Adek's Ten Days In Pakistan: Part III

Wednesday, 25 December 2019

I woke up at 06:00 for prayers and stayed awake thereafter. The WiFi connection didn’t improve, if anything it seemed to be worse.

I rang for breakfast and had to wait more than 45 minutes before it was delivered to my room (yes, delivered to guests). Three slices of toast, two hardboiled eggs, milk tea in a small pot, butter and jam and it took them 48 minutes to prepare? Oh well. After breakfast, I went to the reception and asked if I could change rooms. I went to inspect two other rooms (one had no wardrobe and no chairs either while the other room was on the upper floor) and finally I decided to stay put. I did ask them to send someone to clean the room while I was out, explaining there was dust everywhere and hair on the floor.

Saaj, my British Pakistani friend, had told me he would try arrange for a female guide for me but as there was no update on that, I decided to take an Uber Motor to the Walled City. It was a cold ride, I had to ride sideways (all ladies have to ride sideways on motorcycles over there), and it took about 20 minutes to get there but he dropped me at the wrong place (behind the Walled City). It was pretty deserted there except for the occasional men walking about and I was aware that I was the only girl walking all by her self. There was dust everywhere, dry mud, rubbish and whatnot and as I walked, I wondered why on earth the Uber driver dropped me where he did when he pulled up next to me and gestured for me to get on the bike again. He then brought me to the main road and told me to walk around the corner. I thanked him and walked on. It was a cold day and felt even colder because of the fog. At least in Islamabad, Taxila, Mardan and Thakt-i-Bahi, the sun came out and the skies were blue so I didn’t feel cold during the day but I felt cold throughout my stay in Lahore because the sun did not penetrate the fog at all and it was even colder in my room.

I came to Greater Iqbal Park and entered it and walked on until I reached the entrance to the Walled City. You have to walk past a security gate, separate lanes for men and women please. I headed for the Lahore Fort and Badshahi Mosque. I didn’t feel like taking off my shoes so I didn’t enter the mosque. Then I headed for the main gate and paid PKR500 for entrance. I was beginning to think that this is a flat rate for foreigners anywhere and everywhere in Pakistan. I spent almost an hour exploring and had many selfie requests too.

I left and pondered my options before approaching the stall owner at the exit to ask if he could help get an Uber ride for me. His business partner came and helped me. And then a family man also stopped to ask if he could help me. Alhamdulillah. The Uber car arrived about 15 minutes later and along the way back to the hotel, I spotted a Sightseeing Lahore Bus which I later found is ran by the Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab.

Before returning to my room, I decided to explore the neighbourhood in search of a grocery store. However, none of the hotel staff at the reception seemed to understand what supermarket, mini market, convenience store are. I walked out anyway and at a shopping complex selling mainly silk materials, asked the guards where the mini market was. I then followed their directions to a roundabout only to find that mini market means shops encircling the roundabout. I finally bought water from a small corner shop.

I spent the rest of the day in my room (and no, it wasn’t cleaned in my absence!), half freezing to death. I also did some search on the Sightseeing Lahore Bus and attempted to send a message to the TDCP but they took their time to respond.

Thursday, 26 December 2019

I woke up for morning prayers and attempted to shower but it only trickled cold water so I had a quick cleanup. It took 48 minutes again to get breakfast served today. If you’re starving, you’d do well to order it an hour before and not wait until you feel the hunger pangs After breakfast, I went to get an Uber Motor to Shalimar Garden, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It took about 20 minutes to get there and I was shocked when I got there as the sidewalks outside the Gardens were dusty and dirty with rubbish.

I paid, yes you got it, PKR500 to enter the Gardens and spent almost an hour in there. The Gardens looked mainly unkempt and neglected.

I left and took an auto rickshaw to the railway station to find out the train times to Wagah border. I had missed the 11:00 train and the next train was scheduled for 16:15 which I thought was too late to see the border ceremony. I then waited and waited around the train station until I finally got an auto rickshaw driver who could understand me somewhat to bring me back to the hotel. I stayed in for the rest of the day. It was just as cold outside as it was indoors and I might as well just stay in away from the dust and cold. The TDCP also has buses to Wagah border but only on Fridays to Sundays and I was already leaving Lahore on Friday evening. And you need to book a day in advance for a round-trip tour of the city but they didn’t have it that day and when I asked if they had one the following day, I never received a reply.

