0:00:52 > 0:00:57My journey begins in one of the most lawless border areas in the world -
0:00:57 > 0:00:59the North-West Frontier.
0:00:59 > 0:01:03Many have tried to control it, few have ever succeeded.
0:01:03 > 0:01:10I'm at the top of the Khyber Pass on the border between Pakistan and, out there, Afghanistan.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13Through here have come some of the great armies of the world -
0:01:13 > 0:01:16Alexander the Great brought an army through here,
0:01:16 > 0:01:20Darius the Persian, Tamburlaine the Great and in 1842,
0:01:20 > 0:01:25the lone survivor of the British Army's attempt to pacify Afghanistan
0:01:25 > 0:01:31came staggering up this road to announce the annihilation of 17,000 of his comrades.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34The reason there's such a concentration of history at this point
0:01:34 > 0:01:38is that if you're coming in from the west,
0:01:38 > 0:01:44this is the only way through this colossal range of mountains that eventually becomes The Himalaya.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08Our route runs the length of the Himalaya from Pakistan, India and Nepal,
0:02:08 > 0:02:12across into Tibet and China, south into Assam and Bhutan
0:02:12 > 0:02:18and finally into Bangladesh, where the mud of the mountains spills into the Bay of Bengal.
0:02:22 > 0:02:28We start on the Khyber Railway, pushed through the mountains by the British 80 years ago.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31- A lot of tunnels, aren't there? - A lot of tunnels - 32 tunnels.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34It cost £100,000 a mile.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWS
0:02:37 > 0:02:40The engine's even older than the railway.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44It was built in Lancashire in 1916. The driver's a lot younger!
0:02:59 > 0:03:0470 years ago, a train like this would probably been full of British soldiers,
0:03:04 > 0:03:10taking a last unregretful look at one of the most inhospitable postings on earth.
0:03:10 > 0:03:16Glaring heat, bare rock faces, home today to the mansions of the local warlords.
0:03:22 > 0:03:29Like many small spectacular railways, it owes its survival more to love than business.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32What brings you up the Khyber today?
0:03:32 > 0:03:35- I'm a regular visitor. - Oh, oh, right.- Yeah.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37I just came from Dubai.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40- From Dubai?- Yeah. This morning.
0:03:40 > 0:03:45Just got off at the airport, hopped onto the train and to the Khyber.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48You must be rather fond of railways, then?
0:03:48 > 0:03:50Definitely. Steam is my passion.
0:03:55 > 0:04:00With 34 tunnels and 92 bridges and cuttings along its 27 mile length,
0:04:00 > 0:04:03the Khyber Railway has obvious tourist potential.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05But where are the tourists?
0:04:05 > 0:04:09Is it difficult to get the train up and running these days?
0:04:09 > 0:04:16Well, definitely, you know, just because of whatever is the political situation that's not stable,
0:04:16 > 0:04:19so that's why we're not getting enough tourists in Pakistan.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22So that's why it's very difficult for us to operate this train,
0:04:22 > 0:04:26because unless we're not having enough tourists, how can we operate this train?
0:04:26 > 0:04:31So these are the privileged few - opinion-formers, local worthies,
0:04:31 > 0:04:37city boys who the owners hope will be impressed enough by what they see to keep the railway alive.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45Do you think there's any danger in people coming here?
0:04:45 > 0:04:49- No. No.- No, not now, not even before,
0:04:49 > 0:04:52because Pakistani people are very much hospitable people
0:04:52 > 0:04:59and they will take care especially to their...um...guests, I mean, much more than their self.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03The train is a reassuring presence in a highly volatile area.
0:05:03 > 0:05:08It would be a great loss if the threat of violence deprived this country and the world
0:05:08 > 0:05:11of the modest delights of the Khyber Railway.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44The train still has a few miles to go to its terminus in Peshawar,
0:05:44 > 0:05:47but we're getting off here to spend a bit more time
0:05:47 > 0:05:51in this extraordinary corner of Pakistan's Wild West.
0:05:51 > 0:05:57A tribal land based on two great principles - hospitality and revenge.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01GUNSHOTS
0:06:02 > 0:06:04You can hear Darra from miles away.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08It sounds as if there's a pitched battle going on.
0:06:08 > 0:06:13But it's just business as usual in the town that lives on guns.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15Why are they located here?
0:06:15 > 0:06:20Well, it's a very perfect location to have this involvement...
0:06:20 > 0:06:25the gun factories surrounded by the mountains and for years these people have been... oh!
0:06:25 > 0:06:31- 'My guide, nearly my ex-guide, is Zahoor Duranni.'- ..making guns for almost 120 years.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34- For these particular tribal people here?- Yes, exactly.
0:06:34 > 0:06:39That's why you see this is only just here, nowhere else in the frontier.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43'The arms industry in Darra may be in the hands of small shopkeepers,
0:06:43 > 0:06:49'but they can produce an exact copy of any of the world's shooters.' Another arcade of gun shops.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52Yes, you can see... GUNSHOTS
0:06:52 > 0:06:57like the volleying of guns and selling and buying...
0:06:59 > 0:07:03GUNSHOTS See? You bought a gun, you have to try the gun.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06'Arms manufacture is a proud and honourable tradition,'
0:07:06 > 0:07:10and the gunsmiths of Darra look more like scholars bent over ancient texts.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14Each deadly weapon made with tender loving care.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20HE SPEAKS LOCAL LANGUAGE
0:07:22 > 0:07:28See, this is the mini version of the Kalashnikov, the Russian-made gun.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32Kalashnikov - the AK47 everyone knows about. Yeah.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36So these are the parts, you see?
0:07:36 > 0:07:41- This part...- So, they're making part of this weapon,
0:07:41 > 0:07:46- and in other parts of Darra there will be workshops making other parts?- Yes, exactly.
0:07:46 > 0:07:53Each shop specialises in certain, I would say, these bits and pieces and then they put together.
0:07:53 > 0:08:00Here, it seems a lot of it can be done by hand in very old-fashioned, labour-intensive methods.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04Oh, that's the very interesting part - that's the best part of it -
0:08:04 > 0:08:07that everything, most of these things are done by hand.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11Yeah, and who are these guns bought by, largely?
0:08:11 > 0:08:13You see we are in tribal territory,
0:08:13 > 0:08:19- and there are hundred and thousands of people living in the tribal free territory.- Yeah.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23Here you do not need to have a licence to have a gun.
