Blogs from Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, India, Asia - page 10

Hi, it's Beth. I have to say Happy Birthday to my Dad and sisters Suse and Chris and of course Raju Singh! We are celebrating my birthday on a beautiful houseboat in Kashmir and I couldn't have asked for a nicer setting. But first we better say a few words about Malaysia because I'm not sure anybody besides Samir is taking that country on. We are all so taken with Kashmir, it's hard to look back and write about the past. But I think Samir did mention a $180 mistake that he would leave to me to own up to. Well, it's called Langkawi Marine Park and everybody told us how beautiful it was and how great the snorkeling was. And to Azim and my credit, we were skeptical having just snorkeled in the Gili ... read more

Now I can honestly say that no where in India to date has been to over whelming, nothing over the top, unexpected or confronting. But for the first time I absolutely shit myself about being in Srinagar. I felt uncomfortable, scared and generally not safe. Now heading into Kashmir you here the stories about the trouble of past and present, Lonely Planet warns you to check the security status and states that the town has a highly visible army presence. Well that’s an understatement to say the least. The town/city is more like an army base. There are armed soldiers everywhere, literally stationed down the street every 20 meters, patrol bunkers at all intersections and heavy military searches upon entering certain areas or buildings. It’s not really a pleasant environment. But I’ll start at the being ... read more

12 nov: On part pour ce fameux trek à Sonamarg (2740M). Une Mexicaine de 64 ans nous accompagne (...nous l’appellerons "Martha la mexicaine"…). 1h30 de route en jeep à flancs de montagnes pour s’y rendre. J’ai eu peur de tomber dans un précipice au moins une douzaine de fois durant le trajet. À chaque courbe: klaxon. À chaque voiture stationnée: klaxon. À chaque voiture croisée: klaxon. Une vache sur la route: klaxon. Une indienne en sari sur le bord de la route: klaxon. Pu capable le klaxon!! On arrive enfin chez les Gypsy. Ils sont sales les Gypsy.... vraiment sales!! On dirait qu’ils vivent dans une cabane dans un enfouissement sanitaire, je vous jure. C-r-o-t-é-s les Gypsy. La petite famille de 15 ne s’est pas lavée depuis.... mmm... depuis jamais peut-être. À croire qu’ils sont tous ... read more

It’s difficult to pinpoint at what exact moment we decided that heading North, way North, into the still disputed region of Kashmir was a good idea. Clearly, our decision was largely influenced by the family that ran the hotel we were staying at in Dharamsala, with whom we became friends with over the course of our stay. Not coincidently, they were Kashmiri, and spent a great time of our time together espousing the unparalleled beauty of their motherland…which they convinced us was the most beautiful area of India, once known commonly as the “Jewel of India”. Before the increased conflict starting in the late eighties, Kashmir was very much a tourist destination. Since that time, the total annual number of tourists has fallen from roughly 880,000 to 2000 (according to the Lonely Planet). Ouch. This insane ... read more

Today Bean and I took a minibus ride into the heart of the mountains to a small town called Naranag. This town has just recently gotten some limited forms of electricity. We were able to interact with the locals and stayed at one of the homes for lunch and tea. And for Bean, a little shisha from the hooka, eeeeh. We then went on a trek for a few hours into the mountains. We followed a river and took turns riding a small pony. We were led through the trails by our guide, Shirad. He sang songs with us and we had some good snowball fights with him. He really liked our watches so Bean gave him his as a gift when we left. We returned to our boat house on Nagin Lake in Srinagar in ... read more