Pakistan Photos: Reaching Shimshal Valley

Postmarked Friday, September 1st, 2006
Topic: Travel (96 words, 30 images, 9 comments)

The following images illustrate the journey to Shimshal Valley (the isolated region where we planned to do most of our filming). These are mostly from "Central Shimshal", the most populated area, which amounted to a small settlement of stone huts surrounded by agricultural fields. These pictures also follow our trek from Shimshal village towards the pamirs, or high pasturelands, where local villagers take their yaks in May and stay until October.

Enjoy this series today and know that I will post more images of the actual pamirs and village life once I have resized them.

xx

The jeep that would eventually take us down the "jeep road". A sign encouraging trekkers to "enjoy coca cola". Nice. Our base camp of operations in Passu, as we waited for the weather and road conditions to clear up before travelling to Shimshal. Beauty surrounded us.
Typical self-portrait. ;) The raging river, overflowing from melted glacier water. One of the many stops along the way, as we finally embarked for Shimshal. The jeep road runs 30-40km along river gorges and unbelievably narrow gravel "paths". This was one of 7 forced stops along the way, as we helped move rocks and rebuild parts of Let's get to work!
Every rock helps! We finally made it to Shimshal. It's a very fertile valley. Local Shimshalis - from l. to r. Sermat Karim the shopkeeper, Ali Shah the hotel manager, Inayet our wonderful mountain guide.
The skies finally open up for us. And I spot my first YAKS!!!! Inayet shows me how to ride a yak. Looks easy! Later, on the walk back to the "lodge", Ali Shah helps a local girl get her young animals across the wooden bridge.
The next morning, we set out on our 6-day trek to the pamirs. Our first uphill of what would be countless hours of climbing, scrambling and fearing the precipices below. Sound fun? These paths go where?? Check out this huge glacier. Jamie says glass-i-ur and I say glay-sher. Kind of like tomayto-tomato.
Taking a well-deserved chai break in the first shepherd hut along the way. Mohammad Ali, our other guide, makes a fire. Happy but so tired! It's a long way to anywhere, really.
Mohammad always went right to the edge... The hut fires at night. The next day was rainy and wet. Me looking like a huge turtle (with an alien baby sticking out of my stomach!). Sorry to disappoint, but it is in fact not an alien baby, but a video camera.
The local crew. Don't they just look like they could trek in their sleep. Well, they practically can. Where does this gate lead? What does it mark? The answers to these and more questions in the next post... Stay tuned!!    

Reader Comments

1.

Comment from Heidi

WOW...I am almost at a loss for words Natch. You are out there, doing it in the big, beautiful world. My desire to travel runneth over-leaving for India Dec. 1 after one year of getting it back together. WE ARE GOING TO MEET THERE-we will make it happen. In the meantime, sending you strength and love as you navigate the trials of daily life and change.

2.

Comment from Maryam

Hey Marjo Polo (that's the woman version of Marco Polo!) I envy your life! So proud of you cousin koujoulou!

Take care of yourself and enjoy every second of your trip honey joun.

I'm also going to Thailand in 2 weeks, you can guess the rest! ;)

Luv ya

3.

Comment from Rachel

Marjan--

As always, you continue to amaze me. Your web site is beautiful. Send me an e-mail when you have a moment (and access to a computer) and tell me exactly what your doing. I miss you.

Rachel

4.

Comment from Tima

Some people spend their whole life dreaming ... YOU on the other hand are LIVING your dreams ... more power to you. Love; T

5.

Comment from Tima

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Buber

Living the adventure

“I do not accept any absolute formulas for living. No preconceived code can see ahead to everything that can happen in a man’s life. As we live, we grow and our beliefs change. They must change. So I think we should live with this constant discovery. We should be open to this adventure in heightened awareness of living. We should stake our whole existence on our willingness to explore and experience.”

-- Martin Buber

6.

Comment from Delphine

Shimshal

TAKE ONE Beautiful

TAKE TWO me is jealous

TAKE THREE get your ass back to work

TAKE FOUR you get to see me in the editing suite tomorrow

TAKE FIVE hey you said you wanted a comment

miss ya xxx

fancy going to a doc festival on sat 15th at the ICA? finishes in time to then head off to any MAVIS adieus and booze nights...let me know xxx

7.

Comment from Anonymous

its not an alien or a camera but your third nipple

8.

Response from Marjan

The comments on this site have been hysterical lately!

Thanks to everyone who has visited and shared their views...

9.

Comment from Rob Lawson

Went to Shinshal 1990 when the road was just beginning to be built-great to see they got the aweinspiring job done.Think your guide Mohammad Ali was our guide then too-he was the schoolteacher then.

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