0:08:23 > 0:08:29The young ones, the old ones, from time to time they exchange guns like people exchange car,
0:08:29 > 0:08:33so we feel that it would be better to have a new gun, a better gun,
0:08:33 > 0:08:36you can bring this old gun, sell it and buy a new gun.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40- GUNFIRE - The prices are frighteningly reasonable.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43A tenner will buy you something simple and effective,
0:08:43 > 0:08:46whilst a top of the range Kalashnikov will set you back £80.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50If you prefer to shop around, you'll find there's nothing they can't do for you.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54- Do you have like sort of James Bond...?- Pen pistol?
0:08:54 > 0:09:00- Oh, yes, he's got a pen pistol! - I mean, you know, he's always very well-armed, isn't he?
0:09:01 > 0:09:07Now, this is the pen, you can sign and you can even use your cheques, and you can...
0:09:07 > 0:09:11- I was joking! He really has got one! - Now look and see.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15This is the top, we take off this top and then you but the bullet here -
0:09:15 > 0:09:1722-calibre bullet.
0:09:17 > 0:09:22- And there you are signing "Sincerely yours, James Bond..."- Yes.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25Then WHOOMPH! That's the size of the bullet?
0:09:25 > 0:09:28Oh, I see, yeah, James Bond... tiny bullet.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33- What range would this kill someone? - THEY SPEAK LOCAL LANGUAGE
0:09:36 > 0:09:41About 30 to 40 yard distance you can really hit somebody.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43- Right across the street, wow.- Yes.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50- A-ha!- Look at that, look at that!
0:09:50 > 0:09:53That's the one for signing contracts, isn't it?
0:09:54 > 0:09:58'As we leave Darra, Zahoor explains that on the North-West Frontier,
0:09:58 > 0:10:01'people carry guns the way the English carry umbrellas.
0:10:01 > 0:10:08'Which might account for the bizarre gentility of the place - picturesque and perilous, laid back and lethal.'
0:10:08 > 0:10:12VERY LOUD GUNFIRE
0:10:19 > 0:10:22Peshawar, capital of North-West Frontier Province,
0:10:22 > 0:10:26is a city of bazaars, each with its own speciality.
0:10:26 > 0:10:31Chargan Mandi is Chicken Market, Sabzi Mandi is Vegetable Market
0:10:31 > 0:10:36and Chour Bazaar is basically Things That Have Fallen Off The Back Of A Lorry Market.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40In the heart of the city, is a area devoted entirely to teeth.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45- Every other shop seems to be a dentist.- It is.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49- Pair of teeth. Look at that. - Very impressive.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51HE SPEAKS LOCAL LANGUAGE
0:10:51 > 0:10:55- Can we have a look inside? - Yes, please, let's go.
0:10:55 > 0:11:00'Abdul Wahid is proprietor of one of Peshawar's foremost establishments.
0:11:00 > 0:11:07'I've been having a spot of trouble with my canines and it looks as if Abdul Wahid is the man.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10'He didn't go to dental school, but picked it up from an uncle.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14'If I do need a filling, his charges are a bargain.'
0:11:14 > 0:11:19- Ranges from 50 rupees which is about 50p.- 50 pence, yeah.
0:11:19 > 0:11:2450 pence to about a pound, a pound-and-a-half, two pounds.
0:11:24 > 0:11:29I had quite a problem with my teeth when I was young, apparently because I had too much sugar,
0:11:29 > 0:11:32and quite a few teeth had to be replaced.
0:11:34 > 0:11:39Maybe he could look in my mouth and see and see what he can find?
0:11:39 > 0:11:41SPEAKS LOCAL LANGUAGE
0:11:41 > 0:11:45I'd be interested to know what he finds in there.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48He's...oh, got strong hands.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52'As Mr Wahid probes my mouth with a finger like a tree trunk,
0:11:52 > 0:11:56'all I can do is lie back and think of England.'
0:12:01 > 0:12:03He says it needs a bit of cleaning.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07- You want...to scrub your teeth? - I what?
0:12:07 > 0:12:09- To clean it?- Yes.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13- You need cleaning.- I do. Don't tell my dentist if he's watching.
0:12:13 > 0:12:17Bernie, I do clean them, honestly. Yeah, yeah, I know.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20- I've just had breakfast!- Ah, yes.
0:12:20 > 0:12:25If he was going to give me a filling or something like that and do some treatment,
0:12:25 > 0:12:31- would he use...is this his drill? Can he show me the drill?- Oh, yes, he has the drill machine.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34- Well, can he show it to me? - HE SPEAKS LOCAL LANGUAGE
0:12:42 > 0:12:47- I see...yeah, that's it. - DRILL BUZZES
0:12:48 > 0:12:50'I'm not entirely reassured.
0:12:50 > 0:12:55'It looks like the sort of thing you put bathroom cabinets up with.'
0:12:56 > 0:12:58Ah, so a little portable drill.
0:12:58 > 0:13:04So this is, the whole business is really why he stays here in this little corner,
0:13:04 > 0:13:08is because he's popular with the local people?
0:13:08 > 0:13:14- I'm sure he's very busy because the prices are good. - Ah, so hat's your drill.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17Can we see it working?
0:13:17 > 0:13:20Hold it up for our camera there.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23- DRILL BUZZES - Yeah, that's a mean looking drill.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25Yeah.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28- I don't think I need any fillings, do I?- No, no.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32I don't...I don't need fillings, because my... I've got no teeth!
0:13:32 > 0:13:36What is really reassuring is to sit here,
0:13:36 > 0:13:41with my poor old teeth and look ahead of me at that on the wall!
0:13:41 > 0:13:44I can see there, the image of how teeth should be.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48Yes, very nice! That's very nice.
0:13:48 > 0:13:53But there's something in Pakistan that is even more important than dentistry.
0:13:54 > 0:14:00Cricket is Pakistan's national obsession, played at any spare moment
0:14:00 > 0:14:04on any spare patch of ground and the younger they are, the keener they are.
0:14:04 > 0:14:09'I've learned a few tricks in my time,
0:14:09 > 0:14:10'after all, we invented the game!
0:14:10 > 0:14:17'So I thought these youngsters might benefit from seeing an old hand at work.'
0:14:21 > 0:14:24'The bowler looks a trifle over-confident.'
0:14:32 > 0:14:36'Justifiably so, as it turns out.'
0:14:36 > 0:14:38Out, was it...?
0:14:38 > 0:14:41Still standing, but where are the bails?
