Pakistan
We officially entered Pakistan at 11am on the 9th of September and were very relieved! The next few hours that followed were absolutely amazing. We weaved our way down through the mountains and valley until we reached a natural dam caused by a huge landslide which resulted in a whole village and a large section of the Karakoram Highway being submerged. There is currently a huge tunnel being built but at the moment it is still closed. As such, this part of the KKH is currently only passable by boat. This made for quite the adventure! I was concerned about 3 bikes going on one boat and the guys just laughed at me saying, "We put 3 cars on this thing!" We watched them load the big 1200 GS and decided if it made it safe and sound, Tez would be fine. The three bikes were successfully loaded onto the boat as well as a couple of 125's. The 30min trip was stunning. Getting the bikes off at the other end definitely put the nerves to the test but again, they were off-loaded without a hitch. From here, we cruised for another 2 hours until we reached Gilgit and caught up with the rest of the crew. We stayed there for a couple of nights to catch up on a few things and figure out our next move.
After chatting to the locals, we decided to do what we thought was a two day loop through the mountains. We got in touch with Kenny and Jaime, two guys from the China tour and found out they were tagging along with an organised tour who were planning to tackle the same loop on a fleet of 125's. This tour was led by Moin, the legend who drove 3 hours to the Chinese border to try and get us into Pakistan. We met the group on the road and headed towards a town called Skardu - the base town for K2 climbers. The ride was stunning. It took us 7 hours to do 160kms but it was worth every minute. There were a few hairy moments with trucks, cows, people and dodgy roads but we got there in the end. We stayed there for 2 nights and were lucky enough to join Suleman (a Pakistani guy who now lives in the US, who was part of the tour group) for a tour around Skardu to check out some of the work his organisation is doing to get local villages on their feet. We visited a small vegetable field, where Sulemans organisation has helped in the construction of a greenhouse, as well as teaching the locals how they are built and how they work. The vegetable farmers are then able to achieve an extra two months yield. We also visited one of many small scale hydro-power plants of which they have assisted in constructing, which each provide electricity to around 200 homes.
We knew the next day was going to be big. It was 150kms to Astore and mainly off-road. We were a little nervous as we hadn't done a lot of off-roading and weren't too sure what to expect. Luckily, there was a support jeep for Moin's crew which we could put all our panniers in which made us much lighter. I was also prepared to have to ride in the jeep if the road got too rough. I don't know what I was worried about! Chappo was in his element and did a great job of keeping us upright all day. We crossed Deosai Plains - the second highest plain in the world. We came to Sheosar lake where Moin was waiting with a flat tyre. They also have a Honda support truck to help them out but it was a good couple of hours behind so Chappo got to work and repaired his first flat on the side of the road and we were moving again in no time. After a very long day of riding we arrived at Rama just before dark, only to find Jaime on the GS1200 had snapped his rear shock mount bolt. Fortunately, a local mechanic gave birth to a suitable replacement and he was good to go in no time. We stayed put for two nights at Rama, and spent the rest day exploring Rama lake at the base of Nanga Parbat by jeep. I was shitting myself! It was only 4kms but it was the longest 4kms of my life. At one point, I jumped out the window and walked along the cliff. We made it safely to the lake but I couldn't quite relax there knowing I had the return trip to look forward to! Lucky Moin's a good driver and has driven the road plenty of times!
The question I get asked the most - can I ride a motorbike? My answer is NO! However, since beginning the trip, I've really wanted to learn. With a bunch of small 125's available, it was the perfect opportunity. Liza, one of the Americans on tour gave me a lesson and did a wonderful job. I was riding in no time! However, if there was ever a reason for me to ride Tezza, I would still be useless as my feet don't touch the ground!
Back on the road we headed south to Naran, via the Babusar Pass where we had some snowfall. Chappo may have redeemed himself as the bike played up again and the choke was definitely off this time!
Moin was then kind enough to host us at his summer house in Murree, in the mountains near Islamabad, where we celebrated Jaime's 40th birthday.
We then descended back into the heat and rode on to Lahore. Unfortunately we left Murree a little late and spent the last two hours of the ride in darkness on an unlit and terrifyingly busy road dodging cars, trucks, bikes, cows, goats and potholes. Moin's generosity continued in Lahore, we he, his parents and his brother and family hosted us in their home. We spent two nights there where we enjoyed some amazing home cooked meals and extremely warm hospitality. We spent the down day exploring Lahore.
Moin was then kind enough to host us at his summer house in Murree, in the mountains near Islamabad, where we celebrated Jaime's 40th birthday.
We then descended back into the heat and rode on to Lahore. Unfortunately we left Murree a little late and spent the last two hours of the ride in darkness on an unlit and terrifyingly busy road dodging cars, trucks, bikes, cows, goats and potholes. Moin's generosity continued in Lahore, we he, his parents and his brother and family hosted us in their home. We spent two nights there where we enjoyed some amazing home cooked meals and extremely warm hospitality. We spent the down day exploring Lahore.
Between travel warnings and constant negative media, we had initially planned to blast through Pakistan as quickly as possible as we believed it to be dangerous and generally unwelcoming. This could not be further from the truth. We were constantly met with smiles, warm welcomes and overwhelming kindness from the Pakistani people. The northern areas are by far the most picturesque landscapes we have seen. The people of Pakistan desperately want to get Pakistan on the tourist map, but the constant blanket of negative light shone on the place due to incidents that are largely isolated and easily avoided has meant that tourist numbers have plummeted. Hopefully through experiences like ours, the word will get out the Pakistan is a great place to visit and a few tourist dollars can be spent there which would go a long way in helping the struggling country out.