AsWeTreadTogether's Blog

Now I know how the heaven would be………

aswetreadtogether — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 08:41:44 +0000

With Beauty beside me, I walk..

With Beauty above me, I walk..

With Beauty below me, I walk…

I walk in the paradise Kashmir………

I'll be the gladdest thing under the sun...I'll touch a hundred flowers and not pick one!

It was on 27^th April 2008 that my long awaited dream came true. Yes, just little before clock said 10:30 A.M; we were hovering over the splendid creation of almighty…Kashmir.

From plane, I could see an endless land of chinar tress with snow clad peaks and gleaming greenery….Just a glimpse was enough to let me know, what my coming days are going to bring.

Soon we landed at Srinagar airport. As it was late April , weather there was pretty warm. From there we took a taxi took to Gulmarg , 60 kms from Srinagar. The journey to Gulmarg was almost nearly as enchanting as reaching there -roads bordered by rigid avenues of poplar give over to flat expanses of rice fields interspersed with picturesque villages. Depending on the season, nature’s colors could be the translucent green of spring, summer’s rich emerald, or autumn’s golden hues, when scarlet chilies festoon windows of village homes. After Tangmarg, the climb to Gulmarg begins through fir-covered hillsides. At one of the points we stopped our taxi to look out a glory of snow-covered mountains, almost within touching distance

Here we come....

Gulmarg’s legendary beauty, prime location makes it one of the premier hill resorts in the country. Originally called ‘Gaurimarg’ by shepherds, its present name was given in the 16th century by Sultan Yusuf Shah, who was inspired by the sight of its grassy slopes emblazoned with wild flowers. We took an admirable of cottage of JKTDC tourism and after freshening up, started for a jaunt into the majestic place. Wherever our eyes could go ,we could see only the greenery. We saw a temple there which was famous because the popular Hindi song” Jai Jai Shiv Shankar’ was shot there. We saw the greenest possible children park, which had just a few rides but was effortlessly stunning because of its brilliant location. Nature was at its best here. There was a small lake, facing it, were the mountains crowned with snow and beside it was a tranquil stream with icy water. No concrete, no edifices and no artificial lights yet everything so beautiful, air so fresh and pure, water so syrupy and cold………a different world altogether. Every scene was a landscape and every sight so soothing. Gulmarg is also famous for the highest green golf course in the world, at an altitude of 2,650 m, and is the country’s premier ski resort in the winter. It would be an ideal place to learn skiing as one can get the trainers and instruments at very low prices.

After offering so much in just few hours, this day passed to give place to the next which had lots more in store. Next day we went to Khedanmarg by cable car. We booked tickets on the cable car. The cable car stops at 2 points on the way but we got down at the first point. The scenery there was just breathtaking, with pristine snow covered mountains all around and green meadows below. It was here that I realized that why would have somebody said this here “if there is a heaven on earth it is this it is this it is this.” We did sledging and skiing on snow. We played with the snow balls and made a cutie snow man with shades n jacket in SRK style.

Great Things Happen When Men and Mountains Meet

Towards evening, .we went back to our cozy cottage and had delicious Kashmiri food. Kashmir is known for its few non vegetarian delicacies like goshtaba, roganjosh , kebabas and biryani.

Next day we headed for Srinagar.Srinagar, the summer capital of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, is acclaimed to be one of the loveliest places in India, in terms of natural splendor. Set in the quaint Kashmir valley at an altitude of 1730 meters, Srinagar is a tourist’s paradise. The major tourist attractions in Srinagar include its beautiful rivers and lakes, with rows of charming houseboats floating on them, magnificent blossoming gardens, and lush green woods.

We took a house boat in the midst of the Dal Lake. The lake itself is very beautiful and serene. The houseboat, made of sandalwood, was luxurious. It was more a house than a boat: there were three bedrooms, a living room, a dining room, and the quarters for the personnel .It also had a wonderful balcony where one could sit and look at the bustling lake `for hours and hours.

In the evening we went on a ride in Shikara in Dal Lake.It was an amazing ride with cool breeze blowing and water all around. No traffic lights, no cacophony of horns…..just a smooth sailing shikara , taking us to our destination. I wished our destination shifts farther and this journey goes on and on.

Uzli Zameen Neela Gagan ...Paani Mein Chalta Shikara!

Next day the owner of the house boat made delicious breakfast for us and then we left for Pahalgaon. Pahalgam , 93 Kms for Srinagar is situated at the confluence of the streams flowing from Sheshnag Lake and the Lidder river, Pahalgam (2,130 m) is Kashmir’s premier hill resort, cool even during the height of summer. Rightly called shepherds’ land, this place was green as emerald and unruffled. We took ponies to go higher to Baisaran and valley of Kashmir.