0:14:41 > 0:14:45- It's gone!- All right, OK.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48OK. Good bowling.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51'Come to think of it, batting was never my strong point at school,
0:14:51 > 0:14:56'where I concentrated most of my efforts on developing the unplayable delivery.'
0:15:02 > 0:15:06Four runs - oh, well. 'Well, at least I restricted him to four!
0:15:06 > 0:15:08'Now it's time to put the heat on.'
0:15:10 > 0:15:13Embarrassing! No ball.
0:15:13 > 0:15:19'I decide the only thing for it is to forget the cricket and concentrate on the comedy.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21'And it works!'
0:15:21 > 0:15:24Middle stone!
0:15:24 > 0:15:26How was that?!
0:15:26 > 0:15:29How was THAT?!
0:15:29 > 0:15:32YAY! Hey, wow! Yeah!
0:15:40 > 0:15:46Next day, I have to be strictly on my best behaviour as I'm welcomed by a guard of honour
0:15:46 > 0:15:50to the estate of one of the last great country landowners left in Pakistan.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58This is the home of Prince Malik Ata Muhammed Khan.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02It's modelled on the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst.
0:16:02 > 0:16:07From the open carriage that greets me, to the magnificent Palomino horses that draw it,
0:16:07 > 0:16:11it's clear Prince Malik believes in doing things properly.
0:16:11 > 0:16:15- Good morning Michael, very nice to see you. - Good morning. Thank you very much.
0:16:15 > 0:16:19- I hope you are enjoying travelling here.- It's a wonderful way to arrive, such style.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23- And you'll see some very good bull races tomorrow.- That's something I've heard are legendary.
0:16:23 > 0:16:28- Yes, there it is.- You have some of the finest racing bulls, I gather.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30Oh, it's so cool in here.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32- Much cooler in here.- This is lovely.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36'Prince Malik appears to live alone, but always eats at a fully laid table.
0:16:36 > 0:16:41'A bottle stands promisingly in front of me, but this being an officially dry country,
0:16:41 > 0:16:45- 'the wine waiter has a more limited selection.'- There.- Thank you.
0:16:45 > 0:16:50Ah, this is very nice. So you, you ride yourself?
0:16:50 > 0:16:51Yes, I always ride, I...
0:16:51 > 0:16:54'The prince is an engaging man, but no shrinking violet.'
0:16:54 > 0:16:57I participated in a world championship
0:16:57 > 0:17:01in Los Angeles, and I won the silver lance of Los Angeles from there
0:17:01 > 0:17:06and we were riding at Santa Barbara and I was the world champion in 1982.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08Obviously appearances are very important to you,
0:17:08 > 0:17:13and I can see from the marvellous Palominos that drew the coach
0:17:13 > 0:17:19and the waistcoats in gold and black that your servants are wearing.
0:17:19 > 0:17:24- Can you tell me a little about how...?- This is old traditional livery in our house, Michael,
0:17:24 > 0:17:26but things are going to change.
0:17:26 > 0:17:32I am the last of the dinosaurs and with me everything goes. You see, the new generation -
0:17:32 > 0:17:39the boys who are coming up now are very highly educated. They live in towns, they hate the country life,
0:17:39 > 0:17:44they hate the hazards, they don't want to look after a sick horse or a sick cow.
0:17:44 > 0:17:50so I don't think that this is the last of them. After me it finishes.
0:17:50 > 0:17:56I noticed a lot of the people I saw today, and indeed you yourself, have these splendid moustaches.
0:17:56 > 0:18:02- Is that very particular for this area?- Well, moustaches are very particular to this area
0:18:02 > 0:18:05and then as serving in the old British Army,
0:18:05 > 0:18:09people used, used to get a pension for the moustache also -
0:18:09 > 0:18:11they would get a special payment for the moustache.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19But the highlight of my visit is an afternoon at the races.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23The prince is entering four pairs of his pedigree Dhanni bulls.
0:18:42 > 0:18:48Bull racing is one of the chief entertainments laid on for the local people as a harvest celebration.
0:18:48 > 0:18:54It's like a manic country fair. A chance to make a lot of noise, dress your livestock in their Sunday best,
0:18:54 > 0:19:00forget about work, and maybe have a bit of a flutter on your favourite bull.
0:19:13 > 0:19:19The bulls are fed a diet of milk and honey, and after being paraded around,
0:19:19 > 0:19:21are taken to the start and yoked into pairs.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27This is the most critical part of the race.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30Can these straining bulls be held long enough
0:19:30 > 0:19:33to get the riders on their boards when the flag goes down?
0:19:35 > 0:19:40It's a race against the clock on a 600 yard course and there's a Toyota for the winner!
0:19:49 > 0:19:51Audience participation is quite common
0:19:51 > 0:19:56as most bulls just want to get off the course and back home as soon as possible.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00There's terrific pent up energy here.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04And when it's all unleashed, it puts Formula One in the shade.
0:20:27 > 0:20:33And the people who are here today, are they people who work in the local area?
0:20:33 > 0:20:35They're all farmers.
0:20:35 > 0:20:40They work on the farms and they all keep these bulls,
0:20:40 > 0:20:43these bulls are well kept than their own children.
0:20:43 > 0:20:49They are fed with honey, they are fed with almonds, they are fed with all the best things in the world -
0:20:49 > 0:20:54butter, and they are fed on many eggs and they are brought into this race.
0:20:54 > 0:20:59- They are fed on many goodies.- Someone told me they were fed something stronger just before they go.
0:20:59 > 0:21:04- Yes, they do.- A little bit of alcohol?- A home-brewed alcohol. - Really?- Yes.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07- So these bulls are really...? - They're raring now to go.
0:21:07 > 0:21:12- Some going off now. They're going... - No, they're going the wrong way.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15How many actually get to the finish?
0:21:15 > 0:21:19Well, the line is very long - it's 600 yards line.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22And only a horse could do that.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26It's really difficult for a bull to run that long.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30Yes, I mean some just go off into the crowds.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32Yes, because they have learned,
0:21:32 > 0:21:37running all that way and then once they get off the track, they know it's easier!
0:21:37 > 0:21:43- So they're the intelligent ones - the ones who get off the track. - Ones that are dumb,
0:21:43 > 0:21:45and have had many alcohol drinks,
0:21:45 > 0:21:49- they go straight on. Others turn off! - I know the feeling!
0:21:49 > 0:21:53- Is it dangerous for the riders and the crowd?- It is dangerous,
0:21:53 > 0:22:00because I can show you one of the jockeys, who have ridden 25 years on this track, has lost an arm.
