[kl-bogel] Unknown Pakistan. Part 5

Continue to publish the photo-reportage of the LJ-user SE-Boy : Why do not like to vacation - always have to hurry. That is, you know, that is limited in time. Because costs to get somewhere where the time long, long, and what is happening is remembered for a long time. At this time turned bust, the Valley of the Indus uhaydokala us utterly.
Soaking in the irrigation ditch after a light thermal shock (Xenia otmokla a little earlier), I realized that time has slowed down perfectly. While pouring on the head of the icy water, Xenia, pending at least some of the vehicle photographed children. On them will be discussed, let it be a little interlude.

See also Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 , Part 4 .

(39 photos)

1. The fate of many children highlanders, probably can be called unenviable. Hard natural selection due to lack of hygiene and medical services and the severity of the edges (here and younger sisters, brothers on themselves dragged, and the mother at home, and his father in the field and in the care of cattle helps) leads to early adulthood. Boys in addition to quickly become overgrown beards and do not understand - whether an adult in front of you, or not. A wildly naive look and thick, sometimes bushy beard - that even a combination. However, it is youth, and we are about his childhood.

The local children a wonderful property to appear as if from nowhere. Deserted dusty road, the heat, buying greens on a background of gray mountains, and the silence, only the cicadas shows signs of life. And then somewhere in the distance appears the boy behind him is another, and somehow slowly gaining quite a decent pionerotryad. Dirty, ragged, many barefoot, someone one bright spot of a sudden a new thing, for example, Chinese sneakers.
With all the curiosity of children will never go over the brink is permitted, it is possible that in Islam, honoring senior instilled from the cradle. This immediately disposes.

If something is busy, the children rassyadutsya series and will watch. Narrow valleys and high mountains - the best teachers of contemplative, and therefore to disregard the audience will not complain. Sometimes it seems that because the elderly and the few that contemplate since childhood to old age does not make sense to live out.

2. Responsibility for the senior associate leads to the fact that children of different ages often play together. In addition, judging by those of our counterparts, many of them - relatives.

3. The girl simply bandit, boy cap with the logo of Pakistan Army is clearly a stranger to the head.

4. The same cap

5. Someone interested in whether pictures of ornaments from beads, which are sewn Kashmiri women. Especially not photographed, but the girl's neck, you can see and beads, and even some jewelry.

6. In the other ear only rope.

7. Nearby schools there is likely to educate their children gives a mullah, they are in this part of Kashmir, often part-time teachers. This is despite the fact that most of these teachers themselves barely have complete secondary education. Mullah teaches children a little read and write in Urdu, mostly as a religious education, and even the fingers. The rest will Mountains, meadows, community. For secular education must go to the big city.

Often there are families with 8-9 children. Probably better, when more boys, because girls can not do heavy work. And because of lack of freedom imposed by Koran, the opportunity to get a job with fewer women.

Reminisces about his childhood in the country of the Soviets. Their children's clothes almost was not, wore what was left of their elders. This kind of relay race went on, until the thing is not wore out completely. Get a toy - it was a holiday. As a rule, any machine made in the century, kondovaya, steel, lived for many years. I remember all their toys, they were few. These children have no toys at all.

8. Approximately 42% of Pakistan's population are children under the age of 15 years and less than 4% of Pakistanis live to 66 years. Old age - a luxury. In the mountains especially. Total number of qualified doctors is low, one doctor for approximately 3,000 people, with their main mass of working in big cities. Still, growth is very large, Pakistan - the sixth most populous country in the world.

9. One of the children fair-haired and white-skinned, which is not uncommon in Pakistani Kashmir. Filmed on the sly, I apologize for the quality.

10. In the more tourist areas (as a rule, the village is situated on the only road to the sites) have family income of more and more children are dressed and groomed. We spent the night in a fairly affluent by local standards the house, the owner saw our camera, brought her two kids. He did not ask about anything and unobtrusively sitting on the threshold of the guest room, watching us. But the kids were dressed simply festive. We print photos on his arrival home and sent him by mail. Our guide will give them to him at the meeting.

