A drive of great memories

Pic.  – THE CAR: “We bought this car in London mid-1974. A few days later, four of us set out to drive for nearly six months to Sri Lanka.  This photo was provided by the present owner, whom I tracked down in 2019.”

Some errors had crept into this letter (published yesterday) in the process of being typeset. This is the correct version.

Sanjeewa Jayaweera’s recent recollections (The Island 25/2) of advantages of coming from Ceylon/SL – or rather ‘benefits’ accruing from Mrs B’s permitting Pakistan to use Ceylon/SL airspace in 1971 -– when he was living in Pakistan, remind me of similar experiences in 1974.

 Four of us drove overland (well, only one of us could drive then) in a Beetle from London to Sri Lanka, taking nearly six months.  At the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, neither side checked our heavily laden car. 

 We had got used to cooking for ourselves in many countries, and camping up to Turkey, so always carried basic food stuffs. In Pakistan, however, many things were rationed and towards the end of our stay we needed to stock up. 

 Just before leaving Lahore to head for India we went in search of rice and sugar (rationed).  One chap we happened to ask, got into the car (with four already in it) and said he would get us what we needed. He insisted on giving it free –– “You are my brothers!” Very strange – it was only later that we discovered the reason for this.  

 He jumped out near a shop and disappeared, presumably to queue somewhere. Returning with about 8 lbs of rice and 3 lbs of sugar, he absolutely refused to accept any money.  Instead, he insisted that we visit the Shalimar Gardens and wouldn’t let us pay there either.  We took a photograph with him which we promised to send him.  He was an Assistant Store-keeper at Pakistan Oxygen. 

 However, things were slightly different at the border. The Pakistan side wouldn’t let S, our Ugandan-Asian friend, cross.  No Hindu from any part of the world was allowed to cross into India.  Fortunately, our group was pretty mixed (with a Sri Lankan Buddhist, Sri Lankan Muslim and an Anglo-Asian atheist! – though fortunately, that wasn’t on the passport).  S’s “companion” insisted she’d become a Muslim by marriage, and signed a declaration form to that effect.  Problem solved! But a moment of anxiety at Indian customs when a cursory search was made of the car.  Officials were offended by the fact that we’d brought rice with us –– “We have rice in India!”

 Manel Fonseka