Once more onto the road! I started earlier than usual, setting off at 8AM for Lahore. I was told that the earlier the better generally for this part of Pakistan (6am was suggested but this was a bit too ambitious for me).

Today’s route in blue

The roads were pleasantly quiet for most of the way, and I was able to travel at highway speeds. Only when crossing towns would there be some craziness and unpredictability, both problems that are solved by letting go a little bit, and just following the flow of the crowd.

A few funny moments:

• I witnessed a guy in Rawalpindi riding in a prone, superman like position, seemingly just for fun (he did not have an audience) on his commute to work. Crazy stuff!
• A fuel station attendant grabbed my knee pad unsolicited to feel what it was made of, while I was standing in front of him. I grabbed his knee too for a proportional and measured response.

strange behaviour on the road

I took a few brief pauses while riding, but nothing noteworthy; a soft drink here and snacks there.

Rest stop!

Taking a closer look at my bike

Lahore was hot, noisy, and very busy. It was 33-36 degrees, which was a first for quite a few months! On the way to the apartment, I witnessed an accident right in front of me; a family of three on a small motorcycle had a lowside for seemingly no reason. No one was wearing a helmet; there was a father, wife, and a baby. A throng of people immediately stopped to help. I stopped my bike, took off the first aid kit i had, and handed it over. After a few minutes it became apparent that it would not be necessary (huge relief), so they handed it back and I went on my way.

The lodgings were nothing to write home about; a supposedly nice apartment that did not meet my hygiene standards. You always take a risk with Airbnb!

Lahore evening scenes

Guys with monkeys creep me out after I watched the movie outbreak

The evening was spent meeting with a few new friends; who I had first bumped into at the hotel in Gilgit. They were incredibly hospitable, and took me to a newly finished mall (quite reminiscent of malls in Dubai / Abu Dhabi) for some bowling, and then to an area called DHA Raya Golf Club, which reminded me of JBR/Citywalk, for Shinwari food.

Tenpin bowling (I did not win)

Shinwari food!

Some stats:

• 284 KM travelled
• 23.9L fuel added
• 30g coffee consumed
• 5 unique interactions

Part 2 route progress

Complete route to date