miércoles, 7 de noviembre de 2007

Punjab


My first city in Punjab was the big market of Multan, this is a very nice, but exhausting city. My two first visit to hotels weren't succesful, so they're full, but the third was the right one, not a really good room, but for just 200 Rupees it was very OK. Straight from there, and after waiting for more than 4 hours at train station, due to a delay, I arrived to the wonderful city of Lahore. As Lonely Planet recommended, I went to Regale INN Internet Guest house, this place is really clean and cheap, despite of dormitory rooms, they only accept foreigners guest, it means that they keep dirty away... There I met Ricardo from Argentina, really nice guy, but he was going to China, and I went to India, so we couldn't travel together, at least we had a nice time going to Lahore's Food Street. I was tired of Lahore's pollution, and I went to Wagah, the boder, this is an interesting place, all soldiers are very kind. So in just few meters I arrived to India! I though that Pakistan was India already, but definetly it's different, here people just think about money, when they look at you, the just see Euro walking, despite than Pakistan is poorer, it doesn't happen there... As I arrived in afternoon I had to wait almost four hours to see the closing ceremony, despite everyone told me it was OK, I took a CicloRickcshaw to Attari town, and from there a bus to Amristar. When I arrived to Amristar the first thing I did was buying an India SIM Card, and at Telecom shop my arrival was a kind of a Party! I must to say that Sikh people are different to the rest of indians, they're much serious but you can trust (in the most of times) with them.


Then I was hosted at wonderful Golden Temple

Balochistan

From Kerman I reached Zahedan, I should to say that I was a little afraid, so everyone told me that Zahedan, and all Balochistan wasn't safe. But at the end I discovered that, despite it's not the best place of Iran, Zahedan was a quite safe place. On next day early morning I got to the border, I wanted to bargain, but taxi driver charged me 40.000 Rials, a lot of money, if I think that the car was full... But I couldn't argue the price. After crossing Iran check Point, I arrived to desolated Pakistan border, no one was there for receiving me, in fact I could have crossed the border without passing by passport control, definetly I arrived to Pakistan! on the border I changed the money with a fucking shark who charged me a huge comission, but there was no other option, so Taftan, the border town, is a desolated place. After waiting for more than six hours, at the end I could take the bus to Quetta. Before departing the bus was full of sand or flour bags, I don't know, so when the roof was full, the guys full bus corridor as well, the bus was so dirty and dusty... But the passengers were still diertier than bus, despithe of their hospitality, Baluchis are fuckin' pigs! after the long way by the isolated road, I reached Quetta at the end, as I arrived at 4 in the morning, I slepted at bus station sofa, really quiet and confortable. I woke up, it was 9 in the morning, just a kid was at waiting room. I stood up and when I was in the street, I've realized that suddlenly I've arrived to India: Dirty streets, donkeys and goats on the road, rickshaws, smoke.... and good food at the end!