23rd June 2017
10:30am
The journey from Chitral to Peshawar should take nine hours, taking me along the border of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). This area is not governed by the Pakistan government. It's a lawless area along the Afghan border with tribes and terrorist groups such as the Taliban.
FATA will in time be incorporated into the Pakistan political system. This year the government have laid out plans to do this, setting aside ten billion Dollars to be spent over the next ten years. They will upgrade the infrastructure of the area and leaders from the area will be elected to the Pakistan government.
We got to a town called Drosh where we stopped for petrol. There was a lot of police here. We didn't get out but on leaving the town the driver stopped for a few minutes, a police car with armed police went ahead of us and we continued behind them. I'm not sure if they were security for us or that is was coincidence that we were behind them.
We travelled for about twenty minutes with them and stopped, then the next police escort took over. So it turns out we were driving in armed convey, a very well organised one.
We hit another checkpoint just before the Lowari Pass. This time the army were manning it, they told us the road was closed for a three day holiday but we could see many cars and trucks passing us by, they weren't to happy that we were foreigners traveling this way. But eventually they signed us in and we could continue with our security.
If the security issue was too great they would not of let us go. It would have been a long journey to Islamabad, back to Chitral, Mustaj, Gilgit and then south to Islamabad but it would be safe.
At the next checkpoint the convoy left us and we were given a policeman to sit in the minibus with us. We then stopped at a small village as it was time for prayers.
We continued on further up the pass.
13:32pm
An oncoming jeep speeds around the corner just missing us. The policeman gets out and talks with him, then he makes a phone call, possibly to report him to the next checkpoint. This is the last road where you want to make a mistake as they could be fatal, the margin for error is slim.
Just below the switchbacks where the most altitude is gained and also the most dangerous part of this road. The South Koreans are working on a tunnel to bypass this section. The tunnel is near completion and is open on a few of the days but gladly not today as I was looking forward to this road.
When we neared the top of the pass the driver stopped to sleep for a while, we soon discovered that he had not slept at all the night before. So we had a sleepy driver on one of the world's most lethal roads.
We reached the top of the pass at 15:44pm, 3200 meters. The driver slept again.
While waiting to get the passports back, we met an American who was on a motorcycle, he told us he came through the Swat Valley, this is where, until a few years ago they made and sold all kinds of weapons to anyone. But this has since all been cleared.
Our policeman left us here. We then descended on down the Lowari Pass. More security was arranged this time consisting of a police pick up Truck with four armed police.
52 switch backs later we made it over the Lowari pass.
We arrived in a town called Dir about 5.30pm with the police. We stopped at the Bus station and the driver told us this was Peshawar and that he wanted his money. A big argument ensued and a large crowd gathered around us. The police then decided to bring us to the Police station, this was for the best as things were getting heated, the fact we had no food since four that morning did not help.
As it was late we chose to spend one night here in Dir as traveling at night in Pakistan is just to risky. The police brought us to a hotel where we checked in. We stayed here for an hour and then headed out to get something to eat.
We walked down the street to the Bazaar area but the restaurants were closed. We stopped to ask if there was any open and a large crowd gathered around us, they are not used to tourists in this town. They followed us down the road and a man on a motorbike started to follow us, the others didn't realise it but I copped it straight away and we kept walking. He then talked to me and said he was police but he didn't look it.
As we walked one of the group disappeared, the plan in Pakistan, particularly this area is to stay together. We had to walk back to find him but to no avail. We walked some more and a police pickup stopped us and told us to get in and that they would bring us to our hotel.
We got back to the hotel, there were about eight policemen and the leader of security for this area was here. They questioned us for about an hour, about our purpose of visit to Pakistan and what our plan was. They were confused that 2 Chinese, 1 Japanese and 1 Irish were traveling together. But I explained to them that we had met at the border in China.
Eventually the disappeared was found by the police, he had gone into a restaurant, the whole police force was searching for him.
We finally ate at nine o'clock and went to bed.
The security will stay till the morning, we're not allowed to go outside, there's a police man outside my bedroom door and several near the reception.
24th June 2017
Day 2: Still going to Peshawar.
This was meant to be a nine hour trip from Chitral to Peshawar but this is Pakistan and everything, is turned into an odyssey.
241 kilometers to go from Dir.
7am start
A loud knock on the door, we got up and packed. They weren't giving us any breakfast. As it was Ramadan but we were traveling and you can eat when your traveling. They eventually made us some omelettes.
We were escorted to the bus station by the police and got a bus for 400 rupees. We left Dir at 9.20 with one policeman on board.
The policeman got off at the end of his jurisdiction, he was swapped for a pickup truck escort (Anti Terrorist Squad). We could speed through the traffic congested towns and for the first time in weeks we were hitting 80km/h.
