Pakistan’s roads are full of all kinds of traffic – auto rickshaws, cars, buses, motorbikes, horse and carts, donkey and carts, trucks, pedestrians, bicycles and even the odd camel.

The buses and trucks are very colourfully decorated, particularly in Karachi.

I wanted to go on an intercity train ride in Pakistan but a journey did not fit in with my plans.

Here is a video I recorded of a Lahore street near the old city:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dUE2m5EpO8]

The rear of a Karachi bus

A donkey and cart and a bus in Karachi

Karachi chaos

The local buses are designed for passenger overflow to sit on the roof

A Lahore cart transporting fabric

Many of the auto rickshaws feature graffiti. In Lahore I just had to take a photo of the one above.

The above three photos are of the same Lahore bus. Kae, the Japanese backpacker was on his haunches in front of the bus when the driver tooted the horn – you should have seen Kae move 🙂

The Niazi Express bus station, Lahore

A closer shot of the Niazi Express symbol incorporating a kangaroo

A man at a freeway stop feeding miner birds and crows along with himself. Pakistan’s only freeway runs from Lahore to Islamabad. My Niazi Express coach is the one on the left. The bus on the right is an “Ahmed Hussein Butt Ways” bus (emphasis added). Note the eucalyptus trees in the background.

My bus left Lahore for Islamabad an hour or so late and then was delayed further by Eid livestock markets. I was certain I was going to miss my domestic flight back to Karachi. My stress-induced headache was not helped by the full-volume showing of an extremely violent Bollywood film. 200 plus people died in many full-on incidents, yet not one kiss was shown.

The bus stopped outside Islamabad and I was weighing up whether or not to get off or not. I got off, and for a rare occasion, I was glad to be approached by a taxi driver. He quoted 300 rupees (US$5) for the journey to the airport. I was in no mood to bargain. I explained my predicament to him and off we hooned in his seatbelt-free micro machine. The driver displayed super maneuvering creativity and I estimate we went through more red lights than green lights! Much to my relief I eventually arrived at the airport 30 minutes before departure. For his effort, the driver received an extra 100 rupees.

Karachi Airport, my last time on Pakistani ground. From left to right: Pakistan International Airlines, AirBlue and MNG Cargo (a Turkish freight company).

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Besides the numerous beggars, my experiences with Pakistani people were excellent. The average person in the street was very friendly, particularly in reaction to a positive comment about the country. Some people insisted I take a photo of them even when I wasn’t planning to.

As you can see, the photos below consist almost solely men or boys. There are a couple of reasons for this: a) males were far more visible in the street and, b) in Pakistan it is considered rude to take photos of women unknown to the photographer.

A drinks server at Hani and Mehwish’s first wedding reception

Guards at Mazar-e-Quaid, Jinnah’s Mausoleum, Karachi

Attendees at a Qawwali Sufi music concert, Lahore

A wise man (on the right) and his attendant at the Sufi concert, Lahore

The Gypsies in the centre of the photo are both outcasts and somewhat mythical. They were also at the Sufi dancing later that night.

I bought a mobile SIM card from these guys in Lahore. To obtain the card all I had to do was pay 150 rupees (about US$2.50). There were no forms to fill or identification to show. The card even came with 180 rupees worth of credit!

Their telephone service and photocopying shop is located in a lift (elevator) that has not operated for 20 years.

This man and the baby girl were on a street in the hospital district of central Lahore

In the labrinth that is Lahore’s Old City

A craftsman chiselling a piece of timber in the old city

Japanese backpacker Kae taking a photo of a boy in the old city. The sheep were to be slaughtered as part of the upcoming Eid ul-Azha (Feast of Sacrifice).

A street seller, Lahore. I considered buying one of the hats he is wearing. I wish I did.

A worker at the Regale Internet Inn, Lahore. He came from Chitral(?) and was very friendly, offering me cups of tea in return for fruit and nuts.

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My trip involved 8 flights on 3 different airlines: Atlasjet (Adana-Istanbul, Istanbul-Adana); Emirates (Istanbul-Dubai, Dubai-Karachi, Karachi-Dubai, Dubai-Istanbul); and Airblue (Karachi-Lahore, Islamabad-Karachi).

Here are some flight-related photos:

ON THE WAY TO PAKISTAN

Sabanci Mosque (bottom), Adana Hilton (top) and the Roman Bridge (top right), Adana.

The Taurus Mountains (“Toros Daglari”) north of Mersin. Notice the snow on some of the peaks.

At Ataturk Airport, Istanbul, were many Turkish people waiting to leave for the Hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.

Father Christmas at Dubai Airport

RETURNING TO TURKEY

One of Karachi’s airport terminals

Karachi suburbs from the plane. Karachi is a huge city and the suburbs were visible for a long time in the plane.

One of Karachi’s ports?

This cloud and cloud-shadow formation looked amazing from the air

Emirates above the cloud

A lonely Arabian Peninsula road surrounded by desert

Dubai’s suburbs on the approach to the airport

The above two photos do not fully capture the dreaminess of the sky over the Gulf

A jet in the distance piercing the sunset with its trail. Note the snow blanketing the ground.

The sun setting beneath the plane’s wing engine

A volcano mountain (Mt. Nemrut, Tatvan?) disguised by snow. Eastern Turkey was absolutely covered in snow.

Turkish Airlines aeroplanes lined up at Ataturk Airport, Istanbul

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