Amazing Lahore

My original intention was to stay in Lahore for two days and then move on to Okara and onwards to Quetta and eventually to Taftan before crossing the border to Iran. However due to circumstances and the incredible generosity and friendliness of the people here, we have to be here for a few days more.

On the second day here Aede had a slight flu, so we thought we'd wait for another day. Then he had a bad toothache and had to visit the dentist. Upon examination the dentist advised him to come again the next day for x-ray and further examination . Then, there was infection and the final procedure, had to wait until the swelling subsides and the final decision is taken.It was finally decided that the tooth had to be extracted.
While here I attended a Sufi music and dance at the Jamal Shrine and I must say that it was a noisy affair with the drummers and dancers doing their stuff like they were possessed. The dancers were throwing their heads in all directions and twirling their bodies and arms round and round endlessly in a trance. The audience were all seated cross-legged or squatting round a wood-fire smoking. I am told that many are high on hashish that is illegal but at these Sufi gatherings, the authorities allow a certain leeway as long as no undesirable elements are present.

Aede and I also visited the Badshahi Mosque that was built in 1673 ,during
Shah Jehan's time.It is said that the mosque took three years to build , with the strength of 20,000 labour force and artisans. Much of the intricate work within the mosque are similar to those found in the Taj Mahal. The mosque can accomodate 100,000 worshippers at any one time. Outside the walls of the mosque is the Lahore Fort, another imposing structure that is the focus of many visitors to Lahore. Also in the same area is a beautiful Gudhwara. In fact Lahore has many grand old buildings, some of which were built during the British colonial period.

On Sunday.18th December, I had the opportunity to witness (attend) the biggest protest rally I had ever seen. It was held at the Menara Lahore and from my estimate there must have been more than a million people at the rally. In previous days before it, there were a lot of announcements made all over the city about the rally, asking people to attend and what struck me most is that there was not a single policeman or the anti-riot squad present, that we often see in Malaysia whenever we have a gathering . My reasoning is simple: if the people want to protest and hold a rally peacefully, no one can stop them, not in a democratic country. But everyone who wants to voice their protest must be present. For instance, do we have enough security personnel to stop 1,000,000 people from going to, say Dataran Merdeka to attend a rally. But of course there must be a good enough reason for the people to attend. The protest here in Lahore is to oppose the government's policy of allowing the US forces to operate freely in Pakistan resulting in many deaths among the innocent Pakistanis. At the rally leaders made fiery speeches but the people present were all calm and peaceful Those opposing the government in Malaysia can take the Q on how to organise a rally there.









On Monday,  the Lahore Guesthouse was the location for a TV family drama shoot starring Saleem Sheikh , Nadia Afghan, Kamran Mujahid and others and we were very lucky to be able to witness the shooting and also meet the stars, who were wery warm towards us, although they are big stars.They even obliged to have their pictures taken with us. That's how gracious and friendly Pakistanis can be. Mr Nauman (Naomi), the producer who is only 28 was also there to give us an insight into the TV and film industry in Pakistan.

At a KFC outlet, Aede and I also met Kiran Goraya who became our friends and we were even invited to the Goraya house for lunch. Shama Zaka, Kiran's sister is the President of (MYO) Pakistan and the treatment we got from the Gorayas made us feel that they are just like our own family.

Last night the Lahore Bacpackers was the venue for the exclusive performance by Badar Ali Khan and Bahadur Ali Khan of Hajvery Quwwal. They are well known in Pakistan. It was indeed a brilliant performance by the singers and musicians who performed in a small area as we sat around listening to their mesmerising renditions in a cosy atmosphere.Our stay here have indeed been wonderful.

One afternoon, Sajjad the GH manager took me on his motorcycle to visit his folks in the suburbs of Lahore some 8 km away. It is interesting to note that just outside the city, life has continued in many ways that were practised for many generations. Livestock are reared within the family house dwellings, dung for fuel dried on the walls outside the house, cattle, sheep and goats feeding on leaves and grass in the sheds within the enclosures of the dwellings and small children running around playing innocent children games. In the streets, Mecedes Benzs, BMWs, motor taxis, motorcycles, bicycles, horse and donkey carts and all kinds of transportation share the streets that is so picturesque and colourful. I am lucky to be able to experience such a wonderful mix of co-existance in the 21st century. ' And I said to myself, What a wonderful World' - Louis Armstrong.








