40 Shigar – Skardu - Islamabad In the morning, we were picked up for the short drive to Skardu,
from where small aircrafts flew to Islamabad (for your own account).
These flights were never sure as they were weather dependent. But,
to our delight, the flight was on (albeit late), and we took off to
Islamabad, avoiding a two-day return trip by Jeep. By evening, I
learned Ernest was a mere 16 kilometres from Rawalpindi. He had a
knack for showing up at the most unexpected times.
Islamabad
I subsequently discovered that Islamabad had a campsite in the
centre of town. The camp was an intriguing place where one met
various travellers, some by bicycle and others travelling overland, all
remarkably interesting with many fascinating stories.
In the meantime, Ernest arrived. But, unfortunately, the plans of
biking to China fell apart. After nearly two weeks, we realised getting
a Chinese visa in Islamabad was impossible. Instead, we opted to
cycle India instead. Following handing in our Indian visa applications,
Ernest and I left Islamabad to bike the Karakoram Highway, one of
the planet’s most iconic cycling routes.