AN OVERLAND EXPERIENCE

The best shower I have ever had was in the Hotel Ararat in Dogubayazit, a small untidy town at the foot of Mt. Ararat only 300km from the Turkey-Iran border. This shower came after 10 days non-stop driving from Karachi across the Balucistan and Sind deserts of Pakistan and the endless stony desert of Iran. Although we did have the odd facewash in an irrigation channel, the feeling of hot water on my skin followed by a soft clean bed was pure luxury. Every year many young people join together to 'rough it" across Asia from Kathmandu to London with the few companies still operating overlands. Depending on the company you use you may travel in a single deck coach, a modified Bedford truck or even on a "double decker" of the London Transport type. I worked as an expedition/driver with a London based company operating Bedford trucks converted into self-contained expedition vehicles at our workshop near London. These trucks are designed to cope with the wide range of conditions which may be encountered on the overland route. While most of the roads are sealed, the surfaces often leave a lot to be desired In addition there is some very rough off-road driving . Monsoon rain and extreme heat can dramatically alter the surface of both the sealed and the unsealed sections therefore some skilled truck handling is often required.

The traditional overland route has changed considerably since the revolution in Iran and the Russian occupation of Afghanistan both in 1979. Afghanistan is still out of bounds to foreigners but it is still possible to drive the 2400kms across Iran. The time formally spent in these countries is now used to explore the biblical lands of Jordan and Syria. With so much internal and international conflict within the Middle East the time spent in any individual country can vary without notice.

The highlight of the trip for the majority of the people is Kashmir. The Moghul Emperor Jehangir loved this beautiful area, situated in the high Himalayas north west of India's capital Delhi, and it was on his way there that he died. The Moghuls left their mark in Srinagar with many well laid-out gardens and a magnificent fort built by the greatest emperor, Akbar. The British were never permitted to own land in Kashmir so they built sumptuously carved wooden houseboats instead. Four nights are spent on these luxurious houseboats enjoying some of the best food on the trip. Take a pack lunch and spend the day cycling around the lake, visiting the gardens and some of the cottage industries; or hire a Sikhara (the local water taxi) and be paddled in and out of the quiet canals.

Between June and September the high passes to Ladakh are free of snow and traffic winds it's way up to the capital, Leh. The contrast is stunning as you climb high onto the ar id Tibetan plateau where brilliant green plots are the result of the only water for irrigation, drawn from the ever present Indus. High above are the awesome snow peaks of the Himalaya which feed the river. There is little, if any, precipitation on the plateau as it lies in the rainshadow of the mountains to the south. The time in Ladakh is mainly spent visiting The many Buddhist monasteries such as Spitok and Hemis, using Leh as a base.

Amongst the other countries visited, Syria and Jordan have a lot more to offer than desert warfare. Over the years the Levant has seen many invaders come and go and this timeless land has preserved many historical ruins. The best preserved Crusader castle lies to the north of Damascus and to the east of the Mediterranean port of Tartous. The Krak des Chevaliers (The Knight's Castle) has such a commanding view of the surrounding countryside that it is easy to see why it was such a formidable fortress.

Damascus itself is said to be the oldest continuously inhabited capital on earth, but in the present day it functions as the R&R centre for the soldiers from the Lebanon front. Old Damascus still bears names from Biblical times and has one of the most intriguing "souks" in the Middle East.  Palmyra, the city built by Queen Zenobia to rival Rome, lies about 5 hours drive N.E. of Damascus on the road to Baghdad. The ruins of this ancient city are scattered haphazardly about the desert, which makes for an assault course when visiting them. The old Arab citadel, perched on a hill behind the ruins, takes quite an effort to climb even in the pre dawn heat but a long bathe in the hot springs on returning is guaranteed to soothe tired limbs.

After the fall of Rome in 467AD Byzantium became the capital of the eastern empire and today the gateway to Asia is Turkey's major port and largest city, Istanbul. Kemal Ataturk changed the name in 1923 to Istanbul centuries after the emperor Constantine had changed it Constantinople. Turkey is by far the cheapest country visited and where many of the rewarding experiences are to be found. To explore this vast beautiful country and to visit all the archaeological sites could take many years so many people return to this ancient and diverse land after their initial short sojourn. The ancient ruins of Ephesus and Bergama, the calcifying hot springs at Pammukale, the stone heads of Mt. Nemrut Dagi and the magnificent beach at Fethiye are just some of the famous places which can be visited.

The memories of "Midnight Express" play on people's minds before they arrive, however once they encounter the friendliness of the Turkish people their fears are dispelled and they can start to enjoy the culture and the scenery. Unfortunately not a great deal of time is spent in Pakistan but what you do see is a country quite diverse yet held together by Islam. One of the highlights of this country is the drive up the spectacular Karakorum Highway to Gilgit and Hunza. Rather than drive both ways many people take the cheap and rewarding flight to Gilgit, meet the truck after a few days sightseeing and then drive back down to Rawalpindi. Sadly, the Kyber pass is out of bounds to foreigners due to political problems in the region, however I was very fortunate in being allowed up in 1983 although we had to stop just before the Afghan border post of Torkam. One could almost feel nostalgic after having seen movies and read books on this historic area. Even Alexander the Great was here on his epic journey. Pakistan also lays claim to one of the oldest civilisation in the world, the Indus Valley Civilisation at Moenjodaro on the road between Karachi and Quetta. Quetta itself is an old British Hill Station and lies in a mountain range in the Baluchistan desert.

Between Quetta and the Iran border 500kms away are some of the most beautiful and desolate areas of the trip. This is one of the worst driving sections of all and the road is so potholed and washed away in sections that you are forced to drive on the sand. The sand in fact provided us with one of the best road surfaces outside of Germany and as long as you kept the "road" in sight you could not get lost. Of course overlanding is not always comfortable since there is a lot of driving and much time is spent exploring on foot. A sense of group spirit usually develops amongst the 'overlanders" on the trip as you live very close together for a number of weeks and share many experiences. Overlanding is more of an adventure than a holiday! Whether you are sitting next to a camp fire on a deserted Turkish beach or sleeping under a carpet of stars in the middle of a desert you will be taken away from the rush and noise of your own world for an adventure of a lifetime.

COLIN HOOD 1986

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