Kunjerab Pass

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August 18

After a 4 course breakfast and discussing pakistan with a recent visitor I head off to the bus station only to find my German travel companions are unable to go as one has become violently sick through the night. This turns to a positive though as they give me their hotel reservations in Tashgurkan. Even though the bus is supposed to leave at 9am, it was three hours later that we departed, were after 1/2 hour drive it was high priority we stop for a 2 hour lunch break. We arrive soon afterwards at Karakul lake, discharging all of the passengers besides myself....I start wondering if this is really a good idea to head to pakistan. Eventually my bus arrives in Tashgurkan and after getting my free room (with no locking door) I head for some street food and try to gather a feel for this odd frontier city. Tashgurkan is a strange mix with muslims, ughars, tajiks, and han chinese making an interesting mix. The Tajik people are especially interesting as they dress like old school Sicilian gangsters and greet each other by kissing hands. Back at the hotel I meet some brits who had been stuck in pakistan for over a week due to landslides, after hearing only praises I bought all of their left over currency, hopefully letting it bring me to my next destination.

August 19

After waking up and slowly making my way to the reception I'm informed that I'm not running on Beijing time any more and have promptly missed the bus. This results in another scramble across town trying to find the customs house with my huge pack with no taxi or english speakers in sight. I eventually arrive only to find my bus still unloading its huge cargo(wherever it picked this up along with the full load of punjabis was beyond me). Even though I was over an hour late for the bus it took another 3 just to clear customs. It takes another hour at the top of the pass to clear chinese customs, this is made alot easier though with amazing scenery and bollywood music video's. The Punjabs are especially cheerfull for leaving China and its a continous singalong of "Shalla Shalla". After passing through the famed Kunjerab pass and experiencing minor altitude sickness we clear customs in pakistan in under 5 minutes though need to pay a park "fee" of 35 yuan. My fellow bus mates then take me for my first pakistan meal (omelet, chipati, and dahl) and also arrange transport to my hotel in Passu for less than a dollar. It's a cramped ride though I soon find myself at the Shispar View Hotel, being the only guest of a very friendly manager who also doubles as the chef. I can't describe in words the amazing beuty of this place and take an evening stroll to a local village by the river completly amazed that such a place still exists in today's world.

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