Hunza To Sost

Next destination, Sost!

In order to reach Sost, we had to cross the Atta Abad Lake by boat. Atta Abad Lake was formed 2 years back when a landslide blocked the Hunza lake. We reached Atta Abad and started to negotiate with the boat owners. The price per person is 100 ruppees but the bargain was of the bikes. It started from 500 and came down to 200 per bike. We shifted the bike on to the boat and waited for the boat to leave. The boat takes around 4 hours to cross the Atta Abad lake and reach Hussaini. There used to be the KKH which drowned and now the only method of transport are the boats.  Getting off at Hussaini, we had lunch at one of the make shift hotels where the food was the worst ever. Never eat anything there is my humble advice.

After lunch, we moved on to our destination which was PTDC SOST. This 50 km drive was not at all pleasant with no metal road anywhere in sight, I knew I was heading towards the extreme remote north of Pakistan. We reached PTDC Sost around 4 pm and the manager Sost awaited us. We had already met him in Gilgit PTDC and while he was there he told us that he had been informed by the tourism ministry of our arrival in Sost. He left with us for Hunza and we met him in Hunza PTDC too, but left a day earlier than us for Sost. When we reached Sost, he just knew what we need as a welcome. Hot water to take a shower!

After placing our luggage in our rooms, we took a stroll of the market. Sost is nothing worth mentioning though. Some motels, rest house and a small market, Sost is a resting point for the transporters coming or going to China.

As we were planning for the next day, I got the most disappointing news of the tour. We had been stranded in Sost with no money. An immature thing done by Raza, one of our travel partner with whom we had entrusted with the finances. He brought us all the way to Sost to reveal that he was short on money and now had 2 options. Option 1 was to go to Khunjerab and be back in Sost or go back to Hunza. Either way, the money would not be enough except for the fuel. This put our next day’s schedule on hold and our immediate concern was the money needed to do any of the two options given. Fortunately, there is a bank in Sost whose manager was a very hospitable person. Our friend in Lahore sent us some money to the bank in Sost that would be enough for us to go to Khunjerab and then back to Hunza. The manager of the bank after speaking with the manager of the bank in Lahore about the money he had received gave us the money. Sost branch would receive it after a couple of days. We took the money and headed to Khunjerab, while I made up my mind not to count on Raza for the rest of the tour as he had proven to be incapable for the task. Stranded in Sost with no money would be the last thing imagined while planning for the tour!