After so many miles on public transport, we are finally back to our favourite mode of transportation – bicycles! Instead of building them, this time we purchased them from a bike shop. Bright, shiny and new. It wasn't easy finding our new road companions. In the streets of Islamabad, we saw no bicycles that we were willing to adopt. All had some fatal flaw that we could not accept.
We were going into China with visions of a machine-like suppressed society that we would in no way enjoy mingling in. This picture came to us from a long onslaught of travellers’ stories depicting a land of uncouth, unfriendly and unhelpful people. We also had the idea of a single propaganda fuelled communist culture encompassing the whole of the country. However, our low expectations made for a pleasant surprise and proved that everyone’s experiences are paramount in forming their judgements…
Pakistan
I could see in Shahla that she was anxious to see if the Pakistan she knew from childhood was what was waiting for us across the border from Iran. I, however, was prepared to view Pakistan as objectively as possible. The moment we crossed into Pakistan Shahla breathed a sigh of relief and took off her headscarf. I couldn’t help but smile and think to myself that I just might like it here. The initial feeling I had as we made our way to the house of Shahla’s childhood was peaceful and relieving. Even though I had never been to the country before I felt somehow connected with its people.