0:22:00 > 0:22:05This, this is the gentleman you see, lost his arm running with bulls.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07Oh, dear...yeah.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10- Well, that's... - Do you want him up here?
0:22:16 > 0:22:19How did he lose his arm?
0:22:19 > 0:22:21He was stuck in the sledge.
0:22:21 > 0:22:26- How do you do?- And the bulls pulled him off. So the arm cut off.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30And what about people watching? Do they tend to get hurt?
0:22:30 > 0:22:32People watching are in more danger,
0:22:32 > 0:22:37because if they come between a truck and a...then nothing is left of the...
0:22:37 > 0:22:42- Is anybody killed, then?- Oh, we had a big race - killed many people.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45- Seriously?- Yes, seriously.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49Some of the men run with the bulls, are they allowed to do that?
0:22:49 > 0:22:55Well, in the olden days the men were stronger, because I have seen some very fine runners.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59There's a good pair coming. Look, it's a wonderful pair.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01Wonderful pair.
0:23:01 > 0:23:06No, I think that... No, the bulls are good.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08The rider - they are all good.
0:23:10 > 0:23:15- Oh, he has gone off the track! - Nearly there. - That is an experienced...
0:23:15 > 0:23:19- that is a very experienced bull. - But they were going really well.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21They were going very well, but he has gone off the track.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24- Do you have any bulls in the race? - I had four bulls. Four pairs.
0:23:24 > 0:23:29- Have they raced yet?- All of them - one raced through the track, the other went their different ways.
0:23:29 > 0:23:34- No-one reached the end, unfortunately.- That doesn't look so good for you, does it?
0:23:34 > 0:23:40No, it does look good for me, because I give away the prizes for the poor people, not for me.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46Then all of a sudden, we're the ones in the firing line.
0:23:48 > 0:23:54The prince screams at us to run, but it takes more than a raging bull to make Nigel turn his camera off,
0:23:54 > 0:23:57and thankfully, we live to film another day.
0:24:03 > 0:24:08Nowhere exemplifies the art of travel better than Peshawar Bus Station.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11On the North-West Frontier, no vehicle is allowed to go unadorned
0:24:11 > 0:24:14and operators spend time and money trying to outdo each other.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20Amidst all the colour and confusion, a woman walks with her daughter -
0:24:20 > 0:24:24a rare sight in a land where public life is for men.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30- Here's your bus.- How do you know?
0:24:30 > 0:24:34- Ah, because it says 6808. - Ah, right - Chitral bus.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37- This is the Chitral bus. - OK, so I get on this one?
0:24:37 > 0:24:44- Oh, yes, please.- Thank you for helping me to understand Peshawar a little better.- Good luck.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47Yes, OK, goodbye.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55THEY SPEAK LOCAL LANGUAGE
0:24:56 > 0:24:59This is mine? OK. Thank you.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04It's good value.
0:25:04 > 0:25:10Good value, isn't it? Chitral and back for ten pounds.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15This bus does go to Chitral, doesn't it?
0:25:16 > 0:25:20'It doesn't, as it happens, and for one very good reason.'
0:25:20 > 0:25:24The road to Chitral has to climb a 10,000 foot pass
0:25:24 > 0:25:27and down 43 hairpin bends on the other side.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31Forget about buses, it's frightening enough in a four wheel drive.
0:25:44 > 0:25:49The Lowari Pass is the only connection to the furthest valleys of the North-West Frontier,
0:25:49 > 0:25:54and only opens when the snows melt at the end of a six month winter.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12This is my first taste of the high mountain ranges
0:26:12 > 0:26:17and with it go any lingering hopes that this journey might be easier than we thought.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40The reward for those who make it across the pass
0:26:40 > 0:26:43is the green and pleasant land of Chitral,
0:26:43 > 0:26:48occupying a narrow valley hard up against the Afghan border.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50HE SINGS PRAYER
0:26:53 > 0:26:57Cut off from the rest of Pakistan for half the year,
0:26:57 > 0:27:04the Chitralis are very much their own men. Until 30 years ago, they were ruled by the Ul-Mulk family.
0:27:04 > 0:27:09'Siraj, heir to the dynasty, shows me inside the mosque his grandfather built.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15'A madrassa - a religious school - is in full swing.
0:27:20 > 0:27:25'Encouraged by the religious severity that has spread across the Afghan border,
0:27:25 > 0:27:31'subjects like science and maths are considered less important than learning the Koran.
0:27:31 > 0:27:36'Not only must the boys learn every word, they learn them in Arabic, a language quite foreign to them.'
0:27:39 > 0:27:43Whatever his feelings about the use of the family mosque,
0:27:43 > 0:27:47Siraj is unequivocally proud of Chitral's polo ground.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50Chitral is where polo started. This is where the game was born.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53Really? In this town?
0:27:53 > 0:27:58This town, yes. And the British modified it and took it to other parts of the world,
0:27:58 > 0:28:06and you see it being played in places like Hurlingham or in Palm Beach in the modified way.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09But over here, they play it in the original form -
0:28:09 > 0:28:12no rules, no umpire, no referee,
0:28:12 > 0:28:17and everyone enjoys it. You don't have to be a rich man to play polo.
0:28:22 > 0:28:26The reason why such a crowd came to watch an evening practice match
0:28:26 > 0:28:32is that in less than a week, a team selected from these players will represent Chitral
0:28:32 > 0:28:38in the toughest of all polo games. It's the annual needle-match against arch rivals Gilgit -
0:28:38 > 0:28:45played at 12,000 feet, up on the Shandur Pass, the highest polo ground in the world.
0:28:45 > 0:28:49There used to be talk of ancient polo games played without a ball,
0:28:49 > 0:28:53but with the head of a sort of sheep and all sorts of things.
0:28:53 > 0:28:57The head of the... the head of the enemy too,
0:28:57 > 0:29:00is what legend says about polo over here,
0:29:00 > 0:29:04but how true that is, I don't know.
0:29:04 > 0:29:08They won't be knocking heads around on the Shandur Pass,
0:29:08 > 0:29:14but it will be a great battle, and many of these locals, along with ourselves, will be there to watch.
0:29:19 > 0:29:23Older even than polo, is the music of the Chitral Valley.
0:29:23 > 0:29:28Songs and poems which Siraj describes as being "locked in the mountains."
