotel, Fady El-Khoury, beamed. The hotel, owned by his father in its heyday, has acutely felt Lebanon's ups and downs over the decades, closing and reopening multiple times because of wars. 'I have a feeling that the country is coming back after 50 years,' he said. On a recent weekend, as people crammed the beaches of the northern city of Batroun, and jet skis whizzed along the Mediterranean, local business people sounded optimistic that the country was on the right path. 'We are happy, and everyone here is happy,' said Jad Nasr, co-owner of a private beach club. 'After years of being boycotted by the Arabs and our brothers in the Gulf, we expect this year for us to always be full.' Still, tourism is not a panacea for Lebanon's economy, which for decades has suffered from rampant corruption and waste. Lebanon has been in talks with the International Monetary Fund for years over a recovery plan that would include billions in loans and require the country to combat corruption, restructure its banks, and bring improvements to a range of public services, including electricity and water. Without those and other reforms, Lebanon's wealthy neighbors will lack confidence to invest there, experts said. A tourism boom alone would serve as a 'morphine shot that would only temporarily ease the pain' rather than stop the deepening poverty in Lebanon, Zoughaib said. The tourism minister, Lahoud, agreed, saying a long-term process has only just begun. 'But we're talking about subjects we never talked about before,' she said. 'And I think the whole country has realized that war doesn't serve anyone, and that we really need our economy to be back and flourish again.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
From Pakistan to Spain via the Canaries, smugglers are using longer, more dangerous migration routes
DERA BAJWA, Pakistan (AP) — It was supposed to be the final leg of Amir Ali's monthslong journey to Europe. But he was nowhere near his destination, with only death in sight. The 21-year-old Pakistani had been promised a visa and a flight to Spain. Yet six months, four countries and $17,000 later, he found himself crammed in a fishing boat in the Atlantic Ocean alongside 85 others, screaming for their lives as seawater sloshed over the gunwales. Forty-four fellow Pakistani migrants perished during the 10-day failed crossing in January from Mauritania's coast toward Spain's Canary Islands . The deadly journey cast a spotlight on how globalized and sophisticated smuggling networks on the West African coast — and specifically Mauritania — have become. Interviews with survivors and relatives of migrants who died revealed how smugglers have adapted to tighter border controls and anti-migration policies across the Mediterranean and North Africa, resorting to lengthier, more dangerous routes. A journey that began 5,000 miles away Ali's odyssey began last July. After making an initial deposit of 600,000 Pakistani rupees ($2,127), he went to Karachi airport, where he was told to wait for a shift change before approaching the immigration counter. 'The smugglers had inside help,' he said. He and other migrants were swiftly put on a flight to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. From there Ali boarded a second flight to Dakar, Senegal, where he was told someone would be waiting for him. Instead, when he arrived he was told to go to the Senegal River bordering Mauritania, a seven-hour taxi ride north. He joined other Pakistanis traveling to the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott. In each country he passed through, bribes were demanded for visas, Ali said. Imran Iqbal, 42, took a similar journey. Like Ali, he flew from Karachi to Senegal via Ethiopia before reaching Mauritania. Other Pakistanis Iqbal met, he said, traveled through Kenya or Zimbabwe enroute to Mauritania. A monthslong waiting game Once in Mauritania, the migrants were taken to cramped safe houses where smugglers took their belongings and deprived them of food. 'Our passports, our money — everything,' Iqbal said. 'I was essentially held captive,' Ali said. During the six months Iqbal and Ali were in Mauritania, smugglers moved them repeatedly, beating them to extract more money. While he managed to get some money sent from Pakistan, Iqbal did not tell his family of his dire situation. 'Our parents, children, siblings ... they would've been devastated,' he said. Ali said the smugglers lied to their families in Pakistan, who asked about their whereabouts and questioned why they hadn't called from Spain. Finally, on Jan. 2, Iqbal, Ali and the other Pakistani migrants were transferred to an overcrowded boat that set course for Spain's Canary Islands. 'On the day of departure, 64 Pakistanis from various safe houses were brought to the port,' Ali recalled. 'The Mauritanian police and port officials, who were complicit, facilitated our transfer to the boats.' 'What followed were the hardest 15 days of my life,' Iqbal said. Mauritanian authorities have launched several investigations into smuggling networks and, in the past two months, heightened surveillance at the country's borders and ports, according to a Mauritanian embassy official in Madrid who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to comment publicly. The world's 'deadliest' migration route is only growing While migration to Europe has been falling steadily, the Atlantic Ocean crossing from West Africa to Spain's Canary Islands has reemerged since 2020. Nearly 47,000 people disembarked in the Canaries in 2024, an increase from the nearly 40,000 in 2023, according to Spanish Interior Ministry figures. Until recently, the route was mostly used by migrants from West African nations fleeing poverty or violence. But since last year, migrants from far-flung countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Yemen, Syria and Afghanistan have increasingly embarked on the fishing boats used to reach the European archipelago. Smugglers connect with migrants locally in Pakistan and elsewhere, as well as on social media. Migrants post videos of their voyages on TikTok. Although some warn of the dangers, they also share idyllic videos of life in Europe, from Canary Island beaches to the bustling streets of Barcelona and Madrid. For many, Spain is just an entry point for continuing to France, Italy and elsewhere. Chris Borowski, spokesperson for the European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex, believes smuggling networks bringing Pakistanis and other South Asian migrants through the Canaries are still 'testing the waters' to see how profitable it is. However, experts at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Crime warn the route is here to stay. 