Friday, 27 December 2019

I woke up and had to drag myself out of bed. I went into the bathroom and was surprised to find there was hot water today so I showered first before performing prayers. I only had to wait 30 minutes for breakfast to arrive today. I spent the whole morning in my room.

I checked out at 13:40 and sat in the lobby before venturing out for almost an hour. I then returned to the lobby and read my book. I had some argument with the motel in Karachi as the single room I’d booked was apparently not confirmed (only reserved, according to the asshole from the motel). I was to stay in a double room tonight and change rooms tomorrow.

I arranged for Uber to come and the driver arrived at 16:50. It took 25 minutes to reach the airport. I had visions of long queues with people cutting queues but Alhamdulilah, the queues were short. I performed prayers after dropping off my bag before going through security check. The airport looked old and the schedules were on the split-flap display. 

I boarded the plane at 18:45 and it was a good thing I checked one of the few screens near the gate because the gate displayed on my boarding pass was different from that announced. We took off on time. PIA served briyani, a very hot and spicy one it was too but I still ate it. That was my dinner sorted, Alhamdulillah.

We landed at Karachi International Airport at 21:00 and it took six minutes to taxi to the gate. This time, my bag was out not too long after I arrived at the carousel. I had help again from a man to arrange Uber for me as I couldn’t log in to the airport’s WiFi. I waited a while for the driver and was about to get a taxi when I heard my name called. He had parked and come to get me. Bless him.

I arrived at the motel about 20 minutes later and checked in. I had to pay for my stay there and then and the difference between one I night’s stay in a double room compared to a single room. The so-called deluxe double room was a joke. The fan was flying at full speed and you couldn’t control the speed. If you switch it off like I did just before falling asleep, you’d hear all the chatter and traffic noise.

To be continued

Adek's Ten Days In Pakistan: Part II

Monday, 23 December 2019

I woke up at 3 something and just couldn’t sleep thereafter. Breakfast was served late again, after 08:15. I hurriedly had breakfast then took a Careem car to Daewoo Express Bus Terminal. I arrived Daewoo Express Bus Terminal at 08:53 and after searching for change to pay the driver (fare was PKR270), I rushed to the ticket counter only to be told there was no 09:00 bus to Mardan even though when I checked as recently as the preceding Friday that there was supposed to be such service.

As I was already there, I checked the schedules and proceeded to buy tickets to Jhelum (PKR430) for the following morning and from Jhelum to Lahore (PKR600). Then I asked the terminal manager my options and was advised to check if Faisal Movers (another coach operator) had a service to Mardan. I hailed a tuktuk to get there for PKR50. A couple of friendly locals came over and advised me to take a shared van. They then took me to a tuktuk and told the driver to bring me to bus stop no. 26 from where I could take the shared van to Mardan. The van was already there when I arrived and I squeezed into and was in turn squeezed in my seat in the van. Ugh. These people sure have no concept of personal space! We left at 09:47 and arrived in Mardan about two hours later. We passed towns and large spaces of vacant land. The lorries there are very colourful, not unlike those in India when I was last there. There was also a toll booth and just before we reached Mardan, there was a security post that all vehicles had to stop at.

I immediately noticed that Mardan was a more conservative town compared to Islamabad and I felt acutely that I was the sole girl travelling all by herself. I decided I would pretend I was an ignorant foreigner who wasn’t aware of the local custom. After a while, I was approached by a group of men offering their taxi service. I then took a taxi to Takht-i-Bahi, bargaining the fare from PKR1,000 one way to PKR1,500 return. We arrived Takht-i-Bahi at 12:10 and I paid PKR500 for the ticket. Foreigners have to pay so much more as usual and I was beginning to think that PKR500 was the standard ticket price for foreigners at any tourist site. We had to climb up many stairs to the ruins and after that climb, I was determined to venture around the site. We stayed for an hour.

