Peshawar is more like Pesha-Wow!

With the Smuggler’s Bazaar off-limits due to the danger factor, there was only one item on today’s agenda, ie. Peshawar’s Old City. It isn’t meant to be an architectural marvel like Old Sana’a or Pingyao but one can find architectural gems hidden amongst all the ghastly clamour.

One really comes to Peshawar’s Old City for the sensory assault. The narrow streets and alleys are filled with honking cars, tooting auto-rickshaws, donkey-carts, porters, chai-wallahs, hawkers and pedestrians. The small shops and stalls sell all sorts and the various trades are normally grouped together.

I made my way through the electrical section, then spices and tea, jewellery, food, clothing, leather, nuts and grains before rewarding myself with a pot of tea. Green tea is quite readily available in parts of Pakistan; perhaps it is the proximity to the Silk Route that gives this Chinese influence. Elsewhere on the subcontinent it is always strong and milky tea. Of course there’s plenty of food around the Old City but there isn’t time to try them all.

After nearly four hours I returned to my room sort out all the marvellous scenes captured on camera; I won’t claim that they’re marvellous photos though.

For those of you who think I went a little bit trigger-happy with the camera, I did ask permission in most cases. Peshawaris are a little more reserved than most Pakistanis who usually invite me to take photos. Also, considering the number of times I’ve been asked to pose for locals (sometimes rather intrusively in the middle of a meal), it is fair for them to reciprocate.