Ozbus11 in Pakistan

Ozbus11 had to get up at stupid O'Clock in the morning on the last day of Iran as we were scheduled to catch a flight to Karachi from Tehran. “Flight?” I hear you say. “But how dare you – you're on an Eco-trip!” Well it isn't my decision and not one I knew of when I paid up for Ozbus but it is due to Political tensions in other countries. For example – the border we would have had to cross is too near to Afghanistan for it to be a safe passage. Thus – the flying thing.

It was our first flight as a group, there are more to come, and I was strangely looking forward to a spot of airport civilization. Which is odd for me, as Madrid flying really put the final nail in my thoughts of all aspects to do with the aviation industry. We arrived just as it got light and for a moment I saw a beautiful light highlight the tails of the parked aircraft at the boarding gate. Strange – how something I detest at times can seem so beautiful.

It was only a couple of hours until we landed and the breakfast I thought was one of the best we'd had in a long while (that's saying something about what we had been putting up with). Then it was a hop, skip and a jump forward in time, sightseeing on a tiny bus and an introduction to our Guide named Amjad. He turned out to be the best guide we'd had so far and had left his heavily pregnant wife to travel for a week through his country with us. It was a walking tour that afternoon before we headed to our hotel and we visited the mausoleum of the first President of Pakistan. Here, thanks to the amazingness of Amjad, we were treated to a Pakistani changing of the guard. Photo op.

Day 26 and we had to leave Karachi for Hyderabad. A semi-early start was made a little later by the humorous sleeping in of Kate and Frances (officially the oldest member of Ozbus). At that point I was reminded at how good the group had actually been of leaving on time and not really being late for anything. Although Deeeeeeeeeeeeeee from Londahn is gaining a bit of a rep for faffing and generally wandering off in search of things that interest her.

Hyderabad was just an overnighter but it was here that we first encountered real security issues. I wanted to, that evening, buy food for the next day's drive. I couldn't. Apparently it was too unsafe and Amjad had to go out and get something for me. Then as we left the next day we had on our tail a police escort van with several armed men on board. These vans would continue, though changing quite a lot as they passed through different jurisdictions, throughout our stay in the country.

On the road after leaving Hyderabad we visited an Archaeological museum at 2.00pm. Here we were served lunch – unfortunately for me, the food hadn't got any better from Iran, just spicier, so I had to pass. Also most of the 'museum' was outside and walking round that at 2.30 didn't really appeal. Memories of hours spent under the sun at Pompeii, Italy flashed before me. On the road again and we visited another Mausoleum where we weren't really allowed to ask any questions on the subject of the dodgy death of one of it's occupants. It was here though that I think we started to get hassled by the locals for the first time. Although in Pakistan the locals were more intrigued with a rare sight of a tourist then simply wanting money.

We were heading to Sukkur now and before we arrived into the city we were allowed to ride in the back of the Police van escorting us. A short wind through hair moment for Jo and Lara with heads popped up through the roof as the guard kindly informed us “it's a sensitive area” and “don't want to draw attention”. Heads quickly drawn back in then. We were looking forward to arrive in Sukkur. We shouldn't have. The hotel we had to stay in was one of the worst we we had been in so far.

When you book this kind of a trip you have to have your mind open to several things; new cultures, differences between them and yours and the absence of comforts you would otherwise associate with a 'normal' holiday. As Ozbus definitely does not offer in any way shape or form anything close to normality. The whole thing is billed as a once in a lifetime opportunity. So I had been ready for hostels and roughing it from the start. Especially as when I had first looked into booking the trip, passengers were camping and cooking together and not hosteling/hoteling all the time. If you do not accept the above as part of the Ozbus experience – you will cause problems for yourself. And then eventually, other people on the trip as I believe, once you board the bus on Embankment (or Sydney if coming from the other way) you become part of a sort of vacation team. In it together.

