And now the highlight of our Pakistan trip, actually the reason we came, the Karakoram Highway. We started off from Rawalpindi at 08:00, and arrived at our first stop on the KKH, Chilas, at around 22:00. In other words 14 hours in our “VIP” minibus (no snickering: this was actually painted on the back of the bus). But the views are spectacular—if you are traveling up (north) the KKH, do yourself a favour and secure a place on the right for the best views; and, obviously, on the left when traveling down. You get not only the thrills of the sheer precipices, but also mind-blowing scenery.
やってきました。パキスタン旅行のハイライト、とても楽しみにしていたカラコルム・ハイウェイ（KKH）。ラワールピンディのバススタンドを朝8時に出発し、夜10時にチラスに到着。実に14時間の長旅。カラコルム・ハイウェイを北上する場合は、ぜひバスの進行方向右側の席に陣取りましょう。そうすれば、すぐ下はゾッとするくらいの崖でスリル満点、そしてその向こうには絶景が広がり、2度お得です。
We had heard that there are scattered about the Chilas area a number of rock carvings that date, some of them, back to the time that Buddhism was being taken to China, and so we enlisted the services of a young man and his “taxi” to take us there. Whoops. Turns out this guy actually knew where these rocks were; instead, we were taken in the baking heat up a very rocky side of a mountain with absolutely nothing to show for it. And it wasn’t just once. Passing by other locals, we were again pointed in the same direction (you know, “over there”), and again led by our energetic but hapless taxi driver over scalding boulders to nowhere and nothing. We, being not so young or in shape and definitely not interested in trekking or hiking, then gave up and swiftly returned to the hotel. Well, you win som
チラスでは、町のはずれに大昔ここを旅した人達が描いたと言われる壁画が残っていると聞いて、若いにーちゃんの運転するタクシーでその辺りに行った。しかし、このにーちゃんが地元人なのに名所である壁画の場所を知らず、タクシーを降りて一緒に岩ゴツゴツの山道を上の方までよじ登り探し回るも、全く見つけ出せない。挙句のはてに通りかかった地元の人に聞いて廻り、同じ方向を指さされ、また同じ山に登ろうとする。一生懸命探してくれるのはいいけれど、いつまでたっても見つかりそうにないし、何度もロッククライミングしたくないので、諦めて町に引きかえした。残念。
Well, that’s enough for me…/「もう帰ろっかー」の図
After staying one night in Chilas, we set out again on the KKH for the relatively sizable town of Gilgit. On the minibus flagged down at Chilas we were seated beside and became well acquainted with an off-duty Pakistan police officer, who then was kind enough to invite us to his Gilgit home for dinner. And as we got to talking more on the bus, we learned that indeed polygamy is apparently practiced in Pakistan. According to our cop friend, Mr Gul Shahzada, 50% of the married men he knows have at least 2 wives. And everyone lives together, happily, he says. Funny though that since his wife doesn’t like sharing, he is limited to only one wife. Upon arriving in Gilgit, our new friend promptly borrowed a taxi from a relative of his and without being asked offered to take us around to find a hotel before bringing us to his home for dinner. He did that, and after treating us to dinner even took us home! We asked why he was being so kind, to which he replied simply, “you are guests”. We came to hear those words quite often in Pakistan. Apparently, according to tenants of Islam, guests are presents sent from God, as are to be treated accordingly. Gul certainly felt this way: though he is of quite modest means, we were treated to a wonderful
homemade Pakistani meal, and warmly welcomed by all of his family. We were very moved by Gul and his family’s generosity, to the point of being embarrassed. As an aside, we did at the end of the night we were able to persuade Gul to take at least money for gas and some sweets we bought for his kids as a small gift in return.
