Central Asia Archives - Wandering North

Asia Central Asia 2022 Kyrgyzstan

On horseback in Kyrgyzstan

What is Central Asia without at least one day spent on horseback? Well, it’s fine actually. Lots to see and do staying on your own two feet, but I felt like I wanted a horseback riding experience in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, so that is what I did on my third day. I’m a city person by nature, but sometimes it is nice to spend a day or so in nature. The problem is, I don’t have a way always of getting to nature on my own and I don’t travel with a horse (or a mule), so I booked a private day trip with Ventura Tours.

I was happy to have some company for the day as, due to language barriers and a lack of connection with fellow backpackers, I had been really on my own since I got to Almaty. I was picked up in the morning by Ash, the owner of Ventura. Ash was cool. A young, hardworking guy who spoke perfect English. He started a travel company just before covid and made it work, and he produces music for locate acts. He was also keen to start a club for young men who wanted to gather to smoke and discuss literature. A person I could relate to. He even recognized my Frank Sinatra tattoo for who it is. I can’t tell you how many weird conversations I have had with people in far flung countries where people have asked me about the mugshot tattoo on my forearm. Trying to explain to a teenager in Bangladesh or a farmer in Cambodia that I have a tattoo of a deceased 20^th century American crooner is odd and never met with any familiarity. But Ash knew.

Anyway, we drove and chatted about life in Bishkek and his various hopes, ambitions, and observations until we reached out first stop.

Burana Tower

Burana Tower is a minaret in the Chüy Valley. It dates back to about the 11^th century and is all that remains of a city that was founded there in about the 9^th century. The minaret used to be much taller, but what remains is still impressive. Monochromatic and covered by design in its intricate brickwork. And it really stands out, standing in a flat plain, ringed by pale blue and purple mountains.

On one side of it is a collection of tombstones. These tombstones are also very old, but there were not originally all here. Over the centuries, travellers along the silk road sometimes just dropped dead (my eventual fate I’m sure) and sometimes where they did, they got a tombstone. That’s why the look of them reflects different cultures, languages, and eras. It’s cool to see them all together but I question the decision to relocate them. This seems like the making of some Kyrgyz poltergeist.

Saddle up

From there we drove further into the valley, where we had lunch prepared by a local family who also had horses. I got sort of a vegetarian version of Lagman; thick noodles and vegetables (minus the meat).

After lunch we mounted our horses and ascended the mountains for a lovely view of the valley. It was pleasant. Views of houses and the valley, herds of cattle and wildflowers. We had a couple of nice dogs following us or leading the way.

I liked it, but I’m still not a fan of horse riding. It just feels weird to me. If I am going to ride some animal, I prefer a camel. But I am glad I had the experience.

I felt asleep on the drive back to Bishkek, which gave me the energy to go out in the evening for a final stroll, dinner, and cigar. It was a good day. I was satisfied with what I had seen in Kyrgyzstan. There is always more to see, but I was happy.

The next day I would go back to Almaty for a final day and night.

Asia Central Asia 2022 Kyrgyzstan

Two days in Bishkek

Exploring Bishkek

Kyrgyzstan – the country whose name I only learned to spell once I visited it – is a mountainous, sparsely populated country nestled just below Kazakhstan and, likewise, was a part of the Soviet Union until 1991 and before that was usually a part of one empire or another (Russian, Mongolian, etc). Kyrgyzstan’s history though goes back a few thousand years, and its people are traditionally nomadic. Even today, it is mostly a rural country, with only about a third of its people living in cities.

I arrived by taxi and foot after crossing the border from Kazakhstan and was deposited at my hostel – the USSR Hostel. As promised, it was walking distance to everything I wanted to see. Not counting the day that I did a countryside private tour, I had two days in Bishkek. That was enough to see and do all that I desired and do so on foot.

Statues & Buildings

I liked Bishkek, more than Almaty. Almaty is the nicer, more European-feeling city, but Bishkek felt more Central Asian. It was just more interesting. The architecture grander and more imposing. The men often wore their traditional hats. There were more statues and monuments. No, not just more; there were a shocking number of statues and monuments. Especially in Oak Park, where they filled the green space like a chess board dotted with pieces. There were brightly colored flower beds everywhere.

The city was just so interesting to walk in. But it also was an easy city to visit. Well organized and signposted and all that. So I could wander with ease.

Over the two days, I walked around and past all the notable buildings, including the UFO shaped circus building, the imposing museum, and an assortment of ornate buildings of indeterminate use.

