Day 56 to 58 Lahore to Islamabad 23rd till 25th Aug 09

Awoke about 0330hrs to wake the hotel guy up so he could unlock the door so that we could go for our Sahur (or Sabah in Shina language). Didn’t take us long to wake him up and we followed him to the food stall just across the hotel. We arrived at the shop and was greeted by the supervisor or boss and told us what was available. I ordered a potato and egg curry with roti (naan) and Ramli ordered at beef pattie with roti.

The food was served and mine was quite tasteless and Ramli’s beef pattie was minced up and cooked like corn beef. It tasted good even the hotel guy couldn’t stop eating it.. Hehehhee at first the shop was quite empty but after a while more and more people came and of course all of them are men… Seems the women are really not allowed to get out of the house and as a woman I felt really bad for them. Anyway we finished our food which only costs a total of Pkr190 = SGD3.333 for 3 pax is really cheap. Before we left the hotel guy was asking Ramli if he needed to go to the nearby masjid for prayer, as his English wasn’t good they way he acted out for us in a rather funny way but I guess this is the best way he could show it. He would say “you go Allahu akbar ? with both hands raising up to his ears and resting it at his waist each time and pointing to the masjid just round the corner”. Ramli asked if there is prayer area for women and he seem not sure so we headed back to the hotel to do our solat instead.

The power cut so many times we didn’t get a good rest the whole night cause the room do not have any windows and it was really stuffy and hot. But still we manage to sleep till 1100hrs+ woke up and packed up to get ready to go to Islamabad. Ramli was having a major stomache but was reluctant to go to sleep cause the power again was not on and he knew if he went and took the shower at the same time he would come back ending up sweating again. But after about 10mins he gave up and went to shower and do his big business.

About 15mins later he came back with a long face saying that there is no water.. I was like ermmm no water? And asked if he checked the toilet upstairs ? He went up and came down rinse off the soap before and said that was the last of the water available. Alamak and I have not even bath yet and it was almost 1200hrs and we need to check out. So I went out and asked the guy what happened and he told me maybe wait for 1 hour there will be water. So we waited in the extremely hot room for about an hour… Still no water… Waited another 1.5hrs still no water and each time I would approach the hotel guy to check. So finally I guess he got the message that I really need to take a shower he went and checked the pipes and told me that there isn’t any water and he don’t know the reason why and worst it was a Sunday so no one is working …I was getting furious by now and asked him if I could use the clean water he kept upstairs in the drum for the washing machine… He said okay okay.. So finally I could take my shower and leave for the bus station.

Our ride.. Niazi Express

We arrived at the bus station at about 1430hrs and bought the bus tickets for the 4.5hrs ride to Islamabad which will leave at 1500hrs. We stood around waiting and finally it was time to board. While looking for our seats in the air conditioned bus we saw a old man with a young lady which seems like his grand daughter also looking for their seats. When we all settled down the old man came over and offer us some water which we decline saying we are fasting. And he was quite embarrassed and said in urdu that he is not feeling well and on medication that is why he aren’t fasting.. So we told a guy to help translate and told him it is okay we understand. He shake Ramli’s hands and held my head like how he would do to his daughters or grand childrens.. I don’t know how to express my feelings but I felt really loved somehow even though he was only a stranger.

The bus left and we were on our way to Islamabad. When the bus came to the motorway both of us was in awe!! The motorway was so well constructed with no ditches and humps or rubbish or any dusts.. It looks just like roads in Singapore we are sooo surprised that we could be able to find such clean and well constructed motorway in Pakistan.. Good job!! After about 1hr the bus stopped for toilet and solat break.

I went to the toilet and was surprised yet again as it is so clean and the stalls there and the design is just like the stops on the Malaysia highways but better. Too bad we couldn’t eat anything so we just looked.

Finally the bus arrived at Islamabad about 1930hrs, we bought water just in case we couldn’t make it for buka and took a taxi to the hotel. While on the way we could hear the adzan and so we broke our fast and offered the taxi driver some water too as it seems he has forgotten to break his fast.

Checked into the hotel and went searching for food nearby as the restaurant in the hotel is close. We had chicken karahi at the coffee shop with briyani rice.. The rice was tasty but the chicken karahi couldn’t bit the one we tasted at old Lahore.. Sigh ..Got some water and instant noodles for sahur and went back to the hotel to rest for the night.

