Postcard from Keris - the door to heaven

We say a fond farewell to Shigar and get ready to drive the two hours, 104 kilometres, to Khaplu where we will be staying for the next few days.

The two-hour drive takes us close to four hours as I want to stop so many times to take photographs.  The scenery continues to be stunning but the road is not. The road is only paved in parts and the rest was very bumpy, so much so that my Fitbit congratulated me on doing my daily target of 10,000 steps.  

My favourite stop was at the Keris pedestrian bridge, suspended over the Shyok River.  We walked across the bridge in the bright sunshine.  It was obviously a good day to do washing as many women were by the river’s edge washing clothes in the icy river and draping them over hot stones to dry.  Keris is at the confluence of the Indus and Shyok Rivers.  As you sit and look at the bridge and the turquoise river, your eyes move up past the beginning of the green valley to snow capped mountains. You can see why the bridge has been called ‘the door to heaven’.  

Leaving the green Shigar Valley

Under all that hay is a house. Limited land means using every available surface for drying.

Gol Village in the Indus River

Stopping at Keris

Keris pedestrian suspension bridge

The green-blue bend of the Shyok River

Keris road suspension bridge in the background

Ghawari