Pakistan - 11 to 19 October 2008

Asalaam aleikim and welcome to a relatively new country that has only been in existence since 1947 when the British drew a line through the subcontinent on its independence separating Pakistan and India. The land and culture dates back to ancient (2500BC) sophisticated Indus valley societies until the collapse of their civilisation and then centuries of conquest – first the Aryans in 1500BC then Alexander and the Buddhist Mauryas, followed by numerous tribes until the Arabs brought along Islam in the 8 th century. The Muslim Mughal dynasty from central Asia were the undisputed masters of the subcontinent from the 16 th century to the 1800's when their large empire became overstretched and Britain deposed the last ruler. This ethnically diverse country has Urdu as its official language (although less than 10% Pakistanians speak it as a first language) and is primarily an agricultural society known for their hospitality.

On our arrival in the deserted town of Taftan from Iran, the custom officials were the first to demonstrate this by insisting that we spend the night on their premises and allowing us use of their computers to check up on mail with numerous offerings of delicious sweet milky tea called ‘dood chai', culminating in a spicy dinner of tikka barbecued chicken, rice, curry veg and even desert – a fitting celebration for Gary's birthday! After spending the first night in their secure area we were up before daybreak to tackle Balochistan's bleak, forbidding terrain to Quetta .

This desert was only interrupted by sights of nomadic people and the odd village that seemed stuck in another begotten era with mud dwellings and ‘holes' that serve chai, sell produce and other services amidst the chaos of motorcycles, animal driven carts and general mayhem and poverty. Between Daldandin and Quetta after about 400km, the first of our hurdles in a region known for its conflict and safety concerns happened. Tipperdee had a front right tyre burst which with a loud bang and smoke, jolted Gary into a frantic realization and reaction that thankfully brought the 4.2 ton van to a safe stop. With our nerves settled and tyre changed, we continued, still hopeful of reaching the safer province capital but after just a few km's on this bad road which often is a single lane tarred potholed surface with crazy drivers, a bigger problem occurred. Swerving to avoid oncoming traffic, the sharp stones on the verge sliced through both left tyres and with one spare left, GR1 was stranded. With the help of a local (Reaaz) who just appeared from no-where, GR3 attempted a repair at a nearby village where the owner spent most of the time asleep. Incredibly, they were not allowed to wake him up and most of the time was spent waiting for him to wake up - hard to believe, but true, but the tyre only remained inflated until it was fitted! In the interim Gary plugged the better of the 2 tyres with a tyre repair kit that at least could take Tipperdee to a rural hamlet of clay homes a km away where Reaaz offered us a place for the night. As dusk had crept up on us by now we were happy to stay among the locals (none of whom could speak English) who surrounded us just staring! But they were true to their Islamic values, providing us with a safe haven, even paratha and a chicken spicy stew and facilities for a bucket shower albeit the total darkness in the bathroom – this the children claimed, was their best shower - these are the experiences that enrich a journey!

We left early the next morning wary of more drama which unfolded after ½ hour. The temporary repair kit did not hold and Dean had to ride to Nushki 20km away to purchase a 2 nd hand tyre that although a different size, took us to Quetta. En route we passed within 50km of the Afghanistan border and witnessed many refugee tented camps and nomadic settlements in an otherwise bleak yet starkly beautiful heavy going terrain.

Quetta was a typical wild frontier town of dust and undesirable activity - a real treat for the senses and cameras! Again we stumbled upon friendly folk – this time an ex South African young man (Osama Ali) who has been living here with his family for 15 years! With their generosity and contacts we had a free stay at the comfortable Lourdes Hotel – thanks Myra ! The next day Osama assisted with the purchase of a new tyre and rim – our only spare! With his friend Janan, we all headed off to a hill station, Ziarat, about 120km east at an altitude of 2600m. Janan has an apple and cherry orchard in this valley and we spent the next 2 days at his home being spoilt rotten. A lovely retreat from all our problems and we spent time playing cricket, partying and were served with different Pakistani dishes like chicken tikka, karhai and also banjan, while lounging lazily on plush cushions in the garden. Dean then joined the tyre drama the next morning with a flat due to a cracked rim which we tubed en route to an overnight camping excursion into the nearby Zizri jungle of juniper forests. What a challenging off road drive this turned out to be and we were praying all the way that the tyres would hold! That evening after a delicious supper and putting the kids to bed in the vans, we all decided to congregate in their tent for some more ‘partying' but soon found ourselves drenched to the bone. The rain started pouring down and a sudden gust of wind blew the fly sheet off the tent leaving us stuck inside with water streaming in all over – luckily we were in the right frame of mind! We had to remain like this for quite a while until the rain subsided before the girls decided to head out to the vans. Luckily the storm lasted a mere thirty minutes and once we re-grouped, Osama entertained us with his vocal talents for the remainder of the evening. By morning most of the hail that covered the ground had melted away - our morning was spent laying out all wet items in the sun, enjoying French toast for breakfast and gazing at the views from the cliffs, a fifteen minute walk from our camp - all in all we had an incredible time!! On our way back to Janan's home (with live chicken in Dean car for the evening meal), we popped into the Quaid-i-Azam Residence, for a short visit. The founder of Pakistan , Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the Quaid-i-Azam (Great Leader), spent his final days at this former residency of the agent to the governor general, which survives to this day; with furniture left as it was when he died in 1948. That evening with squealing kids, the chicken was slaughtered and a fabulous meal was enjoyed by all!

