My father, Baba, as we call him, had to go to Lahore and Islamabad on an official assignment. The pandemic was touching its lowest ebb, so he decided to take my mother and my siblings along with him in his car.

What ensued next was a haphazard process of packing for this suddenly planned excursion and getting leave from our schools, etc. Armed with masks, sanitisers and all other necessities of travel, we left our home one September morning — two hours before sunrise. Knowing that the Covid-19 virus was active and all around, we took snacks with us so that we won’t have to stop at roadside restaurants.

As darkness departed and the beauty of the sun broke through, we sped towards the Sukkur-Multan (M-5) motorway. By late afternoon, we reached the motorway. There was a visible and a drastic change in the greenery, roads and the rest areas between Sindh and Punjab. The roads turned smooth and silky, and the rest areas cleaner and with more facilities.

Late at night, we reached Lahore and drove straight to our hotel to fill our moaning stomachs and get the much needed sleep. The next morning, my dad went to fulfil his professional assignment. Two hours later, he returned and we headed out to explore the city.

First, we went to the Red Fort and then to Badshahi Mosque and Minar-e-Pakistan. The Red Fort is a masterpiece of Mughal architecture and engineering, with the Sheesh Mehal built to be naturally airy in summers. The Fort was equipped with a superb manual message transmission system that ran along the walls of the gigantic red stone structure. The whole tour was conducted by a professional guide who ensured that all SOPs were followed.

Next, we went to the famous Badshahi Masjid, where we observed an amazing echo and sound carrying system that was a result of a smart architectural design. Dinner was at the popular Fort Road Food Street where we enjoyed a spectacular view of the city.

We also managed a trip to the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), where my father’s cousin happens to be an associate professor. The amazing campus left us all in awe as we gazed around, admiring the never ending greenery and calmness, not to mention the amazing learning atmosphere.

Last, but not the least, we went to the Wagah Border, where we witnessed the glory of our Pakistan Army in a patriotically inspiring flag-raising ceremony.

We then motored towards Islamabad, while stopping over at the famous Khewra Salt Mine. On our way to the mine, we missed a turning and had to go from a rarely used old narrow route that snaked around mountains, passing through Kallar Kaharand Choe Saidan. It was an unexpected breathtaking experience exploring the mines. After a quick tour, we resumed our journey and arrived in Islamabad late in the evening.

We rested at night and headed out in the morning to tour the city, but not before my father went on his professional pursuit. On his return, we visited the very famous “Monal Restaurant”, had breakfast there and left for Murree.

Murree opened upon us a whole new world of greenery and breathtaking views. Shops selling different traditional and conventional items as well as souvenirs were scattered all over the Mall Road.

Murree offered a very pleasant change in the weather from the sultry season prevailing in Karachi and Lahore. We spent a day exploring the vast hills and other attractions of the beautiful hill station.

Heading back, the decision was made to stop over at Multan so we could rest, especially our father who had been driving all this time and it was still a long way home. The stop gave us the much needed rest and we were fresh the next morning. In the morning, we left for the final part of our journey, from Multan to Karachi. We came across traditional street vendors selling fruits right outside a small settlement on the motorway. And finally we arrived home six days after having left it.

What saddened us was that all the way from Karachi to Murree and back, we found traces of pollution in the forms of plastic bags, carelessly thrown trash, over spilling sewers, etc. which marred the magnificence of places such as Murree.

Another factor was the difference in the development of the two provinces, Sindh and Punjab, as the motorways and highways of Punjab were wider, cleaner and offered more facilities than the ones in Sindh.

In conclusion, I must say that every family should take a similar trip at least once. As for us, I feel we should go to other provinces in the country, sooner than later, to see more of the beauty that we are blessed with.

Published in Dawn, Young World, December 12th, 2020