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 One
of the major races in the area are the Pathans. Tall, fair and elegant, they
are renowned for their hospitality, honesty and integrity, and are typical of
the peoples of North Pakistan. (The Pathans
have a single word for foreigner/guest). Like most Pakistanis, they are
Muslim, and expect men and women to dress modestly in public. Clothes,
therefore, have to keep you cool and covered up. Ideal is the Shalwaar
Chemise, a unisex outfit which is basically a long shirt with loose trousers,
very common in these areas. It also gives the people you visit some
indication of your respect for their culture and, by the same token, you are
much more likely to be invited into their everyday lives. Similarly it is
offensive to a Muslim to offer any physical contact to someone of the
opposite sex, although it is typical to see people of the same sex holding
hands in public.
By contrast, the Kalash people of the lost valleys on the Afghan border
still engage in fire worship, and the women are very much the dominant sex. Their
location and their Greek appearance have led some experts to believe that the
Kalash are the product of local inbreeding with Alexander the Great’s army as
it came through. 
The Balti come mainly from Mongolia
and the exploits of Genghis Khan. Very short, with fair skin, they
occasionally have oriental eyes and fine hair, and are renowned for their
directness and straight-talking, whilst still being hugely hospitable.
The people of the Hunza valley are the simplest, living very long lives by
subsisting from the land, their appearance being distinctly Chinese/Central
Asian.
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