I was in a hurry to get to Islamabad to get my visa extension, so cycled what I had done in 2 days coming up in one day going down from Gilgit to Chilas.
As you can see, a long day. When I got to Chilas I was planning to find a vehicle to take me and bicycle up Babusar pass, then cycle the long downhill. Instead I took advice and took a bus all the way to Manshera. Very cold at Babusar Top, as it is called. .
The other side of Babusar pass becomes the Kaghan Valley, another popular tourist destination for Pakistanis. Unlike the other, almost desert-like scenery on the northern side of Babusar, here it is full of pine forests and high pasture.
Saw a lone cycle tourist from the bus. How I wished I could have met him.
This type of bus is called a “coaster” for some reason and I was greatly relieved to find my bicycle totally undamaged and arriving in Manserha at 5 p.m. decided to cycle to Abbottabad so as to have a shorter ride the next day.
Although it was signposted as 17 kms. It turned out to be 24. It was dark by the time I arrived but found a nice hotel at 4,500 prs. and was finally able to have the famous shinwari cuisine. Btw, 4500 rupees here equals about 1300 rupees Indian. That is what my hotel room here in the Islamabad Palace Guest House costs.