Alive

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Hello there everyone back in Blighty. I feel most remiss in not letting you all know how I'm getting along before now.

Its all been pretty hectic here! And I'm slowly beginning to get the hang of it, can say at least two whole sentences in hindi and know some Kashmiri words to boot. I am getting the hang of the toilets (squatting over a hole) the constant slightly upset stomach, eating with my hand (surprisingly more difficult than you can imagine) the constant attempts to persuade you to buy anything other than things you actually need, the heat, people coming up to me and asking to have their picture taken with me! blah blah blah. I love this crazy country.

So I flew into Delhi about ten days ago. And it does indeed smell! And its loud, the indians have a fond attachment to the sound of their car horns, which they like to sound at every available opportunity. My first day was pretty mind blowing. I 'knew' it was a developing country BUT in reality I had no idea what that meant!
I guess by our standards its dirty and smelly. I get stared at a lot because I am white and I really thought there would be more tourists or travellers than there actually are.

My first day saw me quite literally being 'taken for a ride' In moment of weakness bought on by my confusion I allowed a man to bundle me in an autorickshaw (electric trike thing - really good fun, I want one!) and sent me off to a 'tourist information office' This loosely translates as a dodgy backroom tourist shark. I listened politely to his dodgy tour information and ran as soon as soon as my politeness value had been satisfied. This lead very quickly to the next scam. I asked my autorickshaw dude if he knew where I could buy an alarm clock. "Yes"so off we drove to a carpet shop. Which, funnily enough didn't sell alarm clocks. The tourist people and autorickshaw people get commission from these shops if they just bring tourists in.

Dazed and a little miserable I decided to run back to my hotel. And 'enjoyed' a pretty unpleasant meal in the restaurant, which actually tasted the way that Delhi smelt. So I felt a bit homesick that night.

So day two, Delhi was still hot and smelly. And when I mean hot, so hot that within half and hour of a shower I was dripping with sweat. It took a little while to get up the courage to go back outside and face the noise and scammers. Eventually after lunch I made it out and actually found something I was looking for an intenet cafe. Feeling braver a decided to look for a coffee shop. On the way I bumped into another man trying to sell me tours, I told him I was all sorted out. We got chatting anyway and he and a friend joined for some tea. Lucky really because, these two gents (Shakeel and Rafi) have helped me out enormously. They looked after me the next three or four days in Delhi and I went off to see all the major bits and bobs. Not much to report - when I understand how to make the camera work I will put the pics up. I actually got taken to places to eat that served really really nice food, that didn't taste of pollution and everything. They invited me to eat with them in their home. They were both from Kashmir and Rafi was returning and invited me to go with him. So I thought I'd make a detour up here before I head for Ladakh.

So here I am in Kashmir! After a very long long bus ride. 24 hours!
I was a bit wary of coming here, its a warzone supposedly afterall (Dad don't tell mum, tell her its a paradise on earth!) You get used to the men with guns and it is truly beautiful. I'm in Srinagar which is like the main city. It has a huge lake surrounded by mountains. There are house boats all over the lake and many people live on it. I wish I could get the pictures up! I am staying on the main lake and the owner keeps on arranging for people to come by and try and sell stuff to me, so far I have been offered, papier mache goods, jewellery, wooden boxes, pashminas, lotus flower seeds. Fine if these people would take no for an answer. Unfortunately you have to sit and look through hundreds of items gently trying to explain that you are in India for 6 months and you sold/got rid of a whole load of crap in England to get here is the first place and one of the reasons you came here was that you were tired of the materialism of the West. Incomprehensible to them though. I think when they look at me they just see money. I am trying to get the art of polite refusal down from half an hour to one sentence. They are persistent bunch, but I am wily and will report back to you when I am successful.

I am finding the Kashmiri people lovely. The ones I have met are very affectionate and sweet. I just wish I had a clue what they were saying. I have had many offers of dinner and places to stay. It is very touching and refreshing.

Anyway so much more to tell and time running out in the internet cafe. I'm off trekking for 10-15 days so don't expect me to be in touch for while!

Love you all

Kate

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Comments

[Tim]

Squating Happy!
So glad your Alive! :-) beginning to wonder if you'd lost yourself in the museum of toilets :-o you've finally made it to beginning your trekking after whats sounds an adventure just finding someplace decent to eat!... all seems typically eastern in relation to being sold anything feasibly considered worth selling just becoz of your whiter skin color. How many more ways are to say 'no thank you'! ...perhaps when you've worked out how to do it in one sentence you'l be able to make some cash yourself selling 'how to' to other travellers :-) looking 4ward to hearing about your success! so by now I guess you've got squating down to a fine art!!! :-) I can only imagine how you might have survived 24hrs on a bus - I'm guessing they fill the bus with as many people as they can fit on??? looking forward to seeing your pictures of Kashmir - the Lake and the mountains sounds such a beautiful place to be. Have a great time trekking, so pleased your having a super time. be in touch when you can, loads of live Tim xxxx