The other thing I must mention here is, the incredible varieties of food that are found in Pakistan . We have sampled so many Biryani's, never from the same outlet, and although I am not much into food, they all taste different, yet heavenly . Unlike India, meat is widely used here and the varieties of barbequed meat, tikkas, kebabs, and other meat dishes,with exotic names, some of which I find very hot and spicy, can be had if you know where to get them. My only complain is that while I do enjoy these culinary delights, my stomach is not to happy with them. Very often after consuming them it began to growl violently and at times had to rush to expel the contents. White rice is not commonly sold as the people here seem to prefer naan, roti or chapatis. As for fruits, bananas, guavas, oranges and pomegranates are widely sold on the streets. (sorry no durians)
It is getting colder by the day, and I hope we are able to cope with that as we move on.





































With Umi Habibah and Katherine from Beijing


















NAdia and Saleem Sheikh

Updates

10th December was Aede's birthday and we cycled the 9 km through New Delhi traffic to the High Commission because we had something to pick up from there. Coincidentally, the HC was having it's Family Day, so we joined in the festivities together with some 70 people from the HC, Malaysians working in New Delhi and visitors from Malaysia..To my surprise, among those present were Andrew John, my former student from  Rawang and his wife and two children. Andrew has been here for the last 14 years. Another gentleman, Shah from Maxis and his niece Rumaizah were also there. I know Shah from a meeting in PJ some time ago and he even got me to talk with Jacinta in Dubai. Jacinta is the daughter of my colleague Leslie and Mona, when we were in Brinsford Lodge, England, way back in the early 60s.Also there was Raja Kamal , a retired lecturer from UPSI in Tanjung Malim, and James Yeoh from Grolier International and his family. There were fun and games and also lucky draws. Best of all Malaysian food like satay, curry chicken , nasi bryaini  etc were served for lunch. For me, it was indeed a memorable occasion.

In the evening we had dinner with Andrew and his family at a Cultural Village. Meeting Andrew was indeed  nostalgic as I knew his mother, and his brother Ashley  way back in the 70s when they were young school kids.I am sad to know that his mother is not in the best of health..

On Monday,12th, I again had to go to the HC to sort out my Visa extension as it would expire on the 14th. The HC staff through their experience advised me to leave India immediately, as the Indian authorities are
 not likely to grant me the extension.They, then arranged for us to take the coach to Amritsar the same night to enable us to cross the border at Wagah the next day.. We reached Amritsar the next day at almost 12 noon as there was heavy fog most of the way, and after much difficulty, with cycling through the usual busy traffic reached Wagah border at around 3.30 pm. Stopping at a stall before going through the Immigration and Customs complex, one Mr Mukhtar Singh who was managing the stall, knowing that we were from Malaysia insisted that we had a drink at his stall. Mr Singh had worked  in Singapore for 7 years before coming back here to start his business.He was so glad to meet us and chatted about the sweet memories he had while there and his association with Malaysians and Singaporeans.

For the brief stop at Mr Singh's stall we missed going through the border by 15 minutes as the gate to Pakistan was already closed. I had one more day (14th) to leave before my visa expired so we went back to see Mr Singh who felt that it was partly his fault that we missed going through to Pakistan. He then arranged for us to stay at the Tourist Complex and later that night took us to his house for a chapati dinner and to meet his 'clan' at his house.. The next morning (14th Dec) we finally entered Pakistan after going through the Immigration and Custom  formalities of  both countries. I also lost my second Malaysian flag from the bicycle while having a snack at a stall . Looks like many people collect Malaysian flag.

Lahore, in Pakistan is some 35 km from Wagah  and the highway leading to it  is pleasant, as traffic was light, but cyclists and motorcyclists kept coming alongside to have a chat asking where we were going to and where we were from. Schoolchildren and other cyclists were also curious about our bicycles especially Aede's because his not only has the gears but also disc brakes. Lastly they would ask the price and said that they could get five to eight local bikes for the same price.

