After returning from our trip, Leo asked if we would like to try Hunza water, the "stuff which gives us our long lives". it costs 800 rupees (15 SGD) for 1.5 litres of hardcore red wine which apparently chemically changes your liver for you.

to be able to drink it, Leo had to engage the services of the only bootleg, illegal winemaker in Hunza. The bootlegger is not only illegal but also very impunctual because we were waiting in the dark on top of a roof of a building for his wine to arrive (for about an hour) until we got tired of being cold and went to use the internet instead. It eventually arrived and Leo happily locked up the pace so we could have a drink. It was highly amusing to see grown men skulk around for a bottle of alcohol.

Leo's dad disapproves of him drinking and absolutely prohibits him from smoking but he does both anyway, as a good son should.








How a postbox presumably looks like in hunza. the letters will not get much further than the box itself though.


We visited Baltit fort, one of the two forts in Hunza valley. It was where the king of hunza held court and it sat on a glacier in front of uttar peak. the glacier is now eroding/eroded due to global warming but the views are still breathtaking. It is built in the tibetan style because his missus was from tibet (baltistan).





A view of the mountains above and behind the fort. A memorial to Queen Victoria is also located up there.


Pictured below is the throne room where the King held court in summertime




Us enjoying a cup of sweet green tea while waiting for the fort to open in the morning.








As you can clearly see, the fort overlooks most, if not all of the valley. The fort itself is pretty self sufficient and was built with defence in mind which means its interior is super cramped and the doorways tend to take your head off with them.











This is a more frontal view of the king's court in summer.




This delightful piece of cake is known as Hunza cake. It costs 1.50 SGD and it is absolutely delicious. I normally hate cakes and i would never eat cake but its fresh and crunchy walnut filling coupled with the firm but not hard exterior lightly glazed with sugar meant that we were left hungering for more. You can only get this cake in Cafe de Hunza in Hunza Valley so it is also very exclusive. You need to endure killer bus rides before you are worthy to taste it. You need to prove your worth. To a cake.





This is Hunza bread, a dense and rich bread made in hunza valley. Elgin holy worships it. He had it with Hunza produced honey (mountain honey) for breakfast.


This jolly looking old man is Leo's dad. He cooked us dinner on the first night and helps to refill our rice, chicken and chapatis during other meals. He is both stern and jolly at the same time, lecturing us on being late for our bus on the last day.

We learnt from Leo that his dad is also the senior vice president of the Pakistan People's Party (ruling party in Pakistan) for Hunza Valley, which means that he is kinda like Santa Claus except that he can also arrange for you to disappear in a "tragic rock fall".



Here in the car Leo's dad waves to everyone we meet on the way to the bus terminal. He used his clout and threw his weight around (quite a bit) to get us seats on the bus even though we were last minute arrivals. I love politicians when they are on my side.



Here is the sign bidding us goodbye from the Northern Areas - for now.

Conversations with Pakistanis can be quite hilarious. Here's two that stuck in my head:

Me at dinner: So Leo, what hobbies does your dad have?

L: Oh...he is in politics. He is a politician, senior vice president of the PPP (Pakistan People's Party) in Hunza Valley.

Me: you mean his hobby is politics?

L: yes

Me (thinking something got lost in translation): mmm, ok...so what does he do when he is free? like in his free time?

L: Politics.

Elgin: So the guy refilling your rice was...

Me: that's like having a mafia boss cook dinner for you.

--------------------------------------------

We were talking about how each ex US President has his own security detail...

Me: what does this security detail thing mean actually?

Elgin: oh, basically the secret service is assigned to protect each ex US President. Like Jimmy Carter has one, BIll Clinton has one...

Me: but it would be damn sad to be assassinated if you were an ex president

Elgin: ya

Me: Except George Bush. I bet a lot of people want him dead. Leo, what do you think of George Bush?

Leo, frowning and taking a long time to gather his thoughts: i am not so sure about George Bush but i like Osama very much.

Roger and Elgin: Osama??!!

Leo: Ohps, sorry...i meant Obama

LOL