*beautiful buildings, flowers, and Soviet insignia*

Behind the National Museum is an excellent Lenin statute. Until recent years he stood in the main square but was moved…for obvious reasons. I like the decision to keep the statue (and not destroy it) but to move it to the museum grounds, to place it in historical context, as opposed to holding him up as an icon. (There is also statue of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels deep in the park.)

A Museum & A Gallery

I visited the Museum, which was very good. A beautiful, new building displaying an impressive array of Items from Kyrgyz history.

I wandered to the National Museum of Fine Arts, which I didn’t really enjoy, but was happy to check it out. Interesting art, even if i didn’t like much of it.

Osh Bazaar

I walked to the Osh Bazaar where I was lost in rows and tangles of produce (especially berries), rounds of fresh bread that looked like that I knew from Uzbekistan, slabs of freshly butchered meat, spices, house wears, and hats. It was a very satisfying market. I enjoyed some delicious fried dough and potato treat, like a flat piroshki, and tried some balls of Qurt or Qurut or Kurut. (This being the hard dairy balls that can also be used as projectiles if you find yourself in a violent protest but short on rocks. I wrote about this more in my market post from Almaty.)

Bishkek was a very pleasant city for walking, even if it was blisteringly hot when I was there. It is a city of parks and trees; shade and greenery could almost always be found. Plus, it has a lot of great cafes. Cool cafes with tattooed baristas and pleasant patios for sitting with a coffee and a book or laptop.

Got milk?

Milk type and fermented drinks are inescapable in Bishkek. Like, in Almaty, you can buy a variety of different milks from different animals, fresh and fermented at the markets, but in Bishkek, you can buy the milk (or milk adjacent beverages) on the street. On nearly every corner is a woman sitting under an umbrella with 1-3 plastic barrels in front of her, selling drinks by the glass.

The most prominent is the Шоро or Shoro company, which sells milk beverages. They sell maksym (made from fermented barley, wheat, millet and/or corn), chalap (fermented milk, yogurt, and salt), and jarma (a fermented grain mixed with yogurt drink). You can mix maksym and chalap together, which is called aralash. Other stands will sell kymyz, which is fermented horse milk.

Maksym is the national drink of Kyrgyzstan…it is also the one I liked the least. I also found out after the fact that maksym usually has some form of animal fat in it – maybe butter or maybe other rendered animal fats – so it probably isn’t vegetarian. (oops.)

The other main company that sells their drinks on nearly every corner is the Eneasy company, which sells cold tea and milk/yogurt drinks.

All of these things you can buy in the market made in small batches or at roadside stands, but you just can’t escape the sidewalk sellers in Bishkek – and you wouldn’t want to. The milk and yogurt drinks are delicious and cost maybe 15 cents a glass.

*me, beating the heat with a refreshing glass of chalap*

Impressions

I also noticed that, while it is a Central Asian Muslim country, I saw a surprising number of cool, counterculture-looking young women with visible piercings or tattoos, partially shaved heads, and brightly dyed hair. (Like me as a teen.) I’m not saying I saw a lot of them, but enough that I took note. That’s not something I have noticed in similar places. Between this observation, the green spaces, and the cafes, I had this reoccurring thought: Is Bishkek the Portland, Oregon of Central Asia? That might be a weird comparison, but there is something to it. I liked it anyway.

I’m really squishing together my two days in Bishkek, but that’s mostly what I did. The third day I would take to the country for a bit of rural sightseeing.

Asia Central Asia 2022 Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan

Almaty to Bishkek

Almaty and Bishkek are close together, making visiting both of them (and Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan together on one trip) temptingly easy. Driving is probably the easiest way, but if you don’t have a car or the ability to drive, you can fly (super short flight; you’d spend more time at the airport than you would in the air) or bus/taxi/walking.

In the past, and maybe even now, you could/can take a bus from Almaty to Bishkek right through. From what I hear, it is convenient and comfortable. When I went though they had temporarily stopped that service, so the option was to take a bus to the border, walk across, and then take another bus. That sounded fine. I took a taxi to the huge bus station (Sayran Station) where I discovered that I had just missed the bus and the next was not for about 4 hours. I wasn’t about to spend my time sitting around, so I walked outside to where a ground of men were gathered around cars and hoped that they were taxi drivers and that one of them spoke English. They were, and they didn’t. Through a few words of Russian and a series of pointing, smiling, and nodding gestures, and writing numbers on paper, we set on a price for one of them to drive me to the border at the town of Kordai.

