After much insistence, I relented. It was her childhood dream to go there! Years of bad press and having been there 24 years ago were reasons enough for me not wanting to go again.
Train rides are always comforting. You can catch up with your sleep, read a book, play cards and the sense of space is all worth it. And the refurbished bogies Rajdhani (running since 1972) were really cool.
We reached Delhi early in the morning and few into Srinagar by the afternoon where, Abdul Hamid was waiting for us with his Toyota Innova in which he took us around for the entire duration of the trip.
From the airport, we directly went to Gulmarg which took almost 3 hours. Gulmarg is set at a high altitude of about 12,000ft and gives the impression of barricaded hill station. The next day we took the gondola ride right up to the second level which takes us to Mt Afrawat where, we could touch some snow. The gondola ride costs Rs1000 per person for the second level and is worth it. The gondola (cable car) rides above pine trees, streams, herds of sheep, trekkers, Gujjar hutments etc. There are skis available but the minuscule snow makes it unfit at this time of the year to attempt any skiing.
After the gondola we had lunch on the way back at the first level. The menu cards at the restaurants looks the same as they would have been 30-40 years ago.
Gulmarg is dominated by a huge golf course, which can't be missed but few seem to really try it. It has a wonderful putting ground with 9 holes and it kept us busy for more than 3 hours! The golf club evokes an old world charm with listings of winners from 1901. Not surprisingly, most of the winners before 1947 were English.
The weather at Gulmarg is magical. Not so cold to freeze but enough to want you to cosy up.
Gulmarg is the closest we came to the line of control, the arbitrary India-Pakistan border. Our guide told us it was 50kms away but on Google Earth, it shows as 14kms.
From Gulmarg we headed to Srinagar which was very warm and a put off. For the next two days we stayed at a houseboat on the Dal lake. Houseboats are stationary accommodations on the banks of the Dal lake well equipped with rooms, toilets, televisions, kitchens etc. Mornings are not to be missed on houseboats as you see small boats pass by breaking the calm along with the occasional kingfisher taking a dip.
The next day we took a day-trip to Sonamarg. There isn't any snow at this time of the year. My last trip was in April and could distinctly remember the heaps of snow we played with. This time we went to zero point which also passes through Zojilla pass and paid homage to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives at the Kargil encounter. The winding highways and high altitude from Sonamarg to zero point is testament to hardships that has to be endured to secure borders.
The road to Sonamarg reaches out to Ladakh and takes about 2 days to reach Leh which is about 500kms from Srinagar but
After Sonamarg we went to Pehalgam which is close to Sonamarg but one has to travel through a different route to reach there. On route, we did some rafting. Low stream flow meant it was an easy ride although chilly waters did offer some discomfort.
On the way to Pehalgam, we stopped at the Awantipore temple. Its currently in ruins, but its tall walls speak of a past grandeur. Our guide, a pouty sikh gentleman mentioned it was built by a Hindu king from Orissa 700 years ago!
Pehalgam is truly awesome. The valley is surrounded by pine trees and cloudy skies making a perfect hide and seek with the distant sun. We stayed at Pehalgam hotel which offers the best views of the place and also has serves the best food in all of Kashmir. It may a bit too much but still not way off. We spent the day just relaxing and playing cards. The next day we ventured into the mountains on horseback which was a highlight of the trip. The horse trips stop at various points on the way and offers amazing views of the valley. We also stopped at a Gujjar home on the way which was a mud hut and off course had no electricity and TV but still seemed complete. I had my first experience at zorbing at the mini Switzerland. Zorbing is an outlandish experience which more fun watching than doing. One has to enter an inflated ball and get tied on to the inner surface and the ball is then pushed with one person holding on the ball acting as a brake. It lasts only a few seconds but I felt more pain for the guy doing this as a job. I was curious enough to ask him how much he made. He made Rs9K for the tedious task of pushing the ball down and rolling it up (empty) again.
We stayed at the Pahalgam Hotel. Easily among the best hotels I have ever stayed. Awesome food, great views, impeccable rooms and brilliant service. All of this make me sure that I'm gonna go again.