0:29:32 > 0:29:35Songs about he beauty of the valley or the beauty of the local women,
0:29:35 > 0:29:42who are conspicuously absent, are accompanied by a variety of very old instruments...and one very new one.
0:29:50 > 0:29:53The performance follows a traditional pattern,
0:29:53 > 0:29:57with the tempo gradually building as the audience urges on the dancers.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14The future of music like this is threatened,
0:30:14 > 0:30:20partly by the apathy of the young, and partly by religious laws that disapprove of music.
0:30:20 > 0:30:26All of which might account for intensity with which the faithful few keep it alive.
0:31:04 > 0:31:11The massive mountain systems on the Pakistan-Afghan border are sliced through with gorges and ravines.
0:31:11 > 0:31:18Narrow tracks, clinging to the rock walls by their fingernails, are the only way into these hidden valleys,
0:31:18 > 0:31:24which for centuries have offered an unassailable refuge to those who want to hide away from the world.
0:31:28 > 0:31:34Deep in one of these remote gorges lives a people whose religion, culture and entire way of life
0:31:34 > 0:31:38is different from anywhere else in Pakistan.
0:31:38 > 0:31:43The Kalash have no cars or televisions, but they have a school, where for one day only,
0:31:43 > 0:31:47- 'I've been appointed Visiting Professor of English.' Hello.- Hello.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50ALL: Good morning, sir!
0:31:50 > 0:31:55Thank you, thank you very much. Ah, that was very good.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58TEACHER SPEAKS URDU
0:32:03 > 0:32:08- OK, shall I sit down here with them? - Have a seat.- Thank you. Hello!
0:32:08 > 0:32:13I've been asked to give you a lesson in English.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16I want to teach you...
0:32:16 > 0:32:19parts of the body. So...
0:32:19 > 0:32:21What is this?
0:32:23 > 0:32:25- Head!- Head!- Head.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28- Head.- Head.
0:32:28 > 0:32:30That's right.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33That was very good. Say it again.
0:32:36 > 0:32:38- Head!- Head. Very good indeed!
0:32:38 > 0:32:43What's in the middle of the head? You can't miss that, because it's very big!
0:32:43 > 0:32:45- Nose!- Nose!
0:32:45 > 0:32:47Nose. Nose, that's very good.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50- And...? - ALL: Mouth!
0:32:50 > 0:32:51Neck!
0:32:51 > 0:32:53Arm.
0:32:56 > 0:32:58- Hand.- Hand.
0:32:58 > 0:33:00This is all hand...
0:33:00 > 0:33:02but what's this?
0:33:02 > 0:33:04- Thumb!- Thumb, very good, thumb.
0:33:04 > 0:33:06And these are?
0:33:06 > 0:33:08Fingers!
0:33:08 > 0:33:10- One...- One finger.
0:33:10 > 0:33:12Two fingers.
0:33:12 > 0:33:15- Two fingers!- Three fingers!
0:33:15 > 0:33:19- Four...!- No fingers!
0:33:19 > 0:33:21- Thumb!- Thumb!
0:33:21 > 0:33:26- And now, this one here? All right, this one here?- Leg. Leg.
0:33:26 > 0:33:28Leg, that's good - leg.
0:33:28 > 0:33:30And on end of leg?
0:33:30 > 0:33:35- Boots!- Boots, no, no. Yes, that's boots, that's shoes...- Shoes. Shoes.
0:33:35 > 0:33:41But if I take shoe off, what's in there, then? Away with shoe!
0:33:41 > 0:33:45- Shoes... Foot! - Foot, that's right. Foot.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48Very good. That's foot and that's shoe.
0:33:48 > 0:33:52Come on shoe, it's a very naughty shoe, this won't stay on my... Oh!
0:33:52 > 0:33:54CHILDREN GIGGLE LOUDLY
0:33:57 > 0:34:00How will I get my shoe?
0:34:05 > 0:34:07Brilliant!
0:34:07 > 0:34:09Come on!
0:34:09 > 0:34:14- Up you get! Oh, hey, very good! - CHILDREN GIGGLE
0:34:14 > 0:34:17Very good. Now, that's a very bad shoe, very bad!
0:34:17 > 0:34:18Whoa!
0:34:20 > 0:34:22Off again!
0:34:29 > 0:34:32Oh, oh, it's a very bad shoe! Anyway...
0:34:34 > 0:34:39They have no written history, so no-one quite knows where the Kalash came from.
0:34:39 > 0:34:44Unlike the rest of the North-West Frontier, women with their characteristic headdresses,
0:34:44 > 0:34:49decorated with cowrie shells, appear in public open and unveiled.
0:34:53 > 0:34:58Their pale skin and light-coloured eyes have led some to suggest a genetic link with the armies
0:34:58 > 0:35:02of Alexander the Great, who passed through here 2,000 years ago.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05So then this house is a special house.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08The women are coming here for monthly period.
0:35:08 > 0:35:12- Yeah.- Every woman...- 'The Kalash have very strict rules about purity.
0:35:12 > 0:35:18'When women have their periods, they have to confine themselves behind the walls of a menstruation house.'
0:35:18 > 0:35:23Because we just say it is they're impure, to keep the...
0:35:23 > 0:35:26menstruating woman in the house, inside the house,
0:35:26 > 0:35:29so they will come here until they get...over...
0:35:29 > 0:35:33of the period, then they will come to the house. Even though we are just...
0:35:33 > 0:35:40this house is, whenever we, the woman is delivering a baby, so they will come to this house
0:35:40 > 0:35:44and they will stay after delivering the baby, they will stay there
0:35:44 > 0:35:48for 15 to 20 days here before they return to...
0:35:48 > 0:35:51So birth and menstruation are all, all from here?
0:35:51 > 0:35:55Any men allowed in here under any circumstances?
0:35:55 > 0:36:00No, the men is not allowed to go there, he's not allowed to touch them, he's not allowed to go inside.
0:36:00 > 0:36:02Hello. They seem to be quite happy.
0:36:02 > 0:36:08- So they're allowed to talk.- Yeah, they are. That is a nice holiday for them. They have resting,
0:36:08 > 0:36:14because even the woman were... when they are having their period, they feel weak a bit.
0:36:14 > 0:36:18- So they didn't have to do housework? - So they need complete rest.
0:36:18 > 0:36:21So this is a rest or recuperation service as well. Very good.
0:36:24 > 0:36:30Before rejoining the community, a new mother must first go to the temple for purification.
