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Published: November 25th 2007
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Mughal Garden
..beautiful gardens overloking Lake Dal created by Mughal Emporer's. So, it’s about a week since we last added an update to the blog, the reason being that there is limited comms access to this part of Kashmir. The phones we have don’t work here and to access the internet we need to go to a little place down an alley way and up a metal ladder. Anyway we are back on line before we go to Leh.
We have been very busy and there have been loads of highlights but lets start the story at the beginning. The British weren’t allowed to build houses in Kashmir - (Kashmir is right at the north of India next stop the Himalayas) so therefore they built lots of houseboats on Lake Dal. The attraction was that it is cooler here than in Delhi as well as being a beautiful area with lots of apple trees, walnuts, almonds, honey and saffron and so on. The Mughals built palaces here and their gardens still remain.
The houseboat we are staying is charming. (To get to it you ride in a boat with a roof, seat like a bed and curtains;shikaras).
If you can imagine an old fashioned wooden railway carriage with an outside balcony
Another birthday!
Sajid and family - wonderful hospitality from a lovely family - Thank you! at the front. Then inside a sitting room and a dining room the full width of the carriage at the front. Then a narrow corridor with bedrooms where the compartments would be but only 3 compartments, apart from one bedroom at the end which is the full width. Everything is wood and most of the wood is ornately carved in a filigree pattern. The overall effect is like being in a gypsy caravan with thick Kashmiri rugs on the floor. Best of all there is a wood burning stove in the middle of the room that gives off dry heat and makes everything cosy.
The lights coming through the carved wood tracery plays patterns on the wooden ceiling and panelled walls. For a girl it is a gingerbread house, for us boys like a really upmarket shed!
If you can imagine that from my description well done otherwise we will be posting pictures when we get back to Delhi.
At night time the house boy brings hot water bottles to warm up the bed. Lovely!
Carol keeps putting wood in the stove so the temperature now is 24 degrees and going up.
We are drinking a Kashmiri tea called Kava - green tea mixed with spices and good for the body and all aliments.
We are woken in the morning by the musseinne calling the faithful to prayer between 5.30 till 7 which is followed by birdsong. Then go back to sleep. There is now a frost first thing which quickly gets burnt off by the sun then for the rest of the day it is sunny but chilly so we are wrapped up warm.
We have used this as a base to explore the area. There have been a lot of troubles in Kashmir and there is a very large army presence with soldiers every kilometre either sides of the road outside of Srinigar and a lot of bases. It has wrecked the tourist trade which was previously very strong and people are hoping the good times will come back - they have had a tough time. However all is quiet at the moment and we would really recommend people to come here.
We have been up to Gulmarg where they get 15 feet of snow in the winter and is a carpet of flowers in the spring and is called therefore the Valley of Flowers.
The Mughal gardens on the backs of Lake Dal are stunning - they come down from the hills to the lake side and the water plashes down little channels and courses.
We went up to Palhargam and pony trekked up to the high mountain meadows. We have a photo which will never be seen by anyone because Carol says I look like John Wayne on a pony! I was amazed at they they went up the very steep path and then back down again - very tough. This is also where cricket bats are made from Kashmiri willow for India (which is cricket mad and everywhere you see children playing it) and also for export.
On Saturday Carol and I walked into Srinagar to see the town - seemingly chaotic however everyone busy. Every time we go out we get photographed - at the moment we are the only white faces around.
However I have left the most important part until last.
The people here are wonderfully hospitable. Mostly Muslims and everyone we have met has been not just friendly but kind. Our guide is Sajid and he has been great - when we met we were talking and realised that he knew one of our friends in Newcastle who now works in the Middle East. My birthday was this week and so was his wife’s and he invited us to his home to celebrate. We therefore went along to his home and were made very welcome by his whole family. His Dad was the headmaster of the best school here which was set up by an Englishman. The women were separated from the men until it was time to eat and then whilst we were in the same room the men were still separate from the women. We ate in groups of four from the same platter. Rice was put on and then various food such as chicken, ribs etc. The rice was then refreshed and a different course added to it. We ate with our fingers and sat cross legged on the floor. Very companiable and enjoyable. Afterwards we had a singsong (Jingle bells went down well!!!) and Give me oil in my lamp, so whats the problem back home? Had a delicious cake. Spot on! Many thanks.
Next day we walked into Srinagar and met Sajit at Biscoe school. Had tour of school which looked just like those in England but was full of children willing to learn…as in the fifties. The I.T manager, another cousin of Sajits was charming and walked us around the various blocks.7,000 children attend over 4 sites. Spoke to the head of sports who said that children from the schoool compete at all levels in a range of sports.
It was set up by Canon Biscoe from the Kashmir diocese, the school is ran on Protestant philosophies with a chapel for morning prayer used by the teaching staff, the head master of the school is a Christian from the Punjab. As well as teaching the school is involved in raising the level of literacy in the area through a programme that has been set up to further the education of the people. All of the children are Muslim and class sizes are approximately 45 in junior school.The headmaster is also working with the Bishop to train up girls in first aid and basic nursing skills as hospitals which have been built in outlying areas are devoid of staff, resources, even beds!
Spent ages signing autographs for junior school girls.
Exchanged email addresses with IT manager so that girls can follow our activities as we travel. Spoke very warmly with Sajits sister and aunt who also teach at the school - very much a family vocation.
Tomorrow we fly up to Leh which will be perishing cold - Ta Ta for now!
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Carl
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Frankie Dettori eat your heart out!
We see more than one new career ahead for Ian - not only can he become a techy web master, but from the picture with the horse, Ian looks a natural for hunting or racing! Enjoy the next leg of the journey.... Carl and Mary