Escape from China along the Karakoram
Highway
A Passage to P a k i s t a n It w a s a b e t t e r bus t h a n I'd h o p e d for. M e n w i t h r u g g e d m a c h o faces, w i l d but shapely beards a n d well established m o u s t a c h e s m o o c h e d a m i d s t acres of luggage. T h e i r heads w e r e c r o w n e d w i t h weather-beaten turbans a n d they were dressed i n b a g g y c o t t o n suits a n d l o n g w o o l l e n waistcoats. V a c u u m tea sets, pots a n d pans, sacks of tinsel a n d o t h e r C h r i s t m a s d e c o r a t i o n s burst f r o m c l o t h bags. It t o o k a l m o s t three h o u r s to b a l a n c e it a l l o n the roof a n d fight out the seating p l a n . T h e r e w e r e three J a p a n e s e , t w o Swiss, one Nepalese, t w o B r i t i s h a n d t w e l v e P a k i s t a n i passengers. E v e r y o n e w a n t e d a w i n d o w seat. D u r i n g the t w o d a y j o u r n e y w e w e r e to cross the highest pass i n the w o r l d . A t 16,540 ft the K h u n j e r a b pass traverses t h e highest c o n c e n t r a t i o n of lofty peaks a n y w h e r e i n the w o r l d . T h e K a r a k o r a m , the P a r m i r s , the H i m a l a y a s a n d the H i n d u K u s h a l l m e e t in a u n i q u e l y c h a o t i c j u m b l e d splendour.
w a v i n g kids c o c o o n e d i n m u l t i p l e layers. A t 196 k i l o m e t r e s f r o m K a s h g a r a n d at a n altitude of 3,900 metres w e passed K a r a k u l i L a k e , w i t h horses, y a k s a n d c a m e l s i n s c a t t e r e d dots, g r a z i n g the fertile plains. T h e h o r i z o n w a s d o m i n a t e d b y the m a s s i v e M u z t a g a t a M o u n t a i n , its 5,000 m vastness o v e r w h e l m i n g a n d its glaciers s l o w l y s p i l l i n g f o r t h . W e stopped for a brief toilet stop at the c o l d , n u m b i n g h e i g h t of 12,000 feet. A s
w h o a c t ed as if this w a s t h e first bus t h e y h a d seen, it p r o b a b l y w a s ! In ruffled, baggy uniforms, brains n u m b e d with cold a n d b o r e d o m , t h e y g a v e a c u r s o r y glance at the p a p e r w o r k a n d u s h e r e d us o n . A t ten p"m B e i j i n g t i m e , w e r e a c h e d the little frontier outpost of T a s h k u r g a n 260 k m a n d ten h o u r s d r i v e f r o m K a s h g a r . W e s t o p p e d h e r e for the n i g h t . T h e r o o m s w e r e c l e a n a n d c o l d for 10 y u a n
Late i n the a f t e r n o o n w e r e a c h e d D i h , the P a k i s t a n c h e c k - p o i n t , a little ' g a r d e n ' n u r t u r e d p a i n s t a k i n g l y to life, a little oasis germinated in the rubble. T h e barrier was r a i s e d b y the i n v i s i b l e g a r d e n e r . S o m e o n e got o n a n d the d o o r refused to close. A passenger k i c k e d it a n d w e d g e d it fast. T h e C h i n e s e d r i v e r t r i e d i n v a i n to r e p a i r it. T h e s c r e w d r i v e r h a d n o effect o n t h e d o o r a n d w a s i n s t e a d t u r n e d o n the passenger.
