La
Licorne
DRIVE to CHITRAL
The next morning we went for Chitral. Not expecting any obstacle we made the long ascent to the Lawari Pass, until we saw vehicles lining up.
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As it worked
out the seasonal closing of the pass had extended up to this very day, the
6th of June, and now the road was being opened for traffic. We passed the
time by watching a Caterpillar excavate a drivable tract through the glacier
that stretched across the road. Before mid-day we could move again, and
continued our journey. Before reaching Chitral we diverted to the West in the
direction of the Afghan border. |
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Here the road narrowed to allow scanty
passage to our long based 4-wheel drive. The terrain was rough: on one side
rising rock formations offering huge boulders ready to drop down on the
vehicle, and on the other side a deep ravine luring the car to slip in.
Curving through the numerous bends in the road made the body of the car hang
over the emptiness. The driver was marvelous in keeping the four wheels on
the track but this didn't give assurance to stay alive. The road could easy
slip away under the weight of the car in places where it had been brought up
to the desired level by hand-stapled boulders. |
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All
those dangers we took for granted in order to reach the homeland of the Kalash
people, a distinct non-Muslim group, speaking its own language and living very
much on its own. The Kalash are fair skinned, blue eyed and enjoy handsome features.
The women are always festively dressed, unveiled and do not lower their eyes
for a man. The Kalash make wine, and on special occasions eat, drink and dance,
night after night. They worship a variety of gods and are believed to be
descendents of the Greek. No wonder that this tribe is looked upon with some
envy by other Pakistani, even to the extend that one member of our party
exclaimed: '.... and they even dance with women'.
Their
houses are packed together in contours on the mountain slopes with the result
that everyone has a marvelous view over the valley. Built mainly in wood on
poles the higher houses have access to the flat roofs in front of them, which
are used for the drying of produce and threshing of grain. We split up for
having a talk with the villagers and left a small present behind.
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On the way back we passed a graveyard
with coffins randomly lying around on the ground. Later Jens recalled to us
that through a half open lid he had seen the shady remnants of a girl with
long hair and elegant dress decorated with cowries and all. He had resisted
taking a photograph of this peaceful scene. It made us silent. |
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That
evening we checked in at the PTDC, a pleasant hotel in the center of Chitral.
There we joined Mehjabeen who had already arrived by air.
read on about STOPOVER IN PESHAWAR