Arriving at the hotel in Sukkur was like arriving at a dis-used brothel surrounded by Pakistani Mafia posing as members of staff. And once we had arrived, we were not allowed out. Security again. Drove me crazy. The town was simply a lay over and unfortunately only had one hotel so Ozbus did not have a choice. It did get me down though as it did others. We left after a nice lie in and headed for Multan. Day 28 and we didn't see much on the way. Once we arrived it was another lock in with snipers posed 'ready' on the hotel roof. I found out the next day that at 10pm there was distant shelling and gunfire heard by some passengers. Exciting stuff. It was also the day that the supposed leader of the Taliban had been murdered up north, Afghanistan or something.

We left Multan the next morning in the rain. I tried to remember the last time I had experienced rain and couldn't. In the moments when the water wasn't dribbling down the outside of my window, smudging the view of the countryside, I notice women in brightly coloured saris working in the cotton fields. I also noticed how I hadn't really seen them at all in the country. A few I had spotted on the side of roads holding babies or in those fields but when we drew up to settlements and attracted great crowds of wondrous Pakistanis, it was all men that I saw. I didn't like the invisibleness of the women. I didn't feel I could get to know this country without them.

But then as the 26 paid up passengers wizz through town after town in our air conditioned albeit slightly ropey labeled 'Tourist' bus, can we be getting to know these countries anyhow? As it is mostly a glazed view I'm seeing. As enlightening as that is at times – I see babies crawl around without clothes, I see the corrupt people with their shiny 4x4s – I feel slightly treacherous to the art of 'traveling'. I feel protected still. A westerner in an eastern land. Still a stranger in their land. I'm lucky they just about tolerate me.

Lahore was a welcome town to arrive in. At last we were allowed to go out after dark! I felt a sudden rush of foreign excitement after dinner at the nicest restaurant we'd experienced yet. The food was till spicy, but I managed to find something that wasn't. The next day (day 30) and a start of a new week Ozbusketeers were off on another walking tour. We visited the old fort and had drinks under a240 year old tree. We arrived back at the hotel slightly later than expected which left only an hour or so of rest before we were all off again on the bus to visit the Sunset Border Closing ceremony.

This is a must see if you are in that particular area. It's probably the only time you will ever be invited to take photos at a border. Basically a load of Pakistani guards do a little of a show with a few spectators and a load of Indian guards do a little of a show on the other side of the border with a lot more spectators (owing to the bigger country and all). It was all rather good fun with an amazing old guy with long white beard really revving up the crowd with crazy dancing and a massive Pakistan flag. As ever Ozbusketeers got into the swing of things with the help of Amjad relaying what the chants were for us to join in. “Pakistan! Sinderbad!” was a highlight.

Looking over to the Indian border side I spotted Westerners for the first time in weeks. Surprisingly we didn't see a lot of them in Pakistan. Amjad had informed us that we were the only tourists in the country at that particular time. I suddenly felt a longing to be over the other side. I wanted to see all of what colourful and strange things India had to promised. Security issues in Pakistan were wearing me down as even in Lahore, after dark, we managed to attract police escorts.

When we arrived back in the city after the ceremony we had dinner in Pizza Hut (sick as a dog of what Pakistani hotels had to offer by this point), a few of us headed off to a favorite little Ice cream place of Phil's. OMG – you have to go there if ever you are in Lahore! Moree's Cafe had widest range of Ice Cream flavours this side of Italy. Along with smoothies, cakes and pastries, it was a welcome treat from the heat of the outside. Yum yum. In fact I recall spending the two nights there on the trot.

Whilst we were in the country there was something about the Peshawar bombing going on and WFO conference being blown up. First Iran when US wants to go to war with 'em then, shelling and bombings not far from us, Ozbus11 really knows how to do controversy. But on day 32 it was another early morning start to head for the border. Surprisingly, it was the same one we'd been to for the show – and I thought it was far too decorative to be a real one, much to Phil and Jimmy's amusement. It was though – the longest border we'd ever been through. We didn't play the border game on the bus there as Amjad announced his wife had just had a baby boy – congratulations!

We arrived at 10am, got through the Pakistani check by half past, got to the Indian check at 11.30 where we had to fill out paper work. That process finished at 12.30, at 1.30pm we left the border on the bus. Hmmmmmmmmmm. Not a nice morning. Luckily it wasn't long until Amritsar where our Indian adventure awaited us.