We woke up at 0330hrs and found the guy still sleeping so we wake him up so that he could unlock the door and go for our Sahur. Ramli managed to wake him up after a while and he told us that today is not Ramadhan or Ramzan in Urdu. We asked him to confirm if it is not cause yesterday he told us is confirmed. He say yes confirmed not starting today cause he knows he is muslim… Alrighty then we went back to sleep and somehow happy that we would have one more day to enjoy the food of Lahore.
We slept till about 1100hrs got up and decided to go do some sight seeing. At first we were still very skeptical if what the guy said about Ramadhan starting tomorrow was true so we was looking out for people who are eating on the streets to confirm. So we looked around saw the food stalls are open and people are having chai on the streets so its confirmed it hasn’t started yet. We went to Subway first to have our breakfast. I had a chicken ham, turkey leg and beef sandwich. Ramli had a beef steak and cheese sandwich. Enjoyed our sandwich very much eventhough it costs the same as Singapore.
After we took a auto rickshaw to Lahore Fort. Got our tickets at the counter for Pkr200 for foreigner and saw that locals only need to pay Pkr10… Hmmm that is 200 times different how unfair..While entering the fort a guide approached us and asked if we require his service for Pkr300 for about 1.5hrs. Since is wasn’t so expensive we agreed and he showed us around the fort which was built by Emperor Shah Jahan during the Moghul Era the same guy who built the Taj Mahal for his beloved wife. The constructions and designs are almost the same as Red Fort in Agra. The same fort was occupied by the British, Sikhs and Moghuls during the various wars during that time. And you could see the destructions that was made by the Bristish and Sikhs which is really a shame as the constructions and the intricate details of the various halls of the fort was all beautifully done but only to be destroyed by the intruders. While touring the place a couple who just got married approached us to have pictures taken with them. Is really weird that Singaporeans could also excite them.. Kekekkekek
The newly weds
The guide also explained to us the meaning of the Pakistani flag, the five points of the star signifies the 5 pillars of Islam, Crescent moon signifies prosperity, the green signifies that 97% of the population are Muslims and the white signifies the population of the non muslims. Ohhhh now we know why are always see the star and crescent moon at the masjid, muslims stalls etc… We learnt something new today!!
Walking along the guide overheard a conversation that a local woman was having with her guide. They were talking about a 80carat diamond from Pakistan and how the other half of the diamond was stolen by the British and wasn’t returned till now. It is said to be on Queen Victoria’s crown.. Hmmm interesting… We finished the tour about 1.5hrs later and we continued venturing on our own in the compound.
Just near that fort there is the Badshahi Masjid which could hold up to 60,000 people at one time. We walked towards the Masjid to view and also to check if we could have our Solat there since is about Zuhur time. While into the Masjid a local guide followed us and was pestering Ramli to engage his service and all the time he was trying to convince Ramli and telling him whom are the people he have guided before. Showing the name cards of people from National Geographic or something. I wasn’t interested at all as this guy do not have a honest face. He looks real cunning in someway, so I just walked and ignored him all the time. When we entered the Masjid the Adzan started so we had to asked the guide if woman could perform prayers here as in Pakistan most of the Masjids only have prayer areas for men. He said I could right at the end so we went to look for the wudhu area. I approached the ladies who were sitting at the women area eventhough they couldn’t understand me much they could understand that I was asking where I could do the wudhu since this is a universal word for all Islams in the world. They pointed the way and guess what it is at the entrance of the Masjid. So now we had to walk back across the hot hot floor about 200m across the courtyard to the entrance. The guide didn’t give up and said he wanted to perform the solat and followed us the same.
The floor of this masjid should be made of marble or something cause the floor is so cooling. And most important it is clean. Normally you would see carpets that has the individual standing section but here they had it done with marble and some other stone with different colors the indicate the different sections. It was beautiful. After solat I walked over to wait for Ramli. While sitting down and waiting I noticed a local lady in black juba was secretly taking my picture with her mobile phone. Hmm I just ignored and act as I didn’t know. Ramli later came with the guide and than we were approached by a local guy to have pictures taken with them and whom happened to be the brother of the lady in the black juba.
All of us..