12:42
We reach the border of the Tribal area. There's our road, a river then mountains. The road cusps 3.5kms of the border.
An on coming bus hits and breaks our mirror.
14:20
Registration, prayers and we find out the bus is not going to Peshawar but to Mardan. The driver told us in Dir that he was going to Peshawar. Another argument ensues the police tells the driver to go to Peshawar then on to Mardan. But this was unfair on the other passenger, we will go to Mardan and the bus driver will pay for our fare to Peshawar.
14:55pm
A truck just misses us on a sharp bend.
Down at 300 meters in Mardan its very hot, you have to be very careful what you say to people particularly during Ramadan as they can be very irritable. One wrong word can be brutal, its important to keep calm but one member of this group will not listen.
16.00
We get to Mardan and change into a really comfortable AC bus, we get to sit up the front. We're told it should take 45 minutes to get to Peshawar.
From Mardan to Peshawar is all motorway, this is the best road I've seen in Pakistan no potholes or other anomalies, there's even signs saying you can do 120km/h and there was a speed check, something I never expected to see in Pakistan.
We had no security with us for this part of the journey but before coming on to the motorway there were checks.
We arrived at the bus station at 17:00pm where we did the last 4kms to the hotel by tuk tuk.
And that is how a nine hour trip turns into two very long days of travel. An Odyssey Indeed.
Chitral in Northern Pakistan
23rd June 2017
10:30am
The journey from Chitral to Peshawar should take nine hours, taking me along the border of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). This area is not governed by the Pakistan government. It's a lawless area along the Afghan border with tribes and terrorist groups such as the Taliban.
FATA will in time be incorporated into the Pakistan political system. This year the government have laid out plans to do this, setting aside ten billion Dollars to be spent over the next ten years. They will upgrade the infrastructure of the area and leaders from the area will be elected to the Pakistan government.
Drosh
We got to a town called Drosh where we stopped for petrol. There was a lot of police here. We didn't get out but on leaving the town the driver stopped for a few minutes, a police car with armed police went ahead of us and we continued behind them. I'm not sure if they were security for us or that is was coincidence that we were behind them.
We travelled for about twenty minutes with them and stopped, then the next police escort took over. So it turns out we were driving in armed convey, a very well organised one.
We hit another checkpoint just before the Lowari Pass. This time the army were manning it, they told us the road was closed for a three day holiday but we could see many cars and trucks passing us by, they weren't to happy that we were foreigners traveling this way. But eventually they signed us in and we could continue with our security.
If the security issue was too great they would not of let us go. It would have been a long journey to Islamabad, back to Chitral, Mustaj, Gilgit and then south to Islamabad but it would be safe.
We hit another checkpoint just before the Lowari Pass. This time the army were manning it, they told us the road was closed for a three day holiday but we could see many cars and trucks passing us by, they weren't to happy that we were foreigners traveling this way. But eventually they signed us in and we could continue with our security.
If the security issue was too great they would not of let us go. It would have been a long journey to Islamabad, back to Chitral, Mustaj, Gilgit and then south to Islamabad but it would be safe.
At the next checkpoint the convoy left us and we were given a policeman to sit in the minibus with us. We then stopped at a small village as it was time for prayers.
Heading onwards up the Lowari Pass
We continued on further up the pass.
13:32pm
An oncoming jeep speeds around the corner just missing us. The policeman gets out and talks with him, then he makes a phone call, possibly to report him to the next checkpoint. This is the last road where you want to make a mistake as they could be fatal, the margin for error is slim.
An oncoming jeep speeds around the corner just missing us. The policeman gets out and talks with him, then he makes a phone call, possibly to report him to the next checkpoint. This is the last road where you want to make a mistake as they could be fatal, the margin for error is slim.
Harvesting Ice from the Glaciers in Pakistan
In parts of Pakistan Electricity can be hard to come by never mind Freezers so Ice is harvested from the Glaciers and brought down to the cities in packed cars
A typical Pakistani Truck zig-zagging up the Lowari Pass
The Lowari Pass: The best and the worst road
Just below the switchbacks where the most altitude is gained and also the most dangerous part of this road. The South Koreans are working on a tunnel to bypass this section. The tunnel is near completion and is open on a few of the days but gladly not today as I was looking forward to this road.
When we neared the top of the pass the driver stopped to sleep for a while, we soon discovered that he had not slept at all the night before. So we had a sleepy driver on one of the world's most lethal roads.
The American's Motorcycle at the top of the pass
We reached the top of the pass at 15:44pm, 3200 meters. The driver slept again.
While waiting to get the passports back, we met an American who was on a motorcycle, he told us he came through the Swat Valley, this is where, until a few years ago they made and sold all kinds of weapons to anyone. But this has since all been cleared.
