#skardu
I talked a lot with the guy on the far left, the cook from my hotel. He was from a village nearby and had spent some time in Islamabad learning to cook at a hotel there…now he’s the Chef here. There were several Russian dishes on the menu and a few veggie curries, along with plenty of meat.
It’s expected, but still a bit of a surprise how different the food here is from India.
Everything was super fresh…of course. The flight from Islamabad was about an hour..but the drive is 2 days and often longer due to landslides over the road. So, as you can imagine, towns and villages like this are fairly self sufficient.
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A few shots from around Skardu. This was the base before we headed out for the hike..known as the ‘Dream Hike’ by Pakistanis. I was able to rest and get a few final items, try some local dishes and chit chat a bit with a few people. Everyone was really friendly and accommodating, offering advice on this or that, depending on my momentary needs :-)
A real contrast to Islamabad. Everything was just a bit more natural here and I began to see and feel the raw power and energy of the mountains. Mountains rule this region to such a grand scale. They influence everything you do here.
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Skardu, Pakistan (2 July 2018). Time for some last minute shopping, haircut, and tea. Heading out with the group tomorrow to begin two weeks of hiking towards K2 Basecamp and Gongdogoro La.
It’s been an interesting trip so far. Islamabad was much cleaner and calmer than I expected. Everyone has been very nice although a young Afghan guy did make fun of my super-nerd gigantic hiking hat! Who can blame him, though.
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