Hotel Hilltop Gulmarg

... to see what little snow there was on the mountain. For most Indians it would be the reason they come to areas like this rather than for trekking or skiing (in the winter).
At the top, there was still a rocky 300m or so to trek to the peak of Kongdoori so I headed up slowly. I could only walk for about 30m at a time before having to rest and catch my breath in the thin atmosphere. On the way, Indians were enjoying what little snow/ice there was and a few were riding ...

... znavení ve Srinagaru, kde nás okamzitě zmerčí naháněči do houseboutů. Lepí se na nás uz stovky metrů před konečnou dzípu a nabádají řidiče, aby zastavil a vydal nás na pospas. Tady je bělochů jen hrstka a naháněči se o ně přou. Přisli jsme si jako lisky v 'lovu na lisku'. Vsechny jsme je víceméně odehnali a hledali si housebout sami. Srinagar je hlavním městem "ráje na zemi" a typick ...

... puliti. Era tutto quello di cui avevamo bisogno. Ci siamo fermati. Hanno messo due materassi a terra. Ci hanno preparato una cena eccellente, il che non ci ha stupito perché ogni volta che abbiamo mangiato in casa di un indiano il cibo č stato sempre squisito. Troppo stanchi per pensare ad altro. Una doccia, e a nanna. Subito. Una giornata a pesca. Il pontile che portava alla nostra house-boat era fatto di assi di legno irregolari, rese lisce da anni di sole, pioggia e gelo. Arrivati ...

... trip with my friends from California (Kerry, Kayma, Amy, Kris, and others). For the past 14 years I've been on at least one ski trip each season to either Whistler, Mammoth or Utah...and each time we've had a blast. So...not wanted the streak to end, I started researching places around India where I might be able to get some slope-time. Turns out there are several places in India that are starting to make a name for themselves from a skiing ...

... if washed at all) by dunking in the stream, sometimes, but not always with the benefit of soap. Or maybe just wiped down with the same dirty rag as the last 50 dishes and spoons. The peanut butter we buy even goes so far as to tout "produced in hygienic environment!" as apparently that's the exception, not the rule. So I was actually impressed that we had been in India for over a week before I felt just generally ****** enough (lit. and fig.) to take Cipro. This ...

... bebnach. Wszystko to jest dla nas bardzo egzotyczne. Zostajemy poczestowani slona, kaszmirska herbata i makabrycznym tortem, smakiem przypominajacym rozpuszczony plastik. Lysa zaczyna sie poruszac, lokale to przyuwazaja i niemal sila zmuszaja nas do tanca. Stajemy sie gwiazdami wieczoru, wszyscy klaszcza i bawia sie wysmienicie. Cala impreza konczy sie o 3 nad ranem, rozstajemy sie z Albertem, przed nami tylko 3h snu.

... nieba i pelnego ksiezyca w spokojnej tafli jeziora, Lysiak calkowicie odleciala. Cisza spokoj i relaks. Tego bylo nam potrzeba od bardzo dlugiego czasu. Targ to zbiorowisko dziesiatek lodzi przypominajacych canoe wypelnionych po brzegi przeroznymi warzywami pochodzacymi z plywajacych ogrodkow. Co jakis czas wybuchaly awantury. Sprzedawcy klocili sie o cene wage i ilosc. Od czasu do czasu dochodzilo do ...

... the rickshaw fare. I knew the situation was shady; that his brother was most likely not an airline employee. At most I expected some kind of fake-ticket scam. The whole situation was a long shot but I only saw it as a risk of losing a few rupees in rickshaw fare. At the time I thought it wasn't much riskier than using a travel agent. The ride was much longer than I expected, ending in a wealthy neighborhood several kilometers past ...

... the trees with one or two soldiers in each. At one of the checkpoints, we pulled up to a mass of soldiers surrounding a military truck with the doors open wide. They were all coated in chalky day-glo colors and danced wildly to the music coming from the truck. A man in the back was busy filming the show, I wanted to jump out and do the same. If I knew what it was all about, I would have. One of the soldiers came over to our truck and ...

... at Bakshis a local Veg resteraunt that you could still order meat from but they brought it through a side door and said it came from a seperate resteraunt just in case one of the Veg heads questioned why there was meats served. Pretty funny to have the waiter walk outside circle the resteraunt and come back with food that was made 2 feet from your table ha!