Day 6 (19-07-2018) (Note: I shall compare the “planned tour Vs Reality on Ground”, so that it could be evident that how the things planned get change at the time of practical implementation, specially the distances and kilometers )
Our planned day 6 timings and schedule of exploration was as under:
Day6 (Skardu-Khaplu-Shigar-Skardu) -----------(2h 54min + 2h 20min +1h 47min- Total = 6hours) ------- (111km + 102km +51.4-Total = 264.4km)
Total Travel Distance and Time = 264.4 km, 8:00 hours approx.
Details =Moving from skardu to Khaplu place (2h 54min 111km) at 7:00am. We shall assume to reach there at 10:00am. Take pictures and will depart from khaplu palace to Shigar Fort (2h 20min, 102km) at 11:00am. We assume to reach Shigar at 2:00pm.Take pictures explore valley and then move from Shigar to skardu (1h 47min, 51.4km) at 4:30pm. We assume to reach skardu at 7:00pm.
//We have to visit Shigar fort a little late, as it opens up at 10:00am
However, the actual reality on ground is as under (As we had already changed the plan, and entered Minimarg and Rainbow Lake to our expedition, so we were mildly behind in comparison to our planned tour. Today, we had to visit Sheosar Lake, and had to spend night at Deosai, though it was not in our plan earlier, as we had to spend night at Skardu.)
So, here comes the Day 6. We started our day with the name of Allah Subhanahu Wa’ta’ala, offered prayer, and then I moved out to experience the morning glory at Chillam Chowki. It was cold outside. The gestures of clouds were not seeming to be good one. It, apparently, looked that the clouds will cover up the sky all over soon as they had partially covered up the sky already. After taking few pictures, we ordered for breakfast, as usual, Pratha, omelet with tea. Meanwhile, we started to load our bikes and luggage. The breakfast was delicious. Thereafter, we checked out the hotel.It costed us 3400 approx. i.e. 2000 rent + one dinner (half-chicken karahi and one breakfast). One thing I forgot to tell, this hotel has PTCL V wireless set, so we just loaded 100Rs. balance in it, the previous night, and talked to our dear ones, waiting for us in Rawalpindi 
Nonetheless, we left Chillam chowki around 9:00am. It is worth mentioning here, that to visit Deosai plains, was one of our dream. We always just think about so, that sometime in life, we shall visit this place. Consequently, we were immensely excited and exultant to witness our one of dream coming true. We had to get the entrance ticket from army check post at chillam Chowki, and it was 100Rs/- per person for visitors and 40Rs/- per person for locals. Subsequently, we paid 400 Rs. there, and started our journey towards the land of giants. As soon we started our journey, we started to lose our consciousness by viewing the dazzling, miraculous and charismatic beauty surrounding us. We had heard and read about the mesmerizing and stunning beauty of Deosai Plains and Sheosar Lake, but now, we had started witnessing the glamour of Deosai by our bared eyes. The trek was so beautiful for words. A road passing through the lush green landscape, surrounded by mountains, more likely to appear as small and zig Zag Mountains. Apparently, the sun was sprinkling its sunshine, but on the other hand, the clouds were trying to compete the sun to dominate its presence and trying to claim the territory under their name. This hide and seek lasted through out the trek of Deosai.
We were now, anxiously waiting for Sheosar Lake, because we had heard about it, as one of the highest and gorgeous Lake of Pakistan. We were not feeling that much cold as it was sunshine so far. We came across a tent hotel on the way, from which we took soft drinks and appetizers, and since then, my Hero was clung to the soft drink, which I always avoided for him. Anyhow, we started to move further. Sheosar Lake is about 18km from Chillam Chowki. An important thing to mention here, is that Chief justice of Pakistan, Supreme Court, was also coming to Deosai. There were welcome banners for CJP, dispatched at different places, and we further noticed the police officers on the edges of different mountains. The driver informed us, that CJP was in Astore and now on way towards Deosai.
Nevertheless, we were enjoying the glamour of the route along with joggling due to unpaved patch. All of a sudden, something has casted a spell on us. We were motionless and stunned. Oh yes, it was the entrancing and bewitching beauty of Sheosar lake, one of the exquisiteness of Deosai. We forgot to blink our eyes, and as we were moving closer to Sheosar Lake, it clutched and captivated all of us through its dazzling beauty. We were considering it a dream, to be here, unexplainable feelings for words, and there is no doubt to add this lake in the list of one of the enchanting lakes of world. We reached at the visiting point of Sheosar Lake around 9:55am The Lake was surrounded by mountains, with stupefying greenery. We noticed partial snow on some distant mountains surrounded Sheosar Lake. There was deafening silence in the environment near Sheosar Lake. Soul refreshing magical breeze was wafting, and compelling us to look above the sky with the gratified feelings for Allah Subhana Hu Wa Ta’ala. The nature was at its peak there and clamorously declaring that there is someone, who has created this masterpiece.