The worst thing about meeting such lovely people is that you have to say goodbye sometime and on the 17 th with a packed breakfast of rootis and dahl, we sadly continued east via Loralai and across the Suleiman Mountains when darkness was upon us. The road had been terrible with us off road most of the time in sand and slow traffic but with quite entertaining towns en route. Dean also suffered a 2nd puncture. Exhausted from the few heavy nights and 9 hours of continuous driving and praying that the tyres would hold, we hit an army check point after entering the Punjab Province . We were apparently in a rather dangerous area close to Pakistan 's nuclear site and were forced to continue with an army escort for a further 150km, arriving in Multan by midnight. We spent the night in the vehicles at a police station and just managed to see the gate of Qasim Bagh Fort and one of Multan 's many shrines before being whisked off under armed escort to Lahore. The mausoleum of the Sufi saint, Sheik Rukn - I–Alain is an impressive mughal red brick octagonal structure supporting a massive spired dome and contains the saint's draped tomb in this state from 1334! Our visit was short, but interesting and when we arrived back at the vehicles, we were surprised to find that the high-lift Jack from GR3 was nearly stolen and that someone had climbed through the window and gained entry into the van - nothing was taken but it did leave us with a rather a bitter taste in our mouths.

The relay of escorts every 30 – 40km all the way to Lahore was a well oiled unit as we didn't even need to stop for changes and we did the 320km in 6 hours. Lahore was busy and polluted and although more structured with treed boulevards, there were similar scenes of poverty and chaos off the main roads especially in the old city. Our police escorts proved a blessing taking us through the chaotic traffic to a hotel for the next 2 nights. A slight reprieve for the kids to watch T.V for a change and to do some laundry in the bath!

Our penultimate day in Pakistan was to immerse ourselves in the monuments that once were the Mughal Empire. An exciting auto-rickshaw trip from our hotel and we were in Igbal Park witnessing typical daily life around the Minar-i-Pakistan with vendors selling food to cricket games been played in every direction. This 60m tower commemorates the signing of the Pakistan resolution in 1910 which paved the way for the founding of the country. On our way to the old city we were fortunate to walk through a Sikh Temple – the Gurdwara of Arjan Dev, the 5 th guru of Sikhism and the Samadhi (shrine) of Maharaj Ranjit Singh, the founder of the Sikh empire. Very different architecture and approach to religion – even the males had to cover their heads! Badshadi Mosque, completed in 1674 and the last of the moghals architectural flings was a magnificent red sandstone structure with 3 vast marble domes and a huge courtyard that can hold 100 000 people. The museum above the entrance houses relics of the Prophet Mohammed – even some of his hair! Lahore Fort was the star attraction despite being damaged and restored several times before been given its current form in 1566 by Emperor Akbar. Within its walls is a succession of stately palaces, reception halls and gardens built by successive mughal emperors. Our guide painted a picture of how decadent their lives were – from entering the fort on elephant through the colossal Alamgiri gate to their accommodation in marble pavilions studded with precious stones and palaces of mirrors set into the stucco interior. The rest of the old city sprawled below the fort in a tangle of twisting alleyways where we stumbled upon the Golden Mosque and the crumbling 17 th century Mosque of Wazir Khan. Our final experiences of Pakistan was to savour the atmosphere in the crazy Anarkali bazaar and typical spicy Pakistani food at Tabaq restaurant – tantalizing! GR3 headed for the Shalimar Gardens , built by Shah Jahan in the 17 th century. The gardens were a tad run down, but it still proved to be a worthwhile visit - providing them with some great pics and some time to chill out on the lawns. Before long, it was time to head back to the hotel. The evening they decided to visit a ‘family' restaurant across the road for their last Pakistani meal and needed to find a recipe book for Pakistani dishes as this could not be their last!!!

By 2pm on the 20 October, our police escort accompanied us to the Wagah border and the efficient crossing to Attari , India. At sunset we joined the pumped-up patriots singing and dancing at the fascinating border closing ceremony where Pakistani and Indian soldiers try to out stomp and out salute each other with outlandish even comical Monty Python moves as the crowd cheer ‘Pakistan' and ‘Hindustan' from the grandstands – this has been carrying on since 1948 and the Indian side can hold up to 20 000 people!!

What a fitting finale to hospitable Pakistan – unfortunately security concerns curtailed our exploring its diverse culture and landscape in the north of the country. Although the poverty, hard-line Islamic values in certain areas and crush on humanity in urban hubs can overwhelm you, the warm-hearted people make travel through this challenging country worthwhile. Our initial 4 day rush route had turned out to be quite a memorable and enjoyable 10 days - making our journey through Pakistan an enlightening experience and one that will be etched in our memories forever!

‘Shukriyaa' to all the Pakistanis for their kindness and ‘kudaa haafiz' from the Globeriders!

BACK TO TOP OF DIARY