11. But back to the Indus Valley. Not knowing the TV, computer, pictures and even mirrors the children's very interesting to look at themselves. In anticipation of the machine came to a tacit persuasion - the children were doing something, we photographed them, then all sat down together to watch what happens. In a village near the Karakorum Highway popular game in the wheel. Someone from the junior gets into a car tire, leading them ride.

12.

13.

14. The most clean and tidy children in the mountains, except, of course, major cities, met in the former principality of Hunza, near the border with Afghanistan.

15. But before the Hunza had yet to reach, and while we waited dusty gray road, the bright sun and unbearable heat. But the local kids somehow manage to ignore all this.

***

Peeling plaster on the walls. High ceilings with beautifully arranged wooden beams - in a good guest house is always spacious. Pakistani cheap mattress, cheap Chinese blanket and a pair of fleas. Feel like a sultan, because it is the first normal bed for a week. And near the road and walk your feet will not have to. True, it was destroyed in several places, but it's probably stuff.

It turned out after yesterday's body is a well-functioning, although the muscles like wood. Stretching, looking out the window. It is completely caked with curious children faces. Apparently, the children gathered before dawn, but does not manifest itself. Thank them for that, incidentally.

16. Rebus called Kashmiri make out. "

Breakfast is in the noise and hubbub - since you're the guest, the guest of the entire village - go for a walk with a guide. All his relatives are with us. In the morning light damage after a flood look scary. When we know how much labor and money these people invest in land in that poverty in which they live, it is obvious that the recovery will take years.

The village stands at the confluence of two mountain rivers in the kind of otmelnom island. Under normal weather conditions this situation is very favorable, with the help of drainage canals can be easily solved the problem of watering, that this arid area is vital. Family here, taking advantage of the proximity of roads, grow vegetables for sale, mostly sweet pepper, which is sent to the Karakoram highway to the nearest town.

Monsoon showers in the rain shadow in the Pakistani Himalayas, are rare. In the anomalous 2010, they were monstrous forces. In this village, two rivers immediately burst its banks and began to wash away the field at home ... could not run away no one in minutes mad river road bridge was torn down, completely cutting off the shelf to the village from the outside world. Saved by those who managed to climb higher.

17. Ruined road bridge.

To get to the mainland people are not able to 12 days. Soon come to an end products, and in fact was a famine. Some of what kind of food dropped from helicopters - the government mobilized the army, including military aviation as well as floods swept the whole of Pakistan.

Not sweet and had those who stayed at the "big land". In a previous recordings mentioned that the foothills of the Himalayas special structure: creeks come to the surface closer to the top and flow down from there. Monsoon has turned these streams to flow, and landslides and mudflows washed dozens of villages. And when the flood was over, returned to the heat from which escape was nowhere.

18. The new chapel to the old house. The new part simply built out of stones - no money for cement. Half of this house demolished a landslide.

19. On the other side of river. Something had survived, something trying to rebuild.

Now the elders of many settlements, including those where lives Samandar, want to move the house from the river above. But it is very expensive and difficult to have to literally climb the walls ...

20. Previously, the edge was not two feet, as now, but more than a decade. In some places the river channel has become increasingly more than doubled.

21. Cut off by flood shoreline. See the two survivors of the road section.

From the river blows cold but the sun seems to care what the court of October, this morning it did ruin us. We say goodbye to all at once and by turns, but will leave with multiple stops - every head shakes Samandar hand and spreads a pair of words.

22. The next goodbye Uncle, gazing into the lens, to what color, infection!

23. Old age and youth. Children grieve, because foreigners are rare for entertainment.

The day begins with joy: and on the dirt road we go quickly, despite the creaking of the bones, and the jeep was right there, though, is packed with thoroughly local bearded eager to get to the highway. Conductor climbs the fourth in a cab and we left on the cabin roof backpacks, along with the porters and the other passengers get up on the sides of the body at the bottom of which trunks under the watchful eye cross-eyed elder.

