When we reached Lahore it was blazingly hot. On leaving London to Lahore it seemed as if we made a transition from 'heaven' to 'hell'. We had booked this guest house in 'Ali view gardens'. Unfortunately there was no garden in view but a large wasteland which further added to our downheartedness. The guest house owner and his family were nice and friendly and made us feel at home by welcoming us to cold iced drinks and genuine smiles. The apartment was comfortable with bedrooms with en suite bathrooms, attractive and relaxing lounge area and a fully equipped kitchen. The warm greeting of the owner's family made us realise that the human kindness makes up for many a shortcomings! We soon found a nearby park for our evening stroll. The long hot days meant long siestas, cool showers, iced drinks, barbecues and salads and evening walks in the parks. As it was a working holiday we took this change in our stride. Some family business had to be sorted which meant visiting the local government organisations, solicitors etc.. Visiting and receiving relatives was an added bonus which compensated for the lack of many entertainments. Seeing familiar faces and visiting familiar sites was more or less nostalgic. We had open air tickets which meant we would leave as soon as our business was concluded which was quite a consolation for our moaning members. During the beginning of October when our business was done and our departure was announced the cool prospects of London in terms of rain and clouds made our team members heave cool sighs of relief. Escaping the extreme heat was wonderful news. The guest house owner was telling us that the pleasant cool weather was only round the corner if only we stayed a little longer we would have benefitted from it; but our team members had green pastures of England in view and would not stay. This adventure made us realise that business and pleasure cannot be mixed!
