Pakistan has been on our radar for a few years and now we’re finally making it happen! We flew from the delightful temperatures of a Perth winter to the oven-like heat of Lahore. There was a crowd of men waiting at the arrivals, all wearing a shalwar kameez which is the traditional two piece outfit for men and women here. To get to our hotel we needed to use the airport WiFi and book a Careem taxi which is basically like Uber. We had a big challenge trying to locate the driver and it turned out he was waiting at departures on the floor above. Eventually we were on our way and absolutely dripping with sweat. After a short distance we arrived at a military check point and were told tourists weren’t allowed to enter so we had to take a huge detour. We asked the driver why we couldn’t go through, was it dangerous? And boy did he laugh at that, repeating the word ‘dangerous’ followed by belly laughs. We arrived at our hotel where the room was nice enough, it could of done with a better clean and some nicer bedding that wasn’t stained or ripped but it was fine and they gave us complimentary chai on arrival which we lapped up.

The room price included a buffet breakfast so the next morning we headed upstairs to start the feast. It consisted of a variety of curries, breads and deep fried delights. There was even a dessert counter with really yummy cream-filled cakes. I ate so much that I looked 6 months pregnant at the end.

Today we had to sort out some chores first like buying a sim card and getting cash. There was a big security presence at the banks and phone shop with bag checks and even body scanners outside places like McDonald’s. Getting cash turned out to take a lot longer than we’d hoped as the atms only gave £55 for each transaction with a £2 fee so we spent the day trying to figure out Western Union and that turned out to be the best option. We walked to a busy shopping area of the city which was bustling with people but much milder than India. I guess we assumed there would be a lot of similarities with these bordering countries but in reality Pakistan feels very different, more Middle Eastern than Asian and much calmer. We can walk around without being hassled all the time which is a delight. One of the street stalls we passed sold a snack we recognised as Pani Puri or Gol Gappay, it’s like little crispy balls filled with mashed potato. It was served with a bowl of brown liquid which I just partially dipped mine into where as Craig fully dunked his. A local lady sat next to us and we had a little chat, she said “be careful eating that, it can give you diarrhoea” and it turns out she was absolutely right.

The following day we were finally headed out to explore Lahore. We caught a Careem to the Delhi gate marking the entrance to the old city. Just around the corner was the Shahi Hammam, a Turkish bath built in 1635 C.E and it was kind of crazy that a historic sight like this was empty, we were the only people inside. It was just a quick place visit though with the central room being the main highlight with intricate artwork covering the walls and ceiling. Standing inside with the stifling heat made me realise why the place maybe didn’t survive, who the heck wants a hot bath or steam room in 40° weather?

We then strolled through the old city lanes where they mostly had tailor shops for women’s clothes filled with colourful fabric to choose from. It was hard to just find a shop selling drinks and we were surprised we didn’t find anyone selling chai, maybe we were in the wrong area. Again it was lovely and calm, the lanes weren’t too busy and we got a lot of friendly ‘hellos’ and ‘Salam Alikums’ (may peace be with you). Everyone seemed very excited to see a couple of tourists!

We stopped at the beautiful Wazir Khan mosque which was covered in intricate mosaics, but it was hard to appreciate the sights due to the heat being so exhausting. I think it was probably some of the hottest weather we’ve ever experienced at around 37° but with humidity. So it felt like the heat of Dubai with the moisture of Thailand.

Our next stop was the Badshahi Mosque, an impressive sandstone mosque with white marbled domes that’s said to be the last great mosque built by the Mughals. But even this sight wasn’t overly busy, it made a nice change exploring top sights without the crowds. We had to remove our shoes to enter the mosque but the floor was too hot to step on so instead they added a long matt which they sprayed with water to keep the temperature down. We took a seat inside the mosque, gazing up at the domed ceiling and trying to cool off out of the sun but it was no use, even sitting still was uncomfortable and my arms and hands were covered in a sweaty glaze whilst my back was dripping.

Across from the mosque but accessed via a very convoluted route was the Lahore Fort. By this point my patience had run dry, I was too hot and no amount of drink was quenching my thirst. I almost felt like I might pass out so when we spotted an information centre with air conditioning we excitedly stepped in. The main worker spoke brilliant English and insisted on buying us a cold drink which we politely refused, explaining that we were just grateful to get some air conditioning, after a couple times of offering the drink he said “I won’t offer anymore, I met a British man once who told me it’s rude to keep asking”. He was a right character and loved telling stories so we listened to him for a long time as he entertained us and our body temperature came down a little. He even invited us to meet all his family and join them for dinner that evening.

We weren’t overly impressed with the fort, the entrance was pretty with nice artwork on the walls and a huge arched entrance tall enough for elephants back in the day but once we headed up the steps there didn’t seem to be much to see – but that’s from the perspective of someone who’s not interested in history and likes pretty art work instead.

We couldn’t wait to get back to our cool hotel though, it was enough sightseeing for one day and about 30° too hot for me. We stopped for some Roti and Channa, a chickpea curry near our hotel and also managed to find a shoe-mender working along the pavement. I asked if he could fix my Teva sandals and for 28p he did exactly that, glueing the sole together. Now it’s time to head to Islamabad!