The Beginning

Sadly, holiday season is over. Or is it?

I finished my 3 week journey across Pakistan after travelling about 6,200 KM which is according to my standard a long one. Time spent with two of my great friends during this trip was one of the best, although we only agree to disagree on every EVERY thing in life but still we had a blast. Non-religious drinks for once took a back seat and I possibly just had 3 blurred nights. NOT BAD AT ALL.

I had no route plan but a book about Pakistan written by some English guy, printed by some English publisher and obviously read by English men by the way we call them Gora's which means a foreigner. So was I a foreigner in my own country? Yes, indeed I was.

I started off from Karachi and spent the night in Sukker, a guest house called decent guest house arranged by my Dads subordinate in that city and believe me he could have given me his daughter for the night but obviously that was his culture(not the daughter giving part). He would do anything for his beloved guests. At night, to get rid of my host I had to pretend that I am sleepy, after begging him to leave I called my friends cousin in town....PARTY TIME!!!! he came to pick me up with the same zeal as of my host but a bit bearable...I was taken to his friends Autak(Men only lounge), where I met plenty of people who all were extremely friendly, to my amazement 2 were playing chess, two or 3 were starting a game of Ludo and I was offered to play cards. I learned their game within 5 mins and started giving them a tough time. Then one poor soul asked me do you drink? before I could answer ye....he said obviously you do....next question was do you pop E and next which DJ you like....to my surprise that guy was Tiesto and E fan, he was a graduate but now married and looking after his dads agricultural land, some may call him feudal lord, which her agreed to after few joints, about 15 joints were rolled in my honour....although I am an occasional smoker of heavenly joints but 15 joins for 4 people hmmm interesting....next stop was Truck station for tea and to get there we had to pass a small stretch of highway...obviously their cars were pimped up and it called for a drag race...don't remember who won.

Next day we had to leave for Multan but with a small pit stop at my friends village to check his beloved ammunition. 3 Ak47, Uzi, Pump action, Beretta...you name it he had it....on our way we saw brutal cock fight and at the end we had a wood fire cooked meal....which included rice bread I never had that before....from there I left around 2pm as we were instructed to pass province of Sindh within day light as it was not safe at night. We reached Multan around 11 pm after dodging 1 meter visibility fog and 50 km stretch of so called road. 

p.s. We = Me and my brother.

cont...

Kewra salt Mine

Worlds second largest salt mine, quite unexpected stop over between Islamabad and Lahore.

non Islam-abad

The name has got religious significance but nothing religious about the city except Faisal Mosque. I stayed there for quite a few days but did not hear a single call for prayer(Azan), which in very unlikely Pakistan where most of the Mula's would prefer to cover whole of Pakistan with their voice. Favourite past time of the city is to go approx. 4000 feet on mountain to have food or just sit home with a glass of non-religious beverage.

Islamabad was made for foreigners and not for Pakistanis, while driving you stay in your lane, stop at every signal, let others pass, minimal use of horn etc. but right next to Islamabad is the city which will give you true essence of Pakistan. Rawalpindi, it is a maze of bazaars and highly coordinated traffic chaos.