The writer with his sisters-in-law at Gulmarg. — Photos: SALLEH HARUN
During our courtship I promised my then intended, Mariam, that I would take her to Kashmir in India.
Why Kashmir? I guess I had watched too many Bollywood movies wherein most of the courtship, singing and dancing scenes were shot in the highlands of Kashmir. Enchanting, beautiful and romantic on the wide screen.
Following our 53rd wedding anniversary recently, I finally made good on my promise!
The four of us – my wife, her younger sister, another sister-in law and myself – joined a group tour to Kashmir. There were 18 of us in the group altogether, including the tour leader.
The itinerary included a night in Delhi and four nights in Srinagar, of which two were to be spent on houseboats. Day trips were to Gulmarg, Sonamarg and Pahalgam valley in the Himalayas.
We had to take the cable cars and ski lifts to Gulmarg, as it stood at about 4,200m. It was early autumn when we were there and Gulmarg greeted us with barren rocks and cold winds ... but no snow. The atmosphere did not quite compensate for the long arduous queuing for the cable car rides.
Still, it gave us a great view of the mountains.
Sonamarg was golden from wintering maple and other trees. The grass had turned brown leaving a barren rocky landscape. The main attraction was the pony ride to a glacier higher up the mountain. Only seven in our group went on the pony ride, two of whom were over 80 years old. The others decided to go on the jeep tours instead.
It was my first time riding a pony and I was worried about falling off as the gait of the animal trotting was uncomfortable, but after a while I got the hang of it and actually enjoyed it. The pony seemed to know the rocky trail like the back of its hoofs! We dismounted near the glacier to admire the scenery and took photographs.
The writer riding up the mountain at Sonamarg on a pony.
The Sonamarg golf course is reputedly one of the highest in the world. The course was in fallow until the winter snow melts. I would not mind playing a round there during summer as golf balls travel further at such high altitude.
While on the way to Pahalgam we stopped at apple orchards to sample some late season fruit and juice. The Pahalgam region also reputedly produces the best saffron in the world so we stopped at the saffron fields to check it out ... only to learn that the flowering season was over.
The visit to the Pahalgam valley itself was not quite up to expectations. The valley landscape was of rocks as there was little water flowing in the river. The temple several kilometres up was of no interest to us, as it was too arduous a journey to attempt.
During the tour we visited several gardens in Srinagar and Delhi, including the Shalimar Garden. Most of the flowering plants were already withering by then but we did manage to get some nice pictures of late blooms, as well as maple and other trees turning golden.
The writer and his wife, Mariam, under a golden ginkgo tree at Shalimar Garden in Srinagar. — Photos: SALLEH HARUN
The tour could only manage one mountain visit per day. The journey of 56km to Gulmarg took more than two hours as the roads were narrow with heavy traffic. The many security check points contributed to the jam too, it was so chaotic.
We stayed at reasonably good hotels with standard breakfast fare featuring local roti, eggs, dhal curries, salads and fruits. Our lunches were usually biryani meals, while their desserts were very, very sweet.
We enjoyed the local food, along with masala tea and kahwah, but after three days we started craving for a wider variety of cuisines.
Everyone in the group was excited about our houseboat stay. We had to cross the Dal Lake with a shikara (narrow long boat) to get to the houseboat, which was well furnished with a fully carpeted lounge, a dining area and a bedroom.
It was a great experience, even though there was no kettle in the bedroom and the power supply got cut off every now and then. Apparently, intermittent power supply is common in Kashmir.
A few vendors selling local handicrafts, clothing, tea and snacks dropped by our houseboat with their wares. You are expected to bargain, but you don’t need to if the price is already pretty low.
Also, for any service rendered, tipping is customary, but from my experience it is almost obligatory.
If you’re leaving from Srinagar Airport take note that it is under Indian Air Force control so things are done a little differently there. We had to unload our luggage, go through security check, then reload the luggage on our coach, before unloading again when we arrived at the departure terminal.
While a visit to Kashmir in late spring/early summer would be more colourful and pretty, there will be more tourists. In autumn things may look a little dreary but it’s still a good time for a visit as there are lots of other things to see and do.
The views expressed are entirely the writer’s own.