0:36:30 > 0:36:35Burning fronds of juniper and holly oak are used in a ritual cleansing
0:36:35 > 0:36:39to prepare the temple for the ceremony.
0:36:53 > 0:36:58Bread is baked by the husband as a symbol of fertility.
0:36:58 > 0:37:02It'll be presented to his wife once she and her family arrive.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31Once she's been given the fresh-baked bread,
0:37:31 > 0:37:36a last pass with the flaming branches means she's officially purified and can go back home.
0:37:45 > 0:37:49'These ceremonies are so unlike anything I've seen in Pakistan,
0:37:49 > 0:37:56'that when I walk through the village with my guide Saifullah, I return to the question of origins.'
0:37:56 > 0:38:01What are your theories about the origins of the Kalash people?
0:38:01 > 0:38:07Greek people think they are come from Greek. We are Greek and coming from Alexander the Great.
0:38:07 > 0:38:11- When Alexander the Great invaded India.- Yeah, some will say that we are...
0:38:11 > 0:38:15the Bulgarian people say that we are Bulgarian.
0:38:15 > 0:38:20Right, so you've got... the Greeks want you, the Bulgarians want you. What do you think?
0:38:20 > 0:38:26What we want...our own history. We come from the place called Siam.
0:38:26 > 0:38:28- Siam?- Siam.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31- But we don't where is.- Phew!
0:38:31 > 0:38:35That's quite a walk! But you're used to it, aren't you?
0:38:35 > 0:38:38- Very used to it, yeah.- You live on the vertical all the time.- Yes.
0:38:38 > 0:38:43- We are just born here, just get used to these mountains.- It's a great view.
0:38:43 > 0:38:47So what is your, what is the Kalash god? Is there one god, or...?
0:38:47 > 0:38:52We have...um...one god, yes, yes - I told you that.
0:38:52 > 0:38:58We have a creator god, we believe one creator who is creating the whole world and all human beings and...
0:38:58 > 0:39:03What happens when the Kalash dies? Is he born again? Is there reincarnation?
0:39:03 > 0:39:06We believe that when we die...
0:39:06 > 0:39:12our soul will go to the...to the white mountain called Palar.
0:39:12 > 0:39:16The white mountain. Which is an actual mountain?
0:39:16 > 0:39:22That one there, you can see the white peak over there.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25And that's the mountain where your Kalash souls all go?
0:39:25 > 0:39:28Yeah, all the souls will go there. We can't see it now,
0:39:28 > 0:39:34- but we believe there is a kind of big fort for the soul of the Kalash. - I see.
0:39:34 > 0:39:38It's hard to know quite what the future holds for the Kalash.
0:39:38 > 0:39:44I can't help thinking that their unique culture will become diluted the more the valley's opened up.
0:39:44 > 0:39:49The danger is that missionaries, anthropologists, tour operators
0:39:49 > 0:39:54and well-meaning TV crews could make their way of life more show than substance.
0:39:59 > 0:40:04Well, it's time to get ourselves up to the Shandur Pass.
0:40:04 > 0:40:08The horses have already gone ahead for the great polo match
0:40:08 > 0:40:14and we've got about another 7,000 feet before we get to the Shandur Pass,
0:40:14 > 0:40:19and we're stopping on the way to help acclimatisation. Razahan is my driver, he's from Chitral,
0:40:19 > 0:40:23but they don't speak Urdu,
0:40:23 > 0:40:27they speak Khowar and I'm learning a bit of Khowar together.
0:40:27 > 0:40:32One wonderful word I've discovered is the word for foot is "pong."
0:40:32 > 0:40:34- Isn't that right? Pong?- Pong.
0:40:34 > 0:40:37Yeah, very suitable.
0:40:37 > 0:40:39More later!
0:40:42 > 0:40:45Around us, the mountains rise increasingly steeply,
0:40:45 > 0:40:47but wherever there's a level patch,
0:40:47 > 0:40:52there'll be someone making a living from it by the simplest means possible.
0:41:02 > 0:41:08This is the painless way of making the 7,000 foot climb from Chitral to the pass.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11The team's horses have walked up.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15And not everyone's polo mad up here.
0:41:21 > 0:41:25I'd thought of offering them a spot of coaching, but there's no time.
0:41:25 > 0:41:30I've got my homework to do. And what a delightful language Khowar is.
0:41:30 > 0:41:34Father is "tut," mother is "nun" and grandmother's "wow."
0:41:52 > 0:41:58It certainly helps take my mind off landslides, which judging by the constant presence of the road gangs,
0:41:58 > 0:42:01must happen more often than I like to think about.
0:42:09 > 0:42:12THEY SPEAK KHOWAR
0:42:27 > 0:42:30Alongside the Himalaya and the Karakoram,
0:42:30 > 0:42:37the Hindu Kush is one of a trio of mighty geological up-thrusts that make this such momentous scenery.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40On its western flank is Chitral, on the east is Gilgit
0:42:40 > 0:42:44and the two proud communities will meet each other here,
0:42:44 > 0:42:48two and a quarter miles above sea level on the Shandur Pass.
0:42:52 > 0:42:54Great, very good.
0:42:54 > 0:42:56Well driven.
0:42:56 > 0:43:00MICHAEL SPEAKS KHOWAR
0:43:08 > 0:43:13The tradesmen from Chitral and Gilgit are already setting up shop.
0:43:13 > 0:43:16They're expecting a festival crowd of thousands.
0:43:25 > 0:43:30The butcher's doing brisk business as families prepare for a three day picnic.
0:43:34 > 0:43:36I think I might just stick to salad.
0:43:50 > 0:43:54For the next few days, like everyone else here, I shall be camping.
0:43:54 > 0:43:58I mean, the Shandur Pass has no permanent accommodation at all -
0:43:58 > 0:44:03most of the year it's just a desolate wilderness, so the police bring their tents
0:44:03 > 0:44:07and the authorities bring their tents and the polo teams bring their tents,
0:44:07 > 0:44:13and I'm told, reliably, that in the next three days there are going to be 10,000 people like me
0:44:13 > 0:44:19coming here to be fed, watered and evacuated on the Shandur Pass, so watch this space.
0:44:21 > 0:44:27This is going to be our dining room and banqueting hall on top of the world and along here...
0:44:28 > 0:44:32..tents various, I'm not sure who's in that tent.
0:44:32 > 0:44:35You have a little library area there -
0:44:35 > 0:44:38encourage them to learn and be educated.
0:44:38 > 0:44:41And the kitchen.
