A snowy village

Trip Start Aug 10, 2008

Trip End Ongoing

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Flag of Pakistan Gizhar, Pakistan
Thursday, January 29, 2009

We had many more days with the boys including a visit to Gakuch in the Gizhar valley ( I don't think googl can find it on the map). K had arranged for us to stay at his sister's house there while she visited his mum so the 6 of us went and spent a couple of nights in this little village. At night R and V cooked and we all huddled around the heat in the house. There was no glass in the windows so the house was cold but the stove in the front room warmed us up and we experienced a local tradition - the hot embers from the fire are put in a bowl under a small table which is covered by a blanket, you sit around the table with your feet and legs under the blanket to stay warm.

By day we walked in the hills and mountains, visited a flour mill, waterfall and old fort. The boys seemed to e able to do magic and at the fort they organized tea, biscuits and bread from the local people. We sat on a wooden veranda at the fort, with beautiful snowy surroundings and the group of locals we had 'collected' and here we relaxed and made some music - some singing, some clapping, some dancing and a drum from a plastic container, it was perfect.

We also met a large group of women, which is a rarity here! They were teachers out for a walk and they were intrigued by me - asking me questions, offering food, touching my hair. They asked me to come and live with them for a month to teach them English. They spoke only a few words and wanted to talk much more. We left them but I've got to admit I'm still tempted to return. It would be an incredible experience to live with these women for a while, find out what it's like to be a woman here in Pakistan - you usually see so few it's really hard to get an understanding of their lives.

It was a fantastic view and in the morning, while the other slept I went up onto the roof, wrapped in my shawl, for the sunrise. It was a beautiful place and we had fun just wandering around, speaking to the kids, handing out chocolate and eating and playing in the snow! It was hard to leave...