We finally reached a bit of heaven after going through hell on earth. The ride to our hotel sped through some scary road, security officials were standng on both sides of the road, so we were really worried that we made a big mistake in coming to Srinagar, ofcourse the born piercing december cold also made us to think like that. Our driver assured us that once we got there we would be in heaven. It was.
Our hotel is at the side of Shankaracharya hills, just 2-3 minutes walk from Dal lake. Our view spectacular, with the Red Fort up on a mountain in front of us, and other road along the edges of the lake. It was finally peaceful, although we did hear some of the honking horns from the highway behind us. Fresh air, water(hot nd cold), birds and meals three times a day, what more could one ask for?
Our host, Rouf discussed our options of what we could do for our four-five days here in Srinagar. Trekking in the Himalayan mountains seems to be the thing to do here but in winter nothing is possible. We spent a great deal of time discussing our options, but got frustrated and decided to relax and a bit of a tour the next day and Rouf offered a one-day site seeing trip to gulmarg for the next day.
We finally relaxed and slept for 2-3 hours, by the time we woke up it was around 5 nd it became dark. I was litterly shivering cold was unbareable for me. Somehow I agreed to g for a walk nd sess around the city. We enjoyed(did I?) our view and peaceful surroundings. But my innervoice was telling I could stay here for a while and write, and write, and eat. We found our bit of heaven in Kashmir of all places. When I was finally able to just sit and take it all in, tears came to my eyes.
First day, we woke when Al-thaf came with our breakfast Kashmiri roties, jam, omlet, pepper powder. We took our bath nd normalthings in cold water as Rouf said(he told us tht it will help us to get udjusted with climate, he also told tht it can go other way also.). We were ready for our first trip in kashmir by 10.30, had couple of pegs, took enough "energy drinks" filled in our flask. As planned our host have arranged a taxy to reach gulmarg. We ride through the heart f srinagar towards gulmarg, Gaurimarg Originally called by shepherds. The journey to Gulmarg is half the enchantment of reaching there, roads bordered by rigid avenues of poplar give over to flat expanses of rice fields interspersed with picturesque villages. At one point of journey we simply stoped and just enjoyed the view for few minutes.Gulmarg-Escape for a large slice of snow, ski and scenery to this scenic gem of Kashmir - Gulmarg. It is one of the loveliest places to ring in the winter. Sans pollution, sans crowd and brimming with mountain fresh air, Gulmarg is good to spend some time with family and friends. Gulmarg is a great place to catch the snow, we enjoyed the place for around 4-5 hours nd started our way back to our base camp .
Our second day included a visit to the PAHALGAM - The Valley of Shepherds, we enjoyed our whole day besides the Lidder river, we roam around the hills in which King Hari singh used to do hunting. Here we cudnt resist having a pony ride, so we did. We wandered throught the huge, undulating meadow of Baisaran, surrounded by thickly wooded forests of pine.
I look around and recognize the distinct features: U-shaped valleys, crested by sharp horns and aretes, scratching the pale blue sky. The walls are bare rock, scraped clean by the glacier when it was much bigger, and terminal moraines of angular rocks transported from the mountains above have been deposited down here.
I’m at the foothills of the Himalayas, after all - I know that beyond are miles and miles of increasingly forbidding peaks and glaciers - thrust up by the African plate crashing into the Asian plate - culminating in K2 and Everest, the most forbidding of all.
It was a magnificant view of the whole valley, unfortunatly we cudnt take much pictres of this spot.
On the way back we stoped at a place called awantipura, where we could see the ruins of an old temple built around 500-700 AD by the side of river jhelum, after watching the sunset, again back to hotel.
28th december 2008, morning is too cool, A not so nice way to wake up is the call of the Al-thalf at 8-9 am. The wailing of many voices singing many different songs of Allah, high and low, dissonate all over town. As much as the muslim faith eschews western values, it has embraced the amplifier and loudspeaker wholeheartedly - blessings of the Most High 8-9 am. The wailing of many voices singing many different songs of Allah, high and low, dissonate all over town. As much as the muslim faith eschews western values, it has embraced the amplifier and loudspeaker wholeheartedly - blessings of the Most High. On thridday we scheduled for sonmarg, as Rouf said we were expecting to view some kashmir valley glashiours, but unfortunatly we cudnt reach any. He also reminded us of the days important f the day, on tht day J&K state election results are expected to come, so he askd us to be cautious and try to reach back as early as possible. Keeping everything in mind, we started. We pass through other villages, markets, residential areas, all having the same gritty look as the downtown of Srinigar. Then through irregular but neatly laid out patches of rice paddies, with whole families working in the fields.
From the rice paddies, we slowly increase in elevation. Now we’re in grain country, and the families are bundling and carrying sheaves, rather than bent over in the paddies. I see a pair of girls, in clean, pretty moslem dress, carrying large scythes along the side of the road. Men, not so clean, are handling larger implements.
We whiz by all of it at blinding speed. I brace myself in center of the back seat with my arms to keep from rolling around as the driver weaves back and forth through the traffic and around obstacles and potholes at high speed.
He doesn’t always miss the potholes.
Up we go. The road more closely parallels the Sindh as we increase elevation, the river becoming swifter with the steeper grade. We leave the fields behind - now we’re in livestock country, drovers sending the mixed herds of sheep and cattle alongside the road to new pasturing areas, or to market.
The grade steepens more, and we leave the flocks and herds behind. Now, pine trees make their appearance, and the Sindh narrows and becomes much more turbulent, forming rapids and ‘haystacks’ as it courses over larger boulders. It’s becoming a wild and beautiful river, the powder blue color of the water belying its glacial origins.
I can’t avoid the cloud of boys any more, so re-focus on the human activities. The slope is dotted with Indians, playing in the white stuff that is so alien to their existence in Delhi, Bangalore, and Mumbai. Here at the base, the outfitters are seating tourists on the sleds - some with smiles on their faces, others with looks of concern. I move to get a picture, waving an insistent boy out of the way. Sometimes I leave the cloud, but it always resettles around me, like mosquitoes over a warm body.
We’re on graded dirt, now, in a steady climb. The driver slacks the pace only slightly. We’re in a line of buses and other SUV’s, apparently heading for the same thing.At long last - some three and a half hours of torturous driving - we reach our destination. We reached the golden valley, but we cudnt go further due to snow, we came to know the the road is blocked and till feb-march this will be the condition. We were bit disappointed, but the place which we were reached was enough to make us happy nd imagine about the leading seanories. As usual here also we took a pony and roam around, took snaps, had hot coffes. We started back early as a part of being cautious.Might as well take advantage of what I can. I pull out the camera and take grab shots out the window, sure that none will be interesting or even come out. But, I try, anyway.
We didnt had any plans like how many days we have to stay in srinagar and all, but some how we came to know that this might be our last day in kashmir, so we decided to go around srinagar and gardens around.
We were exhausted and decided that for our last day in Srinagar, we would just relax. Relaxing meant that visting local gardens and doing some shopping. The people of Kashmir have been very friendly and really love it here, despite the violence in their history, but everyone has to make a living somehow.
I know this is not the way end it, I hate ending watever it is, but some how it has to end so be this way....
