Jandrot (Gupis) to Gilgit
(110km total, approx)
After a wonderful night’s sleep at the PTDC Motel in Jandrot and a very pleasant breakfast (Pakistani omelette, paratha and coffee) it was time to pack the bike and head back to Gilgit, along with Martin on his DR650.
The riding was magnificent – we both enjoyed the ride even more than yesterday – probably as a result of not suffering through the chaos of Gilgit traffic beforehand, and being fresher and more alert.
We again stopped at the police checkpoints along the way – most waved us straight through but at one checkpoint we were invited into their small tent for a cup of sweet Pakistani tea – a delightful treat and a refreshing drink. A round of selfies ensued – all good fun.
Martin fired up his GPS and we tried to locate the Lost Horizons Guesthouse where we hoped to catch up with Taylor and Nat. We were using instructions in my electronic Lonely Planets guide and we got close to the guesthouse – or at least close to where the guesthouse used to be – but then Martin went searching on foot and determined that the guesthouse had moved, and a kind man offered to show us the way to the new location which was a godsend as there was no way we would of found it otherwise.
Upon arriving we found out that Taylor and Nat had departed Gilgit yesterday, so we are about 24 hours behind them. Later in the afternoon we checked our emails and we’d received an email from Nat saying that they had joined Moin’s tour group and had ridden to Skardu, and that they are having a fantastic time now that they have been allowed entry into Pakistan! With luck we’ll catch up with them either in Lahore or perhaps Amritsar.
The rest of the afternoon was spent catching up on blogs and emails and photos – a pleasant way to relax and unwind. Tomorrow we’ll head south towards Chilas, and hopefully be permitted to go back over the Barbuser Pass to Naran, otherwise it’s the KKH south from Chilas to Dasu or Besham.
