Lahore Toujours

Tour of Lahore today -- Lahore Fort and the Old City, and a few mosques in  and around. Lunch on the roof of a restaurant between the two, overlooking the traditional red-light district, dinner party at K&V's with two local couples, including K's partner, Salman, who was a year behind us at The College. 

Lahore, and especially fort, has continuous close air support from kites -- taloned, not stringed. Old City a warren, or rookery, of shops, restaurants, tenements and mosques. Some alleys barely one person wide. Pedestrians vying for space with horses, donkeys, motorcycles and motorized rickshaws, one of which we rode back to the car at end of day. We spent the day under the watchful eyes of K's office manager and driver, and with the narrative of a professional guide, a divinity grad student from the city's small Christian minority (a Methodist, in fact), whose tales of local history leaned heavily on Pakistan's minority communities and their important role.

Not really enough words. So, some pictures:

1. Lahore Fort, from rooftop resto. Note the flock of kites, waiting to pounce on scraps in the courtyard (or perhaps unattended toddlers).

2. Porter, Old City.

3. Girls resting outside queen's throne room, Lahore Fort.

4. Street scene, Old City.

Tomorrow, inshallah: Tandoor lesson; shopping; Wagah border crossing; dinner on another rooftop deck, with the strong insinuation that Cohibas will be offered.