Next chapter, then I should be up to date. Went to Kashmir for just over 2 weeks:
Nazu and I went with friend with car (I cannot remember his name. I have to see things written, which is rather hard with these people). We stayed at his home in the countryside an hour or so NW of Srinagar. It is an amazingly beautiful area. The chestnut trees were in flower, and so were the enormous clumps of deep-pink brier roses. The Spring flowers were almost gone, but the laburnam trees were flowering everywhere. The countryside was so unspoilt, and peaceful, mountainous but not too steep where they live. They are pretty poor, but almost self-sufficient. They have between 1 and 2 acres, with a cow, 4 goat, a couple of sheep and a big vegetable garden, which includes rice and fruit trees – walnuts, almonds, peaches and apricots.
The house is 2 storied concrete, with wooden shutters for windows. To avoid it being pitch black when these are closed, there were plastic covered openings along the top of the wall. There are 2 rooms and a store downstairs and 3 rooms upstairs. The bathroom is an area under the stairs, dug down deep enough to stand up, a rough stone floor and a tap, bucket and jug. One family each sleep in 2 of the upstairs rooms and Mum, a granddaughter and I slept on one side of the 3rd room, and Nazu and Ashraf (his cousin who is also his nephew from his mother’s side) slept at the other end. I am still unsure of the other families, but one was Nazu’s brother, Farooq.
Sleeping arrangements are just these padded quilts on the floor, and whatever will keep you warm on top. They have this amazing thing called a ‘Winter wife’ which is a little pot-bellied cane basket with a clay pot inside, filled with little pieces of coal. They walk around carrying them under their ‘phihari’ and even take them to bed. It was pretty cold at night, but I wasn’t game to use one in case I set the bed alight.
We used home as base and walked the countryside – sometimes with shepherds. There seem to be lots of herds. I was the first westerner into the village settlement, (there doesn’t seem to be a proper village as we know them) but there are several small schools and mosque.
We made a daytrip to Gulmarg, a tourist spot for skiing in winter and fishing, golf and trekking in Summer. Unfortunately it rained. The place was full of rich Indian tourist families, and rain or not, they were going to do everything on offer. So they sat grimly on the little ponies with their jewels and ankle length fur coats – men, women and kids – or on the cable-car which goes up to 10,000 feet, getting even colder and wetter – but by gum, this was a holiday and they would enjoy it. Indians have holidays in groups of families and they are the noisiest and the boy children the most spoilt in the world, with not a thought for other people. Gulmarg also has the highest golf course in the world. I did see some of its beauty before the rain set in, and it really is.
We then went to Pahalgam, another resort, even more beautiful. That is where I would like to live. The hidden river gushes from the Himalayas over huge boulders, and there is a mix of old and new. With lovely meadows, it seems gentler than Gulmarg. We stayed at a friend’s/relative’s guest house, which had hot water and a shower, as well as the usual bucket and dipper. Absolute bliss! After returning ‘home’ for a few days, we went to Srinagar and stayed on a houseboat (again friend’s/relative’s). 4 days of exploring the Old city and the New and just relaxing on the boat watching the passing parade of vendors. No need to leave the houseboat. Everything comes to you.
One day Nazu got a little ‘shikana’ and we went all along the back waterways of the lake. There is some real squalor, alongside little cottage industry homes, eking out some kind of living, I guess. There is not much choice, but they are always smiling and generous with what they have. Nazu’s family were very kind, Mum in particular. I don’t think she would have been quite so nice, if I had been younger and there was a chance her precious Nazu might be taken away. She looks pretty fierce – weatherbeaten, long top lip and stumps of teeth, what are left of them. She wears the headscarf, low on her forehead tied behind the back of the head. Unless they wear ‘burqah’ Kasmiri women aren’t so closely veiled, and I saw very few in ‘burqah’.
We came home the mountain way to avoid the many, many Army checkpoints of the highway, some just ‘baksheesh’ stops. There were much fewer on the mountain road, and much less belligerent. It didn’t make the journey any faster, for the nomadic shepherds and families were on the move. They are a wild looking lot and each has his task. Even little toddlers had their sticks and a charge. Some of the mountain roads are very narrow, towering mountains on one side, and drops of hundreds of feet on the other. The herds take their time, so we had to, also. I do love this area of Kashmir. As they were areas of the British hill-stations, there must have always been this magic.
Today is very hot and the water is off. Yesterday, it bucketed down non-stop. Work that out if you can. It was the first of the ‘Wet’ and just like Innisfail. I’m afraid Jogwara Road’s resurfacing didn’t stand up to it in many places. Had a centipede in the bathroom today but I despatched it over the balcony. Silverfish are numerous, but you can’t buy insect spray. The mosquitos have been numerous too, but all one can buy are the coils. Yuk!
The snake charmers are in town. They backed me up on the hotel steps. One went past me and one ahead so I couldn’t move. But they were OK. I told them I saw no reason to give them money to see a snake when I can see them for nothing in my backyard in Australia. They laughed and let me pass.
More civilisation for McLeod Ganj. We now have an ATM and permanent police post. Soon it will be like any other town.
Lots and lots of love,