Swat Valley – Home Away From Home

Track-side food stall near Mingora. This gentleman was amazed to see foreignors – the food was good too!

If you visit Pakistan’s Swat Valley you will hear the area referred to as the “Switzerland of Asia”. Swat doesn’t need to rely on comparisons like this though, it has its own unique charm and beauty.

A beautiful place it is no doubt; rushing rivers, lush hills and snow-capped peaks but like the area’s roads its recent history has been bumpy. In the mid to late 2000’s, the Taliban took control of much of Swat. Their grasp for power was brutal and tyrannical with many local people being murdered by the regime and their bodies put on public display. Schools were closed and destroyed, particularly those that taught girls and the freedom and rights of females was curtailed. Life for both females and males was oppressive and dangerous under the Taliban. Swat Valley is where Malala, a young girl on her way to school, was shot by the Taliban. She survived and grew stronger from the ordeal – much like all of Swat has.

The strict and confined life the Taliban tried to enforce is completely opposite to the way of life most Swat Valley residence choose to live. What we found were very generous, welcoming and open-minded people. Yes, they are strong followers of the Islamic faith, but they are very open to what others believe. They are proud of the valley’s educational system and particularly proud of the education that is offered to the girls of the area. They are normal people who deserve a good life, who want the best for their families and they are people who will go out of their way to make sure that any visitors to the area are treated with open arms, endless hospitality and the utmost respect.

Daily life in Swat is by no means a utopian existence. The rights and opportunities for females are still not on par with their male counterparts. While educational opportunities are improving participation in public life is still curtailed. It is the men who fill the streets and shops with women being much less evident and much more cautious and quiet during outings. This is not just the case in Swat but throughout much of Pakistan and of course neighboring Afghanistan. This is a regional problem rather a religious one; Muslim women in Indonesia for example take an equally active role in public life and it is often they who start a conversation with travellers begining with either a smile or a selfie. Pakistani women are strong; on more than one occasion we witnessed them telling off their husbands and I was jostled many times in markets by local women going about their business. One can only hope this strength, tenacity and smartness can come to the forefront more in Pakistan so that the women can lead the fulfilling and independent lives they deserve.

I’ve gotten a little ahead of myself though, we first had to get to Swat which was a process we made slightly more difficult for ourselves by not having our passports with us. We had had to leave those with the Pakistani government in Islamabad while we had our Visas extended. We had just photocopies of our passport and a small slip of paper stating where our real passports were. Swat Valley isn’t the ideal place to travel without a passport as there are many military checkpoints to go through. Foreigners can always expect to have more attention placed on them when going through these checkpoints with army personal having to record all passport, visa and travel details. This process can be quite slow as it is as the military personal rarely speak much English and the exact rules and requirements for entry often change depending on the situation in the area. Going through these checkpoints without a physical passport in hand made it even more difficult. On a few occasions we thought we might be turned back but thankfully we always managed to talk our way through. At one stop near Kalam the army officer wasn’t happy at all and was not going to let us through. Thankfully a police officer in attendance was more friendly (as they usually are) and was also a cricket fan. Our mutual love of cricket bought about high 5s, numerous phone calls and eventually our permission to proceed. I strongly recommended having your passport with you when passing through militarised zones like this but if you don’t have it on you just be confident and drop Steve Waugh or Ricky Ponting’s names!

After a long bus ride from Islamabad our first stop was Mingora. We arrived at night and begun the task of finding a hotel. There were plenty of hotels in the centre of town but none that would take us. Unfortunately, many hotels in Pakistan don’t accept foreigners as it can bring unwanted attention from the military and police. Eventually we ended up on the outskirts of town.

Like most places in Pakistan, it was enjoyable to just walk around town and observe daily life. The town was busy with people socialising and taking care of business. Groups of women and girls went about their shopping. Music blasted from vehicles and buildings. People laughed and had fun. Whilst that all might sound normal it was especially great to hear in Mingora as it meant the days of Taliban control were over.

We took in some of the towns’ Buddhist history with a quick visit to some of the pre-Islamic ruins. There are many ancient Buddhist sites in Swat and Pakistan in general illustrating the diverse history of the area.

