No matter how tough and experienced you are, someone's gonna pull that extra dollar from you. Either they will charge you ten times more for a bus ticket or twice as much for trekking as your friend was charged last year.

Pakistan is no romantic place. At least it was not for us. It is an extremely interesting an adventurous place. We've been in the northern areas, obviously, because of the mountains. And what fabulous mountains these people look at every day? One of the things we realized in Pakistan is that nature is all what we got. Forget new electronic gadgets and cars and electricity, those huge glass buildings are gonna collapse sooner or later, what will remain is forests, mountains, clouds, rivers, rain and snow. Seeing all that treasures, Pakistan is very romantic place. It is sad though that destiny of these fabulous people, hit by a devastating earthquake couple of years ago reminds us, how carefull we must be with our Nature.

It took us 23 hours by bus to get from Islamabad to Gilgit, some 500 km. Karakoram highway is not what we first imagined it would be. Surely we did not expect six-lane road, but this, uuufff. One of the most terrifying roller coaster rides it was. No photographs, no video and no words can depict this adventure. And people are using it every day, must say with great respect. Not as we, who take for granted our real roads and highways.

We've been trekking in Hunza region, to Rush peak (5098m). Somehow we just love mountains. Solitude of Himalayan massive peaks is just overwhelming. You must respect that, period. Up there you are alone, only you and the almighty. Push yourself too hard and you will be punished. Headache is just an early reminder. And when all your porters have altitude sickness, well then you better be careful. We stopped at Hamdar village with 5 or so shepards taking care of their hundreds strong herd of sheep and goats and two yaks. They soon found out we have a bag of some medicine (usual staff: aspirin, antibiotics, dehydration whatever). And so they kept on coming to our tent, one with pain in a leg, one just feeling lousy, the other one with cramps in stomach, asking for these pills. I hope they will not come with a lawsuit for mistreatment. We just gave them what they wanted. They were happy and so were we.

We will be back. Of course. We will be back everywhere.

Look! What wonders the spring has wrought!
The river bank is a paradise!
Rose-embowered glades,
Blossoming jasmine and hyacinth,
And violets, the envy of the skies!
Rainbow colors transformed
Into a chorus of rapturous sounds,
And the harmony of flowers
The hillside is carnation-red;
In the languid haze, the air
Seems drunk with the beauty of life!
The brook, on the heights of the hill,
Dances to its own music.
The world is dizzy in a pageant of color!

Allama Muhammad Iqbal, poet and philosopher from Lahore