kashmir
kashmir. it is almost legendary, this place. of all the places in india, this is the one that seemed the most mysterious to me; the one place i wanted to see out of curiousity more than any other feeling.
we stayed in a houseboat on the Dal Lake in kashmir. the houseboat was massive, with five bedrooms, each complete with intricately carved walnut wooden walls. i felt like i was sleeping in a pretty box each night. we had a houseboy, rasheed, who was our housekeeper and cook during our 3-day stay on the boat. in order to reach the mainland from our boat, we had to take a shikara, which is basically a long rowboat with a huge sofa in the middle, upon which my family and i would recline as we were rowed lazily from shore to shore. nothing like a little decadence when you're on vacation.
kashmir itself is a gorgeous place. it seems almost like a country separate from india, in that the architecture, the spacing of the roads, the color of the people's skin and eyes, the breeze are all different than what i have experienced elsewhere in india. at an altitude of 6000 feet, everything is lush and the weather is actually pleasant in may, a month during which the rest of india bakes under the sun. the mughal influence is everywhere, from gardens to food to names.
one night, around sunset, we took a shikara ride on Dal Lake for two hours; it was the most relaxing experience, just sitting on the boat, enjoying each other's company amidst beautiful scenery. we were all in high spirits; the surroundings made us feel a sense of peace.
i believe i will miss Dal Lake. in the houseboat, at night, you could hear the sounds of canoes rowing by; the sound of water being gently pushed to the side was what lulled us to sleep every night.
Gulmarg: this was a day trip we took on our first full day in kashmir. gulmarg means meadow of flowers, and is located at an altitude of 9800 feet, high on a mountain. we took a gondola up to the top, very near to the line of control between india and pakistan. it was pleasantly cool on the mountain; we were comfortable in long sleeves. the native indians who were vacationing there had rented fur coats, hats, gloves and boots, which we found hilarious. it wasn't that cold. we even saw one little girl in a snowsuit! the temperature must have been no cooler than 80 degrees farenheit, but to the indians, it was snowy and therefore cold.
Pahalgam: this was the day trip we took on our second full day in kashmir. we drove through the countryside to reach pahalgam, through acres and acres of rice fields and greenery. along the way, we stopped at a tiny store that sold saffron. pure, deep red kashmiri saffron that costs twice as much as anything you find in america and smells twice as heavenly.
the scenery on the road to pahalgam was idyllic but had a disturbing tinge: every 100 yards or so, there would be a fully armed soldier standing at attention. we knew it was for the protection of civilians and tourists, but it reminded us that protection was needed. in the depth of the green scenery it was easy to forget that this place was one of unrest.
what i have written above does not do justice to kashmir; it's one of those places where 1,000 words does not equal one picture. but while i was there i felt peaceful, i felt able to just take in the scenery and relax. i did not feel oppressed by heat or bewildered by noise and chaos. it was lovely and india surprised me once again with its cache of jewels.
we stayed in a houseboat on the Dal Lake in kashmir. the houseboat was massive, with five bedrooms, each complete with intricately carved walnut wooden walls. i felt like i was sleeping in a pretty box each night. we had a houseboy, rasheed, who was our housekeeper and cook during our 3-day stay on the boat. in order to reach the mainland from our boat, we had to take a shikara, which is basically a long rowboat with a huge sofa in the middle, upon which my family and i would recline as we were rowed lazily from shore to shore. nothing like a little decadence when you're on vacation.
kashmir itself is a gorgeous place. it seems almost like a country separate from india, in that the architecture, the spacing of the roads, the color of the people's skin and eyes, the breeze are all different than what i have experienced elsewhere in india. at an altitude of 6000 feet, everything is lush and the weather is actually pleasant in may, a month during which the rest of india bakes under the sun. the mughal influence is everywhere, from gardens to food to names.
one night, around sunset, we took a shikara ride on Dal Lake for two hours; it was the most relaxing experience, just sitting on the boat, enjoying each other's company amidst beautiful scenery. we were all in high spirits; the surroundings made us feel a sense of peace.
i believe i will miss Dal Lake. in the houseboat, at night, you could hear the sounds of canoes rowing by; the sound of water being gently pushed to the side was what lulled us to sleep every night.
Gulmarg: this was a day trip we took on our first full day in kashmir. gulmarg means meadow of flowers, and is located at an altitude of 9800 feet, high on a mountain. we took a gondola up to the top, very near to the line of control between india and pakistan. it was pleasantly cool on the mountain; we were comfortable in long sleeves. the native indians who were vacationing there had rented fur coats, hats, gloves and boots, which we found hilarious. it wasn't that cold. we even saw one little girl in a snowsuit! the temperature must have been no cooler than 80 degrees farenheit, but to the indians, it was snowy and therefore cold.
Pahalgam: this was the day trip we took on our second full day in kashmir. we drove through the countryside to reach pahalgam, through acres and acres of rice fields and greenery. along the way, we stopped at a tiny store that sold saffron. pure, deep red kashmiri saffron that costs twice as much as anything you find in america and smells twice as heavenly.
the scenery on the road to pahalgam was idyllic but had a disturbing tinge: every 100 yards or so, there would be a fully armed soldier standing at attention. we knew it was for the protection of civilians and tourists, but it reminded us that protection was needed. in the depth of the green scenery it was easy to forget that this place was one of unrest.
what i have written above does not do justice to kashmir; it's one of those places where 1,000 words does not equal one picture. but while i was there i felt peaceful, i felt able to just take in the scenery and relax. i did not feel oppressed by heat or bewildered by noise and chaos. it was lovely and india surprised me once again with its cache of jewels.
...Natural is the static
1 Comments:
I was in Srinagr in 1986 for a glorious six weeks. We traveled to Pehalgam & Gulmarg too.
The beauty of those days is still with me, & you're right, words simply can't do it justice.
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