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Eagle's Nest The highlight of the trip was Eagle's Nest, perched a couple of thousand feet above Karimabad, accessible only by Jeep or on foot. Even a Landcruiser can't make it because the road is so narrow. Most people go up there just for the sunrise but we made a night of it. Alexander's Kids The higher we went in the mountains, the more Anglo the kids looked (below). People kept telling us that they were the product of seeds sewn by Alexander the Great's troops. One myth is about several soldiers who fell in love with Hunza and stayed. If the story is true, All I can say is "Smart move, guys!" Living in Hunza sure beats dying in Balochistan. The fair complexion tends to disappear as they get older. |
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We've spent hundreds of dollars on hotel rooms elsewhere but the $15 room at Eagle's Nest beat them all for views. From our window (left) we could see three spectacular peaks, deep into Hunza Valley, and across to a field of wildflowers. One of the dinner tables (above) was literally perched on a rock. The food was simple but good and you could get some Hunza items as opposed to most of the restaurants which catered to Punjabis who aren't known for their culinary multi-culturalism. |
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Eagle's Nest Hotel We only spent one night at Eagle's Nest but it was our most memorable stay. The hotel has about six or eight rooms with a terrific veranda which looks out over the Hunza Valley, down on Karimabad and across to Rakaposhi. Behind the hotel is Lady Finger and Hunza Peak. For the view, it certainly rivals the most expensive hotels and, surprisingly, it was rather comfortable with hot water and clean linens. The electricity seemed at about half voltage so perhaps you could plug in your North American appliances. I think one wire serviced all the villages on the way up the hill with Eagle's Nest getting what's left. |
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They served something they called "mountain tea" which smelled like oregano. When we climbed up the hill, we saw a silver-gray scrubby plant that smelled like this tea. Perhaps that was it. |
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The primo table was perched on this rock. Litigation potential would make something like this impossible in the US. |
