For the immediate future, she is thinking of going to China to pick up her mail and then go to Nepal. So it appears our troubles together are over. It was very short lived, only ten days on the road. Most of it was very difficult and stressful. Frankly, I'm quite happy to be on my own again. Uli was quite right about having someone meet you in the middle of a trip: it usually doesn't work out. He had the same experience during his trip in the US when he crossed half of North America to meet a woman he knew from Germany. It was a total disaster for him. I can't remember how long they traveled together but I don't think it was much longer than Suzanne and me.

On our second day here in Gilgit, Suzanne took back her cooking equipment that I had been carrying in a very abrupt manner. Right after breakfast she washed her pans and collected the stove equipment. She is acting very paranoid, like I might try to rip her off.

I went to see the two cyclists whose bikes I saw at the hotel, but they were already gone. Damn. At this point I think I'll go up to Karimabad for a while. Gilgit holds no attraction for me, though I was able to find a very used specialized tire and a very heavy Russian-made stove for 400Rs. I'm still thinking about the latter, though I think it would be worth carrying. I really enjoy the independence of being able to make my own food.

The eighth highest mountain in the world is on my doorstep. This is a killer campsite. There is a raging river beside me, clear deep blue sky and alternating hot and cold wind. I am actually wearing my wool winter hat that I have lugged around since Katmandu. The final soft pink rays of the day's sun are rolling up the face to the peak. It is so odd how close the peak appears; yet only three Canadians have ever made it to the summit.

The ride was really enjoyable. I stopped a lot and talked to the locals. My arrival here drew a group of ten men and boys. No secretes in Asia. They think I'm crazy for wanting to sleep out here. Maybe I am.

I spent the day moping around not really feeling very well. I am having a mild case of diarrhea. I rearranged my camp setup, read the rumor books lying around, talked with Elmar and Lotte, went for a short walk in town and met some more people from Islamabad. I am sitting here absorbing the magnificent views of glaciers, snowy peaks, and barren desert while below the irrigation channels silently funnel precious water to the cultivated areas.

Now I'm feeling better. I discovered what was wrong with my Russian stove. I was treating it like an MSR stove and putting too much pressure in it. I release the pressure and put only about 10 or 15 strokes on the pump in it. Now it works great. I am a happy camper. I was really feeling low and frustrated by this thing. I took it apart and tried to see how it works. When I opened up the valve, kerosene shot up like a geyser.

A long rainy night and today the sky feels like more rain. The temperature is very cool. I may have to pull out my jacket after five months in storage. I'm feeling lost and out of sorts. I have over three weeks before I want to be in Kashgar, and I'm feeling like I should be doing more, like going to Sharaku or Chitral, doing some hikes, etc. But I can't get motivated. I think I'm still recovering from the fiasco with Suzanne. It really took a lot out of me, plus my body seems to be in a perpetual state of moderate diarrhea.

Diarrhea Blues

Fantasy Dreams

It is now early morning on my fifth day here in Karimabad. I just love sitting here watching the new day begin as the sun dawns on these rugged mountains. Yesterday I walked up to Ultar Glacier wedged into a narrow gorge forming a huge ice field. It was a long slow walk for me, but I enjoyed being in the valley gorge looking up at the huge rock faces. They are so vertical, so tall; it is staggering to look up at them.