6th October Multan 2013, Pakistan to Amritsar, India

6th October Multan 2013, Pakistan to Amritsar, India

We left the Sheza Inn at 7.15am and reached the NH5 within 15 minutes or so. Very light traffic and an easy city exit. The NH5 was remarkably quiet, a few trucks, a few cars and the usual assortment of man and beast. I wonder if traffic is lighter on a Sunday… or is that a ridiculous thought? By 9.15 we had covered in excess of 100 miles. We stopped for our final Pakistani Petrol at about 11.00. We said our farewells, Thomas, to head in the direction of Islamabad, to ride the Karakouram Highway, me to Wagah border, to cross to India. We rode together till the fork in the motorway and then reached out and grasped hands, It was an emotional moment, I enjoyed the time I spent with Thomas, I will miss his company.

The road into Lahore was relatively clear, to go to Wagah you simply drive ahead. The route runs through the city parallel to a canal, under multiple underpasses and finally when you can go no further you turn left and the after a mile or so, swing right on GT Road to the border.

The Pakistan customs officers wasted no time processing my carnet, it felt like I had interrupted them from something to which they wanted to return. I walked over to immigration and was invited to sit…. “no electricity”. Immigration is computerised and so I could go no further until the power cut had ended. I took out my laptop and stood at one of the immigration consoles to write up my blog. In time the ceiling fans whirred back to life signalling a return to normalilty. I did wonder if the staff had turned off the power to guarantee a break?

Onward to the famous Wagah corridor. I took a few quick photos to mark my arrival in India and headed for their border centre. It is notably bigger than Pakistan’s, probably a political statement. Immigration was brisk. Customs were strict. They examined every last item in my panniers, I removed spare parts from their boxes, explained how an air pump worked, unzipped the gel pad on my seat, removed my seats. By bags were x ray’d, they examined my jacket and enquired about the armour, checked the contents of my fuel tank and finally almost as an afterthought checked the chassis number on my bike and processed the carnet.

I attached my helmet to the rear of the bike and rode from the border at a deliberately ponderous pace. Riding slowly on India’s roads in the direction of Amritsar, allowed me time to think. I wondered as to whether I would ever ride the same roads again, I thought about family and friends, contemplated the minutes, hours, days and weeks I have been away from home. Tears streaked the travel grime that inevitably accumulates while riding on hot dusty roads.

Wagah border mileometer 21679, 222 miles ridden Multan to Wagah, 5649 miles ridden over a period of 22 days from Loughborough, England to Wagah border, India.

Amritsar mileometer 21697