|
  | |  |
The Most Beautiful Place on Earth
Entry 51 of 82 | show all | print this entry |
im sitting in what definately has to be the most beautiful and scenic interweb place ive ever been in in my life. imagine a PC next to a window and the sun has (finally) gone down (ive gotten a bit sunburnt) and all around me are the most magnificent snow-peaked mountains of the karakoram range. the sun is still reflecting off the tips of the mountains, i can see the KKH snaking away to the left heading on up to the chinese border and then the valley at the bottom of the mountains is all green and lush and its just amazing. i really and truely love pakistan.
its been the biggest surprise thing of the trip so far - its somewhere i never in a million years dreamed of coming to and yet here i am and have only ever received such a warm welcome in india, its incredible. the people are so so nice and welcoming and friendly.
we flew from rawalpindi to gilgit at 06:45 in the morning and despite the terrifying 50 seater propellor jobby we were in it was so beautiful the view. we were actually flying lower than the mountains around us. gilgit was nice but still too hot for me!!! we went on an absoultey incredible jeep trip for the day down the KKH (Karakoram Highway) and then off-road up into the mountains. it was really like that place in star wars where luke goes to find obie wan kenobe and the sand people attack them? wrecking my head trying to remember the name of it.... ANYWAY thats was brilliant and we all had a ball. then that evening we got to go and see a live polo match that was the local gilgit team against another team (seemingly they featured on michael palin's himalaya). so mad - like hurling on horse, utterly bonkers.
next day (yest) had to have been one of the best days of my life. our local guide ehsan has his jeep with him and i got to go in the front seat for the 60km journey to gholmut where we camped. i was standing up on the front seat the whole time tearing up the KKH at 80kph surrounded on all sides by huge mahoosive mountains, the original silk route snaking along on the other side of the river next to us, the sun beating down out of the sky..it was just one of the best things ive ever done in my life ever.
dinner was roast lamb bought that day in the market cooked on a massive spit on a fire and it was sooooo good. we made punch and it was probly one of the most chilled out nights of the trip so far.
today we came another 40kms up the KKH stopping along the way to look for garnet in the rubble on the road and then on here to karimabad. we visited the baltit fort thats been here defending the hunza valley for over 800 years and then we departed for the hotel - everyone is just wrecked so i guess its going to be an early night.....
missing you all - keep those mails coming and i will let you know the story with china and us getting/not getting in as soon as i hear more.
xx
Where I stayed:
Hunza Valley View
|
|
If you like this entry, search for other entries from Pakistan or try a new search. |
| |
Back to Entry - Back to Home
|
9 votes 
