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Fully recharged after our nice long break in Lahore, we set out with our last day’s police escort, to the border town of Wagah (wagah wagah wagahhhh as Nic sang out all day). On the way we said our last goodbyes to the colorful Pakistani lorries, buses and rickshaws all adorned with ornaments – art on wheels!!
Memories from Pakistan, that will always stay with us are:
– The friendliness and hospitality of the locals, and the courtesy and respect we have been shown everywhere we went
– 24/7 police escort
– Staying one night in a VIP government rest-house and sleeping in the room Queen Elizabeth II and the President of Pakistan had stayed in (but not at the same time! :p This is how rumours get started)
– Sleeping on a ‘charpoi’ bed, the traditional Pakistani bed – sort of a rope lattice bed that looks very comfortable like a hammock but is not (it is very, very hard!). Mid range hotels boast foam mattresses, and we have encountered proper spring mattresses in only the most upmarket establishments
– Eating chopped up sheep brains for breakfast – a local delicacy of Sindh (and quite tasty too – but rather heavy first thing in the morning)
– Being offered wine & beer by the locals everywhere we went (and sometimes even the police!!), despite the fact that alcohol is banned in Pakistan – we declined just in case
– Seeing a young boy recently shot in leg brought over to the police station where we were having tea and biscuits with the head officer! He was rather clumsily handled by the police, despite bleeding profusely, and was carried to the hospital when he eventually passed out
– And finally, the phrase we heard everywhere we went to: “In Pakistan, anything is possible”
The border formalities were surprisingly quick (a record speed at a mere 2 hours!!!). Once again, we were worried about long queues and traffic, but the crossing was almost deserted, except for the odd tourist like ourselves. We were only given a cursory baggage search by the officials – one of them said that they trusted us since we were clearly healthy sportsmen and wouldn’t be into drugs or anything naughty like that!!
India and Pakistan citizens cannot cross the border – however there were some trade lorries unloading goods carried by grey-clothed porters from the Pakistani side and handed over to the blue-garbed porters on the Indian side – neither group allowed to go beyond the thick white border line on the ground and step into the other country!!
The next day we returned to the border to watch the flag lowering ceremony held at sunset by both nations. It is almost a theatrical performance of the historic contention between the two nations, and consists of lots of shouting and exaggerated strutting by the guards, in their fantastic ceremonial uniforms, accompanied by loud shouting by the public gathered on the specially erected stands to watch the performance. Each nation tries to outdo each other not only in the performance of the soldiers but also in the frenzied shouting of the crowds on both sides. It is all a bit of harmless fun, all in best spirits.
