1HaytchZed
Active member
Amazing, seems like y'all had a blast! Loving the videos!
PAKISTAN: NOT QUITE OVERLAND BUT WHAT AN ADVENTURE!
- Thread starter jim65wagon
- Start date
jim65wagon
Well-known member
Thank you! Glad you enjoy the videos. Pakistan was incredibly fun and beautiful.
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jim65wagon
Well-known member
Also, here's the next video of the series.
Americans in Pakistan Part 7
Hussaini Suspension Bridge, Attabad Lake and Eagles Nest Viewpoint
Sent from my SM-G986U1 using Tapatalk
Americans in Pakistan Part 7
Hussaini Suspension Bridge, Attabad Lake and Eagles Nest Viewpoint
Sent from my SM-G986U1 using Tapatalk
jim65wagon
Well-known member
After a good brekky of fried eggs, toast and coffee, we all loaded back onto the bus. Our journey today would take us to Skardu. To get there we had to backtrack down the KKH a bit then pick up S-1 and head East. The S-1 is a once upon a time mountain shelf road that follows high above the Indus River. After just a few miles on S-1 we found ourselves suddenly in a traffic jam. Up ahead of the line of cars we were behind we could see people working, hearing their shouts and occasionally we could see rocks tumbling down the hillside. Of course we all exited the bus to see what was going on. If you haven't figured it out yet, there had been a landslide that pretty much covered the highway pretty deep. The people working at removing rocks were the people from all the other cars. I don't know how long they'd been moving rocks but they almost had a pathway cut through the slide.
There seemed to be two groups of people, one group actively moving rocks and one group watching the hillside, shouting whenever more rocks started falling. Rizwan and Ali jumped in to help and Elizabeth and I moved in to help. There was shouting and fast talking going on near us, Umar told us the locals did not want us helping move the rocks. They did not want to be responsible for the death of a tourist. After arguing a bit we relented and became spectators of rocks, we could at least shout and point when a new fall started. After a bit more work, the crew had a truck drive over their path. It bounced over the rocks and made it safely to the other side. The rock removers stood back and watched as several cars started crossing the path, each waiting for the one in front to get all the way across before starting across themselves. All the passengers crossed at a jog with only the drivers in the cars.
Some new rocks came tumbling down and once the mountain settled down they quickly removed the new rocks, and cars started rolling through again. The lines on each side of the landslide dwindled slowly and soon our bus was at the front of the line. The crew decided they had to move a few more rocks to flatten the pathway for the bus. Then they had a few more trucks drive over to compact the base a bit more.
Our group started across the slide at a jog, with all the work crew shouting in unison and waving their arms as we went. Once we were across Mustafa brought the big bus through. The path was just wide enough and with lots of bouncing and swaying the bus was across. We all cheered with relief as the bus came to a halt for us to climb back aboard. Keep in mind that this whole time little slides kept falling, rocks the size of your head rolling down the mountain from a hundred feet above. People would shout, people would run, rocks would roll. Once all the rolling stopped the people would jump right back in and removed the new debris. All the people involved worked well together in the common goal of clearing the road enough to pass.
There seemed to be two groups of people, one group actively moving rocks and one group watching the hillside, shouting whenever more rocks started falling. Rizwan and Ali jumped in to help and Elizabeth and I moved in to help. There was shouting and fast talking going on near us, Umar told us the locals did not want us helping move the rocks. They did not want to be responsible for the death of a tourist. After arguing a bit we relented and became spectators of rocks, we could at least shout and point when a new fall started. After a bit more work, the crew had a truck drive over their path. It bounced over the rocks and made it safely to the other side. The rock removers stood back and watched as several cars started crossing the path, each waiting for the one in front to get all the way across before starting across themselves. All the passengers crossed at a jog with only the drivers in the cars.
Some new rocks came tumbling down and once the mountain settled down they quickly removed the new rocks, and cars started rolling through again. The lines on each side of the landslide dwindled slowly and soon our bus was at the front of the line. The crew decided they had to move a few more rocks to flatten the pathway for the bus. Then they had a few more trucks drive over to compact the base a bit more.
Our group started across the slide at a jog, with all the work crew shouting in unison and waving their arms as we went. Once we were across Mustafa brought the big bus through. The path was just wide enough and with lots of bouncing and swaying the bus was across. We all cheered with relief as the bus came to a halt for us to climb back aboard. Keep in mind that this whole time little slides kept falling, rocks the size of your head rolling down the mountain from a hundred feet above. People would shout, people would run, rocks would roll. Once all the rolling stopped the people would jump right back in and removed the new debris. All the people involved worked well together in the common goal of clearing the road enough to pass.
jim65wagon
Well-known member
Further down the road we came to another police checkpoint. Of course the passports and visas for the US people were checked. An Officer boarded the bus and checked all the Ids of the male Pakistanis on the bus. He looked at me and said something I didn't understand but I heard the words “Cha Cha” Umar said something back to him, and he looked at me again then laughed. Umar told me the officer was asking for my ID and called me “Cha Cha” which is roughly the Older Uncle. I had been warned earlier in the trip that with my complexion and blue eyes I looked like some of the citizens of Gilgit-Baltistan. I guess they were right...
Along the way to Skardu we passed a lot more older rock slides that had been cleared off the road but piled up on the edges almost as high as the bus was tall.