We Believe in God Only We Spell It NATURE!

Have you ever experienced love at first sight .It was here that I experienced it for the first time. The rough terrain on which we were going was simply superb, the sound of streams passing by, the cool breeze and lush green trees, I felt if I could hold time there. My pony was stumbling; I just turned and felt no fear coz I thought there cannot be more beautiful place on the world to break free. Then we reached at our first stop, called valley of Kashmir. The valley had massive green mountains surrounding it and flock of sheep was grazing there. Little drizzle added o the charm of the place and the day. Then we went to the, undulating meadow of Baisaran, surrounded by thickly wooded forests of pine. Filmgoers will recognize it instantly as it has been the location of several old movie scenes .We played, ran and sat here. I felt after discovering this fortune, do we have any where else to go. But after glaring the matchless beauty and clutching a piece of it in our hearts (and camera) we had to move on. This day has carved its place deep into my heart and memory as, one of the cherished day of my life.. Apart from this Pahalgam is also associated with the annual Amarnath Yatra. Chandanwari (2,895 m), 16 kms from Pahalgam, is the starting point of the yatra that takes place every year in the month of Sawan (July to August).

We spent our night in Pehalgaon and next day we were back to the lake of bustling activity…..Srinagar.

We started on our tour to explore Srinagar. We visited famous places there like : Hazratbal Shrine – A sacred Muslim pilgrimage destination lying on the banks of the famous Dal Lake in Srinagar and Shankaracharya Temple ,Located on top of a hill, the view of Srinagar city and lake from this temple was simply stunning. We also stopped over celebrated Nishad Gardens. We shopped some shawls and wooden crafts from the market in the lake and ate at some lazeez restaurants of Srinagar. One can find photography shops, grocery stores and even marriages takings place in shikaras. After viewing the sunset from the balcony our houseboat and sound sleep to night , we were all geared up for our next day plan

Lively Lake!

Next day we went to Sonmarg which is 83kms from Srinagar. The name Sonmarg, the meadow of gold, had been true if Gold was white. This divine place has snowy mountains as its backdrop against a cerulean sky. We took a pony to Thajiwas glacier-snow point, which is a major local attraction during the summer months. Again in front of us were the spectacular views of snow clad peaks, we took pictures, did sledging and skiing there. We had hot and appetizing Maggie from the stalls there. This time Siddhanth and I had brought buttons to make eyes and nose of our snow man. Same day we went back to Srinagar and spent night in our house boat.

The White Gold ....Sonmarg!

Next morning after sizzling Kashmiri tea and b’fast we took a leisurely stroll in shikara and headed towards the airport. Kashmir had lots to offer to insatiable travel freaks like us but what to say if this has left me yearning for more time there………

Our flight was delayed and we were waiting at the airport. Now, once we all had felt the mammoth treasure of this paradise, we were scared to loose the peace and purity of this land. I wanted it to be like this forever and ever. So I prayed to my God “Have mercy on this land and keep it in your grace. We’ll come again and again, years after years and would bloom to see it flourishing and blossoming like bliss on earth”

We'll Miss...This Bliss!

Our Excursion to Tiny Tibet -McLeod Ganj

aswetreadtogether — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 08:39:44 +0000

Initially our entire fervent group was geared up for this plan but steadily all withdrew and we both set off in each other’s finest company.

“The man who goes alone can start today; but he who travels with another must wait till that other is ready.”

With these thoughts on our mind we both started our trip to McLeod Ganj. Unlike our other travel plans this was an impromptu one; we didn’t do any prior bookings of hotels, taxis etc. On Christmas Eve, we just packed our stuff and headed to ISBT. This unrehearsed program did seem little bad when we found that Volvo and TATA buses are all crammed. Finally, a semi deluxe bus with few remaining seats became our wagon to the land of tranquility. Bus started at sharp 6:50 and dashed us through the foggy and mountainous course. Hats off to the proficiency of the driver, we were in Dharamshala, safe and sound, in just 12 hours. From there we took a taxi which in just half an hour dropped us to our awaited destination – McLeod Ganj.