10 km from Lahore city center, traffic became heavier and we had to tackle the hundreds of motorcycles , bicycles, donkey carts, etc making progress very slow and at about 4 km  from our destination we came across a Suzuki Motorcycle promotion sale center and the manager, Mr Asad Farooq waved to us to stop. Although we explained that we were in no way interested in the bike, he insisted that we stop for a drink. When explained our mission and our country of origin, all the staff  took a special interest and invited us into the office and also gave us a light lunch of roti and dhal. I must say that that was a good start for our first day in Pakistan..

We had no difficulty locating the Lahore Backpackers Hostel as Heather and Stuart ( the cycling couple whom I met in Kolkata and where we had stayed together at the Paragon GH ) had given us the address and on arrival there, was greeted by Mr Sajjad who made us feel very welcome. Lahore Backpackers is a very clean and pleasant place  with clean baths and hot water plus, washing machine and a rooftop lounging area. Mr Sajjad is a wonderful person who would go the extra mile to make your stay in Lahore  a memorable one.I doubt you can find a friendlier place in Lahore. We don't know how long we'd be in Lahore, we'll see.

With Mr James Yeoh and wife

With my former student Andrew and his lovely wife

With Mr Hamizan from the Malaysian HC

Ms Rumaizah

With Mr Singh

Suzuki Showroom Family

Mr Sajjad from Lahore Backpackers

Traffic Madness on Indian Roads

I have been in India for about 3 weeks and after experiencing the traffic on Indian roads and the antics of Indian road users it is really baffling to me trying to understand the psyche or the mental make up of the Indians here. All of them from the pedestrians, the cyclists, the cycle rickshaw operators, the 3-wheel tuk-tuk drivers, car drivers, truck and bus drivers all seem to be in a great hurry, be it on rural roads or in the busy streets of the cities and towns. Indians in Malaysia , don't take offence, but the Indians here don't seem to care for other Indians or anybody else while on the road. The tuk- tuk will stop just about anywhere to pick or drop passengers without using the indicators.The buses, too, will do the same with passengers hopping on or jumping off, while the bus is still moving in the busiest of streets.

On the highway, slow vehicles hog the right lane while all manner of vehicles from the buses, trucks and cars overtake on the left. While the highway has a cycling lane, many parts of it are filled with a thick layer of fine sand making cycling impossible forcing you to move right, exposing you to real danger. What is most annoying is that you have to be very alert all the time because all kinds of vehicles may be using the same lane coming from the opposite direction ; bicycles, motorcycles, tuk-tuks, buses ,trucks and even tractors. I also wonder if there is a law against overloading. You just wonder if there's any Highway Code at all. But the best part is no one gets annoyed no matter how you behave on the road.. I have yet to see anyone losing his temper on the road. Everything seems to be acceptable.

Cycling from Agra to New Delhi.

We left Agra at daybreak in heavy fog with visibility of about 20 meters. It was cold and gloomy but we made good progress as traffic was light except when going through the towns along the way. After covering more than 100 km and in fading light we decided to stop for the night. The hotel room along the highway would have set us back by 2,000 rupees but we were very lucky for an Indian Oil petrol station manager, further down the road, offered us his place for the night. To top it all he even gave us dinner. Thank you Mr Sohan Lal. It is not all negative after all in India.

The next morning we left the petrol station , again in very heavy fog with the usual hazards but fortunately for us we rode without much problems and was at the suburbs of New Delhi around 2.30pm. We were back into heavy traffic repeating the madness. The only difference is the more modern infrastructure, like the MRT and the shopping malls and fast food outlets. After asking for directions at several junctions we finally reached the New Delhi Railway Station area (Pahar Ganj) where the backpacking crowd are found .We are now at the Sky View guesthouse to sort out and plan our next move. My India visa ends on the December 14th.





Cycling in heavy fog at daybreak





No prize for a correct guess





A camel train on the highway to New Delhi








In New Delhi

Writing From Agra

Hi,
Agra is home to the Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world. While just about everyone who comes to Agra visits the Taj Mahal,I am not at all keen to see it at close range. The reason, the entry fee is a hefty 750 Rupees. That is more than 35 times what the Indian nationals pay. I don't make 35 times what the average Indian makes, so I just cannot afford it. Agreed, foreigners should pay more than locals, but not 35 times. We pay more at Angkor Wat , Borobodur, Ho Chi Min's Mausoleum, but certainly no more than 5 to 10 times. What irks me most is that the areas outside the gates of Taj Mahal, conditions in the streets are as appalling as the streets in Varanasi and Kolkata.