These are shared taxis; you can wait for others to fill up the car and pay for your seat, which is a bargain, but if you’re impatient, you can pay for all of the seats and go. Still not that expensive. That’s what I did. It cost 20,000 Tenge and took about 2.5 hours.

*mural spotted on the way out of Almaty*

The ride was pleasant and took about 2.5 hours. There wasn’t much to see. A few herds of cows and the odd monument to mark the turnoff to some other place.

*No idea what this is for, but doesn’t it look cool?*

Finally we got to the border crossing. A long line of cars and buses waited to cross, but I was walking, so I left my taxi behind, took my backpack and walked across the border, passing the cars and finding myself at the border without having to queue.

The border crossing was a wordless affair as the guard looked at me, looked at my passport, stamped it, and let me go.

*me, walking across the border to Kyrgyzstan with my backpack, a bit bedraggled but happy*

On the other side, I was descended on my predatory taxi drivers, charging too much for their services, but knowing they had me. I did overpay for the ride to my hostel, but it was still a bargain and I was not in the mood to stubbornly wait in the heat.

About 20 minutes later, my driver dropped me off at my hostel: USSR Hostel. In an old Soviet apartment block, now with a row of highly commercial shops at the bottom. USSR Hostel is really more of a shared apartment. The woman who owns it lives upstairs and the 2 bedrooms in this unit are rented out, with guests to share the washroom and kitchen facilities. My room was a cute little pink room with twin beds and a picture of Lenin on the wall. The other room had four guys from Pakistan. They didn’t speak a word of English but seemed nice and invited me to share in their dinner.

I liked this hostel. It was cheap, had a good location, and gave me a look inside one of the style of buildings I am always curious about. It was like staying in a museum or play acting what it was like to live in the USSR. It suited me just fine.

I’ll save my thoughts about Bishkek for the next post, but I’ll just say, if I’m ranking cities (I’m not and no one asked me to), Bishkek came out ahead of Almaty. More for later.

Asia Central Asia 2022 Kazakhstan

Glorious Kazakhstan

I had decided to go to Kazakhstan. There wasn’t a particular thing that drew me. I just felt like it was time to go back to Central Asia. I hadn’t been to any of the ‘stans since my 2011 trip to Uzbekistan. (I had been to Pakistan in 2020, but that seems different.) Plus, in all honesty, there was something appealing about being able to color in such a big landmass on my travel map. Most of the pictures I had seen of Kazakhstan were of its natural beauty. Spectacular vistas of snow-capped mountains, bright blue lakes, and thick, evergreen forests. It all looks lovely…but it also looks a lot like Canada, so I decided to just visit Almaty. The former capital and largest city. I was light on expectations but brimming with curiosity. It surprised me but did not disappoint.

Facts

Kazakhstan has spent much of its modern history dominated by Russia. First the empire, then the Soviet Union. Prior to all that it was a country populated by nomadic peoples. Today it is a massive independent country sitting next door to Mongolia and just under Russia. The world’s ninth largest and the largest country with no connection to an ocean. Its capital is named Astana…or Nur-Sultan. It switches back and forth. Kazakhstan is considered one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world with a mixtures of cultures languages from the region. Kazakh and Russian are the national languages. It is a Muslim country but doesn’t feel particularly religious. It is well off (oil) and its cities are modern, but it still has a close connection to its nomadic and rural heritage. They grow tulips and apples, ride and eat horses, produce formidable boxers and mixed martial art fighters, and men who hunt with massive eagles while wearing large fur hats. (The men; not the birds.)

Kazakhstan is an easy place for Canadians to visit. No visa needed. No bureaucratic cash grab. Just show up, change your Dollars to Tenge and you’re set.

Arrival

I knew right away where I wanted to stay. I eschewed my budget accommodation preferences for a room at the Hotel Kazakhstan; an iconic, Soviet era high-rise with an imposing design. It’s even on some of the currency. (Also, while there are cheap hostels, none of them looked like anything special.) I arrived around midnight and when I awoke, I had a view over the city and to the mountains beyond.

Like all visits to a new city, I spent my first day walking. The streets of Almaty were pleasant. Lots of trees and inviting cafes. The architecture of the city has some definite highlights, but for the most part is unremarkable. Much of the old buildings were destroyed in an earthquake, but some Soviet apartment blocks and a few pretty buildings remain.

*Hotel Kazakhstan & and an impressive statue*

Wanderings and Impressions

Almaty surprised me. I guess I was expecting it to be more like Tashkent; a little more ‘exotic’ feeling. Really, it is more European, but with a central Asian twist. People are, for the most part, not dressed in any traditional style and the city operates like an orderly city. I didn’t find it exciting, but it was pleasant and I think it would be a decent place to live for a time.

