"Dear Ahraf Aman, dear Naiknam, Sultan, Manzoor and Firdous,
Instead of giving a speech at our welfare dinner, I am writing this
e-mail to express my heart- Felt thanks to all of you. First of all,
I want to say that I am very grateful to ATP for making both my
treks possible for
Me: The Hindu Kush route in the Chitral and Gilgit areas, along the
Wakhan Corridor, across Remote passes, rivers and glaciers, and the
Karakoram route in the Shimshal area, also unique in the beauty of
its scenery and the kindness of its local people. You did everything
to make these treks not only safe and smooth but to actually make
them The “dream tours” I had wished for since I left Pakistan last
summer. Let me address everyone personally. Naiknam, you escorted us
to the very end of the jeep route and the first steps of the
Chillinji Trek, making me feel secure and protected from the
beginning. Sultan, in you quiet and modest way, you were a 100%
responsible and considerate guide, An excellent pathfinder,
negotiator with the porters and guardian of your client. Manzoor,
with your easygoing spirits, you added a sense of humour and any
amount of Laughter to our daily life, and you were also a very
reliable and caring guide. Firdous, you worked wonders in adapting
to my vegetarian, coffee-drinking, porridge-and- Honey-loving,
saltish-tea-preferring and otherwise peculiar eating habits. Not
only were you an excellent cook, but you looked after me in a truly
wonderful way. This, to me,
has been a very special experience. So many Europeans have stayed
away from Pakistan this year, believing they would take too Great a
risk. They were shown TV reports and saw newspaper articles and
heard warnings from politicians and thus have acquired an idea of
Pakistan which I have found to be strongly Biased and unjust. Not a
single minute in these northern regions did I feel threatened or un-
Protected. On the contrary, I experienced the most unforgettable
moments of support and Friendship there.
I will come back next year.
Love,
Christiane" |
