Postcard from Shigar Village - cricket, polo, goats, ducks, horses, washing and water - a wonderful walk

We needed to stretch our legs after a long time sitting in the car and so we decided to take a walk around Shigar Village.  The village sits in the beautifully green Shigar Valley, surrounded by mountains with the Shigar River running through the valley.  Shigar Village sits at an elevation of 2,230m and is inhabited by the Balti people of Tibetan descent.  It is unsure where the name Balti came from however Baltistan is Persian for land of the Baltis. 

Our walk took us through the centre of the village, past mosques (the subject of my next blog), shops, colourful houses, women washing, goats grazing and kids playing cricket.  I love that wherever we travel in Pakistan we always see children playing cricket and it reminds me of home.  We also sat and watched some children playing a version of polo.  They ran with polo mallets, expertly hitting a ball across the polo ground.  Polo is very popular in Gilgit-Baltistan with every valley seeming to have a polo ground.  

Water channels run through the village to direct water to fields and for household use.  Women sat and washed clothes or washed dishes.  It is a very conservative region and the women didn’t want their photo taken.  I did take some lovely photos though of shopkeepers, grandfathers and horse riders who stopped just for me.  

I love this colour and you can find it painted on walls and houses

The local barber shop

Washing hung above a stream

Shigar Polo Ground - cricket being played

Practicing polo

Love that he was taking his grandson around the village for a walk