We took a few pictures and was walking away when another 2 men approached Ramli to have pictures taken with them. One of the man worked in Kuala Lumpur before for 2 years and was able to speak a little Malay. While taking pictures the brother and sister was talking to our guide and after a while they approached us and asked if they could follow us on our sight seeing that day as they would like to keep us company and the brother who was visiting the sister from Multan is also doing some sight seeing himself. Ramli was discussing with the guide on his charges and he at first said is Pkr1000 to bring us to the Old City and the Wagah Border to see the closing ceremony w/o vehicle but including the charge for the bus ride to the border. We thought was really expensive and declined his offer. The brother and sister was talking to the guide about something while I was talking to a teenage girl who approached me and asked me my name etc. There was a group of them all girls whom seems to be on an excursion here. She invited me to her village which was 2 hours away but I told her it is too far for me so I couldn’t go. I asked to have a picture taken with all of them and they left after. Each of them shaking my hands…
The Girls from a nearby village
Back to the guide, brother and sister. The guide told us that the siblings wanted to go with us to the border also and offered to arranged the car for us and we didn’t have to pay as the sister has a friend with the taxi. We were very much grateful but yet embarrassed as we don’t know if they could afford as we thought it would be very expensive as we paid for a one way taxi ride from Wagah to Lahore we paid Pkr600. But both of them insisted as they would also like to go and see the closing ceremony. So back to the guide on this charges, he said if w/o the bus ride he would charge Pkr700… Hmmm still expensive but as the siblings are very keen to keep us company for the day and they aren’t really sure on the way etc we thought we just agreed to the fee of the guide and let him bring us around.
We started our “tour” at the masjid, he asked all of us to stand at a corner of the masjid in between a wall. And went over to the other side and whispered something to the wall and amazingly we could hear loud and clear from the other side. As during the olden times there wasn’t any mics or speakers available the people has found a way to build the masjid in a way that everyone in the masjid would be able to hear the Imam without him having to scream his lungs out. Impressive!
After we headed over to the tomb of Allama Mohammed Iqbal a philosopher and poet. We entered and the guide asked us to stand at the front of the tomb and he used a lighter to shine behind the tombstone and amazingly we could see the movement of the fire thru the 15cm thick tombstone. He was saying that the stone is of a very high quality. After we walked towards the gate across to the old city.
Preparing Chicken Karahi
Men making naans
Chicken Karahi!! Yummy
After about 5mins the guide asked if we wanted to stop and have lunch at a famous local restaurant to try the local food which is very tasty. We discussed with the siblings as since they have not taken their lunch we agreed to accompany them. We walked pass the cooking area which was outside the sitting area. We could smell the nice aroma of the food they were cooking. Seems to be chicken with tomatoes and some spices simmering in the individual woks. A few steps later we could see the men making roti (like naan) in the tandor oven.. We entered the ac seating area and waited while they made the order. They told us the food is called Chicken or Mutton Karahi eaten with roti. We waited while the guide and the Brother (Rashid) kept going out to chase them to have it done a.s.a.p. as there was a long queue outside as the locals are also buying to prepare for Ramzan.
After about 20mins and many times pestering the food finally came, the look of it is so appetizing that we had to try even though we already had our breakfast/lunch at subway. The first taste of the chicken was whoa and I couldn’t explain in words… It is just so tasty with the spices they put in.. I could only taste pepper, tomatoes and ginger… Rashid was happy and glad that we enjoyed the food so much and I even asked the sister to write for me the recipe so I could cook it when I get back home. We enjoyed the food so much. We paid the bill secretly but later was found out by Rashid and he and his sister insisted they foot the bill and returned our money. It costs Pkr600+ which we thought was too expensive for them but they kept insisting to pay cause we are the guests and it is Pakistani tradition that the host do not eat from the guests. We are so honoured.
The street Dentists
After we ventured thru the busy streets of the old city as we need to rush to the other end to meet up the taxi and Rashid to get to the border before we are too late and miss the ceremony. While walking the sister stopped and was sitting a make shift stall of a local dentist. He had a picture of a clean and perfect teeth drawn and painted with the many different dentures that was available. To us it looks like someone else teeth which has fallen off and the “dentist” has collected and put it on sale. The sister has a missing tooth just beside her 2 front teeth and wanted to have it replaced. We were so amazed with how the dentist was filing the tooth that he thought was good for her. He was using a filer used for metals all rusty and all trying his bests to file the tooth to fit her. The “dentist” tried to fix the teeth in her gums and after getting the tooth to the correct size he took up some pink sandy liquid to put on the tooth and quickly pushing it up her gums after putting a liquid which seems like alcohol to kill any bacteria or germs. We could see from her expression that it is really painful.. After it was moulded the sister talked to the “dentist” in a angry tone and after a while she walked off without having the tooth fixed. The guide was telling me that it didn’t fit comfortably so she didn’t want it. Hmmm after all that pain…
We walked on thru the busy streets into the Kasmiri bazaar selling all sorts of household wares and also cloths for womens garments. The colors are so beautiful and all the cloths are decorated with shiny jewels.. We were running late as Rashid kept calling his sister so we had to rush and walked thru the city. We wanted to enter a masjid which was very different from all the others we had seen. The minarets and walls are all beautifully decorated with colorful flowers and designs.. We didn’t have time so we just took some pictures from the outside and continued.
Finally meeting up with Rashid and the taxi driver we went on our way to Wagah border. We arrived at about 1800hrs which was still early so we sat at the coffee stalls near the border to have some drinks. The siblings bought for us some samosas with the cold mint sauce which was really tasty. We met the porter that we met yesterday at Mr Latifs book stall and chatted with him for a while and he asked that we go over to the border soon as it is going to start.
