Upon arriving to the town of Khaplu, which once acted as the second-largest kingdom in old Baltistan, having guarded the trade route to Ladakh, we were immediately charmed. Tree lined dirt roads following babbling creeks, that broke from the Indus River and Shyok River, where families hung drying laundry, and children played joyfully with farm animals. We were again surrounded by stunning, dramatic peaks – still not close to being tired of such scenery.
We checked into the lovely Serena Khaplu Palace, a boutique hotel that was originally built in 1840 to serve as the royal residence for the Raja of Khaplu. As an old fort and palace, all rooms varied in size and shape. Half of the property was renovated to reflect how the fort previously functioned. Getting to stay in such a beautifully restored historical monument felt surreal, truly taking us back in time.
We walked a block to a lively polo match we had seen driving in, which turned out to be a practice session the local team was having. Polo is popular in Baltistan, and indigenous to the Karakoram region, having been played there since the 15th–16th century. As expected, our presence as western foreigners caused some attention and curiosity, but we were quickly invited to sit in the stands to watch the match. In fact, the players allowed our enthusiastic guide to throw the ball into the field as a starter! It was beyond exciting watching the players ride with vigor right in front of us, hitting the ball up and down the field with aggressive mallet swings.
The next day we walked around town, taking in sights of Khaplu village. We visited the Khanqah (place of religious ceremonies), one of the oldest mosques on Baltistan, built about 400 years ago. As well as the Chaqchan Mosque, originally built in 1370 and one of the oldest mosques, not only in Baltistan, but in Pakistan. We strolled small nearby settlements, Hunduli and Banpi, where the local children, most in school uniforms, started playing a game of hiding from us, laughing hysterically when we would ask to take a photo.
That afternoon, we drove to the viewpoint for Masherbrum (25,659 ft), the 22nd highest mountain in the world and the 9th highest in Pakistan. The drive took us by Machulu village, showcasing vibrantly green terraced crops, and stone fenced homes. We capped off the great day with a bonfire in the hotel courtyard, after our standard cocktail hour with “brown tea” (whiskey), “white tea” (vodka), and “red tea” (wine).
Wandering Ways 