We arrived back at the van area in Mardan at 14:05 and I immediately got into the van bound for Rawalpindi. Thankfully it didn’t take long to fill up the van. We left at 14:20 and again I was squeezed in my seat, this time by a mother with four kids who were happy to eat and litter in the van. There were seven of us in the front row alone. Seriously, I kid you not. The fare was again PKR300.

We arrived in Rawalpindi at about 16:30 and a man helped me negotiate the fare with a cabbie who took me back to my hotel for PKR300. I arrived in my room just in time to perform afternoon prayers. Alhamdulillah.

I paid for my stay tonight and informed the owner that I would be leaving early the next morning as I had to catch the 08:00 bus to Jhelum. He offered me breakfast despite it usually being served after 08:00 and I gratefully accepted. Alhamdulillah.

Tuesday, 24 December 2019

I woke up early this morning and was ready with my things all packed up when the owner came bearing breakfast at 06:55. It then took us 15 minutes to arrange a ride and finally I got one on Uber. I arrived at Daewoo Express Bus Terminal at 07:45 and went to ask which bus I should board. It turned out to be the first bus I asked and I was so surprised that I asked again to confirm (my luck has always been I would get the last room in the far end of the corridor that kind of thing). We were ready to leave at 08:00 but eventually left at 08:06, no thanks to some late passengers.

Thirty minutes into the trip, we hit a thick fog and the foggy condition lasted throughout the day and the next few days I was in Lahore. We reached Jhelum at 10:30 and after asking if I could leave my bag at the office (the kind man at the counter immediately said yes) and using the facilities, I left to find a taxi. I was surprised there weren’t any unlike in Mardan and after trying to converse with some auto rickshaw drivers, a bloke came up and advised me to take a local bus back to Dina which we had passed 16km earlier. So I started walking towards the general direction of the bus stop and what do you know, one came along and stopped. I asked if it was going to Dina and was told yes. As usual I had to contend with people staring at me and the conductor saying to some passengers that I was from China. I corrected him of course. Funny how the locals always seemed surprised when I told them I was a Muslim despite how I dressed.

Just before Dina, I happened to see a sign for Rohtas Fort and I went down and walked back to the junction. A girl was alighting from a shared van and we both approached the only auto rickshaw there. It turned out she spoke good English and was also heading the same direction so we shared the rickshaw until she arrived at her village. She also helped to speak to the rickshaw driver who spoke only Punjabi. I was sure she was my guardian angel.

We arrived at the Fort just before 11:30 and I went in after paying the usual PKR500 for the ticket. I spent almost an hour there. It was only when I was in Lahore when I found out from Saaj, my British Pakistani friend, that the Fort used to be overrun by dakoits or bandits. There were loads of them there and it was their hideout and even the authorities did not dare to venture there as it was deemed too dangerous O.O! Whoa! Alhamdulillah, nothing untoward happened to me. I met up with the rickshaw driver who brought me to a bus and van stop in Dina and from there I took a shared van back to the Daewoo terminal in Jhelum. I then performed prayers at a nearby mosque. Alhamdulillah.

The bus for Lahore left Jhelum at 14:04 and stopped at two other stations. I had expected to reach Lahore after 3.5 hours or at least 4 hours after taking into account the traffic but we only pulled into the Lahore station at 19:04. I had chatted with my neighbour in the bus and followed her take a local bus to Kalma Chowk which is nearer to Gulberg where my hotel was. The bus was clean and modern. It took only 20 minutes to reach Kalma Chowk and I was amazed at the roads in Lahore. They’re definitely more orderly and systematic in Lahore.

It took a while to get my next ride to the hotel and after two cancellations, we managed to secure an auto rickshaw. I arrived at the hotel at 20:30. I had to pay for my stay upon checking in and was not happy to be led to the back of the property where my room was because I had to walk through a work-in-progress area. I was less than happy to find, after settling in, that the room was dusty with hair from the previous guest, no hangers in the wardrobe, blanket which was too thin for winter and very slow WiFi. After Khyber Lodge 2, this hotel sure paled in comparison!

I was in bed by 23:00 and somehow managed to sleep in the cold atmosphere.

To be continued