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As you may remember, after crossing the Takla Makan Desert I came to Kashgar.

From Russia to India (part V: Karakorum Highway)

Alex Mumzhiu
2006-03-22 19:30:10

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a number of US Navy SEALs were killed there a few days ago. But why they sent SEALs to mountains? It should be some sort of military mountain climbers. Border between Afghanistan and Pakistan is difficult to control here.
So Osama and his people go to Pakistan to Chitral area if they feel threaten; and came back to Afghanistan later, according to press.

Vladimir Dinets recently illegally crossed to Afghanistan from Chitral and returned back to Pakistan. See "Ramadan in Pakistan" at his home page: http://dinets.travel.ru/

So, returning to my trip; from Kashgar I went toward the Pakistan border crossing. I camped under the magnificent Mustag Ata Mountain, see picture. From Tashkurgan Chinese authority does not allow to bike so I took a bus. Karakorum Highway sometimes do not fit to the name of highway. Several times passengers have to exit and push the bus through the mud, see picture.

In first village in Pakistan was Sost. People are very friendly and hospitable there. I told them I am from America and I never had a negative reaction. Also, they do not have a tendency to overcharge foreigners, so common practice in other places.

However, soon I noticed something strange. It was no women on the streets. It were no waitress, hairdressers, salesladies, nobody. For three days I stay in Sost I did not see a single women. So they are even more strict than Taliban. These at least allow women to go to the streets. In next village Passu, there are plenty of women in the streets and they even say "hello" to me, the infidel. I read that villages in North Western Frontier Province of Pakistan were very isolated and people even speak different languages there, but I do not expect that it is to such extend.

In Sost it was a completely male society. There were plenty of man in the street, walking in groups, sitting in restaurants and watching TV, but never eating there. I also did not eat in restaurants there. First, ...