Getting out of Kashmir is much more harder than getting in. You fell the pain of leaving back the beautiful mountain, the clear waters, the green grass and the lovely weather. The check-in process takes long at Srinagar and you are screened 4 times! One benefit of going in offseason was than I could to a last minute change of tickets and still pay just 25% more than the original fare booked months in advance.
Some general observations:
Hostility: India has some serious problems with its neighbours. Such a utter waste of resources towards securing borders. Holding on to territory, people and a way of life.
Security: There is military presence all around especially on the highways moving around with guns above homes, around fields. One can't help but be in awe to these brave men securing the porous borders. Security comes with a price.
Movies: Unlike the rest of India, there is no bollywood presence in Kashmir. Strange, for an industry which made Kashmir so famous has had to shut shop.
Food: Restaurants are strictly classified along the lines of Veg and Non-Veg. Veg restaurants serve standard Indian stuff and very predictable menus. But Lhasa Restaurant in Srinagar does have some exciting stuff and is a welcome change from the dal rotis elsewhere.
Roads: All the roads we went through were well paved and free of potholes. However, on several occasions you share the roads with herdsmen also called as Bakarwals who travel from Jammu all the way to Northernmost fringes of Kashmir travelling for months together. You can't miss the lone dog with a pack. According to our driver, they give the dogs more respect than they would give to their sons! Also, they love begging despite owning herds worth several hundred thousand rupees.
Beauty: There is beauty everywhere in Kashmir. From the apple orchards, to the tall mountains. The lakes, trees, the air, and the cleanliness all evoke a sense of charm which has attracted travellers from time and beyond.
Women: Kashmiri women look as beautiful as Katrina Kaif. A lot of them are cover their hair, some even their faces and you won't find them working except at the checking counters at the airports.
Fitness: At the outset people in Kashmir seem to be very fit. You hardly find fat people or people with spectacles. But mental fitness seems to be fragile. Road-rage seemed common and you come through a sense of awareness that calm has been imposed.
Living in a time warp. In almost everything that you encounter, you tend to get a feel that this place has always been this way. Gone back in time, more conservative, more closed and less willing to experiment or less willing to open a new page.
One has to go visit Kashmir to understand India. Each one will take something different, you may want to compare how different these people look and feel compared to you and yet they are one of you.
Train rides are always comforting. You can catch up with your sleep, read a book, play cards and the sense of space is all worth it. And the refurbished bogies Rajdhani (running since 1972) were really cool.
We reached Delhi early in the morning and few into Srinagar by the afternoon where, Abdul Hamid was waiting for us with his Toyota Innova in which he took us around for the entire duration of the trip.
From the airport, we directly went to Gulmarg which took almost 3 hours. Gulmarg is set at a high altitude of about 12,000ft and gives the impression of barricaded hill station. The next day we took the gondola ride right up to the second level which takes us to Mt Afrawat where, we could touch some snow. The gondola ride costs Rs1000 per person for the second level and is worth it. The gondola (cable car) rides above pine trees, streams, herds of sheep, trekkers, Gujjar hutments etc. There are skis available but the minuscule snow makes it unfit at this time of the year to attempt any skiing.
After the gondola we had lunch on the way back at the first level. The menu cards at the restaurants looks the same as they would have been 30-40 years ago.
Gulmarg is dominated by a huge golf course, which can't be missed but few seem to really try it. It has a wonderful putting ground with 9 holes and it kept us busy for more than 3 hours! The golf club evokes an old world charm with listings of winners from 1901. Not surprisingly, most of the winners before 1947 were English.
The weather at Gulmarg is magical. Not so cold to freeze but enough to want you to cosy up.
Gulmarg is the closest we came to the line of control, the arbitrary India-Pakistan border. Our guide told us it was 50kms away but on Google Earth, it shows as 14kms.
From Gulmarg we headed to Srinagar which was very warm and a put off. For the next two days we stayed at a houseboat on the Dal lake. Houseboats are stationary accommodations on the banks of the Dal lake well equipped with rooms, toilets, televisions, kitchens etc. Mornings are not to be missed on houseboats as you see small boats pass by breaking the calm along with the occasional kingfisher taking a dip.
