have the wrong information leave the country . At times , the feeling of having my hands and feet watched at all times gave me some annoyance . Wouldn ’ t a motorcycle traveller be the most obvious of non-political travellers ? Being used to roam around solo and not having to discuss my plans with anyone , all of a sudden there was a big brother who wanted to be involved at all times .
Understanding that it wasn ’ t the fault of the officials that were with us , I tried to embrace the situation as good as I could , asking the officials questions and have them accompany me around town . I saw it as having personal tour guides , to converse with , it might even have brought us a little closer to the culture .
We eventually made it to Lahore , which is where Simon and I parted ways as he was quite keen to get into India , and I wanted to explore the city a little more .
We were finally left to ride on our own and I was lucky to stay with local hosts who took me around town . It was good to see that there were a lot more women out and the whole atmosphere felt more modern . We visited some stunning mosques , the old town , and the university . Even more than before , I had a feeling of
being the special guest wherever I went .
My hosts introduced me to the director of the university and simply being there , as a foreigner , was reason enough to meet him . As a coincidence , there was a movie premiere with some famous actors , and the director asked me to go on stage to give a speech for the students . Once leaving the stage groups formed and cameras thrust my way with many selfies taken . What was it that I had done again ?
After a week in Lahore , the time came to head towards India , but it was not without a spectacle .
The Wagah border , the only passable border for civilians between Pakistan and India holds a ceremony daily during the afternoon . It ’ s a show performed by the Indian and Pakistani military , with soldiers in colourful uniforms intimidating each other , stomping the ground before slamming the gate shut three times . It is a comical reminder of the ongoing tension between the two countries , all in front of cheering crowds on both sides , under a huge Indian flag to the east and an even larger Pakistani flag to the west .
Had it not been for the winter in Pakistan , I would have considered
TRAVERSE 88