We turned off the main road and onto a sandy track of the Katpana desert. We made our way out to some dunes and a place called Glamp Pakistan. For tonight we went all out, sparing no expense. We picked the fancy Geodesic Domes of Glamp Pakistan overlooking the valley below the dunes. Situated in the Katpana Desert and within sight of several well known mountaintops – Koser Gunge, Mango Gusar, B21 and further in the distance, the mighty K2.
The dome was nicely appointed and well insulated, and had the best shower of the trip. Actual hot water came out of the several shower heads in the stone walls of the bathroom. Nice. The electricals were a little wonky, like most of the electricals in the country. We managed, with a little wiggling and the propping up of the charging block so that it sat “just right” we could get our phones and computer to charge.
We ordered dinner and then waited by playing several rounds of UNO with the family. It was 7PM when we ordered and we finally got the call at 9PM. We all made our way to the dining hall. The Yak burgers were spiced to the point that you couldn't taste the yak at all. The Boti Chicken was good but the best dish on the table was the Yak Nehari. Elizabeth and I ordered tea to drink with dinner, but the culture does not understand drinks WITH dinner. Our tea was served with everyone elses – after dinner.
After supper we walked up the dunes and enjoyed a bonfire and “fireworks”. The bonfire was really nice with all of us sitting in camp chairs and talking about all the things we've seen and done. The fireworks consisted of four tubes of Roman Candles that Umar was allowed to hold and fire them off into the air. It was a fun evening by the fire.
Breakfast the next morning was interesting. Elizabeth and I wound up in the mess hall before anyone else. The servers would come in, see the two of us, turn around and leave. After seeing this happen twice I finally got one man's attention and called him over. He looked wide eyed when we said we would like two coffees. He said “Me?” We both said “Yes!” and he bounced out quick returning a short time later with a tray of coffees. Finally!
We walked the dunes behind the camp taking photos then it was back to the bus and repacking our luggage into it.
Along the way to Skardu we passed a lot more older rock slides that had been cleared off the road but piled up on the edges almost as high as the bus was tall.
We turned off the main road and onto a sandy track of the Katpana desert. We made our way out to some dunes and a place called Glamp Pakistan. For tonight we went all out, sparing no expense. We picked the fancy Geodesic Domes of Glamp Pakistan overlooking the valley below the dunes. Situated in the Katpana Desert and within sight of several well known mountaintops – Koser Gunge, Mango Gusar, B21 and further in the distance, the mighty K2.
The dome was nicely appointed and well insulated, and had the best shower of the trip. Actual hot water came out of the several shower heads in the stone walls of the bathroom. Nice. The electricals were a little wonky, like most of the electricals in the country. We managed, with a little wiggling and the propping up of the charging block so that it sat “just right” we could get our phones and computer to charge.
We ordered dinner and then waited by playing several rounds of UNO with the family. It was 7PM when we ordered and we finally got the call at 9PM. We all made our way to the dining hall. The Yak burgers were spiced to the point that you couldn't taste the yak at all. The Boti Chicken was good but the best dish on the table was the Yak Nehari. Elizabeth and I ordered tea to drink with dinner, but the culture does not understand drinks WITH dinner. Our tea was served with everyone elses – after dinner.
After supper we walked up the dunes and enjoyed a bonfire and “fireworks”. The bonfire was really nice with all of us sitting in camp chairs and talking about all the things we've seen and done. The fireworks consisted of four tubes of Roman Candles that Umar was allowed to hold and fire them off into the air. It was a fun evening by the fire.
Breakfast the next morning was interesting. Elizabeth and I wound up in the mess hall before anyone else. The servers would come in, see the two of us, turn around and leave. After seeing this happen twice I finally got one man's attention and called him over. He looked wide eyed when we said we would like two coffees. He said “Me?” We both said “Yes!” and he bounced out quick returning a short time later with a tray of coffees. Finally!
We walked the dunes behind the camp taking photos then it was back to the bus and repacking our luggage into it.
jim65wagon
Well-known member
We all piled in and Mustafa started hauling us across the dunes. Then we came to a stop. Our driver slung the bus in reverse and backed up in the sand a bit, then roared forward. A little farther but the wheels sunk and that was it. We were stuck.
We all climbed out.
The driver started digging sand from the tires with his hands. Some of our group wanted to send Ali back to camp for someone to find a tractor. After some emphatic conversation I convinced them we could get unstuck and dropped down (to Mustafa's protest) and began digging sand with my hands. Eveyone followed suit digging down to a hard pan of earth under the sand, We dug for a while, then Mustafa jumped in and as we all pushed the bus he put some power to the wheels.
We moved slowly about 5 feet, then 10, the bus slid a little sideways but finally with us all pushing it broke free and was driven to firmer terra firma. YAY! High fives and and congratulations went all around. Mustafa was smiling and laughing with a thumbs up as we climbed back aboard.
We all climbed out.
The driver started digging sand from the tires with his hands. Some of our group wanted to send Ali back to camp for someone to find a tractor. After some emphatic conversation I convinced them we could get unstuck and dropped down (to Mustafa's protest) and began digging sand with my hands. Eveyone followed suit digging down to a hard pan of earth under the sand, We dug for a while, then Mustafa jumped in and as we all pushed the bus he put some power to the wheels.
We moved slowly about 5 feet, then 10, the bus slid a little sideways but finally with us all pushing it broke free and was driven to firmer terra firma. YAY! High fives and and congratulations went all around. Mustafa was smiling and laughing with a thumbs up as we climbed back aboard.
the deputy
Well-known member
Thank you, Older Uncle, for the great trip report!