I won't regret not seeing it at close range as I have seen enough of it through numerous documentaries and videos that take you through all its wonders. Seeing parts of it from the outside took my imagination back to the time when Shah Jehan and the love of his life Mumtaz while they were alive nearly 400 years ago. There are still traces of the grandeur of Agra outside the gates of the Taj Mahal. It must have been a lovely place with all the well tended gardens and beautifully landscaped surroundings. Sadly, now only the Taj Mahal and the areas within its walls are well taken care.The authorities must do more to make Agra a more pleasant place for visitors to stay longer as Agra has more to offer than just the Taj Mahal. The locals should also benefit from the tourist dollars. The basic infracture in Agra must improve. I am certain things were better in Shah Jehan's time.

Deen JB, Kolkata is the new name for Calcutta just like Teluk Intan is for Telok Anson, Mumbai for Bombay, Chennai for Madras and Varanasi for Benares and before that Kasi. For Varanasi, the name changes according to the name of the God that decends on it during different periods. Who knows Kuala Lumpur may be called 'Kulum' fifty years from now.

This morning Aede joined other tourists both local and foreigners while I explored other parts of Agra including the so called the up-market area where the five star rated hotels are located. Some boasts of guests like Bill Clinton and most recently Tom Cruise who was here a few days ago.

Aede and I also did some cycling around the Agra Fort in the afternoon. Tomorrow we will cycle towards New Delhi, about 200km away.

Thank you Goon and Kuan Yee, Joe ,Hassannuddin, Zahariz, and others who have been following my blog and also post comments. I certainly appreciate them.








From the rooftop of our guesthouse with the Taj Mahal in the back ground








View from the back








At the Agra Fort

The adventure continues

Unlike China, communications in India is fairly easy as most people, even in the rural areas speak English. Give a few more years, young people in China would also be speaking English more widely. At the biggest bookstore in Kunming ( 4 floors) I was at the English section and saw many English school books that are used by the children. English literature titles are read by the children: Oliver Twist, Sherlock Holmes, Wuthering Heights, Three Musketeers, Don Quxiote, etc are those available on the shelves.Flipping through the books I saw comprehension exercises at the end testing the children's skills.

Varanasi is a holy place to the Hindus like what Mekah is to the Muslims, but here there is so much poverty and the conditions appalling. The streets are choked with all manners of traffic, the dust and filth plus the stray animals make movements seem impossible, but amazingly everything just blend harmoniously.

The Ghats by the Ganga (the Ganges River) is a hive of activities with the sounds of drums, the chanting of prayers and the smells of incense and the clicking of cameras by the tourists. Scores of people can be seen washing or bathing in the river "purifying" themselves although the Ganga is said to be one of the most polluted rivers (in the world?). The water level is now low and scores of rowing boats vie for the trickle of tourist in the low season.

After 2 and half months on the road I have yet to meet a Malaysian traveller. Most of the backpackers are Europeans or from the West. Also evident are many young Japanese couples, Koreans and Chinese. A young Japanese woman (Hiroko 28) from Kanagawa is staying at the same guesthouse as us for 4 months. She is hoping to start a business here designing clothes. She is also learning the local language.

Walking on the streets, you also need to watch your steps to avoid tripping, stepping on animal dung (and sometimes human faeces) and other obstacles. You also have to be alert with the person walking in front of you for he may suddenly turn his face and spit out the reddish beetlenut spittle that can land on you. The cow is a sacred animal to the Hindus and they are sometimes seen lying in the middle of the busy street with everyone trying to avoid knocking into them.

India is a very big country and to know the real India you can spend a year and not see half of it. After 2 weeks in India and the unfortunate incidents I went through, I need to leave in a hurry as my visa is coming to an end. I applied for my visa in KL 3 months ago and the duration of my visa began when it was approved. So, after more than 2 months travelling through Thailand, Laos and China I only have about 3 weeks in India. On the other hand I have 45 days in Pakistan from the day I enter it.

My next port of call is Agra, and I hope the Taj Mahal can erase the unpleasant episodes I had in India so
far.

Breakfast with Fengyan, Heather & Stuart

Stuart & Heather

Cycling on Howrah Bridge

With Peter & Nick

This is democracy!

