_ 28 ~ Friday, May 22, 1998 — North Shore News The traveller is richer, and so are the border guards oaks Brady Fotheringham Contributing Writer Fresh out-of war-torn . Afghanistan, I found myself-back in Peshawar, Pakistan browsing through a tattered copy of Kipling’s ciissic Kim. The London Book Company.on Arab Road had become a favorite haunt of mine as ] began to reread the journeys of that little thir- téen-year-old boy named Kim living in Lahore. Set along the treacherous Grand Trunk Road running from the - Khyber Pass to Calcutta, I atrempted to retrace this ancient thoroughfare and ‘relive parts of the book as I biked from Lahore to 2. Annitsar (situated respective- ly along the Pakistan: India border). Immortalized by Kipling and admired by Milton and Thomas Moore, Lahore is perhaps the most strikingly beautiful modern-day city in: Pakistan. Ruled by Hindu kings, Moghul emperors, - Sikh monarchs and British 4 sovereigns, the gardens and gilded minarets made this a te stopover by the ~ British Raj on their w: ‘ay to the cooler hill stations in Kashmir. Culturally, ¢ commer- ’ cially, hi ally and politi- cally, the British helped pre- scrve the religious freedoms ’ of Sikhs, Muslims and «, Hindus and by the turn of the 19th ceatury, Lahore became known as the “Paris Of India” for its courtesans, nautch (dancing) girls and sense of fashion. ‘Expecting a pleasant day cycling through the shaded . “trees of the military canton- ent district, I soon encoun- tered trouble. Arrest Number Three was just around the -€6rner for me as I stopped beside a training grounds -entranceway: for field infantry Firing at dummy targets “and crawling under barbed ~ vire traps: T found wat these Fort Bragg-type of exercises quite entertaining oy. tourist curiosity was’: - abruptly halted as a military“ issue jeep with three Pakista soldiers pulled up beside me Within thirty seconds I wa: ~.inside the jeep for the unfo! givable. crime of being too: ‘nvo-ton olive green Mitsubishi: acmy truck was” soon called to cart away my _ to my ar limbing over nets ~~ Rocky Mountain Fusion bicy- cle as visions of shelling out hundreds of dollars to my brother (whose bike | had borrowed on this wip), flashed through my petrified brain. Not to worry, my bike and I were headed in the same direction to the head- quarters of the Lahore Infantry where I was finally able to speak to someone it English. Despite my avid . preparation and knowledge of the region, I had ignored one fundamental fact thar led crest. Situated on the Pakistan-Indian border, * Muslint-Hindu tensions were at an all-time high because of the fighting in nearby Kashmir. Four Americans had just been executed the previous week by Kashmiri rebels and any foreigners (especially thuse dressed up like Muslims as I had) who poked their nose where it didn’t belong were asking for trou- ble. After I apologized to the lieutenant, I couldn’t go free until his superior telephoned and gave the order, During the four hours f waited we talked about Muslim-Hindu relations, his family.and friends in Toronto, the histo- ry of Lahore and my 4,000- kilometre trip from Xinjiang. He ordered out for Lahore- made pizza and I soon began to think that getting arrested in Pakistan was worth it. In China Iwas heavily fined, but here in Lahore I was given tea and biscuits in an air-conditioned room while wo soldiers stood guard over my bike, When it was finally time to Jeave the lieutenant ordered the soldjers to drive me in the army truck to the only Pizza Hut in the nation. Crossing the border into India at Waggah, I soon encountered the ultimate bureaucratic heel-draggers, The border is replete with ‘MintgP Gardens & Harrison” | - polite manneris -| NEWS photo Brady Fotheringham OVER 30,000 people eat and sleep ‘for free in Amritsar’ 's Golden Temple every day. “Welcome to India” and American-style advertising from Coca-Cola, Nike, Daewoo cars, Nokia cell phones, Johnnic Walker Black Label Scorch, Ray-Ban sunglasses, Kellogg’s,- McDonald’s and Mercedes: Benz. It seems everyone coming from Muslim Pakistan is penalized by the Hindu-staffed Indian govern- ment manning the customs post. God forbid someone should wish co visit “the