the karakorum highway

again i sit in my own room, having (seemingly) overcome my sicknesses. last night i returned from a neighboring city, an actual city, to encounter what we in texas would consider winter weather. temperatures have plummeted to the low 40s. it quite nice. but i am discovering that i might not have enough winter clothes to avoid wearing the same 2-3 outfits again and again. so, i sit inside, avoiding the unseasonable rains and crisp wind trying to remember the intricacies of my drive down the karakorum highway.

i'll start you all with some nice lonely planet facts: the highway took more than 20 years and 400 lives to complete; it officially connects china to pakistan, but really to many -stans as well; and it might be one of china's finest roads.

the drive begins at about 3000 meters above sea level, peaking at about 4200 meter and then dropping back down to about 3500 meters. it is an exceptional drive, wandering past glacier fed lakes, nomad villages, red sandstone canyons, towering peaks, and flowing glaciers. in such a place you truly feel insignificant in light of creation. it's staggering to imagine the size of the mountains (all over 5800 meters), the power of the glaciers, the resilience of the nomads, and the stark beauty of the grasslands. this place, these people humble me. what am i in their midst. men and women live life among giants and winters most severe. i come for just a quick peak into their lives, but keep on long after i have returned home. in these times i cannot help but ponder the immenseness of our Father, and his broad reaching arms. His hands fall here and everywhere, shaping, molding and breathing life.

as magical as the drive was to tashkorgan, i am left wondering what i really experienced, what i really felt and touched. in so many ways it was altogether different than anywhere else i'd been. i could only recall smells, emotions, and scenes from the past to approximate the new ones. but i guess that is at least part of the point of travel.