There were some visitors at lake too. We started taking photographs to record the astounding gorgeousness of Sheosar Lake in our cameras for our memories. At some points, there were wet muddy patches at the bank of Lake, which were soften enough for your feet to move inside the ground to some extent. Meanwhile, we were enjoying our time at Lake, all of a sudden we noticed, that an unwelcome battalion has attacked the territory. Do not worry, it was not human battalion, it was the gigantic mosquito’s battalion, a very famous battalion of Deosai 
, which tries to protect this gorgeous land from humans by forcing them to stay for a while, and not for longer duration. The mosquitoes were really, big ones. They clung us all over. There were 15-20 mosquitoes approximately stick to each of us. It looks that these mosquitoes survived the whole year by the feed, which they consume in these months through these attacks . This battalion forced me to remove my upper shirt, and used that shirt as nunchuk to protect the kid and ourselves from their attack and reminded us the Chinese/Japanese kungfu movies . The dark clouds and these black mosquitoes dominated and claimed the territory. In the meantime, the police officers started vacating the Sheosar Lake point due to the arrival of CJP. We noticed, that they were not saying anything to families. They did not say anything to us. Everyone else left the place, and we were alone there as a visitor. After sometime, we also decided to leave Sheosar Lake, as usual with a heavy heart. It was 10:50am, when we departed from Lake.
Our next destination point was chota pani for a short stay. We reached there around 11:15am. There were also tents available at Chota pani for stay. We went under the bridge to spend some time, and taking photographs there. It was also a beautiful point. The river colour at Chota pani was black. At one tent hotel, it was mentioned “Kala pani”. That confused us, because the Kali pani is the second name of Bara pani according to our knowledge, the point where we had planned to spend night. We left Chota pani at 11:40am, and now our next destination was Bara Pani. As we started moving towards Bara pani, the weather was appearing to be ruthless. We experienced another mesmerized and picturesque scene, when we look towards our right side above sky. There were clouds but the sunrays were coming down by stretching those clouds, and were creating a ravishing and astounding view. We noticed some snow covered mountains at far distance from us towards our right side, and upon asking from driver, we came to know, that is the killer mountain Nanga Parbat. We were unaware about this. The route to the Bara pani is not smooth one; rather it is an unpaved bumpy trek with patches and mud but it passes through picturesque landscape. There were drizzling on the way, and finally we reached Bara Pani/Kala Pani around 12:10pm.
It was prodigious and staggering place for stay. The clouds were furious and frantic at Bara pani. The wife and kid started enjoying this picturesque sight and started taking pictures, while we started to find out the proper location for setting up camps. In the meantime, we heard and noticed the vivid rumbles and reverberation of clouds and thunderstorm. This is for what Deosai is famous for its unpredictable weather forecast. It went darkness everywhere due to dark clouds, and the weather was communicating to us to do the arrangements as soon as possible. We, therefore realized this, and initiated to setup our camps towards the riverside of the area. The locals had maintained the area for setting up camps, and they were charging 100/200 rupees. On the other part, they were offering their own camps on rent too.
Consequently, we were setting up our camps, fixing the iron hooks in the ground. Our hero was accompanying us in fixing the camps . He is MashAllah keen observer, and learns the things by observing others in doing so. While on the other side, my wife was bringing our luggage towards campsite. As we setup the camps, and were placing plastic sheet over camps, it started thrashing downpour. My goodness, it was slamming one with enraged clouds and thunders. I immediately threw luggage as well as wife and kid into my camp, while the friends were busy in throwing their luggage into their camps. Thereafter, we started placing heavy stones above the plastic sheets in order to protect it from flying away. The brutal rainstorm forced us to rush into the camps within blink of an eye, and we were adjusting the stones on the front side of the camp from inside. Later on, one of friend told us that, he again moved out at the backside of camp in order to dig some area behind the camp, as the rainwater was entering into their camps from backside due to a little slope. However, after digging that area, the rainwater stopped to enter into their camp.
