Places in Pakistan: Gupis valley, Ghizar dist.

Gupis, Ghizar district, Pakistan
Originally uploaded by Ameer Hamza

Date: 21st Sep, 2011
Time: 12:19 PM

After bathing, eating, shaving, buying a pair of shoes, and more tea, hugging, good-byes, and scrambling for the best seat on PTDC run bus to Phander, we were on our way to further glory and exploration. Danial looked bored because he had been to all these places. But he still took some shots. Zahid bhai looked more eager to capture as many as possible. He is, after all, a publisher and he can earn lot of money using these shots in his own printed diaries and calenders. Both Adeels were also quite eager. And I was too happy to shoot from the window, although it wasn't the best of the buses and the route is winding, beautiful and classy. The added charm of this place, atleast for the males of our country and abroad, is that most people don't have purdah here. As you move forward purdah comes into play. Ismailis, a deviant sect of Shia Islam, have no purdah for women. Therefore, fair number of fair women may be seeing strolling around villages, working, tending to kids, milking cows, etc. Zahid bhai was too eager to shoot them; I was not.

Gupis is enroute to Phander lake when you travel from Gakuch. It is a lovely little valley with Sunnis and Ismailis living in harmony. And to be sure, it is a perfect tourist spot with all the usual trappings of the modern world: Electricity, water, hotels, chai khannas, green fields, security and lots of fish in the river. I loved it and anyone passing by will love it too.