I am not your average tourist. Some would say I might have a screw loose somewhere which causes such turbulence in my wee brain that I suddenly leave my den for no reason at all and go on very long drives before coming back in the same fashion without giving much time to the enthralling beauty of the destination landscape. This very urge took me to following places on the 28th of April this year.
I left Multan at 02:30am, got the car tank full at a nearby fuel station and drove all alone in my 2016 Suzuki Mehran. The car is an abomination in terms of comfort, but other than that it's quite good in comparison to its ancient technology. I have driven forty thousand kilometers in this little box-on-wheels and it never once gave me a trouble, even though I pushed it to its limits sometimes.
I have a tendancy to check my tyre pressures before start of the journey and once in the middle of it, but the tyre shop was closed at this hour, so I left with the itch all the same.
After an hour, I got on the M-4 Motorway at Abdul Hakim Interchange since the Khanewal-Abdul Hakeem section was not opened for public use at the time. The road was smooth as butter and mostly empty save a truck or two. So I had the chance to take these photos with the hand that was not on the wheel; I know you should not try this, but if I had not done this, would you be looking at such dreamy scene right now?
As I had only slept for two hours in the night, I took a twenty minutes power nap at the Faisalabad service area; which was closed as the contract for the service area has expired. It was a bit disappointing as I could not get any refreshments. Soon after, I got on the M-2 motorway, the following shot is immediately after the Pindi Bhattian turn. I hope the Motorway Police are not subscribed to this blog (
shudders).
As it was the Sunday morning, the road was as clear of vehicles as it were the 90s.
Left the M-2 at Salim Interchange and turned towards Mandi Bahaudin. The road was so good I easily topped 100kmph. There were grand marquees/halls for events near a town called Gojra (not to be confused with the one near Toba Take Singh).
I did not have the AC turned on as the air was refreshingly cool in early hours of the morning; thus my windows were down and I just kept enjoying the feeling.
The road had some sharp turns that caused great reduction in speed of my little car that does not bother with ABS, EBD or other such letters of the English alphabet.
Took a left turn from Mandi Bahaudin without knowing the ordeal ahead and just enjoyed my first look at the Salt Range on the horizon as you can see in the middle of the road.
The road from Mandi Bahaudin to Saraey Aalamgir is an absolute nightmare. There was no road, just potholes along with potholes. Had I known this before, I'd never have step the feet of my car on that road, if you want to call it a road. At first I thought I had taken a wrong turn, but then I saw all the usual traffic suffering along the same torturous pathway. However, when I saw this old bridge on the canal beside road, I just could not help enjoying the view.
The huge Upper Jehlum Canal flows along the road majestically till Saraey Aalamgir and that was the only comfort that helped me tolerate the torture that I badly suffered on that (
broken?) leg of the journey.
However, around thirty minutes or so before Saraey Aalamgir, the condition of the road became better. But I did not care about that, as I had entered a green heaven! I had lush green trees and shrubs on my left and the gigantic canal on my right and I forgot everything else. The leaves were so brightly green and the greenery around was so fulfilling that the visions of Ayubia's pipeline track started flashing before my eyes.
This stretch of the road has enthralled me, I admit. And I have got this urge now to go back there and just drive along that way once again. This photo really does no justice to what is actually there!
I stopped at Saraey Aalamgir to get a little breakfast from McDonald's and then kept on the GT Road till Jehlum where I took the left turn on Rohtas road. The 8km road is perhaps newly built as it was very smooth and winded beautifully up and down and left and right till I reached this:
Although the bulwark (fort wall) is visible from a distance, you get the real feel when you are near. It is a stupendous piece of history with dark solemn wall stretching along.
The stone and bricks had darkened due to weather onslaught over the centuries.
Photo of the main gate of the fort is at the top of this page, the gate is huge and the road passes under it to let you in while you are in your car.
As I didn't have much time and I was alone, I abandoned the idea of climbing this wall. But I will definitely do this next time.
This inner gate lets you in the fort; which is now filled with roads and houses (probably illegal settlement). While other countries preserve their history, we don't pay it any heed as the people are busy with their own selfish desires.
Soon after left for my target, the Mangla Cantonment, the place where I had spent some time of my childhood. I secured the entry with help of a dear friend. Due to sensitivity of the place, I did not take many photos.
I don't usually get sentimental now, but the look at my old school faltered my false ego a bit as I saw the place that is much the same as it was a couple of decades ago. I just stood there outside the locked gate and peeped inside where some good memories lie still.
The Cantt. area is breathtakingly beautiful; with many well maintained parks and some big ponds. The roads curve beautifully over small hills and the whole area was very well maintained with greenery all around and big beautiful trees (a paradise for a tree-hugger like me).
This little lake.
I just stood for a whole hour at this place under these big old trees enjoying the view and the cool breeze.
After contemplating a while on various options that included Murree, Soon Valley and even Peshawar, I just turned back towards home. Having suffered already, I decided to take help once again from Google Maps and charted a new route from Gujrat to Hafizabad via Qadirabad Headworks and Vanike Tarar; without knowing the same suffering was in store for me. The road from Gujrat to this Headworks was good, but as soon as I crossed to other side of the headworks, the same ordeal was there for me.
Qadirabad Headworks.
For a while, I had a canal, various fish farms and swamps on my sides before I turned towards Vainke Tarar. The journey thereon was another episode of suffering, as I endured pitfalls and stones all the way till Jalalpur Bhattian. However, there were beautiful scenes all around, green grass and endless fields of wheat ready for harvesting. If the road was better, I would definitely have enjoyed the sunset more. Just before Maghrib (
twilight), I got on the M-2, then M-4 and eventually at home at 08:30pm for a cool shower and a nice supper waiting for me.
During this 18 hour journey I covered almost 1000 kilometers and what I achieved, few would understand. But in short, I saw many new places and roads that I had never imagined before and I had those greens and scenes installed in my memory to cherish for rest of my time.
Originally posted at my blog.
