Pearl Continental Lahore

... flirting with me like crazy. I suppose there must be a certain amount of allure for a man who comes from a much more tolerant culture with regard to women. That, or maybe it was just the beard I grew especially for this trip. 

The taxi ride from the airport to my hotel in Lahore gave me my first view of Pakistan's infrastructure, if you can call it that. There were massive, massive sections of just dry uneven dirt in place of roads with no rhyme or reason guiding the ...

We had camped the night in a police training academy, so we woke the next morning to the sound of drill training. Took down our tents and ate breakfast while being watched by the locals again, but they were slightly more polite and didn't take any photographs. The road was smooth all day today and we reached Lahore by 3pm.We stocked up ...

... M, who visited some afternoons and S who was determined to show me as much as possible. With S I went by motorbike to his own village about 2 hours ride away and met his father, sister and other family members. We ate fresh strawberries grown in the and next door and had milk straight from the buffalo as I watched it being milked - it was still warm as we drank it! The only bad thing about this trip was the road - or lack of it ...

... It will take decades to rectify this. More and more, I understand why Adnan felt he had to come back and make a contribution to his home, to try and set this country on the road to sanity. On a more positive note, one thing that's unique to this part of the world is TRUCK ART. Even in the slums, you see gaily-painted vans and buses (albeit ...

So, today Adnan wanted to take me to a good restaurant, Shezan, in the evening. We have a car and driver for traveling outside the campus, and he picked us up promptly. We were driving to a part of town called "Defence Phase I," the Defence Housing Authority. Upscale shops and gated houses around the corner from open-air barbecue joints that were little more than a hole in the wall. The weather had turned cold ...

... checks and a long straight road connecting the two countries, but I was the only tourist around. The guards were very friendly although a bit intimidating at first sight - they were so tall I was almost at eye-level with their belts! But their appearance was an important part of the spectacle I was soon to witness - the reason I had wanted to come through at this time was to catch the closing of the border ceremony. This 'show' is performed everyday to huge ...

... women's slippers, but people in Lahore probably dress the same since it's only 40 miles away from Amritsar." I couldn't have been more wrong. As soon as I crossed the border, I noticed that everyone was wearing leather - leather shoes, leather sandals, leather jackets, leather underwear (maybe). I think they did it just to **** off the Indians across the border, but whatever their motivation, I looked like an ass, and my feet were getting ...

... t the opportunity to ask to leave. Now I am heading to the tree near the wall with the others. There is a carpet in the sectioned off area near the wall, which is all very well and good, only the half square foot of space where I've been shoved to sit is covered in vomit so I bend the rug back and squat. And wait. A band is now setting up in the pitch of night under a large tree: electric guitar, drum and electric keyboard. Flickers of light in the enormous tree ahead of ...

... carnival rides for Christ's sake! At 6:30 So-Called dragged himself into the lobby, motioned for me to follow him and off we went to Anarkali Bazaar. The first stop was a fabric shop where I promptly introduced myself and flicking my hand to So-Called told the proprietor, "I found this place --not my driver --no commission for him I want the best price --fair? OK. Let's look at some fabric and I'd like a chair, please." So-Called stared at the floor a bit and ...