Walked over paid our entrance fee for foreigners at Pkr100/pax and paid for the sibling, guide and taxi driver at Pkr10/pax… Hmmm after entering than we know why the foreigners pay a higher price cause we have allotted seats at the front with comfortable chairs while the locals have to sit right behind on concrete benches. The sister and guide was able to come with us but Rashid and the taxi driver had to go to the local seating area.
Patriotic Old man
Marching on.
The ceremony was about to start, we could see across to the Indian border that it was all crowded and packed with the locals all energized.. Pakistan didn’t fill up the place but still they are as energized as the Indians. A group or locals was shouting out some slogans from the Pakistani corner and dancing happily. There was 2 cheer leaders to keep the energy of the locals. A middle age man and a old man with white beard holding up the Pakistani flag and rising up their hands and waving to the locals. The middle age man was holding the flag and dancing with it and exciting the crowds. After a while a man came to the mic and started shouting Pakistan !! and the locals replied Zin na bad!! Which we found out later that it means Live Long.. So is Live long Pakistan. It is so amazing to see how patriotic the locals are.. When they shouted Pakistan Zin Na bad the Indian corner would reply something which we thought should be India Live long also.
Can you spot Rasheed in Yellow..
The seats we were sitting are all filled with foreigners but we could hear a lady shouting really loudly Pakistan Zinnabad.!!! I turned and saw that it was Rashid’s sister screaming at the top of her lungs and raising up her hands with all the energy she had… Hahahahah
Stare..
After about 10mins of jeering the soldiers finally came matching in to start the main ceremony. Pakistani soldiers are all in black and red head gear while the Indians are in beige with colorful head gear. They marched in so hard we felt pain for their feets, they were like stomping towards the gate and the Indians will do the same. At some points they would kick they legs so high that it almost hit their heads. A few of them would marched right up to the gates and stare each other at the eyes with the hands and chest up like protesting to each other how strong each of them are. The ceremony was amazing and if we had the chance we would want to see it from the Indian side too. The ceremony ended after the lower down the flags and shut the gates.
Ramli at the Pakistan Gate.
We headed back and the guide was asking where we wanted to go. We wanted to go to Anarkali market which the guide at the fort has recommended us to go since we wanted to buy some local clothes. As we weren’t very happy with his company I told him that he could just drop us there and he could go home after we can walk around on our own. He got a surprised look on his face when I said it but I just didn’t bothered. The siblings wanted to follow us but later declined as they had a guest waiting for them at home. The sister invited us to her house which we were glad to go but told them we had to go back to the hotel first to get our stuffs. They thought and thought and later decided they will go with us to Anarkali market and have dinner with us and head on our own way.
On the way to the market the taxi driver was telling Rashid to ask us for his payment for the day. We were surprised to why he didn’t asked us himself as he was just sitting beside Ramli… We were reluctant to pay him as he didn’t do anything as a guide but since we have agreed on the price earlier we paid him with obligation. While passing him the money the sister who was at the front sit of the taxi signaled to me mouthing “no. no no” but Ramli had already pass the money to him while asking the guide is correct right Pkr700 as agreed. This guy is trying to get more, he said is up to you if you think I deserve more. Ramli and me just ignored him. And after he told Ramli that Pkr700 is not his normal charge as the siblings followed us and provided the taxi he didn’t charge so much again trying to tell us he wanted more. Again we just ignored him. And if he were to ask again I guess Ramli would have bombarded him.. Whahahah
Poori... Yummy
My turn to try
He dropped off at the railway station and after we stopped at the Anarkali Market. The siblings brought us to taste the tiny poori filled with potatoes. It was good. We continued walking looking for the clothes we wanted. Ramli and me got what we wanted with their help and headed to a restaurant which was at the famous food street for supper as it was already 2330hrs or so… Wow it is so late already and we have spend almost 12hrs with the super nice siblings.
During dinner we chatted about the guide and Rashid was saying to us that they didn’t want us to pay the guide as they feel that he didn’t do anything and they didn’t like him.. Heheh and part of the reason why they followed us is that they wanted to make sure that the guide don’t cheat us of our monies… We are so honored to receive this kindness from them eventhough we are bearly strangers when we met. During the dinner we could see the sister kept rejecting calls on her mobile and asked Rashid if she was alright. He told us that her husband and sister was calling and asking their whereabouts as it is really late and woman cant stay out so late.. We were worried for her and afraid she might get into trouble because of this. But both of them kept assuring us it would be alright as the husband could not get angry with her as he is afraid of her said Rashid.. Kekekke
We bought them dinner and exchange numbers and emails so we could keep in contact. After the dinner we parted ways and promised to keep in contact.
Bro and Sis ... Wonderful people!!
I guess this is the most wonderful day we had thus far thru our journey… We are now so impressed of the Pakistanis …. They are such nice and welcoming people…
