Chowrangi

While travelling, off the National Highway, not only you travel in soot free and serene environment but you see more too. Riding my trusted old motorbike on Band Patri (not a thoroughfare) of Lower Bari Doab Canal (LBDC) from Sahiwal to Balloki Headworks. Many new and interesting things come in the way, which normally remain hidden from commuters on the National Highway or travellers in the area.

The journey embraces you with lovely colours, atmosphere, people and bits and pieces of history. And, there is no hassle anywhere in the way.

An old, sleepy and tranquil village Satghara lies about 80 kilometres from Lahore (20 minutes drive away from Okara) in the quiet backwaters of the Punjab. On the southern bank of the Ravi, it is a typical Pakistani village where farmers live like rustics in the face of urban attractions. Though off the beaten track, it has never been out of limelight. Besides heritage conscious travellers from all over the world, Baloch leaders and contemporary historians visit the hamlet. Reasons: it is a “Tukia Nawab Chakar Ki” - last resting-place of Mir Chakar Rind. Part of our history is buried here.

Karachi is famous as “land of opportunities” in Pakistan. During my period of initial orientation - tea used to be served for four annas per quarter cup then - and continuous visits later; I have found Karachi is constantly reinventing itself. It is a land of superlatives: Pakistan’s biggest and one of the most prosperous cosmopolitan cities, home to universities and colleges, historic, cultural, and commercial center. It has been a land of plenty since centuries.

Located near old Multan, Khanewal is comparatively a recently founded town. Its only claim to fame is that it is an important destination on the map of Pakistan Railways. Busy railway junction, railway workshop, pre stressed concrete sleeper factory and huge shunting yards have developed a sort of railway culture in this agricultural market town. National highway also passes the town but people mostly uses railways for travelling and transportation.

This area was a vast grazing land before the excavation of Lower Bari Doab Canal. As per the local lore, the grass from this land used to go as far as Burma during the Second World War.

Those who have taken the chance to brave the unruly mountainous terrain in the Northern Areas must have seen at least a few of the Alpine lakes in the area.

Two-hour away from Gilgit, situated in surprisingly cool and green meadow, Nultar is at 2,880 meters and heavily wooded. A one-hour jeep ride from Nultar village takes to a mysterious Nultar Lake, the colour of which emanates from the bottom. Few visitors realize that Nultar Lake is just the beginning of the wonderful Nultar highlands.

With Summer vacations looming ahead and people ready to go places, here is a check list about what to pack in the travel bag. Before reading on do remember to limit yourself to one carry-on size bag: 9″ x 21″ x 13″. Your pack should weigh about 20% of your body weight, preferably no more than 20 pounds.

Travel Packing Check List:

Cholistan is changing amazingly. The desert was under perennial regular irrigated cultivation till 1200 B C and under seasonal regular irrigated cultivation till about 600 B C. The area turned into arid and desolate desert with drying up of River Hacra. These days again, the desert is under going a process of profound change because of canal system originating from the River Sutlaj. But one can still find people living in houses made of mud and straw almost as they might have been living 200 years ago.

He picked up a book by his fellow blogger and world-renowned traveler Jen Leo - What Color Is Your Jockstrap? and reviewed book on his blog - Vagablond. He had sent me a copy some time ago. Thanks Gil.

Gil wrote, “Now I enjoy a story about projectile vomiting or chronic diarrhea as much as anyone, but I was falling off my chair while reading this outlandish collection with a new twist — stories from men.”

The beauty of Khanspur lies in the light, unlike any other tourist mountain region in Pakistan including Northern Areas. Fiercer, stronger, and sharper light silhouettes the mountain resort and scattered houses on slops in ever-changing patterns against the skyline. The sunlight plays with the green nooks and crags of the Khanspur landscape, tossing out long shadows that ripple across the green gorges, sometimes through tall pine and fir trees. It turns the hills from opal in the morning to sapphire to gold to silver and finally to dross before descending swiftly in a bright red ball in the evening.

Human beings like other organisms, have always polluted their environment with the byproducts of their action. As an organism man creates waste. As a social creature, he removes things from his environment and adds residue to it. So long as population density has been low on the planet, the environment was able to accommodate these alterations. Now with the world population about 8.5 billion people and increasing by 220,000 each day, the concentration of population in cities and resulting deterioration of environment is sounding alarms. The situation is urban Pakistan is worst.