We bargain, drink more cokes, and leave with four blue plastic barrels strapped to the top of our taxi. By this time my clothes are drenched in sweat, and I want nothing more than to get to Skardu. The cooler temperatures there make these chores much less taxing. Looks like two days of driving on the Karakoram Highway. Maybe the van will have air conditioning.
Progress is slow.
But we'll get there eventually.