Pakistan Gallery 1 (Nature)NORTHERN EXPOSURE
Nobody told me that it would be love at first sight with the majestic snow-capped mountains of Himalayas. But it did. Northern Pakistan is truly an underrated travel destination, often playing second fiddle to her neighbouring cousins such as Nepal or India. Perhaps that is what makes her so wonderful.
Pakistan is home to K2, Rakapooshi and host of other 7700+ m mountains. She is also at the cross-roads of East-West civilisations. Perhaps what is lesser known is the fact that she used to be an important and flourishing Buddhist learning center. Today, Pakistan is an Islamic Republic.
The trip to the high country (June/July 1995) was actually the last leg of my journey to trace the ancient Silk Road from China into Pakistan via the Karakoram Highway (KKH). Politically, the KKH is an important lifeline for China and Pakistan in a seemingly hostile and unfriendly neighbours that are Russia and India. Also dubbed the Friendship Highway, it provides a strategic access for China-Pak in the event of an attack. KKH has been touted as one of man's greatest engineering achievements. It is no mean feat to blast through the mountains to construct a road at this elevation. Much lives had been lost to achieve this. Still, it is because of the highway that travelers like me get to see some of earth's most awesome sights.
The adventure started off right on the bus journey from Kashgar (China) to Sust (Pak). It was one hell of a ride as the bus driver negotiated narrow bends amidst vertical drops to infinitum. After bumping on the hard roads for several hours, the inevitable had to happen. The bus broke down in the middle of no where; well, somewhere on the mountain top in China. Apparently the gear box fell off.
The fact that I had to spend the night with a bus load of Pakistani men was a little disturbing at first. However, what was supposedly a nightmare turned out to be quite comical and unforgettable. The Pakistanis shared whatever food they had with me. We even built a small fire and had hot chai while waiting for rescue.
Dusk on the mountain top was quite an extraordinary experience. Because of the towering peaks, you do not see the sun setting into the horizon. Instead, it just slid behind the mountains and moments later, the skies darken leaving a red glow at the brim of the mountains. Soon darkness gave way again to light as the moon and stars lit up the skies. The whole scene gave an impression of an intergalactic travel. It was easy to forget that you were on earth. An astronaut once said that he went in search of the moon only to discover the earth. How apt!
The bus driver made several attempts to get the bus going without much success. Almost certain that we were getting nowhere, we all just huddled up inside the bus while the temperatures outside dropped to sub-zeros. Sleep had never been more blissful.
The next morning, one of the passengers hitched a ride to the next town to get some help. Help did come and took us to Tashkurgan. By then it was already too late to continue the journey onto Pakistan. So, we had to spend the night in this solitary and deserted town which is also the last post in China. The Chinese soldiers seemed a little out of place in an obviously foreign place in the motherland. I felt a little sorry for them though.
I have always found border crossing to be very exciting. You never know what would happen as you enter from one country into another. This was no exception. The stretch of the KKH between the Chinese and Pakistani posts was the most beautiful part of the highway. To describe it would be doing a grave injustice to its beauty. The road continued its ascend until it reached the highest point at Khunjerab Pass which is nearly 4400m above sea level. I suffered mild altitude sickness at this elevation. It was a strange feeling.....like a hangover from too much booze.
We finally arrived at Sust but not after getting stuck in a rock slide for two hours. I hear that rock slides and earthquakes are common in this area. The theory goes that the entire Himalayas is still experiencing some geological phenomena being a relatively young highland. I believe the mountains are still growing, albeit very slowly.
The journey from Sust south towards Gilgit was a leisurely one. What could be achieved in 6 hours, I did it over 7 days, stopping at any place that caught my fancy. I also took the opportunity to explore the Hunza areas, as well as to get to know her people.
The men in the Hunza region have slight Caucasian features and the children have the most charming smile. However, the womenfolk were seldom seen. This is due to Islam which fundamentally forbids men and women from mingling freely amongst each other. (Photographing women is definitely a no-no). Showing interest and respect to the customs of the people is an easy way of winning their friendship. I had received many invitations to the homes of the locals for a drink or a meal. I was told that it is a Muslim duty to take good care of the tourists, hence their guests.
One of the stopovers in the Hunza region was Passu. From here, I did a day trek to some of the nearby villages. Enroute, I had to cross over two precariously constructed suspension bridge. The bridge could be described at best a tight rope and at worst, well...... For a first timer, it was really quite scary. But the locals, including the womenfolk, could do it with their eyes closed, even if they were carrying a full load on top of their heads. I had to admit that crossing the bridge while the strong wind was blowing made me feel like a hero ala Indiana Jones.
Another stop over was Karimabad. Half the fun was actually hitching a ride there on one of those ornately decorated trucks. No two trucks look alike. The Pakistanis have taken to decorating their vehicles into quite an art form. Inspiration came from all sources ranging from the Quran and the Ramayana to Bollywood (Bombay's version of Hollywood). The guest house which I had stayed at Karimabad had a commanding view of the mountain, glacier and valley. Nothing beats waking up in the morning literally feeling on top of the world.
Karimabad is also a good place for day treks. One such place would be the Ultar glacier. It was a tough 3 hour trek up to the Shepherds' Hut, although some local kids claim to be able to do it under an hour. I felt an overwhelming sense of achievement upon reaching the top. The Shepherds' Hut as the name implies is a shelter for the shepherds in the warm summer months. You see, in summers, they will take the flock of sheep to graze at the pastures higher up in the mountains so that those lower down can be left for the cold winters.
The journey continued to Gilgit, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Peshawar and Lahore before I made my way back to Singapore. Personally, I have gained much from this trip. Not only did I rediscover basic human values but I have also come to appreciate Islam in a better perspective, quite unlike the media portrayal. Shukria.
By LEE TZE IAN
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2001