Horribly lost and nervous at Lahore station. Unbelievably noisy, a demonstration of some sort is gathering nearby, I get put into town. I need shalwar kameez and I need LP India.
Taxidriver takes me to buy s.k. but women in P are slim and nothing fits. We settle on a starched men's outfit of a decent black. Then on to Hotel Wonderful which has an enormous room with aircon - when the power is on which is alternate hours. Pakistan is broke and the power outages are promised till 2010. Cabdriver then takes me miles to internet cafe which we reach just as the power goes off again. I am wandering the street miserable, hot, confused when Nadia, one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen,, and her mum scoop me up and take me back to their house. I sit while Nadia's sister makes me coffee and Nadia's mum finds me a s.k to wear of the loveliest pale green with silver threads. The lights go up and I see the large room is filled with people - nadia's relatives, young and talented and unable to find work, they say, because they are in the Catholic minority in Pakistan. They take me to their church. St Anthony's which is getting ready for Lady Day. Children and young people and priests.
Later in Anarkali bazaar. I meet a shabby scruffy bloke who leads me deep into the bazaar, saying he happens to have a Lonely Planet for India. I trust him, even when we go down into the underpass to cross the road. After a while I tell him I will wait in a teashop (this is Pakistan) and I wait for 20 mins supping sweet tea until he appears, LP to India in his hand. Angels are angels, even when they are scruffy. Off to nice cool room.
