By Zara Ahmed Khan
from Toronto , Canada
I live in Toronto Canada. Few weeks ago when we were in Pakistan to meet out relatives, we went to Khewra Mines! near Kala Kahar. I woke up at around 9.00 A.M, I had a nutella sandwich for breakfast. At around 11.20 A.M we got on our own personal bus to take us to the mines. We were total 25 people. The bus ride was 3 hours long. First, we stopped at the gas station and got snacks like Juice, Chips and Chocolate. Me, Saman and Tania (my cousins) sat together but after one hour we switched and I got to sit with my mamo. When we got to the mines we got in a train and went into the mines. Me, Saman and Tania were very scared because everything was flashing green. When our train stopped after about 20 minutes we got out and followed the tour guide through the mines. The guide was very interested fellow, he explain everything in detail. The first place we stopped at was a Masjid made of salt so that the workers could pray on time. It was 50 years old! Next, we stopped at a copy of the Minar-e-Pakistan which was also made of bricks of salt. It had light inside it, so we could see the colours of salt i.e. pink, red, orange and white. Then we went to a wall and the guide showed us how the Salt water crystallized. Then he told us, we could try some of the Salt water, so I tried it and it was so salty! Then, he took us to a salt water ditch and said it was 50 feet deep. Unfortunately people threw lot of trash in it so it didn’t look pretty. I request people to not throw empty bottles, papers etc. in it. Next, he showed us a tiny tunnel in the wall and said we would “end up in India” but we ended up around the corner. We walked over to a pile of rocks and a big hole in the wall. Our tour guide told us that we can make a wish so I made 17 wishes because I threw in 17 small stones. Then, we walked over bridges made of Salt with no support at all over big ditches of water. At the end our guide told us that an artist came to the mines and did his artwork here. Out of the crystallized water, he made the Minar-e-Pakistan. He also wrote holy name of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) on the roof and drew the face of Allama Iqbal the poet of East. Then, we walked away and went to the souvenir shop and buy table lamps made of salt rock and also mine and Saman’s name in salt. Then we left the mines and started driving home. On the way, we stopped and got Tania’s name and some other decoration articles made of salt rock. I finally got to sit at the front seat from where I enjoy drive on motorway. In the way, I fell asleep and when I woke up, we were at Home.
Our trip to the Salt Mines was so much fun!
Published in Young Nation magazine on April 30, 2016
