Blogs from Pakistan, Asia - page 27

Il viaggio in treno se pur lungo si rivela molto piacevole. Il confort del treno e' molto buono ed i nostri compagni di viaggio simpatici. Viaggiando in prima classe di solito ci si trova in compagnia di persone appartenenti alla "upper class" che di conseguenza ha una buona familiarita' con l'inglese. Le numerose conversazioni vertono sempre, dopo un po' su discorsi di carattere sociale e religioso e si trovano sempre argomenti per scambiare cordialmente le proprie opinioni. Il ritmo lento del treno, le sue numerose soste, danno la possibilita' di osservare una vita che scorre lenta, una popolazione fortemente dedita all'agricoltura, principalmente di sussistenza. Tantissime le ciminiere annerite delle fabbriche di mattoni che svettano sulla superficie piatta del paesaggio circostante contorniate da cataste di mattoni cotti; da letture precedenti sappiamo che le... read more

We warn you now we have loved Pakistan and that can be seen by the forthcoming verbosity! Since you last heard from us we've covered some ground. From Osh we took the 24 hour bus journey back over the Irkestam pass to China with the same one-eyed driver who had somehow managed to get us there. This journey was uneventful except for the fact that the driver unloaded our bags at the border and left them there. This incurred a 4 hour trip and $50 taxi fare back to the border the next day to collect them. We spent a couple more days in Kashgar trying to extract a police report out of the reluctant officers and wandering around the old town. We spent an evening with Kashgar's local drunk - former musician Mohammed. He introduced ... read more

DI SCORTE E DI PREDONI Dove le strade non son strade, le donne non esiston e i semiasse si rompono Un buon viaggiatore non ha programmi fissi e il suo scopo non è arrivare. Lao-Tzu Lascio così Esfahan, con destinazione sempre più ad est, fino all'arrivo, dopo quattro ore di bus in mezzo al deserto, a YADZ Oasi incastonata tra i due deserti iraniani, è un importante centro per il culto zoroastriano. Appena sceso dal bus, vado diretto alla ricerca del Silk Road Hotel, il quale mi era stato consigliato da vari viaggiatori incontrati lungo il cammino. E la scelta si rivelerà veramente azzeccata: sicuramente il posto più accogliente di tutto l'Iran, ha un bel dormitorio e soprattutto una coorte interna dove poter stare un po' in santa pace. Qui la compagnia non manca: reincontro infatti ... read more

Most of our dreams of Pakistan had involved finally getting up north to the giants of the Karakorum Range. Here the mighty Indus rushes out of the Himalaya and Pakistan has 3 different huge mountain ranges meeting; the Karakorum, Hindu Kush and Himalaya. It really is one of the highest places on earth and many of the world’s largest glaciers adorn the peaks. Jolt, crash shudder…this was how I awoke to see my first glimpse of Pakistan’s Northern Areas, this was not really part of my dream. We were on a coach and the fact that I had been asleep at all was a miracle, Robin was not so fortunate and had been conscious of the entire 26 hour journey from Lahore to Gilgit. The coach was old and not the VIP service, this meant we ... read more

The Dream Every year, Everest draws attention from the entire world. Climbers scale the worlds tallest mountain virtually before an audience of millions, those following the quests on their home computers. As Everest close down, some time around the end of May, another drama unfolds. This is the Karakorum season opening in Pakistan and China. Usually far from the eyes of the international media, the worlds foremost climbers assemble here in June and July, to climb the worlds toughest alpine peaks. The crown of those is named K2. Dubbed the "Savage Mountain," K2 in the Himalayas is Earth’s second-highest peak and arguably the hardest climb in the world. With a 8,611-meter (28,250-foot) summit, routes that are steeper and more difficult than those to the top of Everest, and surrounding weather that is significantly colder and less ... read more