チラスに1泊し、翌日はカラコルム・ハイウェイでも「町」から「街」になりつつあるギルギットへ。ギルギットへ向かうバスの中で、パキスタン人警察官（非番中）のグルさんと仲良くなり、ギルギットの自宅に招かれた。バスの中で話したところによると、やはりイスラム教の一夫多妻制は現実にあるらしく、グルさんの知り合いの5割が2人以上の嫁を持つという。しかも皆で同居！ちなみに彼は今の奥さんがいやがるので1人にとどめているという優しい（？）ダンナさん。ギルギットに着くと、グルさんは親戚が所有するタクシーを借りて、私達のホテル探しを手伝ってくれた上に、自宅で食事をふるまってくれて、最後はホテルまで車で送ってくれた。どうしてここまでしてくれるのと聞くと、「あなたたちはお客さんですから」という答え。この後パキスタンではこの言葉をよく聞くようになる。イスラム教では客人は神からの贈り物と考えられているとか。彼も、決して裕福ではないのに、突然訪問した私達に最大限のもてなしをしてくれた。とっても心温まる一夜となりました。（ちなみにガソリン代とわずかだけど食事のお礼、子供たちへのクッキーを差し上げました。）
Gul’s Family/グルさん一家
The next day we left Gilgit and headed to Karimabad in the Hunza district. This is a town right on the KKH and as far as sights go is fantastic, as most everywhere is in Hunza. One interesting thing we came to know upon visiting Hunza was the special connection that exists between this region and Japan, what with Hunza rumoured as being the
model for the famous Japanese anime “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind”, plaques about the region noting Japanese NGOs aiding in the construction of various infrastructure, an elementary school established by the wife of a Japanese climber killed climbing in the region, etc. More, the valley is stunningly beautiful, the people out-of-this-world nice, and the town safe as can be. Coming here is a surefire way to dispel the myth that all of Pakistan is a dangerous place full of radical Islamofascist terrorists. In fact, Hunza was, before relatively recently becoming part of Pakistan, a small, monarchist state whose capital was Karimabad. And the last king’s (Mir’s) son is even now a politician for this region, as well as a respected spiritual leader for the people living here.
翌日ギルギットを出て、フンザ地区のカリマバードという町に移動。カラコルム・ハイウェイ沿いの街で最も観光が盛んなフンザは、どこを見ても絶景。フンザ地方、特にカリマバードは日本とのつながりが強い場所だと今回初めて知った。フンザは「風の谷のナウシカ」のモデルになった場所だとも噂されているし、日本のNGOが町のインフラ工事に貢献し、その記念プレートが町に飾られているし、フンザで登山中に亡くなった日本人登山家の奥さんが、地元の子供のために創設した学校があったり・・・。絶景の渓谷、優しい人々、安全な町。ともすれば悪くなりがちなパキスタンのイメージは、ここに来れば完全に一蹴されること請け合いです。ちなみに、この地域はパキスタンに統一される前はフンザ王国という藩王国で、カリマバードは王国の元首都。最後の王様の息子が今でもこの地域の政治家、そして住民の精神的リーダーとして尊敬されている。
Hunza valley/フンザ渓谷
At the once royal residence of the Baltit Fort, we had the good fortune to make the acquaintance of a very friendly guard of a unique appearance and a delightful guide who also happened to be quite fluent in Japanese. That’s not all—we were also impromptu interviewed for a television program by a crew who just by happenstance were at the Fort that day. We don’t remember what we said, but are sure it was mostly unintelligent. Not even sure what the program was. Oh well, just having the chance to meet all these people was interesting enough.
