 |
| Reaching Delhi... |
1pm, Monday
1st September 2014
Travelling
does take toll on body! So true it is. My body is the best example of it right
now! A short sum-up of my run since last night- slept at 12.30am (though my body
touched bed exactly at 11pm, an idiot in the neighbourhood was constantly
accelerating his car), woke up at 3am, locked home at 4.30am, pre-booked cab
rode us to airport, boarded Delhi flight GoAir G8 327 at 7.50am and met
tauji-taiji at Delhi airport. As per the plan, they had brought delicious home
made sandwiches for us. We ate them with equal love from which they were made.
I think some sandwiches are still untouched. Right now, we are sitting in this
GoAir flight G8 189 that will take us to Srinagar. The flight was delayed by
one hour. We were supposed to take off at 11.30pm but because of some
unexplained reasons, we took off around 12.35pm. The only purpose for getting
down at Delhi was to fly to Kashmir with tauji-taiji. You can walk several
miles to spend some extra time with good people. It was good to meet them after
1 year and some months. I have just asked taiji about her 4 months stay in USA.
It is really nice to hear her first hand experience of the discipline, cleanliness,
traffic control and the use of technology. Travel by air has become as common
as through railways so the shining body of huge airplane, neatly dressed
attendants and security procedures does not attract me anymore. I still
remember the first time when I travelled through air. It was Sahara Airlines
that transported me from Mumbai to Lucknow (If I am not wrong!). Everything was
alien back then. Eyes are burning from lack of good sleep, legs cramped in
economy class (but then who travels in business class for 1 or 2 hours? Not the
middle class at least), shoulders paining but only heart is happy to see the
beauty of Kashmir. I am going to Kashmir with high level expectations regarding
beauty, apples, Kashmir, food, nature and Dal Lake! Hope to get the best
treatment!
Go Go
GoAir!!!!
9.52pm, Same
day
We landed at
Srinagar airport exactly at 2.05pm. The security measures for arrivals are
normal, not as tight as expected in a place like Kashmir. The time taken by air
travel is 1 hour 30 minutes for Delhi to Srinagar. We had to wait at least for
30mins to pick our luggage from the conveyer belt. As we came out of the
arrival gate, half a dozen of taxi drivers ran towards us, picking our bags and
asking us ‘Kahan jana hai?’. Kashmiris speak fluent Hindi with some input from Urdu
and they have a peculiar tone. Dad told us to park the luggage trolleys in a
side and he went to the prepaid taxi counter. Brother also ran behind dad so to
help. After 15 minutes of waiting, we finally got a driver and a scorpio car.
Our destination was Hotel Shangrila where rooms were pre-booked. This hotel is
located opposite of G B Pant hospital, Badami Bagh. In a drive of 40mins, we
almost ate Malik Naseer’s brain by asking him almost every possible question
about Kashmir. Even the driver with long and neat beard and skull cap
entertained our queries and soon we made a pact with him. As per his own words
of appreciation, he had many Mumbai based clients who always prefer him to
drive them around Srinagar. We had no choice but to appreciate whatever he
said. Amidst this question-answer section, whenever I looked out to see the
city, I found army and police in almost every corner of the roads. My heart was
sad to see this scene. The best I can define the situation here is ‘bed of
flowers covered with blood stained guns’. A debate on the use of forces in
heaven would be interesting but it will be never ending. I think it is because
of these army men only that Kashmir is still a part of India. When I was
finally back to Naseer miya’s talks, he was abusing present government of Jammu
and Kashmir for neglecting the well being of the poor and stuffing their own
pockets with more power and money. One thing is quite clear, no matter to which
caste, creed and religion a human belongs, he is going towards worst only.
After reaching hotel, I took Malik Naseer’s mobile number in case we plan to
call him tomorrow. After throwing our bags in the reception, I opened the
shoulder bag to take out the sandwiches. Soon brother, mother and taiji joined
me in munching aloo and cheese filled between breads. Dad handed me key to room
no. 7 while he picked one bag to move to room no. 6. Mine is not a typical
khandaan where every family will stay in separate room. We stay in the same
room where our favourite person has put his/her bag. But we threw all bags in
the same room and used washrooms only to get freshen up. There was no time to lay
back and close eyes for few minutes. We are here for a trip!!!!
Some five
hours back, we left our hotel wearing best of clothes covered by hoodie, jacket
and sweater. It was good that these clothes were acting as shield for us
against chilled evening of Srinagar. A walk from shangrila to Dal Lake was
really refreshing because of nice weather with continuous flow of wind; we
walked 2 kms talking with each other. In between the walk, we stopped at a mini
tea shop to have garam pakodas and sip tea. The real taste and aroma of tea can
be felt only at that time when evening is turning into night and the
temperature is going down.
 |
| Taken from Shikara on Dal Lake... |
After a good
1 hour walk, we reached Dal Lake and met a shikara dealer. He lead us to the
bank of lake and picked his boat man to take us on a 2 hours round around the
lake. The boat man had made it very clear that out of two hours, one hour has
kept for shopping. We got into a beautiful, typical shikara and we were back to
the bank within one hour because we were not interested in shopping in the
market which has been built on the lake. The boatman even suggested us the idea
of house boat but we rejected as we looked at the dirty and polluted water of
the lake. Overall it was a new and refreshing experience. We were back to rooms
by 8.30pm. Now it’s time to get our bodies inside thick blankets and play
cards.
What’s for tomorrow? Excited.
Comments
Post a Comment