After the hectic
adventurous time in Gulmarg, Pahalgam was to be a laidback sightseeing trip. At
this point, I would like to inform all tourists visiting these places by public
transport that you will have to take local taxis or horses for sightseeing (done
to promote local livelihood). So after checking in The Regency Hotel in
Pahalgam which is situated in a very scenic locale with a river running by, we
set
out for a general walk around the market place. This was the time to shop
for shawls, stoles, dry fruits and dresses for the ladies to be kept or gifted.
Two guys from our
group decided to take a horse ride to ‘Mini Switzerland’. These horses and
taxis
are available in the parking lot, which is the point where the
taxis/vans/buses that you have reached the destination in, have to be parked,
and you take local transport.
After a couple of
hours of gallivanting around town we returned to the hotel and rested as we had
scheduled the sightseeing tour for the next day.
Our 1st
point to visit was the Aru valley. This place is a page out of a fairy tale!
The tiny bridges over
the now dry river against a backdrop of magnificent snow-capped
mountains and the feeling of being hugged by nature is amazing.
Our next stop was the
Betaab valley. This valley got its name after the famous Hindi movie ‘Betaab’
was filmed here. Betaab Valley lies between the two Himalayan Ranges – Pir
Panjal and Zanskar.
There is an entrance fee of Rs.100/- to enter the vast
landscaped gardens inside. We skipped that and instead spent time taking
pictures along the Lidder river which was flowing past and had some
yummy
omelettes and rotis and Maggi noodles in the shack by the river. Washed it down
with the famous Kashmiri Kahwa (Kahwah is a traditional green tea preparation
consumed in Afghanistan, northern Pakistan, some regions of Central Asia and,
in northern India especially in Kashmir Valley.)
After this we moved on
to Chandanwadi which is the starting point for the Amarnath yatra. There
was
still some snow lying around and it offered a lot of photo-ops which we
gratefully accepted and called it a day.
We were done with
Pahalgam and had to carry on to Sonmarg the next day. The highlight of this
journey to Sonmarg was the sumptuously delicious meat feast – Wazwan, in
Pampore, organised specially for us by ScoutMyTrip. Wazwan is a multi-course meal in Kashmiri
cuisine, the preparation of which is considered an art and a point of pride in
Kashmiri culture and identity. Almost all the dishes are meat-based using lamb
or chicken with a few vegetarian dishes. It is popular throughout Kashmir. As we
approached Pampore, the weather Gods decided we had enough of good weather and
it started raining leading to a drastic drop in temperature.
Plenty of mustard fields enroute.
By the time we reached
Sonmarg, the gloomy weather dampened our enthusiasm and we had barely checked
into the Glacier Heights Hotel and there was a power failure. Not a very good sign as the Hotel Generator
could not support room heaters in all the rooms along with the electrical
blankets.
Hotel Glacier Heights, Sonmarg.
But the Kashmiri hosts did not let us down. In the restaurant they
gave us a corner where they brought in a huge heater supported by a LPG cylinder
and we sat around it nursing our drinks and snacking on yummy chicken tikkas
and veg. pakodas, pretending the heater was a bonfire. In the ensuing
discussion it was decided that we get back to Srinagar the next day as the
weather prediction for the next day too was not favourable and we were not
inclined to spend our time in the cold rooms. Our organisers ScoutMyTrip were
told about our decision and they gallantly offered to accommodate us in Srinagar
in lieu of Sonmarg the next day despite this being a case of force majeure.
So we headed back to
Srinagar and spent a pleasant evening in Pride Inn Hotel, glowing in the
aftermath of the beauty that is Kashmir and Kashmiris.
The day after we flew
back to Mumbai – back to base with plenty of memories to last a lifetime.
In conclusion a few observations:
All over Kashmir, in
all the hotels, the buffet breakfast was Upma, Poha, Parathas and Eggs (boiled or Omelette).
The locals are fed up
of politicians across the board. They are trapped in between the devil and the deep sea. If they inform the Indian Army of the hideouts of militants they will be killed by the militants and if they don't inform, they face the wrath of the Army.
The tourists are
welcomed with a lot of love. The locals are warm hearted, extremely hospitable
and will go to any lengths to make the guest comfortable giving credence to the
phrase ‘Athithi Deva Bhavo’ - Guest is God.
For the vegetarians, there are plenty of Vaishno dhabas/restaurants all over the place, serving excellent vegetarian food. So no worries.
For the vegetarians, there are plenty of Vaishno dhabas/restaurants all over the place, serving excellent vegetarian food. So no worries.
Despite having read in
the print media and seen on the Television, we did not witness a single
incident of violence during our stay and travels there.
The only way to bring about
total peace in Kashmir is to overrun it by tourists. So guys pack your bags and
get a move on! Kashmir is waiting!
