Sunday 30th May
Slept late and we had fried eggs and coffee for breakfast. Afterwards we went along to PIA and booked tickets for Tuesday am – got free tea too. Peter took us down to the fort, which is behind the mosque, very crumbling and dilapidated. We walked down to the river, past lovely wild red roses, one which I kept and brought back to put in water. Very hot and my blisters are very big and painful. After the fort, we paid a visit to the Malang [an ascetic, eccentric, slightly mad mystic] and sat in his funny little tent house. He has a wonderful vocabulary and talks of everything in ‘position’ terms.
Lunch delicious rice, fresh vegetables, marrow, tomato, onions and tinned fruit salad. We washed our really filthy accumulation of clothes in the afternoon and got to know the (corrupt) local officials over tea. We had runner beans for supper – wonderful – and a noodley milk pudding. The Pakistani we had met at the Malang’s, whose room is next door is a real pest, and has a very loud radio.
Monday 31st May
Slept late and after breakfast we all went to the Habib bank – rate of pound gone down again and we lose a lot at every transaction. After J and I left Peter to sort out the police – who have got CID reports on him initiated by Sherjuan [?] which could lead to his deportation. Pakistan is full of messy corruption and very vicious.
We brought two Chitrali hats and I think J looks a bit funny as it isn’t folded properly [see photo on previous page], but I guess it will improve with time. He also managed to find a beautifully knitted (plain) jersey and I’m jealous as I can’t find anything that is a good fit or I much like.
Poor Peter’s spirits are not too high due to this business. After a rest we all went down to watch Polo (Peter in the hope of finding the DC there who was not helpful). There was a Frenchman playing, not very well, and several German tourists watching. We visited the Malang afterwards who in turn was being visited by another Malang, very dark-skinned and serious-looking, covered in iron bangles, amber beads and a delicate jade earring. We received our hotel bill, more expensive than anticipated. Paid it of course (and some of Peter‘s) and then tried to get an early night for our early start.
Tuesday 1st June
We are woken up at 5:30 by the boy bringing tea, and walked up to the PIA office with Palawan, who had come specially to carry my bag (as my blister on my big toe was hurting) to the airport by jeep where we found Saifullah waiting and, later, Jack the Frenchman from Rumbur joined us. We sadly bade Peter farewell, who looked a little sad to see us and civilisation go on the plane together.
The plane was fairly frightening, but spectacular with a good view of the Kalash valleys, especially Birir, which we hadn’t visited. We even saw all Urgutch and the tree and beneath which we had rested. Lowari Pass was alarmingly near, and we skimmed over it while eating breakfast of hard boiled eggs, rolls, meat, cake and banana. In no time we were in Peshawar and caught a buggy to Jan’s.
After a drink we three set out for the station to try and get tickets for Lahore. But went to the wrong station and so visited the old town and its bazaar instead. Full of life and colour but only mediocre handicrafts, although the wooden carvings on the old houses were extremely sophisticated.
It was extremely hot so we went to the central station after an hour or so, and spent one hour there complying with bureaucracy to get first-class student reductions. But worth it in the end. Poor J almost fainting with heat etc so we rushed back and he slept all afternoon. We ventured out in search of Zia at 5, but found no one and did nothing else except eat supper and try and sleep – too hot for success.
Wednesday 2nd June
In the morning we busied ourselves buying Peter‘s provisions, getting them packed up and sent off. Zia and a friend of his called and, after a late lunch, J and I went off to visit Akbar [Akbar S Ahmed. brother of the dreadful Aisha] charming wife and two children – he invited us to supper ‘have potluck’ as he put it. They even took us to the station and put us on the train.
Pakistani trains everything they’re made out to be – people diving in through the windows etc – very crowded. We shared our compartment with a man who had about six children who constantly appeared and disappeared. But we slept quite well, as there were fans and open windows.
Thursday 3rd June
Lahore is a nasty hot place – temperatures well over 100° – but we got a taxi immediately all the way to the border, where chaos reigned – spent over two hours wandering about – had to carry our stuff over, porter is far too expensive. However, we made it to Amritsar eventually (in a clapped-out old bus full of Sikhs who wouldn’t let J smoke!)
Vicky's Big Adventure 