old tiger's Blog

Well..Lahore..hot bustling city on the Ravi river..
the touts on the railway station looked like last time..
they try to get you in a hotel..and then they get commision...
from the owner..this time..I took a hotel..a very cheap one...
in some side street around the railway station..I had brought
a padlock on this trip..so..I could lock my things..in youth hostels
they sometimes provides lockers..this time..i just left my rucksack
in the cloakroom of the railway station..took a plastic bag with me..
inside the necessary things to take a bath..the rest..in the station..
cloakrooms in Pakistan/India were O.K..I think it was a safe option..
I met people who always dragged their heavy backpack around..
I found it silly to walk around like a mule in these temperatures..
Lahore..I believe on page 26 of my journal..I told you something about
the sightseeing..check it out if you wanna know..Lahore was crowded..
hot..people are O.K.if you approach them accordingly..
just strolled around the Mall..with its fancy shops,colonial style buildings,
hotels etc..i saw some tonga's around the railway station..
tonga's are horse taxis..whole family with a woman in purdah(veil)
usually woman weir black veil...and long black dress..you can't see
much of their face even...Islam...well..it was very different in India..
Pakistan is a Muslim country..one has to adapt to local customs..
the city of Lahore got historical value..going back to Moghul rule,
Sihk period,British rule..and finally independance...facts enough..
after the Mall...wandered bit through the old part of Lahore..
honestly said..I did not feel very safe there...people approach you..
for shop visits..tea parlours..drugs even..money change,Sir??
watch out with money changers..they might rip you off totally..
in these days I used to have a secret belt with an area to keep money..
even then..just watch out..not the first foreigner who got his money
stolen..not a funny idea to be completeley broke in Pakistan/India..
oh..I forgot...about sightseeing..there's a gun called Kim's gun(Zamzama)
history enough..it comes out of the battle of Panipat(1761)
it's lying on a wheelcart like thing..the cannon looks like golden??
I went to the taxi stand to find out about rates to the Indian border
at wagah..it's such a hassle...they all got different prices..
cheating game..one will always pay a tourist price..always..
I met some Pakistani students(girls)i bet they came from rich families..
they wanted to know about Europe..Eifel tower Paris..
they looked nice in their salwar kameez and dupatta(shawl)
and these girls were not old fashioned..in fact Pakistani/Indian woman
are very beautiful..I was surprised they approached me..
in these days..Pakistan was in a political turmoil..I guess it was Bhutto
who ruled then..lots of corruption...I don't like politics..so let it be..
I got so tired from walking around through Lahore..so went back to
the hotel after a cheap meal in the railway station...
tomorrow I was gonna cross into India..a country...
which I can call now..my second home..my wife is Indian(Assam)
will tell about India later on..keep reading..thanks..
crazy tiger..

Quetta is a city with well laid out street patterns..
the Mall was the main street with shops,restaurants etc..
it was mainly a strolling experience for me..
the town got some musea..too hot to get stuffed in there??
the train towards Lahore would take more then 24hours..
the language in Pakistan is Urdu..resembles Hindi in some ways..
Baluchistan got its dialects..I believe Pasthun is spoken there?
Quetta also got an earthquake once..I believe in 1935??
I spoke to a very old Baluchi...he was nostalgic about British rule..
it was better organised,he said..could be??Baluchistan is a very arid
and rough area...with lots of desert and uninhabited space..
the Bolan mountain pass is very near..I took that train once..
going to Lahore..it looked all familiar..but every trip is different..
a true Baluchi will have a beard..or a long moustache..
and they wear a knife..wooh..watch out..don't argue..
they might shiv you...ahahh..if you adapt to local customs..
which is not always easy in Pakistan/India..then no worries...
I could adapt myself these days..Baluchi's..aww..they were..
a race apart..not like Pakistani Sindhis or Punjabi's..they were..
definately different...and I think even today..they still are..
these people have a code of honour..they can get wild!!
watch out what you say in Baluchistan..but..if a Baluchi..
sees the real friend in you...they will go trough a fire for you..
bit like in Corsica..special mentality,you know..
so..the train..done it before..got my railway ticket+reservation..
sitting in a compartiment for 1 day...with Pakistani's..
is either good..or not good..for me..it was positive..
this trip..people offered me chai(tea)and were very curious..
about Belgium..they even did not know where it was situated..
the train goes trough the Bolan pass...arid landscape..
trip follows the cities of Jacobabad-Multan-Lahore..
bloody hot it was...i was puffing and huffing.
tea released the tension..food was cheap..
I was so glad to reach Lahore..i got fed up with that train..
sitting more then 1 day in a train..in scorching temperatures..
bit too much for my nerves..but..I made it to Lahore..
capital of the Punjab..great historical value...as a city..
http://www.lahore.com/component/option,com_weblinks/catid,40/Itemid,83/
I''l take you peeps..into Lahore...and India..
if you don't mind..travelling along...ahahah..
crazy Tiger

