We sat cross-legged on a kaleidoscope of brightly coloured rugs, around a crackling wood fire in the family living room. Pictures of the late Benazir Bhutto, the former prime minister of Pakistan, decorate the home – such is the esteem in which they hold her. Outside, the temperature had dropped to a frigid 2°C but the heartfelt welcome we were enjoying from the host family warmed us thoroughly.
We were at Sajeed Saleem’s home in Ghulkin village in Gojal, Upper Hunza Valley for dinner. Honestly, I had not expected to be invited to the tour guide’s private home, to meet his immediate and extended family. When I read that the tour programme included a local dinner, I had half-expected a professional, glitzy event at a showy cultural centre with all the bells and whistles.
But this is classic Hunza hospitality, the real deal according to Iman Rahim, our tour leader. Today, travelling encompasses more than just taking in the breathtaking sights of which Gilgit-Baltistan, the northern region of Pakistan, has been blessed in gigantic proportions. “We want our travellers to meet our people for an authentic experience, to see how we cook, where we eat, sleep, and live,” explained Iman.
Young children’s giggles broke through the conversations in the living room. In they trooped, eight young children shyly breaking into a song and dance to welcome 16 Malaysians who had travelled days to reach their home. Sajeed’s cousin gave a short welcome speech and then dinner was ser.