その王族が昔居を構えていたバルチット城では、独特な風貌のガードマンのおじさんと、日本語ペ～ラペラの愉快なパキスタン人ガイドに出会った。バルチット城を取材中の地元テレビ局の人たちとも出会い、何と私達は番組に出演することに！カメラの前にたつとなんだかニヤけてしまうし、自分が何を喋っているのかもわからなくなるし・・・。一体どんな番組になったのか楽しみ。バルチット城では楽しい出会いがたくさんありました。
Baltit Fort/バルチット城
TV crews, guide, and the head of Baltit Fort ＴＶクルー、ガイド、バルチット城館長と
Speaking of wine, did you know that the people of the Hunza valley were traditionally wine makers, and good ones at that? We didn’t, but it certainly explains the relaxed and open attitude of these Muslims. Beer is actually sold in the valley (though it is crazy expensive). In fact, open and modern attitudes generally prevail: 100% of the children (that’s boys and girls) receive schooling (a reflection of this being the absence of any begging children), and through such local government and NGO-supported industries as carpet weaving women are given the chance to learn skills and be self-sufficient. That in what would otherwise be the sticks of Pakistan such progressive thinking obtains is a real eye-opener.
フンザは王国時代、ワイン作りが盛んだったそうで、人々はイスラム教徒でありながらお酒に対して意外にオープン。店ではビールも売っている（高いけど）！子供の就学率は100％で、物乞いの子供なんて一人もいない。カーペット作りなどを通じて女性の自立を助ける事業も盛んみたい。パキスタンの奥地にこんな進んだ考え方の人達がいることに驚いた。
Kids in Hunza/フンザの子供たち
After three nights in Karimabad and surrounding area we somewhat reluctantly moved on to our next stop along the KKH, the tiny village of Gulmit. Though not well known, Gulmit is also a part of the Hunza valley region. Not much goes on here, but it is calm, quiet, and indescribably beautiful: it struck Esshie as something straight out of the Japanese countryside of yesteryear. One attraction is a very rickety, very rusty suspension bridge without the benefit of many walking planks that hangs over a small river running through the valley—nice to look at, but the real thrill is actually crossing the thing, a challenge that Dan took up with all the confidence of a man clinging on for his dear life. To add insult to injury, just at that moment and out of nowhere a young local guy came up behind Dan and crossed the bridge at a brisk pace without the aid of the handrail cables as if taking a walk in the park. Had either of us tried that we surely would have been all wet. We had the good fortune at staying at the Gulmit Continental Hotel, not because it ranks with the Hilton Continental (which as a budget hotel it doesn’t), but because thanks to the attentiveness of our very hospitable host there we were able to take in the Gulmit museum and receive hot chapattis in the middle of a protracted blackout thanks to a landslide. According to our host, as was plainly evident to us, ever since 9.11 and in particular since the recent March bombing in Islamabad (the June bombing at the Dutch embassy had not happened yet), tourist numbers have been very low. We just want to take this opportunity to say that whilst we cannot comment on the situation in other parts of Pakistan, from what we experienced in Hunza we were left with the impression that Hunza is safe for travelers. What fears and prejudices we had quickly dissipated upon the first day in Hunza, and we instead found ourselves hoping only for a quick recovery of the tourist business in Hunza, as it is one of the biggest industries, if not the biggest industry, in Hunza.
Hearing the news here in China of the June blast in Islamabad makes us fear even more for the tourist industry in Hunza and all those kind people there whose livelihood depends upon it. Just an additional thought about the bombing as well: beyond the immediate and inherent lunacy of terrorist bombings, there is something even more ridiculous in terrorists showing your distaste for a certain country in which cartoons critical of the more radical elements of Islam who use bombing people as a means of expression were published by bombing its embassy.
