Pakistan > The palace-fort of Shigar

I slept well last night. I clearly needed it. The shower only provides cold water. Using water from a bucket and a small jug to pour water over my head, I washed my hair. A good way to wake up. In the breakfast room, I meet everyone again. A few feel unwell. A day to take it easy. The luggage is loaded back into the vehicles, and we set off. At the supermarket in Skardu, I buy a small bottle of cola for the road. I pay 70 rupees, about twenty cents. Today we drive to Khaplu. We follow the Indus River. The road winds along the bank. Here, the law of the strongest applies on the road: trucks, cars, scooters, motorcycles, and only then pedestrians. When a car overtakes, hardly any consideration is given to oncoming traffic from the lower classes. Cars pass each other very closely. I’m amazed that it always seems to go well. This applies not only to the traffic but also to the young children playing by the roadside. At Thorgu, we cross the Indus River. There is also a checkpoint here. Everyone who passes is registered. The road leads to the Shigar Valley. Here lies the cold desert — a huge sand plain at 2,500 meters altitude. The desert’s name comes from the fact that snow can fall here in winter. On the other side of the plain, we enter the mountains again. We drive winding through the mountains along the Shigar River’s bank. Around ten o’clock, we arrive in Shigar, a small village in the valley of the same name. We are still too early to visit the Shigar Fort. According to the sign, it only opens at ten. But for our group, the door opens a little earlier. A guide tells us about the fortified palace. Shigar Fort is an old fort of Baltistan. It was built in the 17th century by the Raja of the Amacha dynasty of Shigar. The guide laughs loudly at his own jokes and has an infectious laugh.

Pakistan - In winter snow can fall in the Sarfaranga desert

Inside, we look at the rooms of the former rulers. Suddenly, the power goes out. The guide mainly laughs about it. “Welcome to Pakistan,” he says, illuminating the objects with his phone’s light. He shows the old walls by touching them with his hands. He also picks up all the historical objects to show us. Apparently, this is allowed here. When we reach the old kitchen, the electricity is restored. We can sit briefly on very low chairs. The guide explains this is where people used to eat. On the courtyard is a prayer house. The tour ends in the garden. It starts to drizzle. To take shelter, we want to order coffee in the restaurant. Many chairs are brought in, but no orders are taken. Because the weather clears, we decide to walk into the village for coffee. A little further lies one of the oldest mosques in Pakistan. A small wooden prayer house. Inside, carpets cover a space of at most five by five meters. At the village entrance is a coffee shop. We walk there. The primary school has just let out, and children look surprised at the strange group of tourists. A few dare to wave cautiously. In the ‘Basecamp coffee shop,’ there is a real coffee machine — no instant coffee. I order a café latte. It takes a while before everyone gets their coffee. Because of this, we return too late for lunch. Willem has already gone ahead to inform the restaurant. Lunch is on the terrace near the fort. Inside, a nice buffet is ready. After lunch, we drive out of the Shigar Valley by the same route we came this morning. Because of the high steep mountains, there is often only one route.

Pakistan - The fort of Shigar once served as a palace for the rulers of Shigar

We pass the desert plain again and cross the river. We continue toward Khaplu. Along the way, the daily life of Pakistan passes by. There is always something happening by the roadside. The view of the river and the steep, high surrounding mountains is fabulously beautiful. At the junction of the Indus and Shyok rivers is another checkpoint. From here, we drive along the bank to Khaplu. After several kilometers, we stop at a narrow suspension bridge. The bridge connects to a small group of houses on the other side of the river. I walk over the bridge. Below me, I see and hear the rushing meltwater from the glaciers. When I return to the car, I show the driver photos of the Netherlands. He shows pictures of his four children and his wife. Then we continue. The route is still beautiful, but the distance is quite far. Despite the view, I start to get tired of the curves and hectic traffic. Fortunately, we reach Khaplu around five o’clock. It is clearly cooler here. We are at 2,560 meters altitude. At the reception, I already place the order for dinner. The choices are a bit unclear. For two dishes, the man taking the order advises me to choose something else. I follow his advice. When dinner is served, I find I ordered a kind of chicken in sweet and sour sauce — but my dish comes without rice. Allert has more rice than chicken in his rice-and-chicken dish. We share the meals and have a fine dinner. Back in the room, I try to order tea. At first, it costs 300 rupees, but later 200 rupees is accepted. While waiting near the kitchen, the staff gestures that they will bring it to me. Much easier that way.