Buddhist ruins in Mingora

The White Palace

We also made a visit to the White Palace (MMarghazar). The palace itself was nothing particularly amazing but we did have a great time making new friends on the bus there with the conversation lasting long after our arrival. We were told we were amongst the first tourists to visit the area in over 20 years. We then spent the evening with Ishan Khan and his friends enjoying a local meal and conversation. It is always a pleasure to spend time with locals and talk – it is the best way to learn about any place. At the end of the night we flew back to Mingora on the back of Ishan’s motorbike.

Our next stop in the Valley was the small town of Madyan. My first impressions of the place were not fantastic. It was hot and dusty and the area we first landed in was very rundown and unkempt. This is the kind of atmosphere I usually love but with the word ‘Taliban’ bouncing around in my mind I must admit I felt slightly uneasy for a minute or two. We slung our backpacks over our shoulders and started looking for somewhere to stay. The bags were extra heavy in the heat and the steepness of the terrain didn’t help. The horses and mules working in the streets kept my mood up but overall I wasn’t impressed. Thankfully though this impression would soon be turned around.

Madyan Police Station – just past the weed plants

Balcony view over Madyan

As we looked for a hotel things got more friendly with many people saying hello and offering help to carry our bags and find accommodation. Eventually we found the Foreigner Hotel, which thankfully took in foreigners and we settled in. From our balcony and with a cool drink, the beauty of the town and the area began to reveal itself. Madyan is surrounded by mountains, nestled snugly in the Swat Valley with the river of the same name cutting through town.

Fruit and begie pop-up store in Madyan

We received a quick visit from the police upon our arrival and were offered the services of armed guards. We assured the officer that we felt very safe, particularly with the always friendly, hospitable and helpful Pakistani people around us. He seemed genuinely happy when we said how secure and happy we felt there and he then left us to it, just adding that we should stay in town and not venture into the surrounding mountains without security.

There are not a lot of specific things to do or sites to see in Madyan. It is a place to enjoy the little things and escape the rat race. For many Pakistanis, Madyan and Swat in general, is a place to unwind and escape the heat of the summer plains. As such we meet lots of people from Peshawar, Islamabad, Lahore and smaller areas, all taking a break in this little hill town. This gives the place a great atmosphere as visitors are there to relax and have time to talk and the locals go out of their way to make guests feel at home.

We were quickly welcomed by the town and the people. We could barely take a few steps without being stopped and offered a cold drink or something to eat. Everyone was curious to know where we were from and what we were doing in Swat Valley. The locals were very keen to show off the natural beauty of the area and the achievements of its people.

Mohammed, myself and Syed – good friends of Madyan

When returning to our hotel one night there were two men waiting for us downstairs. The word had quickly got around that there were foreigners in town and these two had gone out of their way to meet us and welcome us. Our new friends Syed and Muhammed spent quite a bit of time with us during our stay listening to stories of our travels and telling us about life in Swat. Syed is a doctor with Medicines Sans Frontiers on the Pakistan/Afghanistan border and Muhammed is completing his masters in Zoology with hopes of working in South Korea. The two best friends made us feel right at home and it was a pleasure getting to know them.

Whilst having lunch with Mohammed (kerai again) we noticed a heavily armed police officer sitting a few metres away from us. We did our best to keep our voices down and not attract too much attention. We weren’t too concerned as the Pakistani police had been great but we wanted to avoid an overzealous officer wanting to guard us. The conversation with Mohammed turned to what foods we usually consumed. He asked us if we drank beer and ate pork; two no-no’s in the Islamic tradition. ‘Well, yes we did – when we are in Australia’ we quietly answered. This made Mohammed chuckle, “Wow, you actually eat pork?”. Mohammed turned towards the police officer and loudly told him and the other diners of our dietary intake. There were audible gasps. The police officer stood up with his automatic weapon in hand. ‘Uh oh’ we thought. His hand came off his weapon and stretched out towards us for a handshake. He wasn’t at all concerned about what we did or didn’t eat just wanted to make sure we felt welcomed. He gave us his phone number and assured us that if we had any problems while in Pakistan to call him and he would sort it out. To serve and protect; that is the Pakistani police way.