Leaving Pakistan

I am leaving Pakistan after 2 months of cycle touring/bikepacking around in the mountains (KPK province) and parts of Punjab.
I had intended to spend 3 months but 2 months has been enough. Why?

It has been tough but really in a unexpected way.  It is the constant attention I draw just doing what I am doing.
I don’t think it is so much being a foreigner- guys usually ask me where I am from etc. in Urdu and sometimes Pashto. I have now been asked a total of 5 times if I am Chinese! Isn’t that peculiar?  Otherwise in the tourist areas (Kaghan, Hunza etc.) people along the road constantly shout out “how are you” like they do the “namastes” in Nepal.
It is all well-meaning and friendly, but it has gotten to be too much. I would love some anonymity.

To be clear, you can somewhat ignore the “how are you’s” but you cannot ignore all the well-meaning guys who come up to you as you are riding on their motorcycles or cars and start up conversations. It also is not possible to stop for chai or cold drinks without conversation.

I again would like to remark on the general character of the people as I have found it,  naturally kind, honest, sincere and hospitable.  I have seen that it is not only with me, but an intrinsic part of their culture.
The other constraint on my cycle tour that I have written about in previous posts is the security issue.  The requirement of having police escort is the result of a great fear of something bad happening to a foreign tourist in Pakistan, i.e. terrorist, kidnapping etc.  It seems excessive to me (the escorts) and I told some of the police that the danger to me is speeding drivers which is part of cycle touring anywhere.  It would certainly keep me from recommending Pakistan as a cycle touring destination at least in certain areas (especially, but not only Swat and Kohistan).

Politics and the economy are in a mess here. There is a lot of wealth here but the gap between rich and poor is huge and not much of a middle class. Almost everyone supports Imran Khan but why, I don’t really know. They certainly need someone to give leadership and from the tepid atmosphere on Nawaz Sharif’s’ return it doesn’t look like he is the person.

I have been asked a few times what differences I have found between India and Pakistan. People here understand how India has prospered and there is great regard for that. My answer was always to ask in which area are you asking about the differences. In general I point out that India is so much bigger and has so much more variety than Pakistan.

I had the feeling that Pakistanis think of India as being very dirty. I did not find Pakistan any cleaner. Lahore is filthy, especially the air. Islamabad is really clean and green. Everything seems to revolve around cars- highways, motorways, flyovers. Is that good? I don’t know, but public transport doesn’t seem a priority.

That said, most roads were very good and the KKH from the beginning of Gilgit-Baltistan was a delight for cycling, especially the highway from Gilgit through Nagar and Hunza.

Along the way I met a few fellow cycle tourists, the lovely young Chilean couple, the independent Tunisian man, a Swiss guy, and 3 unfriendly Chinese.
I have  been asked countless times to take guys to America. Everyone wants to go. I always had to disappoint.

Despite the disarray in the economy here new housing developments are everywhere and magnificent looking marriage halls or marquees are on the outskirts of every city.  Markets are full, but people are complaining. The poorer people suffer.  Pakistan does look shabby compared to India but the abject poverty you see in India isn’t so obvious.