The Royal Road

Chairs Thrown

Our SRA community of travellers will back our claim that we prefer to be risk aware rather than risk averse.   We don’t let this preference get in the way of common sense or safety.  However there are some places that are way too tempting to pass up even though discretion may be the better part of valour. This SRA traveller’s tale is a tongue in cheek take on the topic.. to go or not to go?

The road from Gilgit to Chitral in Pakistan’s far North West Province goes into the Hindu Kush mountains via Shandur Pass.   Shandur is normally a quiet spot nestled in the shadow of peaks with exotic names, but not on Polo day.  On the first weekend in July each year Chitralis and Gilgitis gather in their thousands at 3700 metres on neutral ground for the annual Polo festival.

As we arrived at Shandur the B finals were underway. Armed police encircled the pitch, backs to the game and eyes on the crowd. Slathering ponies raced up and down the paddock, wild eyed gentlemen swung mallets, goals were scored and umpires cried foul.   This may have been a game of two halves but sportsmanship was at risk on this day in this particular neck of the woods.

The last Chukka was called on a draw with extra time needed to sort out the winners. The spectators were in a frenzy and the police were closing ranks.  It was definitely going to be a case of last man standing and so it proved to be. In the last second of play Gilgit scored the winning goal.  Half the crowd went wild with jubilation but the Chitrali adjudicator wasn’t convinced.  It seemed that the goal had been scored after the final bell had rung.  Trouble was afoot and those dastardly Chitralis were in the frame.

Gilgit supporters were definitely unhappy.  The police were loading tear gas canisters, chairs were being thrown. It was time for foreign travellers to beat a retreat and with our timid hearts racing we hastened off to the safety of the nearby Gilgit Scouts Officers mess for tiffin.

Within an hour the tear gas had drifted off and tempers had cooled.  It was a surreal setting.  The clear mountain air carried the strains of a flute and tabla band and Chitrali gentlemen dressed in traditional Sherwani and flat woollen caps were taking tea with their Gilgiti neighbours.   Oh well Gilgit will triumph tomorrow –inshallah.

Tomorrow is A finals day but now it’s time to take sweet milk tea with people who know more about “black caps” and “baggy greens” than I know about the AB’s and Wallabies.

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