0:44:41 > 0:44:46In here is the kitchen tent, a rather lethal flame leaping out from the tent,
0:44:46 > 0:44:50and there's Zahoor. Zahoor, come and say hello. Zahoor is the chef.
0:44:50 > 0:44:55Our chef - good man, very good, very important, a most important man.
0:44:55 > 0:44:58That's Zahoor the chef.
0:44:58 > 0:45:02And firewood - very, very important and this is our hot water supply.
0:45:02 > 0:45:07This is the only hot water we'll all have for the next few days.
0:45:07 > 0:45:13It needs a lot of wood because it takes much longer for the water to boil at this altitude,
0:45:13 > 0:45:15which I remind you is 12,250 feet.
0:45:15 > 0:45:19And along here in the nice little mountain walk
0:45:19 > 0:45:22are the toilet facilities in various colours,
0:45:22 > 0:45:25but you won't need to follow me there.
0:45:35 > 0:45:39It's early morning and the two teams are out practising together.
0:45:39 > 0:45:43The Gilgit team is led by this man, Bulbul Jan -
0:45:43 > 0:45:4755 years old and riding his favourite Punjabi stallion, Truc.
0:45:47 > 0:45:51He's led the winning side for the last two years
0:45:51 > 0:45:53and is looking for a hat trick.
0:46:00 > 0:46:05Chitral's captain is Sikander Ul Mulk, Siraj's younger brother.
0:46:05 > 0:46:08He's riding Bucephalus,
0:46:08 > 0:46:12an Afghan bay with youth and speed on his side.
0:46:18 > 0:46:21At the end of the practice they retire to their separate camps,
0:46:21 > 0:46:25and before laying any bets, I set out on a fact finding mission.
0:46:26 > 0:46:31We've driven out a little further along the Pass, away from the centre of festivities
0:46:31 > 0:46:36to where the Gilgit camp is set and it's up here.
0:46:36 > 0:46:42I suppose we've become rather close to the Chitralis, it's a bit like sleeping with the enemy,
0:46:42 > 0:46:47but we are the BBC and must be even-handed in the matters of freestyle polo,
0:46:47 > 0:46:51so this is the Gilgit camp over here.
0:46:51 > 0:46:54It looks rather more organised than the Chitral.
0:46:54 > 0:46:56They are army and they are police.
0:47:00 > 0:47:03Despite being army and police, they're very welcoming
0:47:03 > 0:47:07and happy for me to talk to Bulbul while Truc has his lunch.
0:47:07 > 0:47:12You're captain of the Gilgit team this year, and you've been captain before.
0:47:12 > 0:47:15- How many years have you been captain?- Four years.
0:47:15 > 0:47:18And how many times have you won?
0:47:18 > 0:47:21Two time we lose, two time we win the match.
0:47:21 > 0:47:28Now they say that in this game it's 80% horse and 20% man, you'd agree with that, would you?
0:47:28 > 0:47:30- Yeah, yeah.- Your horse is very special I believe,
0:47:30 > 0:47:33because you've had the horse for a long time.
0:47:33 > 0:47:38How many years has your horse taken part in the game?
0:47:38 > 0:47:41In Shandur, 15 years.
0:47:41 > 0:47:45We play on this horse 15 years.
0:47:45 > 0:47:48And what is it about Truc that makes him such a...
0:47:48 > 0:47:52to have played so many games - 15 times here -
0:47:52 > 0:47:55a 21-year-old horse - what makes Truc such a great horse?
0:47:55 > 0:47:58HE SPEAKS KHOWAR
0:48:03 > 0:48:05HE SPEAKS KHOWAR
0:48:05 > 0:48:09As far as Truc and himself go,
0:48:09 > 0:48:16they have a perfect understanding. And Truc probably with the body weight and all these understandings,
0:48:16 > 0:48:21they know each other very well and that is how they combine well to perform here.
0:48:21 > 0:48:27It is Truc. He says, "He tells me whether we're going to win the tournament or we're going to lose.
0:48:27 > 0:48:29"He definitely communicates with me," he says.
0:48:29 > 0:48:35"He can give me that feeling, that I'm perfectly all right and I'm going to win this match for you."
0:48:35 > 0:48:37And what does Truc say about this year?
0:48:37 > 0:48:41"He's in a very good mood," he says, "this year."
0:48:41 > 0:48:45I think I'll go and have a word with Truc, before I lay my bet!
0:48:45 > 0:48:49In the Chitral camp, things are much less rosy -
0:48:49 > 0:48:53horses un-recovered from injury, another lamed in training.
0:48:53 > 0:48:58In fact, so persistent have been their misfortunes that I put it to Sikander
0:48:58 > 0:49:04that there are rumours that black magic, a potent force up here, may be being used against them.
0:49:04 > 0:49:08- Why have all these things happened to you?- Oh, I know!
0:49:08 > 0:49:11- Is it this black magic?- Well...
0:49:11 > 0:49:16- Do you believe someone is putting a bad spell on you? - I never used to believe it,
0:49:16 > 0:49:21but now since everyone does, so I've also started believing in it!
0:49:21 > 0:49:26- Who are the people to watch out for in the Gilgit side, the people you'd rather not play again?- Number six.
0:49:26 > 0:49:30- He's got a very fast horse. - How about their captain, Bulbul?
0:49:30 > 0:49:33Bulbul is...
0:49:33 > 0:49:35well, we are depending on his horse,
0:49:35 > 0:49:38because his horse is nearly 21 years old,
0:49:38 > 0:49:43so if it is a fast game, if we manage to give them a tough time,
0:49:43 > 0:49:48I don't think that horse will be able to finish the whole game.
0:49:48 > 0:49:51How do you think it'll go tomorrow?
0:49:51 > 0:49:54Tomorrow...well, they have an edge,
0:49:54 > 0:49:57but I don't think...not that much.
0:49:57 > 0:50:02- What's it like if you lose? - Terrible, terrible.
0:50:02 > 0:50:06First of all, no-one will come near you on the polo ground,
0:50:06 > 0:50:10and if you win, then they don't even allow you to stand on the ground!
0:50:10 > 0:50:16They keep you up in the airs, but if you lose, there's no-one even going to come next to you
0:50:16 > 0:50:21and even on the road they might start hooting and things like that.
0:50:21 > 0:50:23It's a terrible thing going back!
0:50:23 > 0:50:29- When you go back to Chitral, do you go back in disguise? - We try to. We try to go in the dark!
