Really been neck-deep in work, but I will emerge alive, insyaAllah. Tough to believe that I remained in India last December. And oh yes, good friends, I will remain in Vietnam end of July till end of August, so yes, great entries are underway!
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So, the previous entry saw us going through Agra, the place which held among the biggest signs of love, the Taj Mahal. It's been an eye-opening experience, just one that I understand is simply so incredible that I don't believe I can ever forget in this life time, or in the next, for that matter. I've likewise chronicled my journey through Jaipur the Pink City, and guess what friends? We are going through Kashmir today, yay to that!
Prior to I left for India, I was at first really doubtful of the different 'threats' that we would deal with when we are in India, especially so for Kashmir. I've found out about the conflicts of interest which exists in this part of the world, of what does it cost? people are fearing for their lives in Kashmir. I've checked out news about suicide bombers, and actually, if you are careful tourist, you would have the tendency to try to keep away from controversial locations lest
you are at the incorrect location at the wrong time. However then again, you would not have the ability to experience places like Kashmir. It is definitely true when they state that Kashmir is truly heaven in the world. It is like the Switzerland of the East, what with the lakes and the mountains. However because I made a trip to Kashmir in winter season, the flowers were not in complete blossom, so I made a vow to myself that a person day, I would go to Kashmir in Spring with my husband, insyaAllah. Possibly for our honeymoon. =-RRB-.
However, back to the topic of interest. See, it was a rather big shock for us when we showed up from Delhi to Kashmir. First factor was because the temperature level in Delhi was a moderate 18 deg C, so we were still able to deal with the temperature level really well. It's like being in an air-conditioned room, that's all. So we were rather doubtful to hear that we have to wear exceptionally cold winter season clothings in Kashmir because of the extreme drop in temperature. And lo and behold, when we touched down in Kashmir, the temperature was 5 deg C! That could surely have caught you.
offguard, considering that I believed Delhi and Kashmir are close. HAHA.
Saw a great deal of soldiers (army people) in the airport. Nevertheless, due to the fact that of the strict rules, we were not permitted to have our electronic cameras with us because the security is rather tight there. Not surprisingly so since this is Kashmir we are dealing with. Obviously the army would take extra safety measures in order to avoid any accidents from occurring, right? So, currently, and potentially never ever, I could just hold the image of the Kashmir airport in my mind, and not show in photos. Sadly however, I am never ever patient with airport security. Possibly it's because I anticipate things to be done effectively, but exactly what I fail to understand is that sometimes, there are additional precautions which the airport personnel need to require to ensure that their territory remains safe.
Lastly left the airport after waiting on about 3 hours approximately. And oh yes, we were extremely hungry. We can't wait to explore the hotel. My very first memorable experience in Kashmir was when I understood that there are fighter airplanes flying above me, and they have smoke coming out of.
their engines/bums/whatever you call the opening at the tail end of the airplane. It made me afraid, honestly, since I was hoping that nothing would take place. Thankfully however, we handled to identify our jeep drivers (we utilized a jeep as the primary mode of transport due to the fact that the roadways were bumpy and we were travelling on surface locations), who loaded the baggage on top of their jeeps. I hesitated that the roofing of the jeep would cave in, particularly because there are heavy travel luggage sitting on top of it.
The wind was cool, and it was a welcome sight from the industrialization areas of Delhi. The residents were extremely friendly as well, and the sight of soldiers lining the roads were a welcome sight because I really felt safer than anywhere else.
After travelling for about 30 minutes and absorbing the initial sights of Kashmir, we reached a lake. I believe it belongs to Dal Lake. Saw a lot of houseboats (and after that thought to myself, we are residing on a boat?) owned by different families. Decided to remain on Yaadgar Group of Houseboats. The owner (I presume his name is Mr Yaadgar) owns 3 houseboats.
and a kitchen. And his house is just found on the land behind the houseboats, and it is HUGE, I inform you. Bigger than my house. Oh this man is certainly abundant!
Surviving on a houseboat is far from unsteady. In reality, it was so steady and I didn't even think in the least bit that it may move. I've had visions of sleeping on one end of the Dal Lake, and waking up at the other end. And naturally, if the weather was a bit more forgiving, I would have slept at the sofa situated at the veranda of the boat. However, as soon as I dipped my finger into the lake, it might most likely freeze. It was that cold.
Explored the houseboat, and had an extremely hearty meal of dum aloo (infant potatoes with spices), rice (yay my favorite!), some veggies and meat. Yummy! Naturally, whatever tastes great when you are starving, isn't really it?
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After the meal, took a little journey around the quaint town of Kashmir. It's in the night, and individuals were just coming out of their homes after the evening prayers. I have to say, the intrigue that they were showing.
when they saw us is rather fascinating. Sure, there then, we really felt that we were foreigners in a land which is not frequented by travelers.
Made a little see to the mosque, which was originally a Buddhist temple. This is because the roofing was triangular-shaped instead of the typical dome which is a prominent feature of mosques. And I have to state, even with the socks on, it still is really cold in the mosque! And the floor was carpeted at that! I believe that's quite a bit of the down thing for us. We could not value the complete appeal of the mosque since the majority of us (other than the photogs) were hectic aiming to keep ourselves warm. In my opinion, it definitely wasn't a smart idea to check out Kashmir in winter if you are not utilized to severe cold. Fortunately though, I handled to hop a little here and there to keep myself warm and tried my finest to appreciate the mosque. God bless gloves!
After the journey to the mosque, we made a trip to the other grand mosque in Kashmir. It is very vibrant, I must say. Lots of detailed illustrations, quite unlike your normal mosque, which would typically be rather monotonous, if you have actually ever visited Singapore. The entire mosque was made from wood, no cement whatsoever. For that reason, it is a great wonder regarding how it was still able to stand as a structure for quite long durations of time.
After exposing ourselves to the bitter cold temperatures in Kashmir, it was time to stop because, well, the sun had set. "It's going to be actually cold in the evening. I better placed on my fluffy woolen socks," I thought.
The next day, I opted for a shikara ride! I had actually initially thought that we are going to be in the shikara for about 10 minutes approximately, however when the shikara rider did not suggest that he was going to stop anytime quickly, I started to fret. But the concerns go away as quickly as I found out that we are taking a shikara flight to Nigeen and Dal Lake. It's pretty remarkable! Along the way, there were individuals offering their products on their very own shikaras, and they can be rather insistent and persistent in getting you to acquire their merchandises. Because of the truth that there are no gates or coverings on the shikara whatsoever, it might encounter as a little bit of a culture shock. You see, you may feel that you are being attacked on all sides because to start with, as soon as a shikara rider comes to you, the rest of the people selling their merchandises would come to you as a potential buyer. Therefore, from your right and left, individuals will aim to get you to buy your merchandises. For this reason, simply take them all in great faith.
They are all there to make money. Simply like the man who unexpectedly comes into your houseboat during breakfast and settles his merchandises down on the floor of the living-room of the houseboat in the hopes of getting you to purchase them. They are all there to earn a good living, so what's a little help, eh? I assure you, you will certainly feel great after helping them by acquiring their merchandises, insyaAllah. It was a beautiful trip around the lakes. People were at home, and they were kind enough to wave. I still kept in mind plainly how this 3 group of friends were having fun with stones, and when they saw us going by their home, they ran to the edge of the land to wave to us as well as gamely positioned for an image. Oftentimes, I know that it is not the locations however rather individuals who have made my holidays merely terrific.
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