When I first reached Lahore, Pakistan, I thought this would be the start of a new adventure. Lahore is one of the biggest cities of Pakistan with a population of over 15 million, and is famous for its culture and food. Unfortunately, my arrival turned out to be the beginning of a tough experience.
My journey started at Karachi Airport. At the airport, I was ready to get on a domestic flight to Lahore with Jinnah Air, one of the new airlines of Pakistan. To my surprise, the airport was very quiet, and the check-in and the security checks were completed quickly. Though there were delays, my flight was still worthwhile as the flight looked new and the staff were friendly.
However, I suffered from a terrible stomach problem during the whole flight. I had been sick with it for a few days, and that was why I had no strength nor appetite to eat at all. Although the food was served during the flight, I was not able to eat due to my bad stomach.
The taxi driver asked for a fare of 2,400 Pakistani rupees. The taxi ride lasted almost 44 minutes; however, there was an unexpected diversion involved, and therefore there was a dispute over the amount owed. The driver demanded another 1,600 rupees as he said that the destination was changed. In the end, the traveler had to pay 3,000 rupees and give a small tip to the taxi driver.
Another interesting experience happened at the army checkpoint, where the taxi was stopped and the traveler’s passport was kept by a soldier since it appeared that foreigners were not allowed to take that way. It was quite a disturbing situation, but soon after that the traveler got his passport back and the taxi proceeded to the hotel.
The hotel itself was good and agreeable; it cost around 100 dollars per night to stay there. However, after the check-in was accomplished, the traveler had to go looking for a pharmacy as his stomach problems continued troubling him greatly.
As such, there was no chance to explore the local food scene in Lahore on the first day. It was hoped that traditional Pakistani food could be tried that day, but health came first in order of importance. The attempt to have an American breakfast was unsuccessful as the restaurant stopped serving it even though it was mentioned in the menu as available throughout the day.
The evening was finished with a simple idea: to find the food that would be easy on the stomach and to return to the hotel.
However, despite difficulties during arrival, the first impression of Lahore was positive. The city looked slightly similar to Karachi, but it seemed to be drier and different in terms of the atmosphere. There was also a noticeable presence of security in the places like restaurants and hotels.
For now, Lahore is still a city waiting for exploration.
