Hi Friends,
We have made it back to Islamabad last night by 10pm. We had a couple of tricky spots on the drive that could have gone either way. We were fortunate to make it back in time for the folks flying at 3:30am to get showers and clean up a bit after the 17 hour drive via Babusar pass.
Driving the mountain roads in Pakistan is no joke. Due to the difficulties with weather and flight cancellations we logged over 1,500km on this journey from Islamabad to near the Chinese border and back. We have seen a lot of the countryside of Northern Pakistan.
It’s really unfortunate that Pakistan gets such a negative view in the eyes of many Westerners. We found the country to be nothing short of amazing and it’s people generally very welcoming, kind and hospitable. The North especially holds an unreal mix of cultural, tribal, historical depth/complexity unmatched by any region of the world I have spent time. Truly amazing.
My heart goes out to the Pakistani people who are experiencing huge loss and grief in the historic monsoon floods occurring this year. Over 15% of Pakistans 250+ million people have been displaced. Imagine if that happened in the States.
My Thanks to a wonderful team of people on this journey and to all of their hard work and patience to make it a great experience for the TEAM!
Lastly – but certainly not least I would be remiss to not give thanks to our amazing Pakistani driver Rafeek and our wonderful guide Momin who ensured our well-being and helped to provide an in depth cultural experience in the beautiful Hunza Valley of Northern Pakistan.
Thanks for following along!
Eric Murphy
