Across the river from Hunza Valley is Nagar Valley. From Karimabad, the route to reach the town of Nagar, the largest town in the valley among 24 villages, follows windy dirt roads along cliff sides, crossing the Hunza River and Nagar River junction. As we approached Nagar Valley, we became surrounded by some of the highest peaks in the world, including Rakaposhi (25,551 ft), Diran Peak (23,839 ft), and Spantik (23,054 ft). We also passed by curious school children in uniform, and while most were quite shy, some were curious enough to exchange greetings when we slowed down.
The population in Nagar Valley is predominantly Shia Isna’asheri (Jafaria), which is considered a more conservative sect of Islam compared to Shiite Ismaili in neighboring Hunza Valley. According to story, Nagar and Hunza engaged in a spirited feud for hundreds of years. The feud came to an end when the present Mir’s mother, daughter of Nagar’s Mir, married his father. (Mir is the Arabic word for ‘prince’ or a ruler’s title in princely states, and an aristocratic title generally used to refer to a person who is a descendant of a commander in medieval Muslim tradition.)
When we arrived to Nagar, we took a stroll around the village to get a glimpse into daily life. This area of Pakistan is not familiar with seeing foreigners, and it was obvious within their timid reactions to sight of us. Many locals would shyly hide or retreat inside. Due to possible sensitivity and uncertainty towards how some may feel about our presence, a local police officer joined our walk as precaution. For a bit more context, but without opening a can of worms I know little about – certain sects of Shia Islam have been known to follow extremist leaders, usually based in Saudi Arabia, and the tone can often be an anti-America message. In fact, upon entering town, “Down with America” was graffitied on a wall. Our guide claimed it was done many years ago when following such Saudi groups was more popular.
As usual, the children were most curious and open to exchanging smiles, greetings, and eventually laughs when our guide playfully encouraged some to jump for a photo. These are the moments that bring me the most joy when I travel – I hope they felt the same. Or at least have a fun story to share with family and friends.
We then ventured to cross the local bridge for some hiking around Hopper Glacier, but apparently a large truck had broken part of the bridge only hours prior. It appeared that possibly every man from town was working to fix it! Or rather, simply watching the spectacle. Regardless, it was a warming sight of community.
The hike to see Hopper Glacier was only about a 20 minute walk from a local restaurant (where we enjoyed lunch afterward). An impressive sight to behold, especially during these days of global warming and evidence of so many glaciers quickly melting around the world. That is luckily not the case, currently, in Hunza or Nagar Valley.
After a lovely day exploring Nagar, we headed back to Hunza Valley, where we were invited to dinner at the Mir’s residence. A fellow traveler within our group visited Hunza Valley back in the 80’s and befriended the Mir, keeping in touch via letters all the while. It was her connection that granted us access to such a special experience. The Mir, plus one of his sons, and his assistant, treated us to a homemade dinner and endless local wine (Hunza is known for its wine, but somewhat discretely, as alcohol is quite taboo in an Islamic Republic). His home was beautiful, elaborately designed and thoughtfully decorated. He shared his love of music, and stories of playing drums in a band when he was much younger. A memorable evening, and one we were all grateful to partake in.
Wandering Ways 