One of the highlights was The Park of 28 Panfilov Guardsmen (aka Panifilov Park), a short walk from my hotel, it is a green park with the excellent Zenkov Cathedral (aka Ascension Cathedral) in the centre. The Zenkov Cathedral was built in 1904 and survived the earthquake. Candy colored and ornate. The most remarkable thing is that it is built entirely of wood – and without a single nail. Like Legos or a 3D jigsaw puzzle.

Just off to the side of it is the fantastic WWII war memorial. I’ve seen countless war memorials, but this one is one of the most impressive. A huge metal sculpture of soldiers bursting forth, roughly in the shape of the USSR. It has this aggressive power about it. I loved it.

Fun fact about the 28 Panfilov Guardsmen, it was a story about 28 Red Army soldiers who were killed in battle after destroying 18 German tanks and stopping the advance. It was famous. The were declared heroes. This park was named after them. The thing is…it was just a propaganda story. the Germans did advance, six of the soldiers survived; one of them joined up with the Germans maybe and another surrendered. Still, it is a lovely park.

*Soviet insignia are everywhere if you look for them*

*Kazakh Museum of Folk Musical Instruments*

*Another park. Flowers were everywhere.*

I did pay a visit to the Green Market, which was one of my favourite things in Almaty, but I’ll put that in a separate post.

Museums & Galleries

Between my days in Almaty (I’m condensing a bit here) I visited a few museums. The Museum of Arts of the Republic of Kazakhstan and The Central State Museum of Kazakhstan.

I really liked the history museum. Lots of artifacts and clothing and weapons from the nomadic tribes that inhabited Kazakhstan.

The art museum was very interesting and worth visiting, though I can’t say that I loved the art. That said, I liked it for the purpose of seeing the culture and people represented. Nomadic peoples with huge furry hats and embroidered coats, eagles, and camels. The 20^th C paintings had a lot of depictions of workers and industry.

Kok Tobe

On my second day I took the cable car to Kók Tóbe Park, a small amusement park perched on a hill with excellent views of the city. It has more games than rides, but it is fun to ride the cable car and look around. There are great views of the city and a Beatles statute, and if you want to you can get your picture taken dressed as a Kazakh nomad with a real and massive eagle on your arm. I was tempted to do the latter, but ultimately did not or you would be seeing that picture now.

The only ride I went on was the Fast Coaster, which was a small cart on a metal track that races down the side of a mountain at up to 45km. I let go of the speed control and zoomed along. It didn’t feel entirely safe, but that’s what made it fun.

Evenings

Because I was staying at a proper hotel and not a hostel, I didn’t really meet anyone. While the local people were friendly, I didn’t have any of those great experiences of meeting and hanging out with anyone. The language barrier was probably also an issue. The national languages are Russian and Kazakh.

I spent my evenings in Almaty walking, smoking shisha at patios, drinking pots of local tea, and eating some excellent food. I am not a foodie, but Almaty had a great selection of restaurants we don’t see a lot of in Vancouver: Georgian, Armenian, Central Asian, Syrian, and Yemeni. I didn’t eat much Kazakh food because there just aren’t a lot of vegetarian options. I spent two full days in Almaty on the front end of my trip and a third on the back end, where I splurged and went to the opera. I’ll write about that later. I was a little sad that I wasn’t seeing more of the country, but I was onward to Kyrgyzstan.

Asia Pakistan Pakistan/Oman trip 2020

Sufi Night in Lahore, Pakistan

My third day in Lahore I had planned to see more of the city and spend the evening watching dervishes whirl, but the day did not go as planned. The illness I had come down with the night before persisted. I did make it to Sufi night, but that was about the only thing I did.

Still Sick

I spent most of my day in my little, windowless hostel room. I had a fever, I was freezing cold, and I ached all over. I was nauseous and got up to go to the bathroom, which was not attached to my room and lacked basic facilities. Fine when you’re well; but very inconvenient when you’re sick. I just laid there, with not even enough energy to read.

Finally, in the early evening, I went for walk down the block to a market to buy toilet paper and water and I went to a restaurant with a patio. I ordered a platter of assorted vegetarian, Pakistani dishes. I had no appetite, but I figured I should eat something so I had nibbles of the dishes, leaving most of it. I at least wanted to try some local food. It was very good. I wish I had been hungry.

Some pictures from my outing:

That night – Thursday night – was “Sufi Night”. I was going no matter what.