Another kamikaze Kashmiri climbs on the step machine from breaking, engine sneezes, coughs, and we touch. This rydvanu clearly destined kuvyrknutsya off a cliff into the river, and the recent collapse, zaperevshy SUV in this segment (the machine runs to collapse and back), and lacunae in the way of making a choice of seats fall quite evident.

24. "Eaten" by rains and landslides road.

Edge of the cliff in places suitable for almost under the wheel, but we carry it quietly - there just thirty meters down, and for some reason are not afraid. This road is morally prepared for what had to endure in the evening.

Soon after Happiness is the end, ahead of a collapse. We move through it. Jeep's number two, running on this segment, no, he went down for some pipes, and when he returns is unclear. Because once again hit the road ... The sun was already high on the slopes radiates heat, the water in the jar quickly coming to an end, and it becomes bad, and the Indus Valley is still far ahead. Soon we will no longer be able to move normally, but just crawl like a beast of burden, sitting in the dust on the roadside as soon as we find the slightest shadow. Reserve of strength gained in the night was over.

25. Jeep, which we rode. Ksenia in anticipation of the future path of walking.

In the shade of cool - in the face and body to a hot pot and causes chills. It is still possible to live - before going out, I wet the hair and bandana, so they dry a long time. Go to the dreams that on the edges of the Karakorum highway food stalls, there is a shadow, there is sold cold bottled water, in which the normal taste - not like a glacier, which is impossible to drink. In the meantime, we roasted, like donuts on a griddle. With the current heat strongly for thirty hard to believe that winter here in the day falls to four feet of snow.

26. "Grandpa old, he still". Shortly before heat stroke. Blurry, but Xenia is also not in itself was. This picture has decided to hang out in profile, in the TOC.

27. Form of snow from this oven is causing pain. On photo - Nanga Parbat.
After a long descent over sokraschenke pass another collapse, and find ourselves near the artificial canal, which is building workers. Imported cement, the water near the stones for the walls also gives the river, but that's been thrown in their hand - sledgehammers. After pokolesh stones at this heat, you can sin all you like, in hell is not afraid to be. Local engineer, who leads the construction of the channel, agrees to throw us to the highway to ruin-passenger car. With gratitude stuffed in a car with junk and the joys of finishes all the water. Porters and local are waiting for the jeep, which is still not a hint. With water, we hurry.

28. The river left channel to right.

29. Of jackhammers in the mountains no one has ever heard. They and the Karakoram Highway is not always used.

Halfway down due to a sharp turn toward a pair of crashes brand new Land cruiser'ov, followed closely by an empty passenger decrepit Dodge, and our engineer hits the brakes. It turns out that the commission had come to inspect the construction site. We are sad to leave the car, she turns around and ukatyvayut ago. Delirium again the lane to his ankles in a whitish dust. Rare opposing passers-by like a blueprint: a black and white men cautiously and curiously greeted by colorful women pass by, covering their faces.

30. Near the next village decide to wait for a passenger jeep and drop the backpacks in the grove near a shallow ditch with a cold and fast water. Soon we are surrounded by children, and are able to establish good contact.

31. At one point, the sun fades away. Children's laughter can be heard now far away, but the pulse beats like a bell. Numb lips and mouth dry. I immediately got up (death must meet the standing position), and uncertain steps heading in the ditch. Dehydration, loss of salt, heat and hard work to finish off Sivko, this is clearly a heat stroke. I stand on all fours in the irrigation ditch, feeling like driving plunged into the icy water his hands and feet. Pour water over his head, then at the popliteal folds and the inner sides of elbows. Incredible relief! Children are intensely following the manipulations. Wanting to somehow justify the strange behavior, starting in English to explain to them that love the water, but they do not understand a word.

