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  Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India
Monday, April 18, 2005

Well the Delhi tour was a lovely, hot, sweaty, rushed experience....We finally set off at 10.30 after sitting on the bus for over an hour, visited the Lakshmi Naryan temple where I received my first blessing ie red dot on forehead - unfortunately it was sweated off before I could get a photo - nice...Then it was the India Gate where one of the Swedish girls I was with was groped by a monkey; Indira Gandhi's house is now a museum and not only was it really interesting it had a/c, they even had the sari she was wearing when she was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards. We also saw the Bahai Temple which is obviously based on the Sydney Opera House but lovely and peaceful inside; The President's Palace and Parliament buildings; at Qtub Minar I got in on someone's old ticket as they charge 10 rupees for Indians and 250 for tourists, bloody rip-off merchants. The architecture in here ranged from Jain to Roman to Persian so was really interesting. Next was an attempt at brainwashing at the Hare Krishna exhibition which was like the Alton Towers thing where you sit in a dark room and a voive booms out as the lights play over the crappy gaudy statues they built, the message being 'you are destined to live many lives and return as dogs, chickens, elephants and whatevr until you do what we say and give in to Krishna' - I don't THINK so matey

Flying in to Srinigar

. Lunch was luvverly, flies everywhere, the guy next to us had his wife and son waiting for him to finish before they could eat, except they didn't have time. Finally we went to Raj Ghat, the park that commemorates the cremation of Mahatma Gandhi - the sun went down but there was no sunset due to the smog.

When I got back to Pahar Ganj I met Otto on the landing, he was the first person I spoke to when I got here, he is Danish but was brought up in Greenland so was telling me about how some places there they don't even talk, just use facial expressions. What fun. Went for dinner with him and also saw Carol from London and her bloke Paul, they were going for beer (yey!) so joined them - first beer whilst I've been here and tasted sooo good. When we got back afterwards the strange old German guy on my landing with painted-on eyebrows ('Cabaret' anyone?)was whinging about some music - turns out it was on the roof, a circle of Israelis playing drums, didgeridoos and the like and chanting, it was so mesmeric and just what I needed after a long hot day on the bus - I must admit I felt a bit more like a traveller than a tourist after sitting there for an hour or so, I almost didn't want to move on the next day - almost....


But it was on to the Hotel Gold Regency - sad to say but it was good to have a TV again, if only for the background noise

One shikara, one Himalaya

. I woke late and made plans for the next few days, then went to the train station to book tickets for Agra on Sunday and Shimla, up north, on Tuesday. Went back into town and down a back lane off Main Bazar, tourists don't normally come down here so I was stared at even more than normal, but it was good to see how they live normally, especially the alley that was the fruit and veg market, so calm after the frenzy of the main streets, loads of stalls laid out with bright fresh veg, everything you could imagine and many that you wouldn't even recognise.

Back on Main Bazar I heard someone ask 'Have you had a good day?' so i did my usual answer and carry on walking. However he (Nihaz) persisted and spoke really good English so I started chatting to him. When I told him I was off to Shimla he asked why not Srinagar and told me he had photos I could see (not puppies or etchings), turns out he organises tours and treks. So, to cut a long story short, I saw the photos of meadows and the Himalaya, changed my plans, and went to TGI Fridays with Younis to celebrate - actually it was because I'd not eaten all day and, after all, it was Saturday night.
Flying in over the mountains was amazing, the mainly Indian passengers were so excited I thought the plane was going to tip up as they crowded over to one side to see out the windows! And it was sooo good to step into fresh, cool air and see blue sky and clouds. And soldiers, army trucks, barbed wire...don't believe anything you may read, it's really safe here. I'm staying on Houseboat Lalaruckh on Dal Lake, apparently the same boat and bedroom Michael Palin stayed in when filming Himalaya but I'll have to check that out.

And you'll never guess what - I might be on telly

Sunset over Dal Lake

! I was only on the boat 30 mins, sitting up on the roof with my Kashmiri tea (no it isn't made from carpets or bullets) when 'Bob', the boss-man, arrives to see if I mind being filmed by some BBC chaps. Actually they were sending the report to Reuters so it may or may not get used, they were doing a piece to tell people how wonderful the houseboats on Dal Lake are, how safe it is and how they should all come and stay - god knows where cos apparently they're all fully booked throughout the summer, it's busy now and still only spring. So basically I talked a lot of crap (for a change), if you get to see it try not to piss yourselves too much as I come across as a right muppet - good fun though! After that I just stayed on the roof catching the rays (yes I'm now not so white)and chilling, watching the shikaras to-ing and fro-ing, looking at the Himalaya and feeling really, really calm. It's such a peaceful place, particularily after the smelly, dirty, noisy smog of Delhi. Last night I was fed tandoori chicken, spicy potatoes and veg, rice and, cheese curry! Bit suspect I thought, but it's like grilled halloumi and really tasty. I sat talking to Sohil and Shaqil till late, then read for a while. I finally slept properly for the first time since I arrived in India and got up at noon!

So, now I am in a tinternet cafe in Srinagar, trying to download photos which are taking an absolute age to send anywhere. I have a chance to go trekking but it seems expensive so I'm going to try and shop around, see what I can find. So next time you see this it could be full of Himalaya photos and blurb. Hope you are enjoying it so far, take care y'all!

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