Ok so it's a bit of a lie, I'm not actually in the Northern Areas anymore, but back in Pindi - but it looks more interesting this way. After another little bus journey of 16hrs I cruised up to Gilgit and then up to the Hunza valley and..
I got sick again!! I think it was an overdose of Pakora (the previously unidentified frying objects) or somethng like that. And again it was bl**dy freezing! This was made worse by the fact that none of the places I stayed in had heating, so I was sleeping in two layers of clothing under two blankets and a duvet. And was still cold. This resulted in me wearing the same clothes for 6 days without removal... mmmmm ... tasty...
On the flip side, the people up in Hunza valley are mega-friendly, and I got special attention as pretty much the only tourist in the province. They're an extremely rural people outside of the tourist season, shifting their goats & cows and whatnot around the village, trekking up into the mountains to get firewood, beating sheepwool into blankety shaped things and drinking mountain tea. Also, they're mostly Ismailis which means they don't take part in Ramazan - bonus!! Oh, did I forget to mention that the scenery consists mostly of 25,000ft+ snowcapped mountains? It's pretty spectacular, as pakistan contains 2 of the world's 10 highest mountains (inc. K2) and there's incredible views across the valleys - which are linked by these really dodgy looking Indiana Jones stylee rope bridges. I've commandeered myself a pair of trekking boots ($6.60) ready for Nepal and India, and I'm about to head to the south of India, maybe in time to catch the last test and then lie on the beach over christmas.... I'm really not looking forward to it at all.
I've got a vague plan for the rest of my journey which leaves me with 4 major challenges :
1. Effect entry into Tibet from Nepal (this way not open to independent travellers, and the road gets washed away in the winter)
2. Effect entry into Myanmar (Foreigners apparently not allowed across land borders - you're supposed to fly in/out
3. Effect exit from Myanmar
4. Get boat to Australia from somewhere in Indonesia.
sub-challenge - don't get killed by Maoists, Dacoits, Landmines, or the explosive squits.
I'll let you know how I get on :)
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