One of many close calls
Heading down to Dir
A town I never heard of but a name that will forever be in my head.
A town called Dir, this photo was taken just before the police picked us up (sorry for the quality)
52 switch backs later we made it over the Lowari pass.
We arrived in a town called Dir about 17:30pm with the police. We stopped at the Bus station and the driver told us this was Peshawar and that he wanted his money. A big argument ensued and a large crowd gathered around us. The police then decided to bring us to the Police station, this was for the best as things were getting heated, the fact we had no food since four that morning did not help.
As it was late we chose to spend one night here in Dir as traveling at night in Pakistan is just to risky. The police brought us to a hotel where we checked in. We stayed here for an hour and then headed out to get something to eat.
We walked down the street to the Bazaar area but the restaurants were closed. We stopped to ask if there was any open and a large crowd gathered around us, they are not used to tourists in this town. They followed us down the road and a man on a motorbike started to follow us, the others didn't realise it but I copped it straight away and we kept walking. He then talked to me and said he was police but he didn't look it.
As we walked one of the group disappeared, the plan in Pakistan, particularly this area is to stay together. We had to walk back to find him but to no avail. We walked some more and a police pickup stopped us and told us to get in and that they would bring us to our hotel.
We got back to the hotel, there were about eight policemen and the leader of security for this area was here. They questioned us for about an hour, about our purpose of visit to Pakistan and what our plan was. They were confused that 2 Chinese, 1 Japanese and 1 Irish were traveling together. But I explained to them that we had met at the border in China.
Eventually the disappeared was found by the police, he had gone into a restaurant, the whole police force was searching for him.
We finally ate at nine o'clock and went to bed.
The security will stay till the morning, we're not allowed to go outside, there's a police man outside my bedroom door and several near the reception.
The Police the next morning walking us in single file down to the bus station in Dir
24th June 2017
Day 2: Still going to Peshawar.
This was meant to be a nine hour trip from Chitral to Peshawar but this is Pakistan and everything, is turned into an odyssey.
241 kilometers to go from Dir.
7am start
A loud knock on the door, we got up and packed. They weren't giving us any breakfast. As it was Ramadan but we were traveling and you can eat when your traveling. They eventually made us some omelettes.
We were escorted to the bus station by the police and got a bus for 400 rupees. We left Dir at 9.20 with one policeman on board.
A bridge to The Federaly Administered Tribal Area
12:42
We reach the border of the Tribal areas. There's our road, a river then mountains. The road cusps 3.5kms of the border.
We reach the border of the Tribal areas. There's our road, a river then mountains. The road cusps 3.5kms of the border.
An on coming bus hits and breaks our mirror.
14:20
Registration, prayers and we find out the bus is not going to Peshawar but to Mardan. The driver told us in Dir that he was going to Peshawar. Another argument ensues the police tells the driver to go to Peshawar then on to Mardan. But this was unfair on the other passenger, we will go to Mardan and the bus driver will pay for our fare to Peshawar.
Registration, prayers and we find out the bus is not going to Peshawar but to Mardan. The driver told us in Dir that he was going to Peshawar. Another argument ensues the police tells the driver to go to Peshawar then on to Mardan. But this was unfair on the other passenger, we will go to Mardan and the bus driver will pay for our fare to Peshawar.
A Tuk-tuk to the Hotel in Peshawar
14:55
A truck just misses us on a sharp bend.
A truck just misses us on a sharp bend.
Down at 300 meters in Mardan its very hot, you have to be very careful what you say to people particularly during Ramadan as they can be very irritable. One wrong word can be brutal, its important to keep calm but one member of this group will not listen.
16:00
We get to Mardan and change into a really comfortable AC bus, we get to sit up the front. We're told it should take 45 minutes to get to Peshawar.
We get to Mardan and change into a really comfortable AC bus, we get to sit up the front. We're told it should take 45 minutes to get to Peshawar.
From Mardan to Peshawar is all motorway, this is the best road I've seen in Pakistan no potholes or other anomalies, there's even signs saying you can do 120km/h and there was a speed check, something I never expected to see in Pakistan.
We had no security with us for this part of the journey but before coming on to the motorway there were checks.
We arrived at the bus station at 5pm where we did the last 4kms to the hotel by tuk tuk.
We had no security with us for this part of the journey but before coming on to the motorway there were checks.
We arrived at the bus station at 5pm where we did the last 4kms to the hotel by tuk tuk.
Sharing food with the locals in Peshawar during Eid
And that is how a nine hour trip turns into two very long days of travel.
An Odyssey Indeed.
Pakistan is an beautiful country with amazing resilient people, give it a chance.