the s u n sank, p r e m a t u r e l y e x t i n g u i s h e d b y the r u g g e d s c e n e r y , the P a k i s t a n i s t h r e w off their robes a n d s q u a t t e d i n rubble-filled d r a i n a g e d i t c h e s . A s t a r i n g , c o n t o r t e d c a m e l t r a i n of K i r g h i z n o m a d s passed us by. A t dusk w e r e a c h e d the T a s h k u r g a n c h e c k p o i n t w i t h its t w o b e m u s e d guards
(ÂŁ1). T h e J a p a n e s e cloclP i n r e c e p t i o n c h i m e d t e n a n d p l a y e d a little t u n e , w h i c h the J a p a n e s e s a n g a l o n g a n d giggled to. T h e hotel was r u n b y b a d t e m p e r e d H a n C h i n e s e w h o hated everything and everyone, including t h e m s e l v e s . T h e r e w a s n o hot w a t e r for tea i n the d i n i n g r o o m , a n d b e e r (our last
N o - m a n s - l a n d w a s b l e a k a n d Scottish. T h e r o a d c l i m b e d h i g h e r f r o m the r i v e r b e d a n d across a bog-land. L a k e s a n d b r o o k s lay f r o z e n a n d w h i t e i n the t u n d r a . Y a k s a n d buffalo g r a z e d a n d stared a n d p e o p l e l o o k e d up f r o m their toil w i t h s h e l l - s h o c k e d e x p r e s s i o n s . B y m i d - a f t e r n o o n w e h a d r e a c h e d point z e r o at 16,000 feet. P a k i s t a n i a n d C h i n e s e soldiers stood a n d c h a t t e d at the m o n u m e n t a n d the bus w h i z z e d past. A steep, n e r v e - f r a y i n g descent f o l l o w e d , fraught w i t h d o u b l e h a i r - p i n bends. T a l l n a r r o w g o r g e s l i k e huge d o o r s ajar r e v e a l e d t a n t a l i z i n g glimpses of o t h e r k i n g d o m s , s h i n i n g br i g ht s n o w f i e l d s a n d jagged, c a r n i v o r o u s , t o o t h e d peaks. It w a s like b e i n g l o w e r e d into a d e e p w e l l , s t r a i n i n g e v e r m o r e to see s k y . H u g e
B e l o w if was Sust, the P a k i s t a n b o r d e r a n d i m m i g r a t i o n post. T h e t o w n itself is just a j u m b l e d c o l l e c t i o n of single st orey shacks, w i t h n a m e s b e y o n d their status; 'The K h u n j e r a b H o t e l ' , ' T h e Sust International H o t e l ' . C u s t o m s a n d i m m i g r a t i o n are s o m e e q u a l l y s h a b b y w o o d e n huts i n a c o u r t y a r d o n t h e left, fenced off b y a d r y stone w a l l a n d a barbed wire topping.
T h e 'desert' w a s a s t o n y g l a c i a l m o r a i n e affair w i t h a g u r g l i n g m e l t w a t e r s t r e a m gushing s o u t h w a r d s . A r e a l toilet w i t h a v i e w . T h e bags w e r e b e i n g u n l o a d e d w h e n I r e t u r n e d . Just out of t h e ' t o w n centre' was t h e M o u n t a i n R e s c u e Inn. It was a s m a l l c o l l e c t i o n of h o l i d a y c a m p t e r r a c e d chalets. It w a s c l e a n a n d pleasant a n d the p e o p l e w e r e f r i e n d l y , quite a n o v e l t y - a c u r i o u s b l e n d of B r i t i s h c o l o n i a l i s m , Islamic hospitality, a n d M u s l i m f u n d a m e n t a l i s m ; of c r i c k e t pitches o n p r i s t i n e l a w n s a n d j o s t l i n g h o r i z o n s of v i l l a g e c h u r c h spires a n d mosques, crescent m o o n s a n d w i n d vanes.
T h e effort to u n l o a d the bus w a s h a r d l y w o r t h t h e hassle. C u s t o m s w a s a joke, a n d w e w e n t i n s e a r c h of f o o d . In the p a s s p o r t - s t a m p i n g r o o m t h e y s o l d bottles of C o c a - c o l a , d u c k - s h a p e d biscuits, t i n n e d fruit a n d tea sets for ' F o r e i g n F r i e n d s ' . W e squatted i n the m i d d l e of the r o a d and wolfed d o w n some tinned cherries before t h e y froze! T w o h o u r s after a r r i v i n g , w e w e r e w a v i n g the C h i n e s e soldiers a n d C h i n a b y e b y e .