More of Kunming

The Hump Hostel at Jinmabiji is the focus point of most backpacking tourists in Kunming. It has dormitories, 8 bedded, 6, 4, with bath outside and double and triple rooms with attached bath. It also has a rooftop open air restaurant, bar, pool table, table tennis table and Internet/Wifi facilities. You can also book tour packages and airline tickets. Before I left Kunming, I had the opportunity to dine at a posh muslim restaurant, courtesy of Mr He Ning who was a Committee Member of the Communist Party in Yunan Province. Mr He is a close friend of Mike (66) from Alaska who is a cyclist and regular visitor to China. Mike who has also cycled extensively in many places in Asia and the Americas share many things in common with me: his wife is Chinese and they are both teachers like me, they also have 2 grown up sons.

Mr He Ning, a businessman, who was a GM of a company is now a director of some companies. According to Mr He Ning, Yunan is the biggest (60%) producer of cigarettes in China and the local Government encourages smoking to boost production and provide employment to the people. Unbelievable if it is true.

Without overland border crossing between China and India, I had no choice but to fly to Kolkata, India and unfortunately had to fork out a hefty sum for the ticket booked through the Hump Hostel. As check -out time was 12 noon and the flight was at 12.30am the next day I sat out the rest of the day at the hostel waiting for my ticket which was not delivered until 6pm. My young friend, Eric, on hearing of my plight, cycled 35km to make sure I make it to the airport to catch my flight by cycling with me to the airport at 9pm.

Another problem arose at the airport as there was no "security service wrap" for the bicycle. I finally had to fork out 100 Yuan to the luggage packaging personnel for an improvised box. Without Eric and some Chinese cyclists who were also flying with their bicycles (in boxes) to assist me, I would have missed the flight.

I reached Kolkata after some 2 hours 15 minutes, at 1.30am local time and clearing all formalities had to reassemble my bicycle watched by some uniformed security personnel ( with guns ). After more than 1 hour I decided to ride out to the city. The distance is about 30-35 kilometers but without the usual traffic. I reached that part of the city, known as Salt Lake City, as I later found out. It is a posh residential area that housed the well to do. On asking the way to the city center, from an elderly couple who were walking, (exercising) I was invited for breakfast at their residence, nearby. My riding attire and fully loaded bicycle was a strange sight to them. The kind gentleman was a retired doctor, Dr Roy, who has 2 daughters one in London and the other in China. He even helped me cross an overhead bridge with steps so that I could cross over to the other side to the city center. A good start in India.

At around 5.30am when it was already bright here and the traffic began to build up, I rode around asking people to direct me to the tourist area, when at an intersection, I saw a couple(cyclists) also with the same intention. We then joined forces and had breakfast together at a corner stall. We then found our way to Sudder Street where most foreign visitors and backpackers congregate. The couple, Stuart from Scotland and Heather from New Zealand ( http://uppingsticksontour.wordpress.com/ )and I finally landed at the same guesthouse, the Paragon. They stayed there for 3 days before leaving for the Andaman on a 60 hour boat ride. They are really a nice couple sharing their knowledge and experience with other cyclists. For some reasons the 'Paragon' seems to attract many touring cyclists (total of 6 cycle tourists).

Kolkata is the most crowded city in the world and the traffic and other conditions here are just beyond description. The streets are also home to thousands of the destitute, beggars the handicapped and stray animals. While the city now has TV, internet, mobile phones and fast food outlets(KFC, Dominos) many things have not changed in the last 50 years. There are still the barefoot rickshaw pullers, the cycle rickshaws, the three wheeled motor taxis, the rickety tram cars and the thousands of yellow or white taxis, what was known during the British rule, as Morris Oxford. It is of course produced in India under a different name now. Where ever you go you are not far from the smells of urine, faeces, dung and rotting garbage. The city is like one huge toilet. But then, that's what many tourists come to experience. According to Peter (63) an Australian who's been here 7 times in 32 years he wouldn't be here if the city changes its character.

My elder son (Aedewan) flew into Kolkata with his bicycle to join me for the rest of the journey and after one day in the city remarked, "we'd better get out of this mad place as soon as possible". Beside the poverty and squalor seen along the streets, Kolkata is scattered with very fine majestic colonial buildings like the Indian museum at the corner of Sudder St, the Victoria Memorial, etc.

to be continued.....