The KKH north followed the Indus River once one gets away from the flat plain around ‘Pindi. It was very hot in middle of the day and there were definitely times when I was chanting “mad dogs and Englishmen” like a mantra except I certainly not the latter though the former is a distinct possibility. We were riding 80 to 160 KM per day. The scenery if spectacular and the people relatively friendly.

The Pashtun south of Chilas, even back in the late 1990s, weren’t very friendly. This is the section of the KKH  that the Lonely Planet guide warned. Our guide warned us not to stop in one village for any reason. Female cyclists must be accompanied. We had rocks thrown at us by the kids. One rock went through my rear wheel and broke a spoke. Fortunately, it was repairable in situ at our lunch stop.

Of all my pictures from the KKH, the shepardess below is my favourite. She wandered over to look at this weirdo who was hiding under a tree taking a break from pedalling up this very steep road on a stinking hot day. For me she embodies life for the less fortunate. She was my version of Afghan Girl.  It’s difficult for a Westerner to imagine her life, now, 10 years later.  It illustrates so well the vast gulf between the the lives between the poor rural Muslims and mine. It is not a life that we will be able to change in less than 2 generations.