It took some time for the driver to find out the hotel where we were to stay. The hotel was called Hotel Siddartha. It was a moderately big one. The receptionist did not know English and we had a very hard time trying to make him understand that we were members the tour group. Finally he handed over the key of our room. It was an ordinary air conditioned room. We spent a sleepless night as we were to find out who our guide was and who the members of our group were.
Next morning we woke up early and dressed up and with our luggage we went to the reception waiting for our guide. At 7 am he came and met us. He was a short, stout middle aged man with a paunch. He had a thick moustache and took a middle parting. He was a typical Hindiwalah who spoke Hinglish. Initially it was very difficult to understand his accent. He told us that our bus was waiting outside the gate. Jenny and I walked out of the gate and we saw the mountain ranges. I was seeing the Himalayan mountain range with my own eyes. It was ecstatic!!!!! I had learnt that Himalyan ranges were divided to the Shiwaliks, the Lesser Himalyas and the Greater Himalayas. I guessed it would be the Lesser Himalayas. I asked the guide and he was ignorant about it.
Around 8:30 am every one got into the bus. The guide introduced us as “two teachers from Kerala.” Immediately, every one wished us a “good morning”. Everyone treated us with very much respect. They had some sort of fear in talking to us. Majority of them were Brahmins and they were traveling in groups. There were two families from Chennai – two brothers and their family, a big family from Andhra Pradesh, a retired couple from Pondicherry and two little boys with their grand parents. The bus was quite full. The guide kept announcing what we were going to do the next ten days. He said we were going to take the NH 1A to reach Srinagar.
The bus stopped at a restaurant which looked alright from out. Here is the photograph of that highway restaurant.
As we got inside an equal amount of houseflies were displaced. That restaurant was covered with houseflies. Not knowing what to do, we decided to go for toast. When breakfast was served, we were waving off the flies with our left hand and eating with our right hand. I literally swallowed the food with water. Somehow it was not going down my throat. I managed to finish eating and got out off the restaurant. The entire place looked very dry.
After breakfast the womenfolk from Andhra Pradesh tried talking to us. They had a number of questions to ask us. Some of the questions are as follows:
1. “Aar you teachers?”
2. “Whaare aar ‘euyver’ husbands?”
3. ‘How many children ‘yeu’ have?”
4. “Are you not scared to travel alone?”
5. “Are you sisters?”
6. “Why yeu join at Katra?”
7. “Yeu went to Vaishaneo Devi for Darshan,ah?”
8. “Why you not go, there?”
It seems that they were told that we were joining them after our darshan at Vaishneo Devi Temple. When we told them that we were Christians, they were shocked. After that the Andhra women kept away from us. Their husbands were friendly to us and the women did not encourage their friendliness.
Again the journey started. As we were going uphill, the scenery was wonderful. We were told that there would be a military convoy to follow our bus once we were nearing the Kashmir Valley. The bus had to stop for over two hours waiting for the military convoy
On the highway there were a number of vehicles of the army and CRPF jawans patrolling. The long winding roads, the mountain terrain, the gorges, the fir and pine trees were breath taking. In fact seeing the Himalyan mountain range was memorable.
I remember my Geography teacher in school telling us that the Himalayas were Fold Mountains. Now, I know what a Fold mountain is. I felt really happy.
The journey was not very pleasant as many started vomiting. The women in front could throw up and soon start eating again. Their men were there to make a big fuss and would ask the driver to switch off the A/C. The stench in the bus made other passengers also throw up. This continued for days together.
We crossed the Jawahar Tunnel or the Banihal Pass. It is a 2.5 kms long tunnel which was dug in 1959 and it connects Kashmir with the rest of the world. It is dug through the Pir Pangal Mountain. As we entered there was a board welcoming us to the Kashmir valley. We had finally entered the Kasmir Valley. Our bus stopped for tea at the Titanic View Point. One can see the snow clad mountains from far and tourists are not allowed at to this region. We took photographs at this place.
We got to see the Kashmiris. The men were handsome and the women beautiful.
We reached Srinagar at 7pm. It was not cold as we had expected. It was only cool. We stayed at an ordinary hotel. I felt insecure at that place. They did not serve food there. We had to go out to other hotels for food. The restaurant near our hotel was a small place and was not clean. We had mulli paratha (radish paratha) with dahi (curd). I found a telephone booth opposite to our hotel. The owner was a typical handsome Kashmiri and asked us how we liked the place. I told him that I had fallen in love with the valley. He told us that it was the media who created the entire problem in Kashmir. Actually there were no many problems in the valley. There are problems like in any other state but the media exaggerated the problems in Kashmir. He was a very friendly man.
After dinner we went back to our rooms. Our Guide told us that we were to be ready by 9am the next morning as we had to go sight seeing. As we were very tired we went off to sleep early.
(To be contd.....)
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