St.John's Church

The weather was really frosty in early morning but gradually became warm during the day with the bluest skies, I had ever seen. Our hunt for hotels resulted in many reasonable and a few exquisite options. One of the appealing resorts was Bhagsu of Himachal Tourism, which was unsurprisingly jam-packed on 25^th of Dec. We bunged our search at a venerable room of Natraj Hotel. The amazing service of the inn and the panoramic view from our room made place in my list of ”unforgettables of the trip”. After a hot bath and good breakfast, we went for some local sightseeing. The region offers breathtaking views of surrounding hilly ranges and woody forests. We saw Bhagsunath temple, local market and small but majestic waterfall. We were lucky to visit St. John’s Church on Christmas. The Church is ideally situated in the majestic ‘Deodar’ forest and has lovely spotted glass windows. There is a Christian cemetery around it. While we were wandering, we unknowingly reached to a beautiful woodland all surrounded by endless pine trees. This soothing sight and tranquil company awakened the poetess inside me and after a long gap, I penned a poem here.

Unexplored Woodland

Altitude	1770m (Mcleodganj)
Total no. of days	5 days
Day 1	Started from Delhi ISBT in the evening
Day 2	Arrival and Local sight seeing
Day3	Trek to Triund
Day 4	Naddi Village
Day 5	Left for Delhi in the evening

Before coming here I had hardly given thought to the story of Tibetan exile and Chinese oppression. But as soon as you are here, this story etches its way to your heart. McLeod Ganj is home to the exiled Tibetan people. I know very little about the history behind it. But I do know a little bit more than I knew before coming here. China invaded Tibet in the 50′s and has occupied ever since. Over 130,000 Tibetans live in exile in India and throughout the rest of the world. Dalai Lama is the rightful spiritual and political leader of Tibet. Dalai Lama, in 1959, was forced to flee to India on foot over the Himalayas, in fear of his life and the lives of his people. Since then, thousands have followed him, trying to rebuild their lives and retain their fleeting culture.

Next day was an arduous one especially for deskbound software engineers like both of us. In the morning we had our breakfast and took some stuff from ‘the pastry den’, quite a conspicuous bakery in McLeod Ganj main market, and started for trekking. The trek was four hours uphill to a place called Triund. The trek was hilly and quite difficult. When we were awfully tired and our water bottle was all empty, I tottered some steps to a ‘rest a while’ stoppage and discovered for my own pity that we were not even half way through. But eventually travelers inside us emerged stronger and we were there at the Top….in Ecstasy…in total time of 3 hours. And there in the lap of Himalayas …I realized that ’what petite price to pay’……

The area is placed at the majestic backdrop of lush green forests and undulated hilly areas in the Himalayan Ranges. One can get an eye feasting view of long span of snow capped Himalayan peaks from this place. Cool breeze from the Himalayan ranges and serenity of nature took all our weariness. We relished hot Maggi and Dal-Chawal from the stall here.

We both sat there for hours staring at those ever inviting and ever receding peaks. We felt we could easily spend a few months here without noticing the time go by. Here was when I cursed our unplanned trip the most, because all our stuff was in hotel and Rach was wearing lenses. I wish we had done the two day trek as you can camp at Triund and waking up to that view would be just splendid. But we had to say goodbye to this bewitching location and go back for the three hour downhill stretch.

On Cloud 9.........

After this trek of 15 Kms, we both were badly tired. Next day was a relaxing one. We woke late and went to Naddi village, just 4 Kms from McLeod Ganj. After capturing some superb views we came back and had our lunch at Jimmy’s kitchen, one of the lip smacking eating joint there. Apart from delicious food and reasonable price, this restaurant had amazing décor and ambience.

Naddi....Spectacular Views!

Endless restaurants lining the streets of McLeod Ganj are a Foodies’ delight. Most restaurants are reasonably priced and serve great Tibetan and continental food. They served Fresh fruit yoghurt, Muesli, Tibetan soups and Momos, Mashed potato, Pancakes, Fresh Green Apple Lassi, Ginger Lemon Tea, Tibetan Sorig Tea … and the list is long. We were just dumbstruck when we browsed through the diverse menu of Mc Lo, one of the best restaurants there; it served Italian, Chinese, Mughlai, Indian, Israeli, Tibetan and what not.

Jimmy's Kitchen......Superb!

One thing I liked most about the place was its tidiness. A visit to famous Dalai Lama temple and some shopping from local market enhanced the feel and essence of our jaunt. After this we packed our stuff and went to Dharamshala to board our Volvo to Delhi. This time we had taken our tickets well in advance and thus we had a comfortable return journey

All in all this was the much needed rejuvenating break which turned out just in the way I wanted. Not for my husband’s surprise, those distant glimpses of Himalayas have incited an amber inside me and now I cannot wait till I have next rendezvous with them………………..