THE ARRIVAL
Landing in Kashmir was a beautiful experience but little did I knew the kind of security I would come across.For a moment I felt that I am entering into a war zone as the airport premise was inundated with army personnel , it kind of rocked me and I couldn’t help but ask a local are we facing some kind of a threat, to which the lad smiled and replied :its just another day, welcome to SriNagar.
Outside the airport I met my very first of the three guides who will make sure that as far as covering the exquisite Kashmir is concerned ,I don’t leave any stone unturned.
I had 12 days up my sleeve and in that limited time I planned to cover multiple places barring Kashmir, thankfully I had a planned itinerary which will help me get a good piece of the valley.
I travelled quite a bit prior to this trip and in every single previous voyage I either headed straight to a hotel or a hostel ,this time around , I was heading straight to a houseboat situated at the tranquil Dal Lake. I was completely hooked with the beauty the place had to offer , the gargantuan lake engulfed with attractive water crafts neighbouring sturdy houseboats.Wherever the eyes ponder ,one will come across the stupendous Himalayas hovering over the beautiful capital.
The very first views:SriNagar
Prior to arriving at the houseboat I realised that I made a grave mistake of not carrying extra SIM cards.Its that part of the country in which all your local modes of communication goes into a standstill and it didn’t took me much time to realise that if I didn’t got local SIM cards my phone would be reduced to a mere camera which can play some songs.
I conveyed the same to my guide who was more than willing to give me his own sim till the time I got a new one which I happily took.
The houseboats are situated at the other end of the Lake which meant to cover that distance a boat would be imperative, something to which I always dreamt of, A boat journey on The Dal Lake.Let me remind you that I have merely covered the distance from the airport to the houseboat and yet I have had such wonderful experiences.
The travail was exemplary, it took around 15 minutes to reach the other corner of the lake and how I wished it too be a bit longer.On the serene water surrounded by the mighty Himalayas ,it was a scene to admire.This was also the time I came across “Kashmiriyat” when the boatman tried to start a conversation with me asking me my origins and how blessed he is that he had the opportunity to serve me.I was overwhelmed with the beauty the nature had to offer and seeing such hospitality was a cherry on the cake.
Finally ,I reached the destination in which I would be staying for the next 4 days.The houseboat was compact and surprisingly had a great space to offer.I had doubts on how I would be treated by the locals in Kashmir considering the unrest the valley has had for the last so many years but again I was taken aback by the way the houseboat owner made me feel like its my own home.One would argue that because Kashmir has limited employment opportunities and its a tourism driven economy,it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the tourists are treated as gods.Any which way , I’ll take such a heart-warming welcome with both hands.
Outside the airport I met my very first of the three guides who will make sure that as far as covering the exquisite Kashmir is concerned ,I don’t leave any stone unturned.
I had 12 days up my sleeve and in that limited time I planned to cover multiple places barring Kashmir, thankfully I had a planned itinerary which will help me get a good piece of the valley.
I travelled quite a bit prior to this trip and in every single previous voyage I either headed straight to a hotel or a hostel ,this time around , I was heading straight to a houseboat situated at the tranquil Dal Lake. I was completely hooked with the beauty the place had to offer , the gargantuan lake engulfed with attractive water crafts neighbouring sturdy houseboats.Wherever the eyes ponder ,one will come across the stupendous Himalayas hovering over the beautiful capital.
Prior to arriving at the houseboat I realised that I made a grave mistake of not carrying extra SIM cards.Its that part of the country in which all your local modes of communication goes into a standstill and it didn’t took me much time to realise that if I didn’t got local SIM cards my phone would be reduced to a mere camera which can play some songs.
I conveyed the same to my guide who was more than willing to give me his own sim till the time I got a new one which I happily took.
The houseboats are situated at the other end of the Lake which meant to cover that distance a boat would be imperative, something to which I always dreamt of, A boat journey on The Dal Lake.Let me remind you that I have merely covered the distance from the airport to the houseboat and yet I have had such wonderful experiences.
The travail was exemplary, it took around 15 minutes to reach the other corner of the lake and how I wished it too be a bit longer.On the serene water surrounded by the mighty Himalayas ,it was a scene to admire.This was also the time I came across “Kashmiriyat” when the boatman tried to start a conversation with me asking me my origins and how blessed he is that he had the opportunity to serve me.I was overwhelmed with the beauty the nature had to offer and seeing such hospitality was a cherry on the cake.
Finally ,I reached the destination in which I would be staying for the next 4 days.The houseboat was compact and surprisingly had a great space to offer.I had doubts on how I would be treated by the locals in Kashmir considering the unrest the valley has had for the last so many years but again I was taken aback by the way the houseboat owner made me feel like its my own home.One would argue that because Kashmir has limited employment opportunities and its a tourism driven economy,it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the tourists are treated as gods.Any which way , I’ll take such a heart-warming welcome with both hands.
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