The next day we took a day-trip to Sonamarg. There isn't any snow at this time of the year. My last trip was in April and could distinctly remember the heaps of snow we played with. This time we went to zero point which also passes through Zojilla pass and paid homage to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives at the Kargil encounter. The winding highways and high altitude from Sonamarg to zero point is testament to hardships that has to be endured to secure borders.
The road to Sonamarg reaches out to Ladakh and takes about 2 days to reach Leh which is about 500kms from Srinagar but
After Sonamarg we went to Pehalgam which is close to Sonamarg but one has to travel through a different route to reach there. On route, we did some rafting. Low stream flow meant it was an easy ride although chilly waters did offer some discomfort.
On the way to Pehalgam, we stopped at the Awantipore temple. Its currently in ruins, but its tall walls speak of a past grandeur. Our guide, a pouty sikh gentleman mentioned it was built by a Hindu king from Orissa 700 years ago!
Pehalgam is truly awesome. The valley is surrounded by pine trees and cloudy skies making a perfect hide and seek with the distant sun. We stayed at Pehalgam hotel which offers the best views of the place and also has serves the best food in all of Kashmir. It may a bit too much but still not way off. We spent the day just relaxing and playing cards. The next day we ventured into the mountains on horseback which was a highlight of the trip. The horse trips stop at various points on the way and offers amazing views of the valley. We also stopped at a Gujjar home on the way which was a mud hut and off course had no electricity and TV but still seemed complete. I had my first experience at zorbing at the mini Switzerland. Zorbing is an outlandish experience which more fun watching than doing. One has to enter an inflated ball and get tied on to the inner surface and the ball is then pushed with one person holding on the ball acting as a brake. It lasts only a few seconds but I felt more pain for the guy doing this as a job. I was curious enough to ask him how much he made. He made Rs9K for the tedious task of pushing the ball down and rolling it up (empty) again.
We stayed at the Pahalgam Hotel. Easily among the best hotels I have ever stayed. Awesome food, great views, impeccable rooms and brilliant service. All of this make me sure that I'm gonna go again.
Getting out of Kashmir is much more harder than getting in. You fell the pain of leaving back the beautiful mountain, the clear waters, the green grass and the lovely weather. The check-in process takes long at Srinagar and you are screened 4 times! One benefit of going in offseason was than I could to a last minute change of tickets and still pay just 25% more than the original fare booked months in advance.
Some general observations:
Hostility: India has some serious problems with its neighbours. Such a utter waste of resources towards securing borders. Holding on to territory, people and a way of life.
Security: There is military presence all around especially on the highways moving around with guns above homes, around fields. One can't help but be in awe to these brave men securing the porous borders. Security comes with a price.
Movies: Unlike the rest of India, there is no bollywood presence in Kashmir. Strange, for an industry which made Kashmir so famous has had to shut shop.
Food: Restaurants are strictly classified along the lines of Veg and Non-Veg. Veg restaurants serve standard Indian stuff and very predictable menus. But Lhasa Restaurant in Srinagar does have some exciting stuff and is a welcome change from the dal rotis elsewhere.
Roads: All the roads we went through were well paved and free of potholes. However, on several occasions you share the roads with herdsmen also called as Bakarwals who travel from Jammu all the way to Northernmost fringes of Kashmir travelling for months together. You can't miss the lone dog with a pack. According to our driver, they give the dogs more respect than they would give to their sons! Also, they love begging despite owning herds worth several hundred thousand rupees.
Beauty: There is beauty everywhere in Kashmir. From the apple orchards, to the tall mountains. The lakes, trees, the air, and the cleanliness all evoke a sense of charm which has attracted travellers from time and beyond.
Women: Kashmiri women look as beautiful as Katrina Kaif. A lot of them are cover their hair, some even their faces and you won't find them working except at the checking counters at the airports.
Fitness: At the outset people in Kashmir seem to be very fit. You hardly find fat people or people with spectacles. But mental fitness seems to be fragile. Road-rage seemed common and you come through a sense of awareness that calm has been imposed.
Living in a time warp. In almost everything that you encounter, you tend to get a feel that this place has always been this way. Gone back in time, more conservative, more closed and less willing to experiment or less willing to open a new page.
One has to go visit Kashmir to understand India. Each one will take something different, you may want to compare how different these people look and feel compared to you and yet they are one of you.
