On 24th morning we took a flight to Srinagar. From Srinagar airport Make My Trip had arranged transport to the hotel and had kept the afternoon and evening free for us to explore Srinagar by ourselves.
We visited the botanical garden in the evening...
...and went for a shikara ride at sunset.
Next day, after an early breakfast, we got into a Xylo along with two young couples: Akash and Vishu from Delhi and newlyweds Siridhar and Sarla from Hyderabad(they got married on 22nd May and travelled to Kashmir on 23rd May). We set out for a day’s trip to Gulmarg. Such became the binding of six of us that for the next 5 days we were together enjoying the beauty of Kashmir in each other’s company. How can one forget Hasan our cab-owner-cum-driver whose educational qualification was “till afternoon?” When asked how, he said his grandmother left him in school in the morning and he ran away from school in the afternoon. That was his first and last visit to school. He was not only an expert driver but also a very pleasant person and could sing and dance and acted as an excellent guide throughout our Kashmir trip.
After an early lunch in Gulmarg , we walked to the starting point of the trolley (you either have to walk or take a pony. You cannot take a cab because of the union of pony owners. We had to wait two hours to get a ticket for the 14 minutes trolley ride to Khilanmarg and then another hour of tussle to take a trolley to the top close to the LOC. Realized later that trolley tickets are available at the Airport.
Late in the evening, we came back to Srinagar totally exhausted. We skipped dinner went straight to bed and next morning we left for Pahalgam. Instead of going on the main road of Anant Nag, Hasan took us through the village and showed us apple orchards.
We checked into a hotel in Pahalgam and in the evening went to Chandanwadi and Beetab valley.
The next morning, we went to Auri: another beautiful place near Pahalgam.
In Pahalgam, there is a nexus of cab drivers because of which you cannot use your own cab for local sightseeing. The young fellow who took us in a Maruti van to Auri drove as if he was rushing to catch a flight. The entire journey was beautiful, and we continuously took pictures and later enjoyed the place on seeing the pictures.
That afternoon, it started raining and when we left for Srinagar next morning, it was still raining. We reached Srinagar in the afternoon in the company of the rain. After lunch, we checked into a house boat and it rained all night and finally next day, which was the last day of our trip, it stopped raining.
That afternoon, it started raining and when we left for Srinagar next morning, it was still raining. We reached Srinagar in the afternoon in the company of the rain. After lunch, we checked into a house boat and it rained all night and finally next day, which was the last day of our trip, it stopped raining.
We went for a shikara ride and visited Nishat Bagh before heading to the airport for our flight back to Delhi.
The beauty of Kashmir has not been described in this post as there are no words can do justice. Having visited Switzerland two years back and Kerala twice last year, I can say with confidence that Kashmir is really PARADISE ON EARTH. the only thing lacking is the infrastructure and a peaceful environment, otherwise this a place I would love to visit every few months. I would definitely like to visit twice again: once in early April to see the tulips, and once in September to see the apple blossoms!
Sharing with you the beauty of Kashmir through these pictures.
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