Day 57 Islamabad 24^th Aug 09

We woke up about at about 0400hrs to cook the instant noodles and some Teh O. Had our sahur and after solat went back to bed planning to wake up at about 0900hrs to go to Taxila for some sight seeing.

We only awoke at about 1100hrs so it was too late and so we decided to go to Rawalpindi to stay another night before we head to Gilgit into the mountains. The hotel had a check out time at 1400hrs so we took our time and pack up and got prepared.

After we took a taxi and arrived at Rawalpindi at about 0300hrs and went around looking for a hotel to stay for the night. The first we went was Hotel Kamran we went in and saw 2 men sitting at the reception whom seems to be oblivious of our arrival. Ramli went into the reception area stood there and they continued talking to themselves and didn’t acknowledge our presence.. We felt so weird as so far we haven’t met a unfriendly Pakistani yet.. Ramli asked if they had a double room available. They said something to each other and finally one stood up and walk over to the counter and ask where we were from and told us there is no room available.. We were curious as we saw that there were so many room keys hanging at the counter but thought since they don’t want business we will just go. We walked over to another hotel Al-falah and went up to check and was expecting the same treatment. But the guy said there was room and requested to see our passport. He checked our visa and told us we couldn’t stay here cause they are in the Cantt area and our visa has a chop stating “not valid for Cantt area”.. hmmmm so we left and decided that we will try our luck to get a bus to Gilgit instead since they wont accept us in Rawalpindi and this city has not much to see…

Luckily there was a bus leaving at 1600hrs to Rawalpindi so we bought the tickets which costs Pkr1030 = SGD19 each. Waited for the time and boarded the Natco air conditioned bus ride for 17-19hrs to Gilgit . The road the Gilgit wasn’t as good as the motorway from Lahore to Islamabad but still bearable. At about Iftar time the bus stopped at a small coffee shop, we went in and was ushered to a ladies area which was separated by cloth screens. Ramli tried to order food from the waiter but they replied him something which he can’t understand. We sat down and waited for about 10mins and it was time to break our fast, luckily we had water so we drank and ate our biscuits. Then Ramli went over again to try order some food and with the help of a fellow passenger who spoke a little English he managed to order chicken karahi and roti. We finished and hoped on the bus again to continue with the humpty bumpy ride thru the night.

Day 58 On they Way to Gilgit 25^th Aug 09

Medina Guest House

Even though the bus ride was really bumpy I managed to sleep thru it till it was sahur time. They stopped at a coffee shop and we had roti with chick peas. Again hoped on the bus and was on our way.. This ride took longer than expected..

The last 3hours of the ride to Gilgit was very slow as the Chinese are rebuilding the roads on the KKH but the view was fantastic. Mountains surround the roads and at some points we could see snow caped mountains too… Finally arrived at Gilgit at 1230hrs after 21hrs on the bus.. What a huge relief.

Got on a taxi and headed to Madina Guest House. We were greeted by the friendly staffs at the door and they even helped to carry our bags to the reception area. We view the rooms and decided to settle in a double room with attached bathroom that costs Pkr450/day = SGD8/day. Had our long waited shower and rested till about 1700hrs before we headed out to the streets. The staffs invited us to have iftar with them so we bought some somosas to contribute to the feasts.

Ramli in his tailor made Baju..

We went back to the guesthouse and sat at the dining area reading our books and chatted up with a German guy Felix. He has been trying the fast for the pass 3 days and has been successful. He did this for himself and not for the religion, good for him we thought.. A while later came a Chinese guy Howard who is from Singapore! He has been travelling in China and coming into Pakistan about 2 months now. Later came a Spanish guy who came chatted with us, he is travelling around with his bicycle.. We exchanged our travel stories, the Spanish guys was telling us about a old man Me Beck 80+ of age just sitting behind us talking to a Columbian man Carlos about his life story as a army officer during the war with Indians. He told one particular story he heard which was really hilarious.. The General that was leading them to war had made a silly mistake .. The whole battalion had just crossed over a bridge and one of the soldiers was asking the General was asking what is their next move and the General commanded that they blow up the bridge so that the Indians could not cross over and attack them.. So the soldiers did it and later on did the General realize that they actually had to use that same bridge to get back to where they came from… WAAHHAHAAH we all burst out laughing so loud..

Iftar, Felix and Me

Before we knew the staffs invited us to be seated at the table that they have set up for Iftar.. They had bandung, dates, honey dews, pakora and macaroni soup. The locals are so friendly and welcoming we had a great time…