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Don't Mess With Me ! Americans who carry puny handguns are nothing compared to the tribal people of Pakistan who all pack machine guns. I borrowed this Russian AK-47 for my hike. Kaghan Valley in the Karakorams, Pakistan (8/99).

Deosai Plains is a high altitude plateau over 4000m high. A bunch of us hired this jeep for the day to wander around it. I got off the jeep at this "bridge" crossing to take this picture. The others got off because they were scared.  Near Skardu, Pakistan (9/99).

Its always the case that the poorest people in the countryside are the most friendly. Passu Glacier (10/99).

Shepherds and farmers are stock-piling hay to feed their animals for the upcoming winter. Tarashing, Pakistan (9/99).

Beans, nuts and lots of stuff I don't recognize. The colorful and lively Kashgar Sunday Market.  Kashgar, Xinjiang, China (9/99).

Not many foreigners visit the mountains of Northern Pakistan. I was quite a novelty there. Karimabad, Pakistan (9/99).

 "Grass-haulers", a common sight in the hills. Human labour and time has almost zero value in these parts. Tarashing, Pakistan (9/99).

Helping the locals hauling grass to make some money on the side. How else do you think I could afford to travel for almost 2 years ?  Tarashing (9/99).

The spectacular south face of Lady Finger (6800m).  Karimabad, Pakistan. (9/99).

Baltit Fort is the former palace of the Mir, the ruler of this region before the British arrived.  Karimabad, Pakistan (9/99).

1000m above the lush green Hunza Valley. Pakistan (9/99).

The people of the Hunza Valley do not look Pakistani at all. They are decendents of Alexander The Great's Army which marched through in 330 BC. Aima and Shamila smile happily for the camera.  Karimabad, Pakistan (9/99).

This is the main bridge crossing the raging glacier-fed Hunza River....and you thought Lions Gate Bridge was bad ! It is at least a 3 storey drop to the water below. What will kill you first, the drop or the cold ?  Passu (9/99).

Brent makes his way slowly across the bridge. We didn't have to cross it but did it just for fun. Its pretty long, about 150m and took me a slow 20 mins.  Passu  (9/99).

After a short climb, I got this spectacular view of the 56km long Batura Glacier. The Karakoram Range has the largest glaciers in the world outside of the polar regions. They are the most spectacular mountains I have ever seen.  Ridge-top near Passu, Pakistan (9/99).

6100m Passu Peaks are considered minor peaks in the Karakorams. I carry a small table-top tripod when I travel. Set it up on a rock, start the timer and run. That way, I can be in some of my own pictures.  Passu, Pakistan (9/99).

Kashgar, China (9/99).

Visiting a place like Kashgar is like time-travel. Xinjiang, China (9/99).

While the men herd sheep in the hills, the women take care of the kids. Uyghur family, Karakul Lake, Xinjiang, China (9/99).

Chicken anyone ? I still can't believe I never got sick once in 11 months in Asia.  Gilgit, Pakistan (10/99).

Muslim Uyghurs, Tajiks and Uzbeks outnumber Han Chinese in Western China.  Kashgar, Xinjiang Province of China (9/99).

Local Uyghur women really like having their picture taken. Weaving cloth on the pastures. Pamir foothills, Xinjiang, China (9/99).

Walking the goats. Kashgar, China (9/99).

10 years ago, I would have surely been arrested for this. Kashgar, China (9/99).

Mustagh Ata (7546 m) and the Pamir foothills, Xinjiang, China (9/99).

Camels on the 3300m high plains of Western China ? Hard to believe. This is the same region Genghiz Khan rampaged through 700 years ago. Xinjiang, China (9/99).

Lots of strange looking characters and odd faces in the Silk Road town of Kashgar, China.

Karakul Lake on the flanks of the massive Mustagh Ata (7546m). This is possibly the most beautiful place I have ever been to. I spent 2 days here only seeing the odd camel and a handful of local Uyghur shepherds. They were quite surprised to see this strange looking foreigner strolling about. The 2 months I spent on the Karakoram Highway of Pakistan and China was by far the highlight of my trip and the best time of my life.  Xinjiang Province in the remote western corner of China (9/99).

Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1999

I actually feel much safer this way as opposed to not having much cash since money bails you out of any type of situation. Reason I have so much cash in hand is there is no way to get cash in the mtns so I need all of it now before I leave the city. 

Some old geezer on the street was giving me a hard time yesterday for wearing shorts. Technically everyone is supposed to be covered up here but its 35 C and I was too hot for pants. The hotel mgr says that its OK for Foreigners to were shorts and that only the occasional religious person is offended. So, today I sweated it out and wore pants around town. Can't wait to get to the cool mtns. 

Food here is not so great so far. As with Indo, people here are too poor to eat out so not that many restaurants or food stalls around (so unlike Thailand and Msia). Food is also very very basic and not the delicious cuisine you hear India has. 

Believe it or not, had a dream last night that I was back home. I do miss the comforts of home and of course, all you guys, but I still have so much to see and accomplish. 

Met this Brazilian guy in the hotel here, cycling around the world for 3 yrs. Already cycled Portugal to Pakistan on route to Spore. Thats one crazy nut !! 

