Eid ul Fitr in Pakistan's Northwest

During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. Some people told me that the experience of neither eating nor drinking for such a long time is supposed to give everybody (especially the rich people) an idea of what it means to be poor. Various groups of people don't have to observe the fast, for example travellers, ill people, pregnant women and children. As a non-Muslim, I'm also not obliged to fast.

The holiday with which the month of Ramadan ends is called Eid (pronounced as 'eed') ul Fitr. Most people try to spend it with their families. I was invited to come with Waqas, my collegue and friend from the Faisalabad office, to his hometown Topi in the Northwest.

Most people living in this part of Pakistan are Pathans. One of the things Pathans are famous for is their legendary hospitality.


During the week there, I went from one invitation to the next and was served lots of (nice) food.











Together with my Pathan friends, I listened to good music,








roasted maize cobs
















and visited the town of Topi














and its surroundings.
















Something I enjoyed very much was the fact that people on the streets didn't recognise me as a foreigner. Even the children didn't pay much attention when I passed by. Apparently, I look like a person from the Northwest (especially when I wear my Pathan hat, called Pakol)...