Unfortunately, I didn't sleep particularly well as I had to get up multiple times to go to the bathroom. My butt is really hurting!!Was woken up by the mournful call to prayer at 5am, then again at 5.30am. Why can't they modernise & just set an alarm on their phone like a normal person!

I was supposed to have breakfast at 8am but I ended up sleeping in until 7.50! It didn't really matter however as we weren't able to leave in the morning due to all the snow that came down last night. I looked out my window & it was a scene from a fairytale! So pretty.Mushtaq messaged to say we would leave later but as my stomach wasn't getting any better, I thought I better let him know what was going on & that there was a possibility that I wouldn't be able to do the trek at all.

I asked ChatGPT about my condition & asked for its recommendation but it was very reluctant to give me health advice and mainly just recommended I see a doctor.

I eventually made my way downstairs & had some breakfast then went back to my room & crawled into my sleeping bag to warm up again & search for a doctor nearby that was open.

I found one that was just a 15 minute walk away so messaged them, then called Sherry to have a chat.
It was nice to hear her voice & chat about how I was feeling. She agreed with ChatGPT that I should go to the doctor.

When Mushtaq arrived, we discussed what was happening & he said he'd drive me to find a doctor.
We eventually found one who was open on a Sunday & fortunately he was able to see me pretty much straight away.

He asked a few questions in English then wrote out a script, which included an IV drip. To get this, I went into their injection room (a dirty room with a bed, a dusty table that had the remains of previous medicines scattered across it, some old towels, & somewhat alarmingly what appeared to be blood splattered on the wall).

The "nurse" was a guy wearing his dirty old clothes who came in, hung the drip up from a rusty nail, then proceeded to put the drip into my vein. No alcohol swab, surgical gloves or anything like that in sight.He seemed to know what he was doing though & I wasn't in any position to argue with him so I just went with it & hoped for the best. It was all over within about 10 minutes & whatever they injected started to make me feel better … thankfully!

Still, can't complain too much. The price for the doctor's consultation plus all the medicines he prescribed was AUD10!

We went back to the hotel, I had some lunch & took the first of my tablets after asking ChatGPT what each one was supposed to do (just wanted to check what I was ingesting!)

I went back upstairs to my room & started feeling better so had a shower under the dribbling shower head. On the plus side there was hot water but on the down side, the bathroom had an open window that couldn't be closed so the room was freezing! It was a quick shower but I felt better afterwards.

Packed up all my stuff then we got into the 4WD to begin our 5 hour drive to Khanday (or Kande or Kanday… you can spell it however you want!)The drive took us along the side of a massive valley, carved by the Indus River. Although the sky was overcast, the clouds had lifted quite a lot so we could see most of the stunning snow capped mountains that lined both sides the valley.

As we drove, the other guys in the car chatted away in Balti, their native language & so I alternated between taking videos out the windows, resting my eyes a little (not much as it was always super bumpy!) & thinking up the trip.

I'm really not sure why I like doing crazy stuff like this but there's just something about getting off the beaten track, doing stuff that other people wouldn't normally do & having fun & adventures that probably wouldn't appeal to most people that I really love!

Another part of why I love travelling like this is the freedom & independence. I have a start & end date plus a general plan but everything else can be tailored to me. Since I always have limited time, this lets me make the most of every day & makes the higher price tag well worth it.Going out & having random encounters with locals & getting to know what life is like a little for people who live here … these are the things I love about the adventures I have.

Put me on a tour bus however, & I'd be severely tempted to throw myself off … while it's moving!
We drove through many tiny villages along the way, with men sitting & chatting in groups, women with kids or large bags on their backs, kids playing soccer or cricket on the road, toddlers playing by the side of the road (Western parents would be horrified!), goat herders, people playing volleyball, apricot orchards, barren poplar trees, the odd police checkpoint, suspension bridges across the river, the obligatory mosque in every village, & hundreds of tiny shops selling everything from firewood to car parts to groceries.

The further up the valley we went, the poorer the villages got & the colder the temperature. Not long before we reached Khanday, we came across a small rockfall that was blocking the road. Luckily our 4WD was able to drive over it with only minimal scraping & we continued our journey.

We eventually arrived in Khanday & Mushtaq pointed out the Nangma Valley where we're planning on going trekking if I'm well enough. This part of the valley was totally covered in snow & apparently it's the 2nd last village in Pakistan before we reach the Chinese border.When we pulled up, it seemed like about half the village came out to greet us & say hello to me. I'm extra special since they don't get too many visitors during winter!

We unpacked the car then took the bags up to my room where Mushtaq's uncle had kindly lit a fire in their pot belly stove for me. I don't know how cold it is here but it's really cold!!

Walking into the room, Mushtaq's uncle pulled the lei off its hanger & put it around my neck. Its kinda cute!

Once the fire was going well, Mushtaq & I chatted for quite a while as we sipped our tea & ate a few crackers.

A little while later, Khadim brought the dinner in for me that he'd cooked, with enough to feed two! My appetite had started to return so I ate a little more but still didn't make too much of a dent in it! More food for the goats I guess!

I went to sleep pretty early as I know I'll be woken up at 5am by the wailing call to prayer!