Sufi Night

Every Thursday night, followers of the Sufi faith in Lahore gather at a few places, including the shrine to Sufi Saint Shah Jamal, for an all night gathering of music, dance, and prayer. I went with the manager of my hostel. I am glad I did. I could easily have taken a tuk tuk to the shrine, but it would have been intimidating and I would not have gotten as close.

The shrine was on a crazy busy but small street lined with shops. People and tuk tuks pressed in. I had to cover my head well before we entered the area and I kept it covered, I didn’t see any other obvious foreigners and few women.

We walked into and through the marble shrine and to the back of it, where a couple hundred people gathered outside under some large bodhi (peepal) trees. There were lights strung up and fires burned. The air was thick with incense and hashish smoke.

In the clearing in the middle of the people was a group of musicians, notably drummers, wearing log red robes with drums like wine barrels hung in front of them by a sash around their necks. They beat on their drums with hook-shaped implements, creating the rhythm that drove everything and everyone around it.

The clearing was filled with maybe 15 men; each dressed in a single color, barefoot, spinning. Some of them spun constantly, some spun intermittently. Arms out, head slightly back. Eyes closed or open, but intensely focused on something. Others danced, stomped, thrashed, swayed, kicked legs, waved arms, rolled heads, twitched hips. It was fascinating. Even a little unsettling at times.

My companion forced us right up to the front. We were seated cross-legged on the ground; sometimes just a few inches from a foot or knee.

The dancers seemed unaware of the crowd or each other. Like they were in a trance. Some of them wore bells that made them part of the music.

The crowed swayed and nodded to the beat. It was easy to become entranced just watching (though obviously not to the same degree). Occasionally someone from the audience would join in, briefly.

The most extreme thing I saw was one young man who had been dancing and spinning, kneeled down and began pounding his forehead into the ground along to the music. Someone eventually put some cloth under his head to prevent him from doing more damage to himself.

A couple of times one of the drummers took to the clearing and, while continuing to drum the beat, spun around fast; never losing the pulse of the music.

It was hypnotic and fascinating.

I took photos, but they are all a blur. Literally.

After about 2 hours I had to insist we leave. It just continues until dawn (theoretically) and people come and go. My unsettled stomach insisted that we leave when we did.

I think this is a ‘must do’ if visiting Lahore. If I had been feeling better, I would have liked to wander around the shrine and the neighbourhood more, but what I saw was great.

Winding up in Lahore

I will add that the next day in Lahore was my last. It was the day I would have gone on a day trip out of the city, but I still felt awful. I took antibiotics, but again, I spent most of the day in bed, going out in the late afternoon for a very slow walk to a local park around a library (?), where I sat outside and sipped at a coffee.

That was it for Lahore for me. Not as action packed as I had planned, but yet it was thoroughly satisfying. I look forward to returning to Pakistan someday to see more, but on this trip that was it. I would have one night in Doha and then I was back to Vancouver.

Asia Pakistan Pakistan/Oman trip 2020

Wagah Border Ceremony – The View from Lahore

Wagah Border

Getting there

At the end of day two in Lahore, Pakistan I planned to go to the Wagah border between Pakistan and India for the famous Wagah Border ceremony. Each day since 1959 an impressive military ceremony is held at this border crossing, on both sides, with great fanfare and feats. Apparently it was not to be missed, so I put it on my list.

The border is not too far from Lahore and you can take a taxi and arrange to have them wait and drive you back or you can take a bus and walk a bit, but I went with a hassle free and slightly more pricey option; I went with the manager of my hostel in a car. While it did cost a little more than if I went on my own, it was worth it. I was able to ask lots of questions and get pictures that I probably would not have been comfortable asking for on my own. On the way there I enjoyed seeing the sights and streets, as the driver stopped repeatedly to get snacks for us to share – samosas, oranges, popcorn.

The Event

Everyday before sunset, hundreds of spectators gather in stadium-style seating on either side of the border, which is marked with a tall, pointy fence and gate. On one side is India and the other Pakistan. Each side has its group of aggressively moustachioed soldiers in fancy dress, complete with elaborate headdresses. There is music and flag waving.

*Looking Across the Border to the Indian Side*

Prior to the actual ceremony starting the crowds are worked into a frenzy with music and singing and cheering. There were men who hyped up the crowd, leading cheers and yells, waving huge flags. One man, who had only one leg, delighted the crown by spinning around and around and waving a massive flag in the air with endless enthusiasm.

Entrance is free and if you are a foreigner there you will be ushered to one of the seats in front for the best views.

