Dal Lake, Kashmir

Today was mainly travelling. Bus to the airport then the usual formalities gone through. Plane late but it took under an hour to Srinagar which is a very clean city. No mess and rubbish like Amritsar. We got taxis to our boat. Many armed police and vehicles with protection plus circular gaps for firing tear gas. We saw some scream to a halt and police get out in protective gear, brandishing big guns. I’m glad we’ll be away before the elections next week, as they have posted in thousands more troops, expecting trouble.

We reached the ‘lake’ which was actually a series of waterways surrounded by houseboats. We got a small boat (shiksra) holding 3 which took us round what looked like Bangkok klongs, till we reached a channel surrounded by giant waterlilies and gardens of veg growing from the water. Reminded me of Inle Lake in Myanmar. The 11 of us are in 2 adjoining boats. Leader decided all the people who had single rooms should go on one (her and 2 others), and the rest of us were assigned the other boat, where we are all to eat together.

The boat is very old-worldly with carved wooden panels around the walls. We have en suite, but few lights have bulbs so we need our head torches. We had Indian gin and a freshly squeezed lime, then more Dahl and chapattis. The guide had said Kashmir food would be wonderful so I’m disappointed as it is the same as we had all over Pakistan. Not very spicy as they think we won’t like it.

Never mind, we get a view of hill/mountains if not a lake, and it is peaceful. I just imagined a boat in the middle of a lake, not tied up beside hundreds of other boats.

This is Mr Wonderful’s flower selling shakara.