'With the conflict landscape showing no sign of improvement, movement on the Canary Islands route looks set to increase,' the group warned. 'Because it remains the deadliest migration route in the world, this has severe humanitarian implications.' The Atlantic Ocean crossing can take days or weeks. Dozens of boats have vanished. Exact figures don't exist, but the International Organization for Migration's Missing Migrants Project recorded at least 1,142 deaths and disappearances last year, a number it calls a vast understatement. Spanish rights group Walking Borders reported nearly 9,800 victims on the Canaries route last year — which would make it the world's deadliest migration route. Only a tiny fraction of bodies are ever recovered. Some shipwrecked vessels have appeared hundreds of thousands of miles away, in the Caribbean and South America. The boat Ali and Iqbal boarded had a 40-person capacity but was packed with more than double that. Immediately, there were fights between the Pakistanis and the Africans on board, they said. The Associated Press wasn't able to locate non-Pakistani survivors to verify the accusations, but reports of violence on the Canaries journey are frequent even among those of the same nationality and ethnicity. Dehydration can cause hallucinations, exacerbating tensions. 'The weather was terrible,' Ali said. 'As water entered the boat, the crew threw our belongings and food into the sea to keep the boat afloat.' On the fifth day, a man died of a heart attack, Ali and Iqbal said. More people perished every day, their bodies thrown overboard; while some died from hunger and thirst, the majority were killed. 'The crew attacked us with hammers, killing 15 in one night,' Ali said. Both men showed photos of injuries others sustained, although AP couldn't verify what caused them. 'The beatings were mostly to the head — so brutal that people started losing their sanity,' Iqbal said. They prayed for a merciful death, convinced they had little chance of survival. On the 10th night, after dozens had died, lights appeared on the horizon. They shouted for help. At daybreak, a fishing vessel approached, handing them food and water before eventually towing them to the West African coast two days later. Forty-four Pakistanis had died. 'Only twelve bodies returned to Pakistan,' Ali said. 'The rest were lost at sea.' Back at square one News of the failed journey made international headlines, prompting a pledge by Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari to go after smugglers. Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency has arrested dozens of people suspected of arranging the journey or connections to the smugglers. A nationwide crackdown was already underway, but smugglers change locations to evade capture. In Europe and Pakistan, smugglers who are caught are primarily low-level operatives, resulting in limited impact on the overall business. Staring at the mansions being built around his modest brick home in the Pakistani village of Dera Bajwa, Ali reflected on his wasted journey. 'These are the houses of those who made it abroad,' Ali said. 'People like me see them and dream without thinking.' ___ Brito reported from Barcelona, Spain. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
From Pakistan to Spain via the Canaries, smugglers are using longer, more dangerous migration routes
DERA BAJWA, Pakistan (AP) — It was supposed to be the final leg of Amir Ali's monthslong journey to Europe. But he was nowhere near his destination, with only death in sight. The 21-year-old Pakistani had been promised a visa and a flight to Spain. Yet six months, four countries and $17,000 later, he found himself crammed in a fishing boat in the Atlantic Ocean alongside 85 others, screaming for their lives as seawater sloshed over the gunwales. Forty-four fellow Pakistani migrants perished during the 10-day failed crossing in January from Mauritania's coast toward Spain's Canary Islands. The deadly journey cast a spotlight on how globalized and sophisticated smuggling networks on the West African coast — and specifically Mauritania — have become. Interviews with survivors and relatives of migrants who died revealed how smugglers have adapted to tighter border controls and anti-migration policies across the Mediterranean and North Africa, resorting to lengthier, more dangerous routes. A journey that began 5,000 miles away Ali's odyssey began last July. After making an initial deposit of 600,000 Pakistani rupees ($2,127), he went to Karachi airport, where he was told to wait for a shift change before approaching the immigration counter. 'The smugglers had inside help,' he said. He and other migrants were swiftly put on a flight to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. From there Ali boarded a second flight to Dakar, Senegal, where he was told someone would be waiting for him. Instead, when he arrived he was told to go to the Senegal River bordering Mauritania, a seven-hour taxi ride north. He joined other Pakistanis traveling to the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott. In each country he passed through, bribes were demanded for visas, Ali said. Imran Iqbal, 42, took a similar journey. Like Ali, he flew from Karachi to Senegal via Ethiopia before reaching Mauritania. Other Pakistanis Iqbal met, he said, traveled through Kenya or Zimbabwe enroute to Mauritania. A monthslong waiting game Once in Mauritania, the migrants were taken to cramped safe houses where smugglers took their belongings and deprived them of food. 