Next to Islamabad is Lake Rawal and today I visit the Lake View Park which, as the name says, is next to it. I don't have to look far for a taxi, because old, small Suzuki Altos are waiting for customers at the bus stop every day. Motor taxi is also possible, recognizable by the (usually much too large) green colored helmets. Customers, like all other motorcyclists here, never wear a helmet. I like to arrive in one piece and opt for the car.
The driver has a lot of fun and keeps talking Pakistani to me the whole way despite the fact that I make it clear to him that I don't understand the Urdu language. It's really entertaining and we laugh a lot together.
The park is large and beautifully laid out with many places to sit, something I sometimes miss in the cities. I enjoy the sun and the visitors who come to the many food stands, the bird park and the fairground attractions at the entrance.
After such a lazy day I think it's time to get on the bike again and I decide to drive into the mountains again the next day. North of the city the view seems to be great and that's right. After a steep climb with very short hairpin bends, I arrive at the very well-known restaurant Monal in Islamabad, with a large terrace that has a fantastic view of the city.
The tour through the mountains is great again and the road seems to wind endlessly through the landscape. At the transition to another province there is always a police checkpoint and this time too I cannot get away without first being treated to çay (herbal tea) by the nice police and the impressive rangers in their bulletproof vests. This time I want to take a picture with them, but because the rangers are military, that is not allowed.
In the evening Hauke and Medha, the German couple, come back from their trip to the Chinese border and we decide to have dinner in the restaurant next to Monal where we enjoy a Pakistani buffet, marvel at the illuminated city in the valley and I enviously listen to their adventures of the past few days.
I have been traveling for 100 days now, but already waiting for my visa for India for 10 days of that in Islamabad. Then the wait sounds disproportionately long and it feels that way. I hope I can continue soon because I've seen it a bit in this city now.
In the villages and towns there are very small shops on every street corner that almost all sell the same thing, such as crisps, cookies and soft drinks. But luckily I discovered a large supermarket here where I buy brown bread, yoghurt and granola to make my diet a bit more fibre-rich. A welcome change from the rice and chicken that are often on the menu in many variations.
The sun is shining and when I walk to the Rose and Jasmine Garden Park I get talking to a soldier in civilian clothes who is just leaving the mosque. He invites me for tea and tells me that he is stationed in Islamabad this weekend to secure the city due to imminent peaceful protests. Apart from the fact that I see a lot of police and soldiers walking around, I don't notice anything.
The park is huge and when I've been walking for a while to the Pakistan Monument that seems to be in a corner of the park, a motorcycle taxi (recognizable by the green helmets) asks if I need a ride. I don't think twice and jump on the back, after which he takes me there for 100 rupees (€ 0.45).
The monument is a popular tourist attraction and symbolizes the unity of the Pakistanis, which consists of four large and three smaller population groups. I enjoy the beautiful view and the setting sun, after which a motorcycle taxi takes me back to the hotel.