3泊したカリマバードを後ろ髪ひかれつつ出て次に向かったのは、グルミットという小さな小さな村。ここもフンザ地区の一部。グルミット村は日本の昔の田園風景に似ていて、懐かしい気分になる。ここではフンザ川にかかる穴だらけの吊橋にダンがチャレンジ！両方の綱をしっかり握り、へっぴり腰でダンがそろそろと進んでいると、うしろから地元の男子がどこからともなく現れ、両手フリーのまま駆け足で吊橋をぴょんぴょん。さすが地元人。ダンや私が同じことをやったら間違いなく足を踏みはずし、フンザ川の濁流に飲み込まれるな。グルミット村で泊まった「グルミット・コンチネンタル・ホテル」（高そうな名前だけど安宿です）のお兄さんは、博物館に連れて行ってくれたり、前日の地滑りで電気が止まって真っ暗なのに、チャパティを焼いてくれたり、超親切な人。9.11や今年3月のイスラマバードのテロ事件以降、観光客が減ったとさみしそうでした。パキスタンの他の地域については何とも言えないけれど、少なくともフンザについては実際に滞在してみて安全なところだという印象を持った。パキスタンの「危険」という印象が１日も早く払しょくされ、フンザの観光業が復活することを祈るばかりです。（このポストを書いている6月2日にもイスラマバードで爆発事件が発生。非常に残念です。）
Suspension bridge/恐怖の吊橋
After a night in Gulmit, our next stop was the village of Passu on the KKH, famous for the Passu glacier nearby. Again, breathtaking scenery here. Thinking that the glacier didn’t look so far off, we decided to trek up to it, but quickly gave up with the somewhat unpersuasive excuse that “you can see the glacier clear enough from here anyway”. And with that we were able to put our tails between our legs and head back to level ground. Along the way we chanced also to see a person herding sheep via a very narrow path cut into the face of a 70 degree + steep cliff face opposite us. Wow. And, as luck would have it, we ran into that same person at the road leading back to town—an elderly lady! Aside from feeling embarrassed at our pathetic physical condition, we couldn’t help but admire the toughness of the local people. Must be the fresh mountain water.
グルミット村に1泊したあとは、氷河で有名なパスー村へ。パスーもこれまた絶景。有名なパスー氷河を目指してトレッキングをやってみたものの、道中の険しさに途中で断念。「まあここからでも氷河よく見えるからいっかー」と自分たちに言い聞かせ、ちょっと悔しい思いを抑えつつ、すごすごと平地へ戻る。トレッキング中、川を隔てた向こう側の断崖絶壁に、削って造られた細くて険しい道があり、そこを羊と共に歩いている人を発見！降りてきたところを見ると、なんとそれはよぼよぼのお婆ちゃんだった！ここでも地元人の強靭さに感服。
Trekking…/トレッキング中
Passu village/パスー村
We then left Passu for our final destination in Pakistan, Sost. Sost is a border town on the Pakistan side that attracts mainly Chinese and Pakistani traders and businessmen, truckers, and travelers like us on the KKH. That said, the place is really nothing more than a handful of shops, restaurants, and hotels lined on either side of the KKH before the last Pakistani checkpoint on the KKH. Talk about nothing to do. That is aside from changing most of your Rupees and checking out all the Chinese stuff for sale. Lots of Chinese, too. Indeed, up until Passu our hearts and minds had been totally absorbed in Pakistan, and it was only here, the last stop on the KKH, that it began to sink in that we were going back once again to China. And after completing all the leaving formalities at Pakistan Customs and Immigration in Sost we were off by bus (again one of those “VIP” buses luckily enough for us) to the actual border line between Pakistan and China, the highest paved border crossing in the world, the Khunjerab Pass, and then the Chinese side of the KKH.
パスーを出て、パキスタン最後の目的地、スストへ。スストは中国＆パキスタンのビジネスマンやトラック運転手、KKHを通る旅行者が集う国境の村。村、といってもKKH沿いに店やホテルが並んでいるだけの集落で、なーんにも
ない。パキスタンルピーから中国元への両替ができるし、中国製の品もたくさん見かけるし、中国人も多い。パスーまで心はパキスタンにどっぷり浸っていたけれど、スストに来て中国入りが目前だということを急に実感。ここから先、国境まで町はないので、出国手続きはスストで行い、世界で最も標高の高い国境線、クンジェラブ峠に向けてVIPバス（とバス会社のひとが言っていた）で出発。さよならパキスタン！また来るからね～！
VIP bus for border crossing/このVIPバスで越境(園児募集中）