During all this pre-ceremony hoopla, the soldiers are strutting around and posing for photographs. I couldn’t resist. Not only are their uniforms imposing, but they are ridiculously tall. Just for context in the photos, I am 5’9″ and they tower over me.

Finally, the ceremony started. The gates along the border open, though to be clear: the border may not be crossed. I asked my companion what would happen if one of the soldiers accidentally crossed the line and he said he would be jailed or killed. I couldn’t gauge if he was serious.

The ceremony itself consists of marching and competitions of who could blow a horn the longest and who could kick the highest. There is a lot of posturing, including assertive moustache twirling. There and regular chants of “Pakistaaaaan” and something about Allah and the crown went wild; leaping to its feet to join in.

It was very weird and really interesting. I had a great time. On the way back to the car about a half dozen people asked to take selfies with me; a trend that continued during my time in Lahore. Seriously, the friendliest people.

The Sickness Sets In…

That evening I hung out at the hostel, on the patio, chatting with a couple of hard core, long term travellers. It was great. But soon I started to feel…not so good. I was freezing cold (for no normal reason) and my hands started visibly shaking. At bedtime, I but slept poorly as I developed a fever and digestive issues. I felt awful but I figured that I had food poisoning.

In the morning I did not feel better and the symptoms then also included intense body aches. I’ve been sick on travels before and I wasn’t surprised – after all, I had been eating from food stalls with communal dishes and utensils – but this was bad. I didn’t think about it at the time, as I was only peripherally aware of coronavirus (it was mid-late February 2020), but weeks later, when I was home and still feeling bad with aches, a bad cough, occasional fever, and diarrhea it occurred to me I could had covid19, but at the time it did not occur to me at all. So my next two days in Lahore were mostly spent in my dismal room, feeling awful. Thankfully I packed my first two days with activity, so I didn’t feel deprived, though I did wish I had picked a nicer place to stay.

Fortunately, the next night I did muster enough fortitude to see the dervishes. That’s for another post.

Asia Pakistan Pakistan/Oman trip 2020

More Lahore: the Fort, the Mosque, & the Old City

On my second day in Lahore, My plan was to explore the fort, mosque, and old city. I awoke early at my hostel. There was meant to be breakfast, but no one was up, so I went out for a walk in search of coffee. I walked up to the high street and meandered along until I saw a “food street”. Lahore has one popular and touristy food street, but the reality is that there are multiple food streets, which are basically just streets that are nothing but restaurants and food vendors.

It was a great street for walking. People, well, men actually, were gathering to eat plates filled with meaty offerings, flat breads, rice, and tea. I could not find anything vegetarian and I was later told that coffee is usually had later in the day. I did get a fresh carrot juice and a salty lassi, made by fancily dressed men who beat the thick yogurt into submission with long, wooden poles.

I wandered around a bit more, stopping to peer at the Lahore Museum and the Zamzama Gun (cannon) out front, which features in the opening lines of the Rudyard Kipling novel Kim.

There is a lot of grand architecture up and down The Mall with narrow streets crossing, where the architecture becomes…less grand, but also kind of wonderful. Narrow, colorful, and a bit chaotic.

I went back to my hostel where breakfast was served. Tea and a large, greasy, spicy flatbread with potatoes and carrots served on newspaper and with dishes that felt far from clean, on a table to match.

It was time to go the Badshahi Mosque. I think I could have walked, but it would have taken quite a while, so I jumped in a tuk tuk (which cost next to nothing after only minimal haggling) and was dropped off at the entrance to the mosque.

Head coverings and modest dress were required. I kept my head covered most of the time in Lahore, as it was difficult to know where it was and was not required.

The Badshahi Mosque was stunning. It did look a lot like the grand mosque in Delhi, but was much larger. It was completed in 1773 and is an imposing and delicate structure with graceful minarets and intricate jeweled inlay.

I walked around, watching equal parts of people praying and taking selfies. Clearly, I was in the latter group.

Right next to the mosque is the Lahore Fort, which is a massive citadel spanning 20 hectares and containing multiple buildings. There has been a fort there since at least the 11^th C (there have been settlements there going back to 2000 BC), but the fort that is there now dates back to the 16^th C, with most of it having been rebuilt in the 17^th C.

There is a modest entry fee to the Fort and headscarves were required. I opted not to take a guided tour, and instead just walked around the buildings. Definitely worth visiting, but I got a bit bored after a while and wanted to be back on the streets, so I exited through a gate – not the gate I entered through – and then had no idea where I was. There were decorative tuk tuks waiting and I had one drop me off at a specific to the Old City, where I had the start of a walk planned.

