15 minutes after I finish my last final exam. I’m running purely on a double-dose of no-sugar, no-milk, extra-strong Tapal Danedar, and 3 hours of sleep. I’ve just managed to turn in my final paper, and I’m now furiously scribbling on a piece of chart paper, trying to make a semi presentable birthday card for my friend before she comes out of the exam hall, and I get a call from my parents – we’re heading to Murree in 2 hours. Pack accordingly. Aaah!
We sneak in the cake and forget the candles, but have a wonderful time anyway, and then I run to my room and start throwing things in my travel bag – what do I need? Which sweaters? Which shoes? WHERE ARE MY SOCKS?
After piling everything into the car, and revving the engine to get out of a snow bog, we finally get to Murree – cloaked in a beautiful layer of the whitest snow. We’re staying at a government-owned rest house, and there’s a quaint little cobble stone path way, leading up to the rooms. It’s been cleared of now so we can walk through. There’s a snowman in the field, and a bench buried so deep you can barely see the top. It was beautiful, and very cold!
We fired up the indoor heater, and huddled in front, sipping hot tea and enjoying the wide-window view of the snow-covered hills. We were in for a surprise. The heater warmed up the room so well that the snow on the roof melted and started to leak in through the wooden ceiling! What started as a simple drip drip turned into four or five flowing streams! We had to move the beds around, to where it wasn’t ‘raining’ and put little bowls helter-skelter all over the room, to collect the water.
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Really a nice piece on travel Writting, carry on with journeys and its blogs. It will bring a great collection of experiences for You and all Travel-Lovers.
I would expect your read at xak1rb.blogspot.com
there will be some points for you to improve travel writing and make it more informative and Intresting.
Murree is a superb place been there last year it haven on Earth.
Especially when its snowing!
I’m an American who grew up in Pakistan and went to school in Murree! I loved this post so much. The memories it evoked are strong – the last time I was in Murree was when my oldest child was a baby. We had to get to Rawalpindi to catch a train to Sukkur and practically had to walk out because of the severe snow storm. My husband walked from Murree to Char Pani. Sitting around kerosene or gas heaters sipping desi chai is forever embedded into my life and memories. I was last in Pakistan a year ago to work in flood relief and it was a remarkable trip. I look forward to reading more of your blog!
My write up of my trip last year is here: http://communicatingacrossboundariesblog.com/2011/02/07/holy-moments-from-an-unholy-disaster/
Thank you for evoking these many memories!
It is wonderful to hear that it’s not just Pakistanis who value the beauty of Murree. I can only imagine how amazing it must have been to grow up in the hill city as a child. I look forward to reading your blog posts about it. :) Did you attend the convent school there?
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Everything you write brings a tear to my eye, and makes me ever more nostalgic. Not seeing Pakistan for 3 years is torture, you’ve made me even more motivated to save my last pennies up to get a ticket. You really are inspiring, I wish I could write as well as you!
All my love and best wishes from a fellow hijabi :)
No place like home :)