Karakorum Hiway - Day 11

Still raining a bit in the morning, but with the tranquility and foggy sky it is so perfect to finish writing the postcards to my friends.

Finally we leave the place without seeing the Glacier since the sky is so cloudy and doesn't look like the sun will shine soon.

Passing through another village. Altaf is invited by his friend to have some tea. In Pakistan, tea is what one usually offers to visiting friends. His friend also extend his hospitality to our gang.



Waiting for Altaf to take care of the 5 holes on a tire, we are trying to take some children photos. Look at their first reaction when we first start taking their photos.



But after getting used to our frenzy photo taking, viewing their own pictures and sharing our sweet toffee, they began to play with us and enjoy being taken photos.



We take children photos for a while before it seems that we are now the focus of many villagers. Some even come to ask where we come from.



Then, another long drive to Deosai National Park.



Shausar Lake

There is a lake named Shausar Lake in the Deosai Plains meaning in local language"white lake"-Shau-white,Sar-lake. The lake is at a height of 4,142 m (13,589 feet). Its approximate length is reported to be 2.3 km (1.4 miles), width 1.8 km (1.2 miles) and average depth 40 m.



Golden Marmot.


The weather is still very cold. We finally stop at Altaf’s friend tent to have simple late lunch (instant noodle).


Deosai National Park

The Deosai National Park is located in the Skardu, Northern Areas of Pakistan that is known as the Federally Administered Northern Areas (FANA). The park is located on the Deosai Plains, that are among the highest plateaus in the world with an average height of 4,114 metres above the sea level, covering an area of about 3,000 square kilometers. For just over half the year - between November and May - Deosai is snow-bound. In the summer months when the snow clears up, Deosai is accessible from Skardu in the north and the Astore Valley in the west. Deosai is well known for its spring season when it is covered by a carpet of millions of flowers and a wide variety of butterflies.

Deosai Plains make up one of the last frontiers of natural habitat for the Himalayan Brown Bear, a creature that once roamed the mountains freely. The Deosai National Park was established in 1993 to secure the survival of the bear and its habitat. Having long been a prize kill for poachers and hunters, the bear, Pakistan's largest omnivore, now has a hope for survival in Deosai where its number has increased from just 19 in 1993 to 40 in 2005.


We reach Skardu about 8:00 p.m to stay at Hotel Mashabrum.