The Old City (aka The Walled City of Lahore) is a walled city within Lahore dating back to the 11^th C, but having been rebuilt since then. Like a medina in a Middle Eastern city, it is a labyrinthine city with appealing, traditional shops and mosques.

The best thing to do is just walk aimlessly, finding what there is to find. Eventually you will find a gate to exit through and if you are lost, there are always tuk tuks to rescue you.

I was delighted. I came across a traditional hookah and tobacco shop run by serious-looking moustachioed men. They used the type of hookahs that have long metal tubes that one smokes through instead of hoses. And the tobacco is not the moist, fruity variety; it is mostly dried and twisted into long thick ropes. The men there did not speak much English, but they understood that I loved their shop and they happily let me take photos.

Just after that, a young man who did speak English called me over to his cart from where he was selling yellow lentil cakes served with spicy sauce. Delicious. He insisted that I have one for free, though I did buy a second one.

I walked to the Wazir Khan Mosque, which I was looking forward to seeing, as it is known for being one of the most ornate mosques of the Mughal period.

After that, I walked around the Old City, browsing and taking pictures and chatting with locals where possible. I bought a new red headscarf.

I feel I should say that at no point did I feel unsafe or uncomfortable. I was dressed respectfully, though I did attract a fair bit of attention due to being an obvious tourist.

By late afternoon I made my way back to my hostel, as I had arranged to take a car to the Wagah Border that evening to watch the daily ceremony. I’ll put that in a separate post.

Lahore was just marvelous. I had plans to explore more of the city and different areas, though that was not to be; but the time I did spend there satisfied me thoroughly. The people were so friendly, the city was exciting, and the sights were impressive. It was exactly what I wanted.

Asia Pakistan Pakistan/Oman trip 2020

Amazing Lahore, Pakistan: Cobra Doctors to Hair Fire

I arrived in Lahore, Pakistan from Muscat, Oman in the morning with some excitement and trepidation. Pakistan is off the established tourist trail – which is a great part of the reason that I chose it, but I still had some apprehension, including: would I have any problems with my e-visa at the airport? I had heard so many stories of visas being denied or difficult to get, but I had gotten mine on the first try online. It seemed too easy. Surely they would flag me at the border for questions and hassles.

The airport’s immigration section was pure chaos. As soon as people arrived in the building they ran towards the immigration desks and pressed in clumps. There didn’t seem to be separate desks for nationals and foreigners, so I queued (or rather, clustered) with everyone else. But soon I was summoned to the desk for diplomats and whatnot. They looked at my e-visa printout (bring your print out!) and stamped my passport without question, and I was off.

I haled a taxi from the airport to my hostel. The driver, who spoke a little English, said he knew the place, but clearly did not, as we drove in circles, before I finally convinced him to call the hostel for directions. His English was ok, but not so good that I could explain to him that I thought the hostel was on the mall, near the museum. He had little interest in my printed maps. He seemed to focus much of his attention on telling me how beautiful I was and leaning in a little too close, patting my leg. I was irritated. Really, this is how my trip starts? With a leering taxi driver? I just started being a bit rude, and he backed off and eventually dropped me off at my hostel.

I had booked the Lahore Backpackers Hostel, which had pretty mixed reviews, but it was a good price, had a good location, and a big rooftop patio, which I figured it where I could enjoy an evening cigar. Both at the moment and in reflection, I had mixed feelings about the place. It looked bad. It may be clean, but is so old and scruffy that it doesn’t look it. My room was like a little cell with a window that looked out onto the desk of the manager. The kitchen and bathrooms were best avoided, but functional. No toilet paper even. That was the bad. The good was exceptional hospitality, a great location, and good wifi.

Upon checking in, I was furnished with tea and a plate of tasty rice and daal. The manager, Sajjad, and assistant manager were great. Super friendly and helpful. They also organized various walking and driving tours for guests, which was handy. But the place was still a bit icky.

On reflection, unless a better budget option opens up in an equally good location, I would recommend the Lahore Backpackers Hostel for the price, location, hospitality, the camaraderie of fellow backpackers, and all the outings they can help organize – but just know what you are getting.

I checked in and then hit the streets. If my initial impressions in the taxi and hostel were not the best, it was all washed away by the delights of walking the city. Lahore is one of those places that just left me exhilarated. It quickened my pulse and piqued my curiosity. It was a riot of color, sound, and bustle. The traffic was congested and loud. People milled about the cars and tuk tuks to and from markets and shops. From the sidewalks, people sold all manner of things, but most notably (to me anyway) fish, vegetables, and bright, wet chains of fresh marigolds and roses.