0:50:29 > 0:50:34On the eve of battle, ominous clouds hang in the sky.
0:50:37 > 0:50:41Next morning, things are no better in the Chitral camp.
0:50:46 > 0:50:49The call to prayer rings out
0:50:49 > 0:50:55as the small town that's grown up on the Shandur Pass wakes up to the big match day.
0:50:55 > 0:50:58DISTANT CALL TO PRAYER
0:51:02 > 0:51:07There are women supporters, but they'll watch from a separate, ladies-only hill.
0:51:11 > 0:51:14Mulling over what I've seen these past few days,
0:51:14 > 0:51:18it's pretty obvious that efficient Gilgit should start favourites,
0:51:18 > 0:51:23but Chitral have a more relaxed, happy-go-lucky approach which might help them.
0:51:23 > 0:51:27It is freestyle polo after all, and they seem to embody the spirit of the game.
0:51:27 > 0:51:31They're in it for the hell of it and I like that.
0:51:47 > 0:51:50TRADITIONAL MUSIC PLAYS
0:52:07 > 0:52:10- Good work? Are you still confident? - Yes.
0:52:10 > 0:52:13Excellent, good. Good game. You're confident of winning?
0:52:13 > 0:52:19Ah, well, that's what Chitral said! But the horses are all fine and they're all good?
0:52:19 > 0:52:24I bet you can't wait to get on with it. We'll get out of your way. Good luck!
0:52:24 > 0:52:26- How are you feeling?- Good.
0:52:26 > 0:52:29- How are the horses?- Well, we've...
0:52:29 > 0:52:34- we've almost bought one horse, a new horse.- Oh, no.
0:52:34 > 0:52:40- A playing horse.- At the last minute. - At the last minute. We needed it, but we weren't able to get it.- Right.
0:52:40 > 0:52:45- Last night we managed to get that horse. So now we are in a better position.- This was...?
0:52:45 > 0:52:48It was a playing horse - it had come with the team
0:52:48 > 0:52:54- but it belonged to someone who was not ready to give it to us. - So you had to negotiate for it.
0:52:54 > 0:53:00- So...the rider knows the horse? - The rider knows the horse. - Great, good, so you're happy...?
0:53:00 > 0:53:03- And Bucephalus?- He's OK. - He's OK. Happy? Perky?
0:53:03 > 0:53:08- Yes.- How are you feeling?- He seems to be enjoying the travel.- How are you feeling in yourself?- Good.
0:53:08 > 0:53:12- You want to get on with it?- Yes. - Good luck.- Bye.- Cheers, Sikander.
0:53:12 > 0:53:16'Sikander's smiling, but the new horse could be a problem.'
0:53:19 > 0:53:23Now there's nothing more they can do. The moment of truth has arrived.
0:53:29 > 0:53:34The riders will give everything, but everyone knows that at this punishing altitude,
0:53:34 > 0:53:41the outcome depends on the ability of these horses to absorb the relentless pressure.
0:53:59 > 0:54:01Chitral take a surprise lead.
0:54:01 > 0:54:04Gilgit soon equalise to cancel it out.
0:54:17 > 0:54:22In international polo, play is stopped every seven minutes.
0:54:22 > 0:54:24These horses must run non-stop for 25.
0:54:24 > 0:54:31Then for another 25, all the time struggling to pull in oxygen from the thin air.
0:54:36 > 0:54:42Bulbul and Truc rule the midfield, but suddenly it's Chitral who are making all the running.
0:55:08 > 0:55:11A goal-mouth mix-up puts Gilgit back in the lead.
0:55:13 > 0:55:17Almost immediately, Chitral press forward and equalise.
0:55:17 > 0:55:20Half-time and it's two-all.
0:55:35 > 0:55:40Gilgit start the second half the stronger, and force their way into the lead again.
0:55:43 > 0:55:46Boring, butting and body-checking increase,
0:55:46 > 0:55:52and as the polo becomes truly freestyle, Gilgit run in a fourth goal.
0:55:57 > 0:55:59The pace is beginning to tell.
0:55:59 > 0:56:02Riders and horses are straining every sinew.
0:56:11 > 0:56:18Then the coup de grace - Bulbul, magnificently unflappable, puts Gilgit into an unassailable lead.
0:56:23 > 0:56:25Chitral supporters are already heading home.
0:56:25 > 0:56:29Gilgit fans stream across the ground to hail their heroes.
0:56:29 > 0:56:33Everyone becomes so happy that the police have to be called in!
0:56:40 > 0:56:44I push through and try and talk to the man of the match.
0:56:44 > 0:56:48- How was it for you, Bulbul? - I'm very much happy. Thank you.
0:56:48 > 0:56:51- And Truc?- Thank you.
0:56:51 > 0:56:54- Truc?- Yes. You see the Truc.
0:56:54 > 0:56:57Yeah... Thank you!
0:56:58 > 0:57:03It might be black magic for Chitral, but for Gilgit, just magic.
0:57:05 > 0:57:08APPLAUSE
0:57:10 > 0:57:12LOUDSPEAKER BLARES
0:57:12 > 0:57:15APPLAUSE
0:57:21 > 0:57:27The festival over, it's time for everyone to make their way home, by whatever means possible.
0:57:34 > 0:57:38Most are going back down the mountain, but we're going up -
0:57:38 > 0:57:44higher than Shandur, into the land of ice and snow, to a place where few people ever set foot.
0:57:50 > 0:57:56Close to the Chinese border is a place they call Concordia, where two great glaciers meet
0:57:56 > 0:57:59and ten of the world's tallest summits surround them.
0:57:59 > 0:58:04K2, second highest peak on earth, is five miles away.
0:58:04 > 0:58:09The jagged ramparts of these frozen canyons seem about to swallow me up.
0:58:19 > 0:58:23Next time on Himalaya, strange goings-on at the Indian border.
0:58:25 > 0:58:28My first beer for a month.
0:58:28 > 0:58:31Mass catering and holy relics at the Golden Temple.
0:58:33 > 0:58:36A moment of peace in war-torn Kashmir.
0:58:36 > 0:58:39A train ride to Shimla -
0:58:39 > 0:58:41self-catering, of course.
0:58:41 > 0:58:47At Dharamasala, I throw flour, learn what I was in my previous life,
0:58:47 > 0:58:51attend a concert and meet a God King.
0:58:51 > 0:58:54Himalaya, the week's high spot.
0:58:54 > 0:58:58E-mail us at subtitling@bbc.co.uk