32. Green marked track. The left green square - where he was sunstroke, right - where the road ends to the fairy glade. Karakoram Highway runs along the Indus.
Learned nothing Seryozhenka Pakistani Kashmir. The first bell - "Shangrila". Indeed, virtually on the shores of the Indus by the roadside was a hotel "Shangrila". Once was. Now from him there was only box with a broken roof and broken windows, and wind around chasing dust. At the exit from the highway, we bid farewell to Abdul and Rahim. These porters, I will never forget. We provide them a great tip, make gifts. They shake their heads in amazement. Long sit together in the roadside dust and just can not leave.

And then ... Then begins the most terrifying road in my life ...

***

Fabulous field lies at an altitude of 3300, the Indus flows at an altitude of 1100. The difference must be overcome in part by a jeep, partly on foot. On the way to the clearing of funds are not spared, she weaves serpentine, and laid on the wall of the gorge at a dizzy height. Many of its parts folded manually. But those who have folded, apparently not very fond of life. Those who go down this road, life in general do not appreciate.

33. Fragment of the road. The base is composed of the stones by hand.

If the designers of the rollercoaster learned to build a local, then every second ride with their rides would have carried out a heart attack. Early in the gorge, it became clear why the field is called magic. Tale will be if we get there alive. Minimum width of roads, maneuver, especially on the turns, is very limited. On coils of serpentine in the jeep did not have enough range, and the driver is reversing, the abyss, and when the brakes, the car sideways drag on the rocks down the slope, because we have different tires and at least two of them snoshu to the cord.

34. We are in the beginning of the "road of death". From there it will go higher and higher. At the bottom flows the Indus. On the other side of the river Karakoram Highway.

Soon, we stop, the driver tries to consider the road ahead, why is not out of the car. It's simple: the starboard side between the jeep and the rock wall does not stick and the palm. But on the other hand, both wheels are flush with the edge of the cliff. That is, you can open the door and immediately go into space. And the bottom of the gorge is not visible. Here, hundreds of meters. Even I feel bad when you look down - out of despair. The driver thought, because a small slough in front of the road turned into an inclined chute into the abyss. We Ksyusha transplanted to the far side of the divide, to somehow compensate for the slope. Safely pass. But even before the end of sitting on the far side of the cliff, clinging to each other, because of unpleasant places on the road were several.

Breathless, as the rear signals are heard demanding horn. That we caught up with the local mafia ...

***

It is worth to make a clarification. A number of roads adjacent to the highway in the area, keeping the local carrier. If you want to pass on the way, if you please to use their services, but no - you will be beaten. When we slid off the road, Samandar not seen a single machine, and wait in the sun, of course, none of us wanted. Cause and went on a jeep. Part of the serpentine viewed from below, and we noticed. And now, local driver, local vezshy up as a guide, and demanded satisfaction.

***

However Samandar know here, so to massacre, does not reach, simply, drive to the place where the cars can not go into the abyss, we stop and our driver with a conductor on one side of the hood, the driver of the local on the other come into discussion.

Speak Urdu in a raised voice resounds long time in the absolute silence of the gorge, and, judging by the emotions and gestures, his local friends did not want to let us just like that. But with Samandarov them hard to argue, too, he respected people. Eventually we arrive at a compromise, a local guide is transplanted to us, the local paid the cage and sent back home, but we go further up.

35. Slyuschay, kagda dalshe paedem, eh?
Soon the place, where the road washed away the rough stream. With difficulty jumping him go on foot. Bell number two - if mountaineer tells you to go a little bit, ask him how many. "Little" was manifested in the rise of "only" two hundred vertical meters in the twilight. Once again, we do not by themselves - whether dramatic elevation changes, whether physical activity is allowed themselves to know, but it became clear that before the fairy glade, we shall not reach. Decided to reach the first village and asked to sleep ...

36. We have not reached before the fairy glade. Nanga Parbat at sunset.

To be continued ...

See also Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 , Part 4 .

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