aww..that train trip...did it before once..
but it's always different anyway,I guess..
first..this train..a weekly service..took 24 hours..
to reach Quetta..but..sometimes..it takes longer..
on the road between Mirjaveh-Dalbandin...it's desert..
sometimes...sandstorms...they even had to clear the tracks..
border crossing between Iran-Pakistan was a big hassle..
as always..Baluchi's getting back..smuggling..contraband..
the baksheesh(bribe)game on both borders Mirjaveh(Iran)
as well as Taftan(Pakistan)it can take several hours before
that bloody train moves again..I got a headache from it..
one has to wait in the bloody heat..can get very high..
customs just checked my passport..visa etc...no hassles..
in the train...I sat in a compartiment...with a Baluchi family..
strict Muslims..one has to adapt..they started cooking..
their meal in the train itself..on a gas stove..but..if one adapts
and respect their beliefs..they will let you eat with them..
they cook tea..flat nan bread..puri's..meat...anything..
but..I was not travelling alone on this train...well..well..
never take anything with your left hand..
that's for cleaning your ass..this family..a woman..husband..
and 2 kids..were nice to me..i felt rather awkward..
but anyway..I managed..the Baluchi tribals wear these funny
baggy trousers...the woman...mostly salwar kameez..
nice jewelry..earrrings..ankle bracelets..one of the kids...
had a black spot on his forehead..to cast away evil spirits..
I've seen this a lot in India..I'll explain later on..
now..train reaches first Nokkundi..when this train stops..
it seemed to me..the whole village wanted to sell andhe(eggs)
fruits..tea..meat...even a complete live chicken..
I just got some tea..fruits..be careful with other things..
you can catch a nasty diarree or even dysentery..
Dalbandin..same scenario..the whole village had to sell something..
landscape is arid..dry..hot..dusty..train moves not at top speed..
travelling in Pakistan/India sharpens your patience..
reaching Quetta...was a relief..moved into a hotel..
http://www.world66.com/asia/southasia/pakistan/quetta
met an American from Sausolito(California)
don't know how he got into Quetta..we both had to report..
at the local police office..registration of foreigners..
wel..well...I did not like these folks..they were the kind..
fishing for bribes..easy money for them..i never gave in..
to these kind of silly games..when one travells for 7 years..
one learns the tricks..one sees trough people..
now..it's internet....aww...another thing..even worser??
what's an identity on internet nowadays??
so..Quetta..Baluchi's..I guess I told it before...
don't mess around with these dudes..they'll dagger you..
it's a very fierce and easily aroused tribal group of folks..
don't get them angry..I'm just telling you..watch out..
there's a group belonging to Pathan origin...
I heard of some gypsie tribe called Lori..but I never met them..
I don't remember the name of the hotel I stayed..but it had a good standard..
I was staying for 2 days in Quetta..went to the railway
station to book my ticket towards Lahore(Pakistani Punjab)
will tell more later..in a few days...was gonna enter India again..
crazy Tiger