'Our passports, our money — everything,' Iqbal said. 'I was essentially held captive,' Ali said. During the six months Iqbal and Ali were in Mauritania, smugglers moved them repeatedly, beating them to extract more money. While he managed to get some money sent from Pakistan, Iqbal did not tell his family of his dire situation. 'Our parents, children, siblings ... they would've been devastated," he said. Ali said the smugglers lied to their families in Pakistan, who asked about their whereabouts and questioned why they hadn't called from Spain. Finally, on Jan. 2, Iqbal, Ali and the other Pakistani migrants were transferred to an overcrowded boat that set course for Spain's Canary Islands. 'On the day of departure, 64 Pakistanis from various safe houses were brought to the port,' Ali recalled. 'The Mauritanian police and port officials, who were complicit, facilitated our transfer to the boats.' 'What followed were the hardest 15 days of my life," Iqbal said. Mauritanian authorities have launched several investigations into smuggling networks and, in the past two months, heightened surveillance at the country's borders and ports, according to a Mauritanian embassy official in Madrid who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to comment publicly. The world's 'deadliest' migration route is only growing While migration to Europe has been falling steadily, the Atlantic Ocean crossing from West Africa to Spain's Canary Islands has reemerged since 2020. Nearly 47,000 people disembarked in the Canaries in 2024, an increase from the nearly 40,000 in 2023, according to Spanish Interior Ministry figures. Until recently, the route was mostly used by migrants from West African nations fleeing poverty or violence. But since last year, migrants from far-flung countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Yemen, Syria and Afghanistan have increasingly embarked on the fishing boats used to reach the European archipelago. Smugglers connect with migrants locally in Pakistan and elsewhere, as well as on social media. Migrants post videos of their voyages on TikTok. Although some warn of the dangers, they also share idyllic videos of life in Europe, from Canary Island beaches to the bustling streets of Barcelona and Madrid. For many, Spain is just an entry point for continuing to France, Italy and elsewhere. Chris Borowski, spokesperson for the European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex, believes smuggling networks bringing Pakistanis and other South Asian migrants through the Canaries are still 'testing the waters' to see how profitable it is. However, experts at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Crime warn the route is here to stay. 'With the conflict landscape showing no sign of improvement, movement on the Canary Islands route looks set to increase,' the group warned. 'Because it remains the deadliest migration route in the world, this has severe humanitarian implications." The Atlantic Ocean crossing can take days or weeks. Dozens of boats have vanished. Exact figures don't exist, but the International Organization for Migration's Missing Migrants Project recorded at least 1,142 deaths and disappearances last year, a number it calls a vast understatement. Spanish rights group Walking Borders reported nearly 9,800 victims on the Canaries route last year — which would make it the world's deadliest migration route. Only a tiny fraction of bodies are ever recovered. Some shipwrecked vessels have appeared hundreds of thousands of miles away, in the Caribbean and South America. The boat Ali and Iqbal boarded had a 40-person capacity but was packed with more than double that. Immediately, there were fights between the Pakistanis and the Africans on board, they said. The Associated Press wasn't able to locate non-Pakistani survivors to verify the accusations, but reports of violence on the Canaries journey are frequent even among those of the same nationality and ethnicity. Dehydration can cause hallucinations, exacerbating tensions. 'The weather was terrible,' Ali said. 'As water entered the boat, the crew threw our belongings and food into the sea to keep the boat afloat.' On the fifth day, a man died of a heart attack, Ali and Iqbal said. More people perished every day, their bodies thrown overboard; while some died from hunger and thirst, the majority were killed. 'The crew attacked us with hammers, killing 15 in one night,' Ali said. Both men showed photos of injuries others sustained, although AP couldn't verify what caused them. 'The beatings were mostly to the head — so brutal that people started losing their sanity,' Iqbal said. They prayed for a merciful death, convinced they had little chance of survival. On the 10th night, after dozens had died, lights appeared on the horizon. They shouted for help. At daybreak, a fishing vessel approached, handing them food and water before eventually towing them to the West African coast two days later. Forty-four Pakistanis had died. 'Only twelve bodies returned to Pakistan," Ali said. "The rest were lost at sea.' Back at square one News of the failed journey made international headlines, prompting a pledge by Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari to go after smugglers. Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency has arrested dozens of people suspected of arranging the journey or connections to the smugglers. A nationwide crackdown was already underway, but smugglers change locations to evade capture. In Europe and Pakistan, smugglers who are caught are primarily low-level operatives, resulting in limited impact on the overall business. Staring at the mansions being built around his modest brick home in the Pakistani village of Dera Bajwa, Ali reflected on his wasted journey. 'These are the houses of those who made it abroad," Ali said. 'People like me see them and dream without thinking." ___ Brito reported from Barcelona, Spain.
