Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Pakistan & the Karakoram Highway

First of all I have to say Pakistan is the best place we have seen so far - one of the most interesting, beautiful and friendly. India was OK, Nepal was OK, but Pakistan was just AMAZING!

To be honest, we expected something similar to India or Nepal - thousands of beggars, tauts, neverending ripping off, etc but nothing like that happened. On the contrary, people were very very generous, nice, friendly. We have never seen such a hospitality like in Pakistan. Some of them invited us for a tea or coffee or even offered free accommodation! When we were waiting for Umair in a restaurant, many people came to us for a little chat, they asked us many questions like where we came from or if we were married (we said 'yes'...) , if we had kids, etc. I remember some teenagers came and asked us for a picture and mobile number! They were very excited about this! For a while we felt like very famous people! ;-))) Nice!

In Lahore, the first city we have visited, we stayed with our host, Umair Ghani, from the hospitality club. That time we didn't know that he is one of the leading photographers in Pakistan! He took us to his office, where we met his colleagues, also photographers. We spent a great time with them, just talking and watching their best pictures, they were really amazing!

To see some of Umair's pictures check this link http://www.tabblo.com/studio/view/tabblos/Umair/ or just type in google 'Umair Ghani'.



Lukas, Umair and I at Food Street

Food Street with lots of food...


The next day Umair and his friend took us to Badshahi Mosque, the oldest one in Pakistan, very impressive. See the pictures below...

Praying time

This family asked us for a picture. Aparently for them we were exotic... ;-)

They also wanted to have a picture with us... ;-)

We had only transit visa (7 days) and obviously we wanted to make the most out of it so following Umair's advice we went strait to Karakoram. First stop in Gilgit, 18 hours by bus... but views were beautiful!

We arrived in Gilgit around 2 am, sleepy and tired started to search for some cheap hotels in our guide book when one of the passengers offered us accommodation at his house! Very nice man. He took care of us like of his family or best friends. In the morning he made us tea and breakfast and then he sent his son to see us off to the bus station, from where we went to Passu.



On the way to Gilgit...Local guys met on the way


With our host in Gilgit
We are the Champions!!! (in our host's sports shop)
On the way to Passu


as above as above

***

Passu is a small village placed between 2 glaciers - Passu and Batura. Together with 4 other travellers from New Zeland we did 2 one-day treks, one to the glaciers and second one to Hussaini village leading through 2 suspended bridges.

Passu glacier
Batura ValleyYak, met on the way

as above
Batura glacier and Lukas
Hurra!!! At least on the top! But how to get down now?...



First suspended bridge... Walking on it felt like on Indiana Jones movies...
On that day wind was very strong, bridge was trembling as other people were walking on it, including locals, but for them it seemed to be a pice of cake, they were almost running on it!


Second bridge. When I saw the broken one just next to the one we were about to cross, I felt a bit scared... but there was no other way to get to the village so I had to be brave...

Lukas first...

Then me.
Local kids in Hussaini village
as above



On the way back to Passu we stoped this beautiful colorful track.