As soon as we flew to Gilgit, we found ourselves passing over the high peaks, then the snow-capped Tou, Nanga Parbat and Raka Poshi came into view.

Author: Muhammad Aslam Mughal
Decoration and arrangement: Mohammad Saeed Javed
Episode: 218
Our next trip was to Gilgit, Fawad had made an excellent plan to reach and stay there which was organized very carefully and responsibly. We were 17 people with our families including Fawad, Akram Shaikh, Faisal, me and Sama. We flew to Gilgit from the new Islamabad airport and soon we found ourselves passing over high peaks and then the sight of 3 high peaks and big snow covered mountains, Nanga Parbat and Raka Poshi Nazar. The pilot kindly invited two of our colleagues into the cockpit at a time to watch the scene in turn. Luckily the weather was very clear that day and all the mountains were shining in the sun, it was a breathtaking sight that took your breath away for a while. Landing at Gilgit airport has always been a challenge for pilots as it is located in the middle of a narrow valley and there have been many accidents in the past. Alhamdulillah we landed here safely. The vehicles were waiting for us outside in which we left for the Serena Hotel where we were to spend the night. The next day we left for the enchanting and beautiful Hunza valley and after 2 hours we reached the main city Karimabad which is at a distance of 100 km from Gilgit. Samia and I stayed in the hotel while our other colleagues went to the hotel called Eagle Nest which was also 1000 feet above our hotel. I had deliberately booked the Serena Hotel, as staying at a high altitude might not be suitable for the audience.
The next day we divided our group into 2 parts and formed separate parties One of them, consisting of a relatively young man, in the morning headed to the Khunjarab Pass on the Pak-China border, 179 km from Karimabad The whole route it was to be covered by the Karakoram Highway and this wonder of the world road ends at the Khunjerab Pass.
The other party, which included us, went to Lake Attabad, not far from Karimabad. This crystal blue water lake stretches for 21 kilometers and in some places is up to 350 meters deep, holding about 330,000 hectares of water. It is not a natural lake, but a blessing from Allah. It happened that on January 4, 2010, there was a terrible earthquake in this area, which caused a large landslide. And a whole village drowned in it. There was a loss of life in this accident and the Karakoram highway was also closed due to rising water. That was then spent making tunnels in the nearby mountains. Now the lake has become a large and popular tourist destination with excellent facilities for boating, water skiing and fishing. Its picturesque landscapes and the mountain range spread throughout seem like a total dream. We also rented a boat and did a nice tour of the lake to see our visit and enjoy. Then we went to a cafe on the Karakoram highway, five or six kilometers away, which was set on a hill and had a beautiful view of the surroundings. I had heard that the apricot cake made here is a very delicious and popular item. We also ordered and found that it was as it was known to be. (continued)
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