On the road again!!!

Okay I admit I've been really lazy with this (slapped wrists big time) personally I blame my computer chair not the most comfy thing in the world but I have noticed people looking at this so I'll endure the pain - not sure who you are but that's cool - so here goes in trying to finish my ramblings - number 237.

The day after we got back from Lidderwat was mostly spent chilling out (for a change!) - I didn't honestly feel too bad just sore feet so me and Nazir did go for wander off down the river behind the army camp - no more beer was to be had as we made a bit of a mistake on going to the wrong side of the camp on the hunt - blank looks abounded when we asked!! Last night of the card school with the Israeli guys Ido and Oren - they were off to Delhi next day whilst me and Nazir were heading to Srinagar - many fond farewells in the morning when we all jumped on the roof of the bus to ride into town - best way to travel just remember to duck when heading under the overhanging trees - little bit of video anyway from the journey:



It is quite funny as when you reach the outskirts of Pahalgam you have cram inside the bus - it's a police thing - but they must know it goes on unless they think we're trying to break one of those pointless records how many people can you cram into a mini/phone box etc......

Group photo - Pahalgam Bus station

Checked in at the Grand View - the place I'd booked last March - the guys even though they remembered me wouldn't honour the deposit I'd left - but I forgave them as the room I was in had the most sorted shower in India and a real nice view from the balcony over the valley. In the afternoon walked up to the Baisaran - a beautiful meadow high up in the hills above Pahalgam with great views down the Kashmir Valley. There were lots of Indian tourists about and predictably they made the trek up there by horse - I don't get it but they don't get me walking - but sometimes especially the young boys aren't very nice to the horses which got me really mad and I'm not surprised the horses got narked at times.

In the evening we headed up the road to one of those restaurants where you order and they haven't got it, you order something else they haven't got it so then you try a different tact and say what have you got - it turns up and it's crap - I'm not too discerning but this was pretty inedible so much so I could comfortably say it was the worst meal I had in India - should have stuck with the rough and ready place opposite where we went for a late night chai and got chatting to some really friendly guys from Uttar Pradesh.

Tuesday 23rd October

Another gorgeous day in Kashmir - bus ride down the valley to a place called Aishmuqam - the site of the muslim shrine of Zain-ud-din. The shrine itself is a cave - a very small cave - and after the usual pantomime finding the bathroom to do what is known as the wadhu (washing) I found it quite intense - I'm not religious but I do find myself drawn to go places to reflect and think - one lady was crying I'm not sure why but I thought maybe it was just the intensity of the place or maybe something bad had happened - later on some the guys who worked there tried to explain the history of the place but I just got confused and to explain what I was asking is just far too complicated for here.

On the way down we met a real nice couple - the guy we later met in downtown Anantnag and he offered to write me a history of the mosque, gave me his address but said he was a bit tied up for the next couple of months as he was heading off to Saudi Arabia for the Hadj. Anantnag where we headed next it can be said is not on a tourist map - but it's still an interesting place - it's real and the hotel we ended up staying the night in I did do them an injustice saying in my "message from Anantnag" posting saying they were called the Hotel Splendid - because I'm so rubbish at remembering hotel names it was Standard (though in my mind should had the word sub inserted before - all I ask is for a mop, bucket, bit of Flash to have been used in this century - not fussy) - and I did have the best room in the house with colour TV (BBC World as well - gets a half a brownie point for that - would have a got full one for Al Jazeera and Nat Geographic) and a dead sorted view of life outside in the bus station - but still no beer!!

We heard a rumour of a guy out of town who did whisky on the sly - but I'm not a whiskey kinda girl - lots of stares or looking as we wandered round town and harassment from a couple of kids for food - I'm never ever sure but this time it was a case of okay you want food so here's a loaf of bread - felt better than giving them money.

Dinner for me wasn't great - being a veggie in a muslim town one word - not easy - so in the end "Happy" front of house at the Standard - okay not an original name but he wasn't exactly Mr Smiley - did me some buttered toast and he did struggle slightly with that whilst we settled down in the deserted reaturant to watch the news from ABC - local TV network which I couldn't understand a word of - the entertainment for me was provided by the presenters jumper (!!) as it gave the impression that he had a parachute strapped to his back - someone should have said something before he went on air - well it kept me amused!!!!!!

Right that's it for tonight - tomorrow morning I shall be out running up a very steep hill just north of Cardiff for fun - running club race and last year in this series of races (we do eight a year-six to count) I came second in the championship - so I'll be trying to defend my second place as I am periennal 2nd/3rd in this - more stuff on here hopefully this week not sure about photos might have to put up with another ramble from me before I have some more to post - 17/02/08