Kolkota to the Karakoram

Back in India for the last time (for a while anyway). You know it's an Indian train your on when someone pathetically bangs a drum, waves a model cobra at you and wants money; someone else goes up and down the train selling only combs all day, polyester slacks are the height of fashion, there aren't nearly enough seats for all the men are intimatley embracing each other.

On to Calcutta (or Kolkotta if your polictically correct), with its terrible reputation, I'm sure there are the huge areas of slums and poverty, like every Indian city but the centre is really nice. (Not every Indian city has a nice bit, anyone been to Chennai or Aurangabad?). The centre is a funny mix of grand British colonial buildings, yellow cabs, wide streets, parks and trees all with an insane Indian twist. After a quick look round it was time to get over to Pakistan, luckily there's a train to Amritsar, a mildy amusing 37hr journey. Only one break down, one dead cow, one Indian boy telling me two rediculous things about India: it's not dirty, and not many Indians smoke.

In Amritsar we had a quick look round the Sikh Golden temple, because the ground was so hot you couldn't hang around for long, and the highlight of Amritsar, I was excited about, was the closing of the border with Pakistan. After crossing a few land borders: this is like nothing else. Arriving 2 hours early and sitting in the VIP section, we watched the huge stands fill up. The India side was a riot of colour, dancing and general noise, the Pakistani side there was men on one side women on the other and a some clapping, all to competing music. Once the ceromeny started it was unbelievble, I have never seen anything so stupid before, serviettes on their heads, goose stepping, guards showing thumbs down to each other, and slaming of gates, and hundreds of people going crazy. I can't wait to watch the DVD I bought! Back in Amritsar (home of the Sikh religeon)we watched Bend it like Beckham, about British Sikhs!

It was time to leave India, 19 states; 12,500Km on railways; countless buses, rickshaws, autos, a few bicyles one motorbike, one horse drawn cart, one hand pulled rickshaw, and on cyle cart over the border. Pakistan looked instantly different, it looked drier, sparser, evey body seemed to wear exactly the same clothes; the mens clothes varying shades of off-white, and we were off to Lahore in a segregated bus. Lahore was too hot, I saw as much as I could before giving up in the heat and humidity. The Regale Internet Inn, where every traveller seems to stay was like a hospital full of dying people. The dorms with beds packed in, huge power cuts (so no fan), water cuts and lots of people unable to move with the heat. I saw the famous mosque, which was quiet and cool and a very calm place when coming from the streets of Lahore.

It was time to head to the mountains, aftwer a tortuous 25hr journey from Islamabad and lots of landslides we made it up the Karakoram Highway to the mountains. They are incredable huge peaks (7000m+) some of which have never been climbed, with dry arid sides, little patches of green in the valley where the villages are. Its great fun to ride up the winding valley on top of the buses - just don't shout they think you've fallen off! I have been looked after very well, I had numerous cups of tea, lifts, offers of motor bikes, the Muslim hopitality is amazing, none of the hassle you get in India, just offers of genuine generousity - I might stay here a while!


P.S. Tom - this must be one of only a few places in the world where a ginger beard is high desirable, people deliberatly dye their beards ginger here!

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