enemy” (i.c. Pakistan). For the third time in six hours I was being asked for my pass- port. “Open your bags please,” as every square inch of clothing, tenty bike tools and inner tubes was inspect- ed. . Six hours of waiting later, and going onto my fourth baggage inspector (a con- temptuous Indian customs official), my patience and ran out. I had been-an ideal Canadian ambassador. for three months, four nations and 4,000 kilo- metres — until now. f Hipped, and blurted our more four-letter words than single episode of South Paré i A customs officer asked me to hand over my Indian rupees that I had illegally purchased in Pakistan ara - better rate. If handed over the money with no fuss I would be given 20% of it back (my very own money!). Sensing a scam and refusing to supplement their incomes, "AIS an “Full gay coach excursi ES) from tWest'& ‘No rh Van. i ; Wedd, May 21, 1998 $7200, unl Eset 8 } + GST includés‘e entrance fee’ 1716 Marine Drive fest Vancouver, BC 26°8511 7 12 days Departs September 15, 1998 I ripped up $30 U.S. in rupees much to the border official’s shock and dismay. His eyes turned to I-want-to- rip-your-head-off-mode and subsequently I spent an extra three hours gazing at linoleum patterns, weight measuring machines and spi- derwebs. My reading material had been confiscated too, due to “national security” issues (like, bite me). A couple of guys from France travelling in a van had been detained at the border for seven days while Indian autocrats partially disassem- bled the muffler and other parts (weighing them), all under the pretence of a drug investigation. I later learned that the average border cross- ing which spans a thousand feet, takes four hours — all duc to Muslim-Hindu poli- tics. Like a great, unfinished novel, the plains of the Punjab d from India have witnessed anguish and joy, misery ani eestasy, colonialism and inde- pendence, all with repercus- sions te this day. On to Amritsar I pevalled half'a day late, as visions of customs official voodoo dolls with pins sticking in them flashed through my head. Amritsar, the Sikh capital of the wer! Ad, 13 home to the magnificent Goiden Tempie. Stormed by I: dira Gandhi’s tanks in 1983 to hunt down Sikh extremists, the complex was extensively damaged by shelling. Her cwn Sikh body- guards subsequently assassi nated Prime ‘linister Gandhi’ in revenge for the atiack on”, the sacred iemple. The pure gold-plated shrine is completely rebuilt now, while over 30,000 peo- pic eat and sleep at the Golden Temple every day free ributé to the Sikh hospitaliry that rivals the Hunza of northern Pakisran. | Food aid lodging is free for up to three days and those who can afford a smali dona tion do so when leaving. F-> - met Sikhs from Canada returning on a pilgrimage and other bikers and back packers from various coun tries, Just around the corner from the Golden Temple is: Jallianwala Bagh, the ornately adorned gardens where British soldiers opened fire upon several thousand Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims in 1919. They massacred 372 people, wounding 1,200. This was at a time when opposition to the Bri was mounting and an in pendence movement led by a young lawyer name . Mohandas K. Gandhi started. -. This past fall Queen beth and Prince Philip visited Amritsar:and the gar: dens to make a'pi gy seventy-cight years later’ for the massacre. After the official duties were finalized Prince Philip was privately: * overheard quip “it was- n’t that many ¢ ee died and: they’re‘aniy Hindus.” Same people never change. ew Dale Ania and Highway, traversed he Himalaya and emerged strife-torn Afghanistan, the kids with their infectic laughter and playful exub ance that would emain with Has mountain -peopie, fierce Pathans and friendly. bronze cannon Zam: * Zammah. Some people neve nge, but Pcertaint on this trip — I feel f richer person for:it more appreciativ people and place: : those quaint little valley kit doms. : i a eollaboration with Club Med invite you : toa"FUN & SUN Showcase. * Discover the fabulous Club Med ° resorts, talk to our, experienced travel consultants and save $$$ Please RSVP at 926-4344. 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