As we drove through the city we couldn’t help but notice the crazy driving antics of the locals. Everybody just drives all over the place and beeps constantly. Not for the faint-hearted (Sara!). The next crazy thing was the local buses decorated to the nines, multicoloured designs, tassels, the lot. The hippies would be proud...!
After checking into our hotel the first thing we did was head to the beach, where there was the very welcoming sight of MacDonald’s. Mmm. So, after we all filled our bellies, we headed towards the shore to find an entourage of camels awaiting our arrival. Most of us decided it was a good idea to go for a bumpy ride across the beach, which gave us all a good laugh!
Later that night we decided to go for a group meal on Barbeque Tonight rooftop restaurant. It was a delicious buffet of local food, spicy to say the least! After getting back to the hotel we all enjoyed a cold beer (well deserved after the six-day drought in Iran! Seriously!)
The next morning we headed for the town of Multan. Here we picked up an army of policemen armed with loaded machine guns and the works. They were apparently there for security purposes, but to be honest they just caused more of a hassle than anything else. When we arrived at our hotel they had the whole street closed off and no other guests were allowed to use the hotel just because we were there. A bit much, if you ask us! In saying that, though, they were all friendly, and just making sure nothing went wrong for us.
Our next stop was the city of Lahore where we had three days to wander and explore the city however we pleased. Some of us visited a fort, a museum and a mosque in the first morning, which was interesting, while some of the others chilled out in the hotel watching movies, a privilege we don’t have most of the time! In the evening the group went to Wagha on the Pakistan/India border to watch the flag-changing ceremony between the two countries. The atmosphere was brilliant and it was hilarious to see the over-the-top marching (think the 'Ministry of Silly Walks'!!) and the locals on each side chanting for their countries, really enjoyed by all!
The second day we visited Lahore Zoo. The animals were really cute, but it was really sad to see them kept in such confined spaces, especially in the heat. The third day we wandered up and down the streets in the scorching heat, did some shopping in the local mall, played some air hockey at the local arcade and in the evening we ventured to the bazaar and the Liberty Market where we did more shopping! Girls will be girls!
Overall, we loved Pakistan and all it has to offer. The people were so friendly and generally really inquisitive. We posed for so many pictures, we felt like celebs by the time we were leaving! It's a place we’d all recommend tourists to visit. Despite what we hear on the news and read in the papers, it is a lovely place to visit and has so much culture to offer, as well as being really cheap -- which always helps!
Next on our list is India, which we're sure will have plenty to keep us entertained. So until then ...
Jacinta, Emily, Sara.
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