La
Licorne
OFF
to PESHAWAR
Came Thursday the 28th of May we had seen enough of this, and took off to Peshawar, the hometown of Rafique.
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In Pindi we changed from bus, and I still can recall the smiling face of Jens while he watched his suitcase being evacuated to the rooftop. However, the smile faded when -during the trip- a shower started to clatter on the rooftop. But it re-appeared as easy when the sun came back. |
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That was right in time, for we were just turning around the corner where one can capture the magnificent view of Kabul River merging with the Indus. In the maze of tributaries, the muddy drifts from the first are very distinct from the clear blue streams of the latter, until they merge into a new shade. The reason for this phenomenon springs from the fact that some fifty miles upstream -behind Tarbela Dam- the Indus water has been allowed to deposit its silt down to the reservoir bottom.
The weekend worked out well. Rafique took off for his home, Jens for his computer and Mieke and I showed our friends from Lahore around in Peshawar. The latter was an unique occasion on its own, because Gérard is reputed for disliking outings of the sort, despite -or perhaps because of- being a professional world trotter. So, during the week-end that we had been staying with the couple, Gérard had needed a lot of twisting before giving in, while Nicole stood with the suitcase ready in the hand -so to speak- in anticipation of a shopping spree to the jewelry shops in Peshawar.
When in Peshawar, take a rickshaw to the Khyber Bazar in the Old City. Use the beginning of that street as a starting point for a walk and notice the many roadside dentists. Continue to the Qissa Khawani (Tale Tellers) Bazar, where you find a multitude of shops with brassware, pottery, spices, and cloth. Towards Chowk Yadgar Square one passes cages with live birds sold as singing pets or for the frying pan. After the Money-Changers at the square a narrow street to the left leads to countless jewelry shops.
The other opportunity for a shopping spree lies on the other side of the town: on and around Saddar Road. Mieke and Nicole decided to go for both the malls, and Gérard and myself followed in their trail. Shop in, shop out, buy in bag, cash out of purse, that's how it goes. Mieke has a keen eye for merchandise, while I usually come in for a last look leaving the final deal to her. Knowing she is a shrewd bargainer I didn't pay much attention to what happened exactly, though I didn't miss seeing Nicole repeatedly pulling a fat envelope.
Back in the hotel Nicole took Mieke apart, while Gérard and myself strolled over to the -discretely hidden- bar. Came dinner time the girls joined us with their customary show of nervous giggling to which we didn't pay any attention, until Mieke confided to me that Nicole had spent all the money in the envelope: the very envelope that included for the hotel bill as well. When the news reached Gérard his poker-face didn't entirely hide his discontent, but I managed to cheer him up with new rounds of drinks. Next morning at breakfast both of them looked relaxed again. How a good night's sleep can do wonders, I thought, until Mieke informed me of the latest news. After having retreated to their room last night, they had painstakingly gone over the passing of the day and found out that they had stowed away half of the money in another envelope. So, Gérard felt relieved, Nicole had her niceties, and the hotel was paid after all.
The Saturday was for a few official visits, but then our team took the road to the south for Kohat. A few miles out of town some armed soldiers climbed in the back of the van, supposedly for protecting us while passing the Tribal Areas, but actually for freeloading a lunch. At Darra we stopped to watch the manufacturing of arms for warfare all over the world, especially in neighboring Afghanistan. A long main street with a multitude of small shops serves as the technical and commercial spine where -from scrap- the numerous parts are made, put together and traded. When Jens was presented with a Kalashnikov he didn't hesitate to serve an impressive round in the air. Climbing further to the south we reached the point where one has a magnificent view over Kohat. Then we called it a day and returned to our hotel.
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Deodar twig
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read on about ON TO SWAT VALLEY