I’m in Kashmir!! Well, kind of...

So the next day we set out early again but this time our marathon road trip would take us to Azad Kashmir. I don’t think I have ever been so ridiculously childishly excited in my life- ok, except for maybe my trip to Egypt.

We set out in a good old Toyota Helix type truck, not as spacious as our previous transportation but all the same, comfy. Until Murrey, the roads were good. They have built a new highway all the way, and it was amazing for me to see again because I remember our family holidays to Nathya Galli and Bourbun when I was younger: The cliff edges with no barriers, the snow, the big trucks trying to get past and getting stuck, the snow ploughs, the dangerous driving and the skinny roads. This time it was so totally different with a great new road, but I also noticed the bad changes. I remember our trips to Murrey with tall trees on either side, lots of forest and woodland. I fact, my memory is of tall pine-like trees and a heavily forested landscape. Now, however, there has clearly been heavy deforestation. There were large areas of cleared land, without any trees t all and you could see clearly the affect this was having on the soil. This cannot fare well for Pakistan and its countryside in the long run. I mean, if we just think of the earthquake and the flood in recent history, do we really want to add massive mudslides to the list? There is nothing left holding the earth together here and this bodes badly for future earthquakes and flooding too. Whenever there is rain it will no longer get soaked up by the trees but just flow down the hillsides, taking silt/soil with it, and flood the valleys below. Not good.

In Pakistan, we have a serious problem with not thinking long-term and I think this has been a short fall in terms of our development organisations as well. As a country, as small communities, as individuals, I think it is important that people start taking a strong stand for the future of the country. These issues, not just employment, extremism and the economy should be high on the agenda. Maybe if the problems of poverty and environment were sorted out, the others which are clearly linked in, would sort themselves out too.

Anyway, the road from Murrey on gone gradually worse until it was basically a mountain road with broken up rocks scattered around. Not the most comfortable drive but we had a good driver. We made it through the border as well. Despite the fact that we did not have Pakistani or Azad Kashmiri citizenship and no pass (something foreigners usually have to get from the authorities in order to enter Azad Kashmir these days). Our escort, Ibrar, was a local who worked for Khubaib and so with him and Sohail, it just looked like we were a family returning home and I believe they don’t usually stop ladies anyway.

And then, I was in Kashmir.... I couldn’t believe it. OK, so I wasn’t on our ancestral side, but still! This is the closest I have ever been and I was only a few hours from Srinagar and Baramullah, my grandfather’s hometowns. This was amazing for me. I cannot explain how excited I felt. I felt the strangest joy, God knows why. If there were other girls with me I probably would have been giggling with excitement! Silly but true.

When we got to Muzaffarabad, our first stop was actually before the city, another school set up by Khubaib. This place was amazing. It was an orphanage and a school. Set-up as a boarding school the boarders/students came from all over, some of the best students from schools in Islamabad. The Head and his wife had worked hard to ensure that they provided a very good education and so attracted the best students thus raising the status of the school and its students. The orphans and the others therefore studied together and in many cases boarded together too.

The fees had a contribution to the board of the orphans, this creating a philanthropic atmosphere and encouraging a social/community aspect to the students attending. Many students and orphans also came from nearby though and the school provided buses for them, to and from school, so they could make the journey home. I have already explained how rough the roads were, so it was needed. In fact, the buses actually went quite far as we would see some of them on our way home.

You could see the level of the education on our tours around the classrooms and I was very impressed by what they had achieved. It was great to see. To top it all off, they were located on a beautiful mountainside in Kashmir with amazing views on all sides. I could just imagine going to that school.

We managed to discuss with them what their needs still were and like many of the other places we visited, one of their greatest demands was for school/science posters and books- Any reading books/novels in English just so the kids can improve their level and practise.

I also got to visit Muzaffarabad though, which was very cool for me if, only short lived, as unfortunately we quickly got stuck in a traffic jam, which appeared like it might last all night so we had to turn back. BUT I did manage to buy some Kashmiri Kulchai- YUM!!! And we took these back to the school, where we had them with hot Kashmiri chai. If you are wondering what these are, well, it is a little difficult to explain. They are a bit like heavy biscuits that look a bit like rock cakes and when you put them in the tea they just soak it up and expand. They are yum! I have wanted to have some for as long as I can remember as I have strong memories from my childhood and still hold on to the memory of the taste. It was thoroughly enjoyable, even if they weren’t of the BEST quality.

We also visited the mosque and new government buildings built with the help of the Turkish government in the post-earthquake relief work. They are of a very good quality and they also build a shopping centre and hospital I believe. Some great work being done around the world by the Turkish government and development agencies I think. Although, I believe they were very disappointed b y the management of the places once they were handed over to the local authorities.

What’s new in Pakistan eh?

This was one of the most amazing experience s in my life and I will not be forgetting it anytime soon. So a big thanks to Khubaib and in particular the chairman, Br Wahid, Ibrar, Sohail and Samina.