Alex and Sebastiaan, a young couple who met in Thailand, have an innate desire to travel around the world. So, after they met, they decided to ditch the comfort of their homes in order to wholly adopt the backpack life. While wandering around Eurasia, they visited Pakistan too, last year, and here’s how their journey went.

The account of their journey across Pakistan includes their opinion on how foreigners perceive Pakistan and an overall account of the reasons behind their wanderlust.

To put in their own words, “we’re Alex and Sebastiaan, an American girl and a Dutch boy that met in Thailand, lived in the Netherlands, and are now wandering around Europe and Asia. We’re two ordinary twenty-something year olds that sold all of their stuff, quit their jobs, and decided to travel the world for a while. Our lives fit into two backpacks, we are perpetually getting lost, and we both dream of one day filling an entire passport.”

Their blog, dedicated to their trip to Pakistan, is adorned with a picture of the celebrated Badshahi Mosque with their opinion on how they found the culture of Pakistan.

“Pakistan is a country that will amaze and surprise you at every turn. Forget fears of terrorism and let yourself be carried away by the most hospitable people in the world” they said.

The blog not only contains detailed accounts of their journey across Pakistan but has elaborate guides on how to survive the heat, how much it costs to backpack across Pakistan, what it’s like to travel during Ramadan across the country; with each of them interspersed with light humor and occasional sarcasm.

While they talk about the dire warnings they were given prior to traveling to Pakistan, they also make an attempt to dispel the myths about the country, while staying realistic. Because let’s face it, we all know Pakistan is not all fairy dust and sparkles.

Alex and Sebastiaan have expressed their concerns about this particular kind of terrorism in Pakistan

While addressing the issue of terrorism in Pakistan, Alex writes, “Often disguised as a plump, loving Pakistani mother or grandmother, culinary terrorists are everywhere. They can be found lurking behind every door to every home, ladles at the ready, waiting for their chance to stuff you so full of food that you burst like the human bomb they think you are. There’s no way to escape it–they will find you, they will sit you down, and they will feed you until you pop.”

On the other hand, Sebastiaan talks about what it’s like to travel in Pakistan as a woman. “Most of the girls promoting solo female travel are traveling to places filled with other travelers, such as Southeast Asia or South America. They gush about how you’ll never be alone if you don’t want to, how you can always buddy up with other travelers when necessary. The countries they visit have plenty of tourist infrastructure. Oft-visited Western Europe is at the forefront of gender equality, and the streets are relatively safe regardless of what’s between your legs or in your heart. Pakistan is none of those things. Sorry, girls, but Pakistan is not the next step after your month of solo backpacking in Bali.”

Well, being a girl, I don’t disagree.

The reason their blog regarding their journey across Pakistan is not any other quintessential traveling blog is because it tells you realistic expectations of what it’s like to travel in a country like ours. It doesn’t glorify thing, just for the sake of it and maybe that’ what catches the eye.

You can read more about their shenanigans here.

Cover Image Via: Lost With Purpose Via: Facebook