Globe Gallivanting- motorbiking across the world

  The next morning saw us head towards Skardu, after a jump-start from the noise-makers.      We stopped briefly at a chai stand for an informative and friendly chat with a family from Karachi.  We swapped conspiracy stories about 9/11 and discussed Zeitgeist.  They answered the marmot question- this was a National Park for bears.  Bears like trout.  And marmots.     We photographed the bridge that was featured on all tourist posters across Pakistan, and were pleased we had made it.      At Satpara Lake we ate fish and chips courtesy of Peter.  It was excellent, and made up for not catching any. They were damming the lake.  Jack looked pleased.  The roads around Skardu were a bit scary, even with our now frankly vast experience of road conditions.  We went through a river, and then wound round mountains, stuck to the side like those things that slide down windows… Yaqoob miraculously squeezed us thro...

  We rode by jeep up to the Deosai plains and Skardu.  It was a long, long journey. The scenery was, as always, incredible.  The roads were, as always, bloody awful. The Deosai plains are at an altitude of 4000 meters.  The villages had nomads with giant herds of various creatures flocking about, and strange herders on horseback.   I have never been to Mongolia, but according to Jack it was very similar.     The villages up there are covered in 10 foot blankets of snow for two thirds of the year.  It was an unbelievable sort of place. Everyone looked very hardy, like they’d been carved out of wood.     In the back of the jeep the conversations were animated- Peter the anarchist told outrageous conspiracy stories, talking a mile a minute and waving his hands around.  Jack cut in occasionally with a question about dams.  Brock tried to keep everyone serene. Our friendly driver Yaqoob with his amazing hat took...