Ayesha!!! Our Dreem came true, we're going for a trip in Pakistan, Lahore to be precise so expect us this weekend... I called to inform her.
Us, who's coming with you? She asked excitedly
almost spanked me the last time I failed to call him for a day trip I did in Goa so I decided to call him first for this weekend's trip and he agreed with joy to join us without even asking where Lahore is so long he was going out of Nigeria for two days.
So get ready, we're going to Lahore!!! (Still on the route to our Dreem destination)
sent $500 for a two days trip in any country of choice and I thought of a very fun way to spend it so I did some research, created a to do list and prepared for a trip in Lahore.
Lahore is the capital of Pakistan province of Punjab, the country's largest city after Karachi (maybe I'll go there when I have more money for a week's trip).
I read somewhere that Lahore is known as a foodie city having so many food streets, I don't know why I'm attracted to food places but that was one of the reasons I chose to go for the trip there (To try out more new dishes).
So get set to start making plans on how to visit Lahore because it will be so tempting after reading this.
Ayesha had promised to take me on an adventure in Pakistan but I guess I'll be the one taking her on an adventure since I'm the one with $500
Dozie and I traveled from Nigeria to Lahore and met Ayesha smiling so excitedly at Grand Palm Hotel, where I had booked for a night which is about 6km far from the center of Lahore. I had to chose that hotel because of the opportunity to explore the road while we journey to our first place in the to do list.
We kept our luggage, freshened up, got dressed, took our tour guide and got set for our first trip in Lahore (Ayesha was also a part of our tour guide "Our Miss Beautiful tour guide assistant" since she knows the city more than Dozie and I)
I think Dozie came too prepared, he brought a camera, two phones and a big power bank every picture must go back with us to Nigeria, evidence that we spent $500 at Lahore. Yeah, he volunteered to be our photographer (or should I say Camera man?)
From the hotel, we boarded a taxi ride to Lahore Fort (our first on the to do list). Lahore fort had everything I had read about it. The attractions, raw histories like the epic picture wall and Hindu painting preserved in one of the walls. We couldn't allow only our eyes see it so Dozie kept clicking every photo he could get.
Seemed I got famished too quickly when the trip only started, or was it because I knew we were at a food city? We stopped at a restaurant and ordered for Tawa chicken with drinks that was the first meal on my "to eat list" and don't laugh at me when I tell you that I ate it so much like I was eating for three because the taste was just as I had imagined.
Don't even ask about how Dozie ate the Tawa chicken, he asked not to tell others about it... I'll leave it to your imaginations.
Just when I was about asking us to visit the Lahore garden, Ayesha did a good job as our guide assistant that we should visit there. The garden was indeed so beautiful to behold, seem like they grew all the kinds of beautiful plants and flowers in the place. Since it was around winter season, the garden was cool with fresh air to breathe in. Dozie kept taking shots of new flowers and plants we've never seen before.
Outside of the garden park, we saw a pastry shop along the way and we got some pastries to eat as we explore the busy area with different people in different attires. Seemed we were not the only ones who thought Lahore was a nice place to go for trips.
From there, Ayesha and I decided to go for some shopping especially for our special outing the next day. No, I told you Dozie came so prepared... I think he had some dollars with him to have bought all he needed for the next day's outing.
Ayesha and I got beautiful gowns, shoes and some jewelries (Ayesha loves jewelries a lot so we couldn't forget to buy some). Dozie kept agreeing to all the wears we tried out because they were so beautiful to pick just one from.
We felt ready for our next and last day's outing, we took a taxi drive back to the hotel, went straight to the restaurant. The design of the restaurant was so magnificent, we didn't pay that much amount for a room for nothing after all.
We ordered for the popular Biryani (next on "to eat list"), I wanted to try out the two popular ones so I asked Dozie to order for Mughlai Biryani while I order for Sindhi Biryani... Ayesha kept saying they both taste nice 😏 I needed to be sure, after all I'm on a trip to try things out for myself.
Like she said and like I've read, the Biryani was so delicious and we had it with a chilled red wine. We had our fill, went into our rooms and waited excitedly for our next trip. Dozie sent some of the pictures to me so I updated my status online to boast of my first day in Lahore 😜
Seemed like the night was very short in Lahore, a new day started just when I closed my eyes to open them and we started getting ready to start our trip as early as possible before Dozie and I set to go back to Nigeria 😒
Our next place for sightseeing was the Lahore Zoo and we took a taxi there. Dozie and Ayesha seem to love the zoo more, I just watched from behind... The hippopotamus was too big to go near it but Dozie and Ayesha kept smiling at them without any fear.
The zoo had so many people who came to watch the animals as well, we didn't waste so much time there as we wanted to explore a bit more before closing from our trip.
From the zoo, we took a taxi to the Wagah Border where we paid a fee to take a long ride around the border (they say it was connects Pakistan to India). It felt like we were in two countries at the same time while on the ride and it took about two hours before our fee expired and we went out of the Border to go get some samosas.
I've eaten samosa before but I wanted to know how it tasted outside country and it sure did taste differently and delicious but it was too dried for me (guess that's my only complain on my trip 😂)
Dozie bought more samosa to take along with him to Nigeria, he enjoyed it more than I did I guess. We also bought sweet meethi Lassi (read that it was a yogurt drink and I love yoghurt).
We got to the hotel, changed to one of our beautiful wears and took ourselves on a lunch date where we ordered for Chargha (a full roasted chicken with spices) with chilled juice and some side dishes.
We took more pictures of ourselves, had some ice cream to do more chatting among ourselves since we will soon part ways. Mind you, the chat was at the hotel in Dozie's room because he promised to tell us about some fun trips he had been to when he's absent at pobtalk 😂 maybe I can get a hint of where to go next.
Dozie and I went back to Nigeria promising Ayesha that we would visit again so she could let us go 😒
And that's for the two days trip, here are what we spent:
- Hotel rooms - $90
- Taxi ride to Lahore fort - $30
- Lahore Fort entrance Fee - $15
- Tawa chicken and drinks - $50
- Taxi ride to Lahore Garden - $15
- Shopping - $100
- Taxi ride back to Hotel - $45
- Biryanis with wine - $25
- Taxi ride to Lahore Zoo - $15
- Taxi ride to Wagah border - $15
- Long ride fee - $20
- Samosa and yogurt - $10
- Dozie's extra samosa - $5
- Ride back to hotel - $9
- Sweet meethi Lassi - $5
- Chargha and juice - $20
- Ice cream - $5
- Ride back to Airport - $20
Total - $494 left with $6
My imaginary trip entry for #Dreemdestination challenge, you can join Here also.
Thanks for going on the trip with me!!!