My goodness, it was heaven on earth. What an unforgettable time, we had spent there at Deosai. Just imagine the situation.The river Kala pani is in front of us, flowing wrathfully. The clouds were thrashing and thundering with flashing of light, the territory was covered and claimed completely by dark clouds. We were inside the camp, hearing the melodious music created by rain above our camps as well as on the ground and river outside, we have a small opening in front of the camp, viewing the river Kala pani while sitting inside the camp. It was an exquisite, bewitching, phenomenal and unforgettable time, which we spent at Bara Pani. We were yelling and communicating with each other, as our camps were adjacent, asking about the current situation inside the camps of each other. My hero started playing with his toy car, which he brought with him. Moreover, he started to play with the camera in order to learn how to take pictures, as he observed us to do so . We were enjoying each second, minute and hour of our expedition, while seeing him so much exultant and excited. On the other part, we were hearing the yelling of some bikers who just reached to Bara pani in rain
Nonetheless, the rain persisted for almost one and a half hour. It stopped around 2:30pm. Soon after, we started hearing the noise of people outside, depicting their eagerness for the rain to stop, and to move outside their camps to enjoy their time at Bara pani. We also rushed outside our camps in a way as if someone had imprisoned us in camps, and now, we set free . The weather became phenomenal and mesmerized. We went towards the riverside to take the pictures, and captured the dazzling glamour of nature in our cameras. After spending some time, we went into a tent hotel for a cup of tea, oh yes, in this mesmerized weather, a cup of tea will increase your excitement. We also noticed some different kind of birds flying there, which are the famous creatures of Deosai. Meanwhile, we further came to know that CJP was also spending his time with family at the other side of the bridge, and they just started leaving the place at our teatime. In the meantime, we also started transferring the data in the OTG Usb. The food was expensive at Bara pani. The hotel boy told the cost of one chicken karai around 2000Rs. A small biryani plate was around 150Rs.
After finishing the tea, we moved out from camps and went towards the mountainside to take more pictures, and you just imagine what had we noticed all of a sudden? Oh, yes, the same battalion of mosquitoes attacked the whole territory even with larger and brutal force and strength. It was becoming difficult to take pictures, and they were clung to us all over, especially to my kid. Consequently, we brainstormed and decided to leave Deosai immediately. The most prominent supporter to spend night at Deosai, was my wife, and the most prominent supporter to leave deosai due to these mosquitoes, was also my wife . It was approximately 5:00pm. Some people told, that these mosquitoes are harmless, but I was worried about my son. We also forgot to take mospel with u, so decided to leave, as we had already enjoyed ample time here. We informed the driver about our plan, thereafter initiated the removing of our camps briskly, because we also do not wish to see Satpara Lake in darkness. Nevertheless, we were now leaving bara pani around 5:20pm, and reached Shantang Nala around 5:40pm. There were families at Shantang Nala, who setup up their camps. It was a captivating point for camping.
However, we continued our journey towards Skardu. The trek was muddy and smudged due to lashing rain. We saw some beautiful birds, marmot and some different kind of animals herd moving on the mountains as well as on the unpaved road of Deosai. We found some people on the way standing by their faulty car. Our driver knew them, so he asked us to take them with us till skardu, as there was some major faulty in their car, and there was no mechanic available, they had to bring mechanic from Skardu. We agreed upon, and resumed our journey towards Skardu. After crossing Deosai boundary, now the road was dangerous descending with sharp turns. In the meantime, driver also told us the previous road from where, people used to enter into Deosai long years back. The sun hid itself behind the mountains. We were fervently waiting for Satpara Lake. Meanwhile, I started recitations of Quran Pak, and here it comes the first sight of Satpara Lake, it was majestic and astounding view. The darkness was about to start as the Magrib time begun, and we were praying, may we reach the down towards Satpara in light in order to take at least few pictures.
To end with, we finally reached the starting point of Satpara lake. It would be best for us, if we would have moved out there and took the pictures from the starting point. Unfortunately, we did not do so, and continued towards the ending point of Lake. At that time, little dark shades of night started depleting the day light. We reached the main point, where there was route towards dam. I, first time, came to know about this dam on Satpara Lake. I guess it was not completed yet. The security prohibited us from taking pictures as some Wapda official was on visit there. We requested them a lot for taking pictures, and as usual, using my kid and wife as a weapon for that. While seeing kid and wife, they agreed upon, but for very few pictures. Unfortunately,
pictures were not that much clear due to appearance of shades of night. After some time we were moving towards Skardu. We reached Skardu at Yaadgar Chowk around 8:00pm. One of the person to whom we offered lift, took us to the Hilton hotel in Skardu bazar due to its economical rates. These people had also reserved their rooms in that hotel. It was wonderful hotel. The room rent was decided 1200Rs. per room. The room had separate wash basin and bathroom attached with it. There was LCD TV along with WiFi provision. The hotel was just near the famous polo ground of Skardu, and at the depth of Kharpocho Fort. It was hot, and we switched on fan. The next thing was to power on cable TV, which we did not see for so many days.
On one side, we felt it good to enter into city sort of environment after so many days, but on the other part we were acutely missing all the stunning and dazzling places and glamour which he had left behind. We were feeling hunger, so took dinner i.e. chicken karahi costing 720/Rs. All of a sudden, we noticed some strange big spot, kind of big acne, on the head and behind the ear of our kid. We worried by noticing this and decided to take him to doctor in the morning. While at night, we recited Ayat ul Kursi seven times on those spots, and by the grace of Allah Subhana hu Wa taa’la those spots diminished in the morning. Nevertheless, we went to bed for sleep while recalling all those miraculous and hypnotic sites which we visited on day 6.
