(Temporary Backup) Day 95. Sost - Karimabad

Today it is quite chilly, the hotel has intermittent power and no hot water but it is clean and comfortable with friendly hosts. 

We have made no definite plans but there is a lot to see and take in between here and Islamabad so we are just going to take our time and enjoy the next few days. We are fully layered up, one advantage of this is it makes packing our panniers a whole lot easier. Robyn complained today that her intercom was very scratchy amd she wiuld need to turn it off, I think it’s just so she doesn’t have to listen to me constantly oohing and aahing and groaning about this amazing mountain scenery. 

These trucks are a common sight on the roads. 

The drive down the valley was once again awe inspiring. 

 We stopped to check out a long suspension bridge across the Hunza river, a bit of a tourist attraction but we could only go on it for about 2 metres, apparently some locals use it on a daily basis, it is precarious but I think the track on the other side even more so. 

If you are wondering why many towns end in abad like I was, abad means founded by, so Karimabad was founded by Karim. 

Another fact which may help to explain this amazing region is that there are 108 mountains over 7000m in height. 

Anyway down the valley we continued and soon we arrived at lake Attabad, this lake was formed in the early 2000’s when a huge landslide blocked the Hunza river. This cut off the upper valley as a great deal of road was gone as well, does this sound familiar Manawatu people?  Anyway for 4 or 5 years the only way to traverse this section was to put your goods or motorbike on a small wooden ferry boat and transport it across the now formed lake. In the meantime the Chinese came in and built an impressive bridge and four long tunnels, problem solved. Another bonus was they now had a recreational lake for tourists, with jet skiis, scenic boat cruises etc. 

Robyn’s new friend. 

We are in Karimabad, our lodging tonight is basic again but cheap, comfortable and welcoming. The driveway to get here is a little tricky but you can really pay some fancy prices around here, these views command top dollar. 

Rush hour with a tractor just as Mark had to turn the bike on a steep slope. 

The deck outside our room has a spectacular mountain vista with Rakaposhi the dominant feature at 7700m. 

The selfies continued every time we stopped but people are very friendly and respectful and we have no hesitation in leaving our gear on the bike while we wander off to sightsee. We had an extended chat with a young couple from Karachi, delightful young people who were sad we could not come and stay at their home. 

We went for a drive to the next town as they had more atm’s than here, we got some money and Robyn spied a  shop, unfortunately the shop was closed but while I was waiting a man beckoned me into his shop to sit in comfort, it was a stationery shop, I enquired if he had a sticker with the Pakistan flag on it to add to our meagre collection but he didn’t, instead he gave me a flag on a little plastic stick which is now proudly displayed on the back of the bike. Thank you Kasheef.