The next 2 days should remain all in all but quite quiet and uneventful. So we had some time to rest and recharge our batteries before what was to follow. We started our tour after a hearty breakfast around 09 o’clock. After a little over an hour’s drive, our vehicle suddenly became slightly hectic – Ahmad had noticed that he had forgotten his wallet with all the documents in the hotel. After a short phone call, Mudassir and we were dropped off at a small rest stop, and Ahmad drove back to pick up his documents. While waiting for him, we drank tea and coffee and talked about everything we could think of.

After Ahmad had collected us again, our way led us to the Ghizertal through Gilgit, so to speak the capital of the north. Although it is rather a small town, there was a hustle and bustle here that we had not experienced for a long time. The streets were full of people, cars, carriages and motorcycles, probably the most popular means of transportation in Pakistan. We also passed a somewhat strange monument in the center of the city – an Indian helicopter was displayed on a pedestal. There are several stories about this helicopter, but in the end it was probably on a spy flight, landed near the border and was captured by Pakistani soldiers.

Our next stop was a snack bar right on the river. So we came to enjoy two freshly caught (fried) trout. These were served with homemade fries and of course chilli sauce. Everything together for converted only about 10 EUR (2000 PKR). After this refreshment we explored the Ghizer Valley, which was surrounded by mountains and crossed by rivers and green landscapes. Suspension bridges were also here not to be omitted traffic routes in the valleys and so stops at swinging suspension bridges, which are also used by vehicles, were not omitted. On the way we tasted raw almonds including shell, which tasted unexpectedly delicious. In terms of taste, they reminded us of gooseberries.

Towards evening we arrived at the Ghizer Blossom Inn in Gupis. While Andreas passed the waiting time until dinner with Indian movies, Melanie’s mood deteriorated visibly when the luggage with her beloved coffee powder was forgotten in the car. Around 7:30 p.m. there was finally dinner, which was unfortunately (for the first and last time in this vacation) rather sobering.

The next day should lead us to the Phander Valley, which felt a little greener than the Ghizer Valley visited the day before. But before that, we briefly met a couple from North America at breakfast. These two travelers could also tell us countless stories about the endless hospitality of the Pakistani people. After a long day in the car we reached our hotel in Gilgit – the Canopy Nexus. Here we strengthened ourselves at the buffet, enjoyed the view at the fire over the river, had a small photo shoot with the hotel manager and then went to bed early – at least Melanie fell asleep very quickly, while Andreas once again could not turn off the TV after discovering Indian movies.