Munaza Kazmi
Orange, the color of Autumn! Enough of watching in films, I planned to witness it with bare eyes. For that I packed my luggage and booked PIA for Gilgit previous weekend. Luckily, the weather was sunny, and my flight didn’t cancel since for Gilgit it was always a chance of coming home without boarding. However, it’s a business loss, and I look forward for some other aircraft companies for considering flying Gilgit.
Meanwhile, from the sky my eyes witnessed snowcapped mountains, and coincidentally I was sitting on the left side, hence I watched the frozen Saif-ul-mallok, and the celebrated Nanga Purbat wearing a golden cloudy crown, a rare sight.
It was early morning flight, so aircraft landed around 08:30 am, welcomed by a bright beautiful northern morning. As soon as I got my luggage, I found the Shuttle car and went straight to Gilgit Serena Hotel. The road leading to my destinations was small but clean, with occasional show of military quarters and guest houses. In less than 15 minutes I reached the hotel and checked in to my room, after breakfast. The hotel landscapes are marvelous, from garden and also my room’s balcony I could have a clear view of Rakaposhi, and other mountains. However, on this visit I found the service quality of hotel declining, although for the benefit of society they hired some trainees but this drastically affecting the quality, along serious hygienic factor, moreover I found the food portion obviously smaller than before. What so ever the reason is but I belief such tactics can only ruin the reputation.
Well, next day I commenced travelling further north towards Altit, a beautiful small village associated with 1,100 years fort and the spicy tales of Rajas, moreover there is a small dwelling of the past there, where people still live as 1,200 years before. Crossing some historical points, like legendary Old Silk Road and some major archeological rocks, along roadside trees turned golden, sending blessed bright lights. And for that I took rent a car from the hotel with craziest and double standard driver ever, who after dropping me at the hotel took the car to the party of his friends who boozed and thrown in the car.
Fortunately, I reached Altit at noon, where I had a 3 night’s stay at Serena Altit Fort Residence, which is a beautiful hotel with amazing gardens that turned in the extraordinary orange with the coming of Autumn. The manager of the hotel Mr. Abbas is a very nice man there, who allotted hotel’s best room to me, the Executive Room in Ameen House. In the hotel they have 2 types of residence, one the heritage rooms belong to the royal family that lived there in the past and some newly constructed huts.
Since, it was 3 hour’s drive, my muscles felt stiff and I took some rest in my cozy room, where I was treated like the Rani of the house, here I found a personal touch in the service, the way of eyes and the genuine smiles. Further, it is a community hotel, where every worker is local, they cook local food, in local ways, which is also delicious, but the way they serve wearing smiles on faces and love make it makes it more delicious, I still remember the beautiful lady in the kitchen who served me with love and compassion breakfast every morning, homemade butter, freshly cooked bread with aromatic eggs cooked in to curries, in the café overlooking the Hunza River and the amazing mountains.
Besides, there’s a fort that I mentioned before namely Altit Fort, where I went every evening for the walk, watching some fluffy sheep playing in the Royal Garden.
Next day I started for Khunjerab National Park, as I changed my driver hence it was around 11:15 am, very late for travelling that far, because the travel distance is around 4 hours. The new driver was a gentleman, who called me Baji, this is a term we use in Pakistan for the utmost respect to a lady.
Khunjerab National Park is known for its majestic landscapes, crystal clear water channels, Ibex, Yaks and Snow Leopards, though, I visited Khunjerab earlier but my passion never fulfilled, and once again I said yes to the adventure ahead, even though I was feeling that am taking the risk, as you might know night travelling is always dangerous in mountains, leading to car crashes or turn turtle by a sudden show of wild animal on the highway or slippery turns. But I was going…..
TO BE CONTINUED…..