S n o w - c o v e r e d , shattered p e a k s r e p l a c e d b l u e skies a n d distances c o u l d n o l o n g e r be judged. E v e r y t h i n g s e e m e d so close, w h e t h e r one or fifty k i l o m e t r e s a w a y . T h e r o a d c l i m b e d steeply a n d the e n g i n e a d o p t e d that w h i n i n g m o n o t o n e d r o n e of m e c h a n i c a l s t r a i n . P e r i o d i c a l l y the t r a c k d i s a p p e a r e d a n d the bus s w a y e d off i n t o the desert c a r e e r i n g o v e r r o c k s a n d b o u l d e r s a n d t h r o u g h s t r e a m s to rejoin the ' r o a d ' a little further o n .
g r e y p e a k s rose up as far as y o u c o u l d i m a g i n e a n d t h e n t w i c e as h i g h a g a i n . T h e K u n j e r a b R i v e r f l o w e d into the Hunza River, shining white and dazzling. In the a f t e r n o o n s u n the c a n y o n w a l l s s w i r l e d i m m i s c i b l y i n different b r o w n s like an oil-painter's pallet, b e l o w the a w e s o m e , steely-grey, dog-tooth tombstone peaks. The sky was a v i v i d u n n a t u r a l b l u e . A r o u n d e a c h c o r n e r , as I m a r v e l l e d at the o v e r p o w e r i n g e n o r m i t y of e a c h s p i k y p e a k a n o t h e r e v e n greater, m o r e r ug g e d , s o a r i n g spotlit s u m m i t c a m e into v i e w .
I h a d o n l y e a t e n f r o z e n biscuits a n d t i n n e d cherries a l l day. T h e restaurant signs p r o t r u d i n g o v e r the w a l l w e r e too m u c h . A f t e r q u e u i n g to w a i t for passport formalities I c o u l d w a i t n o l o n g e r . O u t of the c o m p o u n d Sust h a d t h e a t m o s p h e r e of a large a i r y A l p i n e c a m p i n g site. I e n q u i r e d w h e r e the toilets w e r e . 'This is a n o p e n area...you c r a p i n the desert'
A t mid-day w e reached the Chinese b o r d e r post of P i r a l i , a ten b u i l d i n g , n o w h e r e place, about 2 0 0 m l o n g , w i t h a bank, a customs check point and a p a s s p o r t - s t a m p i n g r o o m . A k a r k y tent b o a s t e d ' F o r e i g n F r i e n d s Rest P l a c e ' . H o w C h i n e s e , h o w m e a n i n g l e s s , h o w final. I w a s w e a r y of this c o u n t r y a n d of m y three m o n t h c o n t i n u o u s struggle w i t h baffling a n d pointless b u r e a u c r a c y . T h e e n d w a s n o w in sight.
T h r e e hours out of K a s h g a r w e hit the Ghez valley. A n undersized stream trickled through an oversized wide basin of g l a c i a l m o r a i n e s a n d c o n v o l u t e d sandstone layers. Under precipitous o v e r h a n g s w e sped, o n r o u n d l u m p y c o r n e r s suffering f r o m r o c k fall debris. 'Wooden' knots and grains spiralled t h r o u g h the r o c k . T h e cliffs rose u p at s u c h a n angle that e v e n b y c r a n i n g m y n e c k as far as possible t h e s k y w a s n o t i n sight. T h e first c h e c k - p o i n t a n d g r u m p y official c a m e a n h o u r or so later a n d f r o m h e r e the r o a d g r e w g r a d u a l l y w o r s e ; in fact it s e e m e d a m i r a c l e that a n y r o a d c o u l d exist at a l l .
W e passed r o a d side w o r k e r s c a m p s a n d t i n y c o l l e c t i o n s of flat r o o f e d singlest orey square m u d d w e l l i n g s , s p o r t i n g
It w a s h a r d to get out of b e d at 8 . 3 0 a m . T h e rest aurant w a s c l o s e d so w e s t o c k e d up o n little h a r d f l o w e r - s h a p e d f r o z e n biscuits f r o m a m a n w i t h a b o x f u l o n the r o a d outside. T h e bus p u l l e d out at 9 . 0 0 a m a n d w e sat s h i v e r i n g . I p e e l e d a n a p p l e out of the w i n d o w a n d lost the s e n s a t i o n i n m y hands. W e sat a n d bit o n the h a r d biscuits a n d I s t a m p e d m y n u m b e d feet o n t h e floor.
hang-glider-sized eagles s w o o p e d a n d spiralled below, and big black rooks flapped b y i n f o r m a t i o n . Y u r t s (a sort of tent) l a y s p r i n k l e d a r o u n d the r i v e r valleys and streaky cold waters gushed by.
