Hushe - Curiosity and joy

Hushe village, Gilgit-Baltistan region, Karakorum range, Pakistan.

On one of the Karakorum park edge, we found the first village after wild region. It is a small village, where time stops. Life and house are very simple, but with the beauty of authentic place. Main activities here are breeding and agriculture (wheat, peas, potatoes and so on). Altitude is about 3000 meters.
It is the access door to Baltoro valley through Masherbrum and Laila Peak way. This valley is connected to Baltoro mainly by Gondogoro La (Gondogoro pass), that we have crossed two days before.

Here first view, over the hill the main centre:

All around, mountains and green wheat fields, with some children and women at work:

Approaching village, many more children appeared... We are near the school. Most of people were children, women and some old men, because of young men and boys were working away or studying in other city, usually Skardu (one day by car from here). Men usually are working as cooks, porters or drivers, so they are all the time outside the village.

Here the cooker of the restaurant where we had lunch:

I can't take pictures of women, they don't want for religion reason, but no problem with old women and children:

Here my new friend Akbar Ali with his lovely daugther!

And here some children portraits:

Little girls were shy, they were repeating many times 'no pics!', and and they suddenly hid, but they appeared again, it was a joke for them! When we left that house, they followed us on the narrow streets of the village, calling us and then hid themselves again and again, or sometimes watching us with curiosity, someone scared, some others smiled a lot!

No pics!

You can't see me!

Usual daily life activities. Children are studying a lot here, but they also helped the family doing many jobs:

Around a fountain:

They washed clothes or collected water on the street. Here sociality is very important, they live not alone like us in Europe, but they live in large family. I have asked to a pakistani friend of me 'despite poverty, why are you happier than us?' And he replied to me: 'because of you live most of the time alone, and family in your country are smaller than family here!'.
It is a proof than money doesn't concern happiness, human relations does.

Here main school. I have done two posts about Hushe school here: Husche school, black and white.

Students at rest, having a break:

Other students, watching us with curiosity... Not so many western people here, only some trekkers going to Baltoro. However, many school has been build by Italy, Usa, Spain and other countries. These region are in the heart of many people and they have been helped with schools and small hospitals, and I can understand why: people are very kind and the natural environment is wonderful! Specially Italy has helped Pakistan after the first ascent to K2, made by an Italian team in 1954. Pakistani said that K2 is not only a Pakistani mountain, but also an Italian mountain (like Nanga Parbat owns also to Germans people). I personally feel a great union and love between Pakistan and Italy, we are brother!

Here other pics of my trip in this wonderful maze of houses, stone and wooden walls, narrow passages (sometimes there are some kind of tunnel/shortcuts between and under houses, plenty of doors and gates): I can't imagine how a postman can deliver the mail here!

I love this house! Plenty of colors and full of life painting! Houses are made of stones and wood, but I find them poetic, all the village and the atmosphere was magic and out of time.

Definitively lost!

We met many old people also.

A specially love this portrait. The red in the background create a good contrast with the skin of this man and the white wall..

I took this pictures with the camera on the stomach, I was lucky to find the right frame. I like sometimes to change point of view, and pictures taken from below are my favorites:

We had to leave the village now!
I hope to come back again, InshAllah!

Here exactly location of Hushe village (images copyright by Google Maps)

Pictures taken with Sony Alpha 7iii and Nikon D800.
August 2022