I knew Kerman..had been there before..
nice bazaar...the people from Kerman..
lived far away from the politics of Tehran..
their regio is full or arid land..desert and barren..
it's on an altitude of over 1700m..bit cooler in summer..
I visited bazar e borg...which means big bazaar..
funny language Farsi..I learned a few sentences..
people always laughed..because probably I pronounced wrongly..
the usual masjeds(mosques)all present as well..
I don't recall where I stayed in Kerman..small hotel..
next day..i took a bus for Zahedan..to take that train..
we crossed the town of Bam..very old place..
it has some sort of an old castle..never visited it..
the city of Bam..got hit by an earthquake in 2003..
http://www.farsinet.com/bam/
it got quite damaged,I believe..lots of people died as well..
so..reached the town of Zahedan..funny place..
i had to stay few days here..waiting for the train.
train to Quetta..waww..real adventure..
only went once a week via Mirjave-Taftan-Dalbandin etc..
in these days...every foreigner..had to rapport at local police..
they did not ask too many questions..they knew..
I was going to Pakistan..Zahedan was a smuggling town..
for drug traffic...and all kind of stuff..
booked a train ticket to Quetta...
and stayed 2 nights on some camping like place..
with barracks..where we slept..
finally..the train came...awww..I was glad..
to get away from this place Zahedan..
I will tell you curious peeps later on..about the trip..
Tiger

oh yes..before I forget..in these days..currency..
was the rial..divided into tomans..funny names???
in Tehran..it was possible to change black market..
specially U.S dollars..I never did it..too many ripp offs..
Qum(or Ghom)was always a center for religion..
holy city..mullah's..Islam...well..I cared a shit for religion..
up till today..I think religion..is the opium of the people??
who said that...Nietschke??if one realizes today..
wars are fought..people...innocent or not??
get killed EVERY day..for the sake of religion...
awww..not my belief then..during this trip..to India..
I met some Parsi's in Mumbai..I will tell you later about that..
well..they came originally from Iran long ago..
do you all know their 3 slogans..their way of living??
good thoughts..good words..good deeds..
is'n't that hippie??can we all live up to that TODAY??
to tell you all..it became my religion as well..
difficult to achieve..indeed...thoughts..words..deeds..
do you all follow??so...Qum..religious center for Shi'ites..
nothing much to see..the grave of some *pir*=Muslim saint..
Mashad..is another town like that...had passed through there..
in Qum ayatolla Khomeini studied theology..well...
Qum was a stopover for our bus to Kerman..i did not even get
out of the bus..I stocked up on soft drinks/food in Tehran...
Iranian buses are not bad..but I prefer the Turkish ones..
some Iranian student told me..visit Shiraz/Persepolis...
I did not..no time...long road ahead..but..if you do Iran..
do me a favour..visit Shiraz..it 's a loveley place..
in these days..bus travell in Iran..was stopped regularly..
at road check up points..police??the Shaj had a service
of secret police units called Savuk or Savuka??
smuggling from Baluchistan was heavy..corruption??
some big shots always took profit..now..our bus...
first passed Isfahan..loveley mosque architecture..
these blue tiled mosaic domes...I remember them very well..
drove on towards Yazd..very arid and dry part of Iran..
typical villages..funny house architecture..
very poor people,I guess..in these day..oil dollars..
well..the Shaj and the elite of Iran..just profited well..
but what about these poor villagers in Yazd province??
nobody cared,I believe..not even the government..
Yazd...was the heart of origin for Parsi's(Zoroastrianism)
http://www.iranchamber.com/cities/yazd/yazd.php
great religion..unknown...like the Bahai religion perhaps??
so finally..after a long and tiresome bus trip..reached..
the town of Kerman..I had been there before..I liked it..
will tell you curious peeps later on..
Tiger..