A f t e r half a n h o u r w e b r o k e d o w n . T h e d r i v e r o p e n e d t h e d o o r s a n d fiddled w i t h the engine. W e sat a n d s h i v e r e d . H e di dn' t b o t h e r to fix it - w e d r o v e o n a l l the same. T h e m o u n t a i n s w e r e m o r e s p r e a d out as w e crossed the w i d e grasslands, s p l i c e d b y a v i v i d b l u e r i v e r . W e c h e w e d biscuits a n d h u r t o u r t e e t h o n those that w e r e still f r o z e n .
O n e h o u r i n t o the ride, a n d as w e a p p r o a c h e d t h e outskirts of the oasis, the d r i v e r s t o p p e d , a b a n d o n e d the bus a n d took up residence on a solitary w o o d e n f r a m e d b e d at the r o a d side. A s h e d o z e d w e a l l ate c o l d n o o d l e s n e a r b y .
It d e s c e n d e d t h e roller-coaster stretches of c o r r u g a t e d k i d n e y - b a s h i n g c h a n n e l s at b r e a k n e c k s p e e d , s e e m i n g l y out of c o n t r o l . T h e P a k i s t a n i passengers sat h u d d l e d o n t h e i r seats l i k e A n t a r c t i c p e n g u i n s , feet a n d l i m b s t u c k e d into layers of b l u b b e r o u s c l o t h e s a n d scarfs, b l i n k i n g eyes s q u e e z e d b e t w e e n t u r b a n s a n d veils.
for a w h i l e ) w a s t w i c e the n o r m a l p r i c e . T h e r i c e , v e g e t a b l e a n d e g g dishes that w e o r d e r e d t o o k f o r e v e r. It d i d n ' t help t h e i r m o o d that w e w e r e k e e n to get r i d of o u r c h a n g e a n d p a i d i n one, t w o a n d five fen notes, (O.lp). I filled m y m e t a l d r i n k i n g bottle w i t h hot w a t e r f r o m a b o i l e r a n d put it i n m y b e d for a n h o u r or so, p r a y i n g for it not to l e a k . T h e d u v e t w a s t h i c k a n d m y sleep w a s deep.
W i t h a pot of s w e e t m i l k y tea I settled d o w n to r e a d the visitors b o o k . T h e r e w e r e B e l g i a n w r i t e r s , P o l i s h geologists, a c o n v e n t i o n of m i l k - m e n f r o m a l l o v e r the w o r l d , B r i t i s h thieves, v a g a b o n d s , astronauts, s p a c e t r a v e l l e r s , A u s t r a l i a n m i i k m a i d s , A f g h a n w a r l o r d s , gravediggers a n d m a r t i a n s . I n e v e r r e a d s u c h frivolities i n C h i n e s e visitors b o o k s .
'Foreign Friends Resting
Welcome
Here'
W e pressed o n u n d e r o v e r - h a n g i n g gorges w h i c h t u r n e d the r o a d into a t u n n e l . T h e d r i v e r d o d g e d fresh l a n d s l i d e m a t e r i a l a n d t h e bus p i t c h e d a n d y a w e d like an overloaded camel. T h e snowy
It w a s o n l y after l e a v i n g C h i n a that I realised w h a t w a s m i s s i n g , h o w b a c k w a r d a n d a b n o r m a l l y stifled it w a s ; h o w artificial a n d s y n t h e t i c the p u b l i c friendship was, a n d h o w o p p r e s s e d a n d frantic the p e o p l e w e r e b e n e a t h t h e i r l a m p s h a d e hats. W e h a d s l i p p e d t h r o u g h the K a r a k o r a m c u r t a i n a n d e s c a p e d f r o m the China's suffocating suppression. I was g l a d to be free.