It was one exhausted month (May), time of the year where I had to take off of my work, and make a quick, relaxing and budgeted trip with my wife. We chose to crawl down to the paradise of the nation, yes, Kashmir? Road near Muzaffarabad was closed due to some land sliding the earlier day, so had to take a detour, a hardcore 4x4 detour that put an extra hour to the trip. It was very hot with 42?C outside, the sun-heat could penetrate our body through the limo-tinted windows until we reached Keran Neelum-Valley. Stayed the first night at Sharda, a very nice, calm guest house with friendly staff. Left Sharda the next morning and reached Kel. I was yet not convinced with the beauty of the valley until we left Kel for Taob-butt? App 12+ hour travel so far from Islamabad on the bumpy road ohh? wait?! there was no road? what I remember, there were stones, gravel, and loads of uphill/downhill travel so whatever one call it; hence, my sciatic pain initiated, and I couldn?t explore much of the walk-by scenic places in taobutt. On our way back, we stayed at the army guest house at Helmat, a very very very courteous staff and practically experiencing their hardship with one night stay (especially those whom secured the borders at thousands of feet above the sea-level), listening to their life stories, they serve for 6 months in a row at a place where there is no room to cover them from snow, no proper oxygen to breathe at that very altitude, no means of communication to seek their families? health/need, the only light they see is that from the sun?! I had tears in my eyes, and thanked Almighty for what He(swt) gave me.
I barely slept more than a couple of hours the whole night at Helmat. I wouldn?t say it rained cats & dogs, it was something else and I was worried on the challenging journey ahead? Left early in the morning while it was still raining. The road was slippery especially the steep, muddy downhill slope with no room for mistake from the clumsy hands?The drive as well as the scenery were out of this world? One mistake and a 300ft vertical fleet to river-Jehlum? :o Tried to follow some public transport but they were driving as if on motorway? One of the jeep driver stopped few times to guide me on the blind-spots of the road?s landslides? Ahh?! It was very scary? Allhamdollilah, reached Islamabad the other day at night safe and sound?
I?d say one of the must to see places in the nation, however, I?d only recommend the trip for those who can bear covering 60Km distance in 7-8 hours, with just basic food available in the
otels, no shopping places and whom won?t mind being bitten by bed-bugs