I visited a street that was well populated by street doctors – not professionally trained doctors, but natural healers and self-taught medicine men. They were lined up in the area between the sidewalk and the row of fish and vegetable sellers who say along the roadside. I met with and observed a couple of dentists, one pulling a tooth from a stoic old man, another fashioning a false tooth. Another was an ear doctor who proudly showed me his home made medical kit. Another was a man at a cart populated with liquids and objects in jars, as well as several fat lizards, some dead and some soon to be dead, waiting to become a potion. The man beckoned me over, lifted up a basket and produced a live cobra, from which he would use the venom in concoctions. I watched as he mixed bits of dead lizard with other odds and ends and boiled it in a small pot for one of his patients. It was all SO interesting. And lest you think I was intruding, the men called me over to show me what their practice was, invited me to watch, and asked me to take pictures.

The willingness, indeed, eagerness, to be photographed was surprising – particularly after being in West Africa recently, where no one wanted to be caught in a picture. I wandered into a labyrinth of fish sellers, who called me over for pictures. One man even posing repeatedly, each time with a new fish.

I took a tuk tuk to a vegetable market area, which was like many others I had seen, but the volume of produce was something extraordinary. Massive cauliflowers and bales of spinach piled high.

A man approached me from I know not where and placed a thick marigold wreath around my neck. It was a lovely gesture, but it was wet and heavy and made me even more conspicuous than my white skin and all black ensemble. I felt very conspicuous and thought “How long do I have to wear this?” The answer: just until I got into my next tuk tuk, where I hung it from the frame, of which the driver seemed to approve.

I walked in to the Old City, which is a walled centre part of Lahore. Old; dating back to about 1000, but still very active today. It is so easy to get lost, but you will find your way to a gate again, and getting lost of part of the fun. Maps of this area are useless.

I climbed to a high mosque for views of the streets.

Upon descending, I was invited to take tea with some men at a bone setter’s clinic. Unlike the street healers, this was in a small storefront, though the medicinal practices seemed equally non-traditional, at least from a western perspective.

I wandered around, delighted by everything I saw.

Everyone was so nice and hospitable. No one was hassling me for cash or aggressively trying to sell me things. They just seemed happy to have me visit (or they ignored me altogether.

One other cool thing was that the manager from my hostel took me to see an area where the commercial trucks are decorated. In Pakistan, the trucks used to transport goods are elaborately painted and decorated with embossed metal panels, flowers, animals, and garlands. They are tall and extraordinary. This area showed where all this tricking out carries on. One man invited me into his truck to see the velvet seat covers and sparkly garlands inside. He did grab my ass as I exited the truck and I scolded him like you would a dog that had peed on the carpet, with a pointed finger and stern “NO”. It irritated me for a moment and then I moved on.

I should say that the ass grabbing truck driver and the leering taxi driver were the only unpleasant issues of that variety that I had; and in neither case did I feel unsafe, just annoyed. Everyone else was exceedingly kind and hospitable.

My final stop that day, with the manager from my hotel was to a tiny hair salon where the specialty is hair cutting…with fire. We entered the salon where two hair dressers and one customer (and a few of his friends) – all young men – were about to start. First, they put some thick goop on his hair and then they LIT IT ON FIRE. While it was burning the stylist combed through the hair quickly as the fire burned off, presumably, the ends of the hair. The whole thing lasted 15-20 seconds. Honestly, I’m not sure it made that much difference to the hair, but it was crazy.

That took me to the evening. I grabbed some dinner from a street vendor who sold rice and curried things for the equivalent of a dollar or two.

I spent the late evening chatting with two other travelers at the hostel. They were both long-term travelers. One a Scottish woman in her 60s on the road for several months. The other a Belgian guy in his 20s cycling from Europe to South East Asia. Pakistan doesn’t attract your typical 19-year-old gap year backpacker.

I slept in my dismal room soundly, satisfied with all I had seen that first day and excited to see more the next day. As it turned out, the next day would be the last good day I would have on that trip. As settled in on that first night I was about 24 hours away from getting very sick.

Tag: Central Asia

Burana Tower

Saddle up

Exploring Bishkek

Statues & Buildings

A Museum & A Gallery

Osh Bazaar

Got milk?

Impressions

Facts

Arrival

Wanderings and Impressions

Museums & Galleries

Kok Tobe

Evenings

Still Sick

Sufi Night

Winding up in Lahore

Wagah Border

Getting there

The Event

The Sickness Sets In…