This lunch table shown in above photo is not on ground, it is on a mountain, 4000 feet above sea level. This place is known as Chirat where I’d a lunch with my family, above the mountains, in the clouds with beautiful landscape all around. While moving above the mountains I praise ALLAH at each level that how beautifully ALLAH create this world, these mountains, how beautifully these trees are planted on sloppy mountains. How lush green these mountains seems from distance and those trees seems to be bushes on it. As we came near to these mountains we come to know that these are not bushes but long length trees and mountains start looking more beautiful. How many trees we have on every single mountain. Those green trees on huge rocky mountains seems so beautiful.

One thing is beautiful landscape and other is cold weather on these mountains. This cold weather add more enjoying environment. Specially in a country like Pakistan where we have summer for 8 months, people love to go on cold places. These high standing mountains have cold weather over there which force us to bring out our sweaters and jackets. Wearing jackets in summer? How enjoyable… This is one of the lovely rejoicing moment while traveling to Northern part of Pakistan. Pakistan is such a blessed country where we have all the seasons plus mountains and beaches in a same country.

Summer is just starting so those who hate summer and load shedding in summer should take a long break to visit those Northern areas of Pakistan and enjoy cold season in summer.

This Afghani Pilao is placed in tandoor style pot to keep it hot. It has carrots, raisins and small size beef pieces which makes it wonderful. This special kind of mixture of sweet raisins in salty beef create wonders and make this Afghani Pilao a total different experience. This is considered as a special dish of Afghanistan and famous with the name of Afghani Pilao. Some people also adds almonds and other dry fruits in this rice dish. They also serve barbecue which will add more taste in your meal.

Well that special pilao which I tried from Attock city was wonderful and when this Afghani Pilao end up with the special Afghani Kahva which is a famous tea-like-drink of Afghanistan and Northern Pakistan. You suggest to sit for a long time with your friends to have this wonderful dinner which ended with delightful kahva.

Attack Khurd Bridge

Beside that old style railway station which has old machinery in it. I amazed to see that machinery is still active and they used it to communicate with other railway stations. According to that station master, this kind of old machinery is in most of the cities of Khyber Pakhtun-Khwa. That machinery has Siemens logo on it, how old this company is. Well that antique style railway station around the mountains took us back in 1800.

We came back to 2011 and move towards the river shore which has sand on it like a beach. We get down to the sea by passing through many rocks and difficult passage. It was a nice view of river passing through the high mountains. Part which touches the river was mostly of sand in which my son played alot. He fill himself all with sand and he was the most happiest person over there. It feels nice to walk on sand with your shoes off. Weather was good over there which is a blessing in summer. It’s a nice place to have a picnic with your family.

Bridge on River Indus

But all of a sudden, this year’s monsoon actually brought sadness over the faces; it became a wrath of God. Every single province in Pakistan got traumatized due to the rains. As this year’s rain brought in a huge Flood, shattering houses, taking away lots of lives. From the top to the bottom, Pakistan is all under water. Killing Water!

What is happening? Such destruction? So much rain that not even dams can stop them? Did our Meteorological department know about such heavy rain falls and disaster caused by it? Was our irrigation department prepared? Did our ecological department plan about it? Did people have any idea how worse it can be? Did people prepare? Did people get time to think over it and prepare?

Obviously there is no answer.

The rains started, the sewerage system got occupied. People started running towards their home to take their families to a place where it’s not raining heavily. They are on their way to other cities/areas, the bridges collapsed, roads broke into pieces. Even the mountains loosen up, huge rocks started to fell on causing road blocks. One to another, people got caught into problems, where there was No way out.

The people who went on holidays, vacations, honeymoons etc got trapped in the beautiful northern areas of Pakistan. Up on the hills, where there is no food, water, access to any store; they are stuck up in their own realm of problems. Where helicopters and government officials will have to go there to help them but due to heavy rains, they couldn’t go there even. It’s a distressing & painful state.

The flood started from Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, entering Sindh via Baluchistan and parts of Punjab.

As always our Forces are always there to take care of us, to protect us and save our lives. Army along with Air Force and Navy rescued many affected people but still several died and drowned in the water. Still Navy and its Commandos are trying to save lives in flooded areas of Sindh, though it just entered Sindh but created a mess there too.

Prediction is that this situation will calm down by mid August 2010 but will not end until September.

But one must appreciate the spirit of Pakistanis; everybody is there to help their native brothers and sisters. People are collecting & providing clothes, money, medicines, food etc all what they can think of, to the camps created by Armed Forces in different localities, as people cannot return to their homes due to no electricity, gas and major necessities of life.

Electric supply, Gas and all such pipelines were closed to avoid fire and current in water, which could have lead to several deaths. Already a great number of people have already died within a week’s time.

Well, one can take preventive measures always. People should avoid travelling, whether it is through any mode. People should store lots of food & medicines in their home. But then again, can one stop flood coming into their homes? Gosh NO!

Although these Disasters being Natural are not without Human Involvement!

Now it seems that war has come to an end or Pakistani Govt. has take it further in other areas, so they have open the Swat city again. After so much time and people must have fear that they might be hung up in fight so it seems difficult that people would start going there instantly. It is difficult that Swat will get the crowd of people again like they had earlier.

For this purpose Govt. has given some attractions to call tourist to this wonderful city. They have organized a ‘Aman Mela‘ (Peace Festival) in which they have given lot of activities and attractions. ‘Aman Mela’ has already started from 29th June and it will remain till 18th July, 2010. This festival is arranged in two places ‘Mingora’ and ‘Kalam’ with different activities and dates. Find the activities below

Festival In Mingora (29th June, 2010 – 18th July, 2010)

• Industrial Exhibition
• Cultural Exhibition
• Boating
• Fishing
• Photo Exhibition
• Basant (a festival of flying kites)
• Circus

Festival In Kalam (11th July, 2010 – 18th July, 2010)

• Musical Night
• Industrial Exhibition
• Cultural Exhibition
• Basant
• Aman Rally (Peace March)
• Poetry Program
• Puppet Show
• Sufiana Raks (Sufi Style Dance)
• Car Rally
• Cricket Tournament
• Volley Ball Tournament
• Hang/Para Gliding

Discounts On Traveling Swat For These Festivals

Govt. through PTDC (Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation) has given heavy discounts to attract more people. They have given following discounts

• 50% discount on every hotel included Serena and PTDC hotels
• 20% discount on local handicrafts
• 10% discount in driver’s fare who travel to Swat
• 50% discount to stay in Kalam in between festival dates (11th July, 2010 to 18th July, 2010)
• 50% discount on fares of PTDC transport

This is a lot to attract Swat’s tourist again to this beautiful places. Among all the activities in festival I would love to have  Hang Gliding and Paragliding most. I’m thinking to get some time out to enjoy the festival, what about you, ain’t these offers enough. Why people won’t travel to Swat would be that fear of fighting which kept them away from this beautiful place. Festival has already begin but there isn’t much crowd over there. I wish Govt. become successful in attracting tourists and that place become an entertainment again.

Well I will say that it is one of the best steak I had ever eaten. One of the must go place. Not only steak but their “shab daig” is also very famous, when served with hot nan.