Karakorum Highway, Pakistan 1997

The trucks in Pakistan are unlike any I have seen anywhere in the world. The decoration and detail on them make their passing like a parade. Right down to small jingling frill that gives each truck a pitch and sound all its own. Along the Karakorum Highway these trucks are seen crawling up the mountains carrying mostly cement for building. The return journey down valley see these trucks loaded up with potatoes to bring to market. As a hitchiker I preferd catching rides in these trucks for two main reasons: I rode on the roof of the cab in a safe, elevated an and exposed location, and because of their size, load nd the steepness of their climb, they traveled extremely slow. I prefered this travel to crammed high speed mini-vans with little room, air or view.