Next email will be from Kashgar, China sometime in late Sept. Look it up on the map, its really in the middle of nowhere. Saw a world map today and located Rawalpindi, Pakistan and thought to myself...man, what the hell am I doing here !!

Date: Fri, 17 Sep 1999

The mountain scenery in the Karakorams in on a incredible scale and would be hard to beat anywhere. I have more wild travel stories in the past month than the previous 5 put together. Some parts (especially those near the Line of Control) are still very tribal and pretty lawless. To cross a high mtn pass I had to hire local armed escorts to "guide" me through. No kidding, 2 dudes with Kalashnikov machine-pistols (Russian infantry standard issue) to deter bandits who enjoy relieving foreigners of their cameras and such. Since then I have made attempts to stay closer to the tourist routes. 

Currently travelling with 4 others. One speaks Pakistani Urdu, another speaks a bit of Mandarin and I organize all the hikes (as usual). A great arrangement. There are almost no other foreigners here in the Karakorams. We would enter town and everyone...and I mean everyone would stop whatever they were doing to stare at us. I'd enter a food shack for some grub and some guy would grab a seat next to me and stare for the duration of lunch. Kids staring at you is one thing but grown adults is quite another. 

Language is a HUGE problem here in China. English is the international language of the world but someone forgot to tell that to China. May Yu....where are you when we need you ??? We'll even pay the flight if you get here quick. 

Since I am the only oriental looking person of our group, locals zero in on me and start blabbering away only to discover (in disgust) that I understand not a word ! To make matters worse, my white caucasian fellow traveller is the one amongst us who speaks a bit . Even my marginal Cantonese is useless here. 

Already finished my entire supply of diarhea medication. I consider myself to have a tough gut but was no match for Pakistan. I travelled 5 months in SE Asia devouring everything in sight including tons of dubious looking street food. But, here I have had the "runs" on and off for 2 weeks now. Nowadays our usual daily conversation goes something like, "Are you solid today?". 

Been in Kashgar 2 days now and its great to see the female half of the population out and about. Islamic Pakistan does a great job hiding them away god-knows-where. 

Question : How many people can you fit in a pickup truck ? 

Answer : 30. 5 in the front cab incl driver. 1 on the hood (passenger side so do not block drivers view. 2 hanging off the side of each front door. 2 on the roof of the front cab. 20 plus joining me in the back. That was a fairly uncomfortable but cheap 4 hour ride. 

After a week here on the Silk Route I will venture back down the incredible Karakoram Highway to soak in more 7000m plus peaks. Traveling in this region is rough and tough as hell and I sometimes wonder if I'll survive the remaining month of it. At the same time, I am having the time of my life here.

Date: Sun, 17 Oct 1999

I spent 2 month romping around the spectacular but isolated Karakoram mountains. Tuesday the 12th, time to leave so flew from the mtn region to the capital, Islamabad. Flight arrived at 11 am. Things looked pretty normal. A few police and military around here and there along with the odd tank and machine gun post...as I said, pretty normal for Pakistan. 

Had to do some passport stuff, part of Pakistans byzantine visa system. Passport office is in main gov't office region, together with Parliament buildings and Prime Minister Office just next door. Usual 3rd world red-tape crap keeps me there 2 hours. I come out of the office to see tons of police and other weird stuff occuring. Kind of looked like some VIP was coming, so the usual cordoning off area etc. No big deal, I thought..plus...not thinking straight since still pissed off that took 2 hrs to deal with my visa. Catch taxi, drive through town to go to my hotel....MAN.. are there a lot of Police around, like hundreds !! Anywhere else, you'd know for sure some kind of war has started, but, this is Pakistan and I have gotten used to bizzare stuff happening on a daily basis. 

Later, I am back in hotel watching on CNN the military storming the TV stn, PM office and govt buildings where I was 3 hours earlier. HA !! That will teach the Passport Office for dicking me around. Today, finally caught my flight out. Good thing too, they have just declared Marshall Law. I don't really know what that means but its doesn't sound like some fun party. 

Highlights of 2 months in Pakistan/China :

- Kashgar Sunday Market, this is the Silk Route cross-roads town where people from all over come to trade in one of Asia's largest and most chaotic markets. 

- Tramping around in the high Pamirs, Kara Kul Lake, China. Its all that Genghiz Khan stuff with the high plateau lush green pastures, snowy mtn backdrop, camels, nomadic tribes in horses etc. It really all does still exist and is more beautiful than imagined, but, you'd better visit quick since western culture is intruding fast. 

- Being the only trekkers wandering around 50 KM glaciers and gazing at 7000 meter mountains. This 2 month portion of my trip has been the best part of all...by far. 

I am now in Katmandu, Nepal. Still a 3rd world country but incredible touristy and civilised compared to my previous place. There are hundreds of other foreigners around so I am no longer the "main attraction" in town. I must admit I do miss the pack of kids following me around and the dozens of eyes fixed onto me. I had gotten quite used to it. The thing I like most about Katmandu, there are "chicks" about. It is nice to see the female half of the population again. 

Will start the Everest Trek in 2 days time, 20 plus days in all trekking in the region. Really looking forward to it, seeing the world highest mtn. 

Just past the 200th day of my trip. Phew, I'm sure glad I planned 500+ days.

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