Season's First Snowfall In Murree

 

Hello to everyone and welcome to my blog on my country Pakistan.  I'd like to start off this blog on a very positive note about my country.  Although Pakistan has her many challenges in dealing with terrorism and the political unrest that has somewhat tarnished her good image, I hope that reading this post will put a smile on your face .

It is my hope that you will  realize that despite all the chaos that is going on now...there  is still hope in the form of Mother Nature and what she has to offer and this I see as a metaphor of what the future holds for Pakistan.

Put aside all that is bad that you can think of Pakistan and feast your eyes on her beautiful lands.  Indeed my country is the Iron Lady because she has stood the test of time and seen the winds of change but her ravishing beauty will NEVER fade among her people.

Pakistan to me is a woman of mystery, a mother, a sister, a daughter.  She is blessed with so much beauty  and at the same time she is pure no matter what happens to her as seen in what Mother Nature has provided her.

So I invite you to come with me to a popular hill station called Murree in Islamabad.  Why I chose Murree?  Well, these pictures capture Murree's first snowfall this year 2010, and being a nature lover myself, I am so intrigued and fascinated by the snow fall.  I want to share this joyful experience with all of you.

Murree city is a popular hill station and a summer resort especially for the residents of Islamabad, and for the cities of the province of Punjab, Pakistan.  It's located along Islamabad-Kohala highway N75, some 30 kms northeast of Islamabad.  The name Murree is derived from "marhi" meaning 'high place'.  Murree is also the administrative center for Murree Tehsil, which is a sub-division of Rawalpindi district and this includes the famous Murree Hills.

I am sure that many of you are asking me as to what is so special about Murree?  Well for starters, do you that fruits including cherries, raspberries thrive here locally?  Believe me, they are delicious!!  There is something about the soil here that makes these fruits taste so good.  So for those of you who'd like to taste what many call as British fruits, well you don't have to fly to Britain to taste them.  They are right here in my bountiful country Pakistan.

Murree is a perfect place for you to visit be it in summer or winter.  There are motels which offer bed and breakfast and lots of amenities to the tourists. For all you nature lovers, Murree's flora and fauna are breath-taking.  I'd like to draw your attention to Murree's very own snow leopards.  These magnificent cats flourished here once many, many years ago.  They are naturally shy animals but it is quite difficult to spot one nowadays because they are becoming extinct and are now an endangered species.  They deserve out attention because their survival is threatened.  This is because the deforestation and encroaching urbanization of the forest have pushed these leopards out of their natural feeding grounds and with the scarcity of proper hunting ground, they literally starve to death.  Also, let's not forget illegal poaching of these cats.  It is sad but true that this happens in every country.

I urge you to preserve these beautiful snow leopards of Murree.  Please get more information online on how you can do your part in protecting Murree's wildlife.  By helping to protect these cats, you'll be helping them thrive again in the thick forests of Murree plus you can help create a new sport which is leopard spotting, that is viewing these leopards using binoculars, photographing and feeding them.  Now, wouldn't this be interesting to you?

Coming back to Murree's first snowfall of the year, notice how thick the snowfall was and all the tourists there and the locals who had come out of their hotels and houses just to enjoy the weather.  The snow fall brought so many smiles to so many people's faces.

 

The people there celebrated what seemed like the birth of something pure and magical from the sky.  The snowfall that is.  Indeed, it was a beautiful sight to see.  I have made it a point to visit Murree this year and I hope that you'll make it your holiday destination too because it will be WORTH IT.