14-RaodTrip.pk

Unforgettable Chillas- Karachi To Khunjerab Pass

Have you ever felt Magic? Have you ever been to some place that transforms Magically, from a cold humid weather to a completely opposite hot, dry one?

Yes, that day it happened to us.

When we first moved on crossing the Babusar Pass, the weather was cold and became colder by and by and then after only half an hours drive It suddenly transformed into a land of hell.

The green meadows, plain grassland, glaciers and the winding roads that made us move from one side to another turned

itself into a dull brown sandy and not to mention hot scenery. Not like hot-hot, but really hot. The shift in color of the scenery, the mountains became gray and rocky, so suddenly that it felt like magic.

We witnessed the road turning its way towards the river Indus, which was totally different from river Kunhar. It was brown, muddy and rocky.

The site was interestingly different as if Allah has switched off the green part of the world and switched on the gray rocky one.

The temperature was also rising, everyone started putting off their layers of warm clothes, it was becoming warmer and warmer by time.

“This is insane how could it happen, it looks like we have just teleported to some other part of the world,” I said out loud.

“Yes, that’s unexpected, totally different from what we had imagined,” agreed Omaina.

“Yaseen sahab, can you please turn up the Air conditioning it’s becoming very hot here,” alluded Shahid bhai.

“O Jee, I can’t even switch it on, the engine is heating up because of the height and the heat outside. Open the windows please,” said Yaseen sahab.

All of us sighed and groaned simultaneously.

“Seriously, how long will it be like this,” Bhaiya inquired.

“About an hour or so, it’ll get warmer than this though,” answered Yaseen sahab.

“It’s already hot,” groaned Api.

I opened the window beside me, hot air burst into my face.

“How amazing, Allah has created Chillas, a hot dry valley in between the two most cold valleys that remain chilly right through the year,” I wondered.

It was really unbelievable, just twenty minutes ago, we were shaking with cold blankets all over us and then it became so much hot that we required cold water to cool us.

It became harder for us all, the coaster was warming up faster, with the heat and the dryness, increasing. The temperature remained like that not more than two hours but it felt like ages.

I wondered if this heat was unbearable for us human, then what would happen in hell. May Allah protect us and guide us towards Jannah. The only way to resist the heat of hell is to be far away from it.

“Oh, look there is a car over there on the Mountain, is there even any road at all,” apprised Api.

“Where I don’t see any,” I turned towards the place she was pointing out, seriously, there was nothing.

“There, look closely a white small dot, it’s moving,” Api pointed out again with her finger everyone knelt down to the window.

The bus echoed with whoops and shrieks, as for me I still can’t see it.

“Look, Ania, their near that tree on our right,” said Omaina.

“O, there, it’s really small, too far away. Surely there is a path, maybe a rocky and muddy one and a small one too,” I remarked.

“How could they even drive on such a path,” wondered Omama.

The road on which we were traveling was freshly constructed by Chinese, apparently, it’s cheaper and more appropriate for them to export their goods through Pakistan by Karachi and Gwadar ports than their own.

Thanks to them that we could travel more easily and comfortably than before.

In our basic plan, which I didn’t have a chance to share before.

we had decided to say that night at Fairy Meadows, which they say is a piece from heaven. Beautiful meadows, floating clouds, camping in between them was our plan but as we were nearing its zero point. Our energy was draining fast. It was past midday. Almost 3 o’clock and the heat outside had made all of us tired.

The basic problem with it was the hiking, we had to leave our coaster at the zero point of the Fairy Meadows, that is the Shangrila Resort and hike all the way up to the mountain towards Fairy Meadows. It was almost three hours’ hike.

Although Bhaiya had arranged the pony horses for the kids and luggage. Still, it looked difficult for us all to hike for three long hours provided that we were already tired of the travel we just did.

When we reached the zero point. Out of the blue, it started drizzling. The temperature suddenly lowered, really as if someone had switched off the heater and switched on the Air conditioner again. The scenery around us became more green and grassy.

“Yaseen Sahab, that’s it this is the hotel, the person I’ve talked is waiting here. All of you take your hiking bags, go freshen up here at the hotel. We’ll start hiking soon enough,” Bhaiya was desperate to hike up to the Fairy Meadows, as it was the only place of all our trip, he hadn’t been yet, was eager to visit.

“I think we should discuss whether we should hike or rather we could hike of not,” alluded Apa.

“Why can’t we, I’ve arranged Pony horses for the tired ones,” Bhaiya insisted.

“Actually, it’s not only about tiredness, it’s dangerous too with all this rain, these areas, the land sliding starts after it rains, the rain make these rocky soils go soft,” said Riaz Bhai.

“Well I’m with Shariq whatever he says I’ll do,” said Shahid Bhai.

We settled in the lawn chairs of the hotel discussing and debating the topic.

Riaz Bhai and Api started to discuss the details with another family there who had hiked to the Fairy Meadows before.

“I’m going to take pictures of the lovely flowers here, the raindrops, they are looking extraordinary,” said Baji while getting up.

“These people here are saying it’s difficult for us to hike with these many kids, and they also are suggesting that if we want, then we should stay here for the night and start hiking early in the morning the tomorrow,” Api said coming back to our group.

“I think that we should skip it. We are already too much on toes here, not resting at all, we should just take a rest before anyone gets seriously sick,” said Obaid bhai.

“I don’t mind at all whatever you people decide I’ll happily comply,” said Shahid Bhai.

“We should vote it out then,” suggested my husband.

Bhabi took Bhaiya aside and what looked from afar that she was calming him down and telling him that they’ll come back again for it. It’s difficult for the kids right now. Bhaiya was only devastated because he doesn’t like change of plans and of course after all Fairy Meadow was the only place he hadn’t visited before, the true adventure he was hoping to get, thankfully he understood and we settled to pass the Fairy Meadows and try to reach Gilgit before Maghrib, stay there for the night.

“What about our lunch, I’m starving already,” I said, as always, I was the most starved person in the tribe.

“We will stop at some nice place on our way, I think the harsh weather had made all of us hungry,” thankfully Bhaiya said all of us.

“So, I’m not the only one here,” I whispered to myself.

To be continued. ..!