OzBus 14

The capital is our last stop and will be the place where we spend longest; a total of 3 nights. Moving from Multan to Lahore also meant that we progress from the Sindh province to the Punjab province – the wealthier side of Pakistan. As you travel into the new province, you can see the wealth within the landscape increase and it’s rather surreal. Again, the bus journey isn’t long, so I mainly focused on the sights and sounds of the road and surroundings. Other than the occasional security escort changeover and essential pit stop, the journey was steady and smooth.

Our hotel looks far from what is expected; entrance hidden behind a derelict shop front and no clear signs with a huge generator before the door. Despite the looks, it was our home for the next 3 days. This was a good thing, as we were basically placed on house arrest for the duration of our time in the capital (security elements escalated seeing as we were in the centre).

Lana had organised with Amjad for the girls to have Henna tattoos once we arrived at the hotel. If you’ve never had (or heard) of these types of tattoos, they’re basically a temporary, traditional tattoo that is painted on with a special ink. This lasts for up to 4 weeks, with natural fading occurring within that period. The girls had traditional patterns done on their arms and feet (and one girl had it done on her back), but had to wait a couple of hours before being able to move to give the ink time to settle. Once settled and washed off, we all head out to dinner.

Salt n’ Pepper Village is a very fancy (compared to recent activity) and pricey buffet restaurant, filled with live music, pro-active service and a great atmosphere. The cuisine is a mix of Pakistani, Indian and oriental, all cooked on the spot right in front of your hungry eyes. Simply put, the restaurant, the food and the service were excellent and highly recommended! At the hotel I had a few beers before calling it a night.

Tags: Travel

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