Kuch Kuch Hota Hai - Day 1 & 2

"Live" blogging.
Kind of.

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Day 1 & 2: Singapore - Delhi - Srinagar (Kashmir)

26th Dec 2008:

It's 0830hrs and we are waiting for our breakfast at Ashu Palace Hotel. The greedy us ordered all types of breakfast - american, continental and indian. Obviously our orders gave them a headache...hence our long wait.



Was very jetlagged last night.
Indian Airlines plane is about half of SQ's and there's minimal leg room.
But ah...cheap travellers.




We were absurdly taken to a Chinese restaurant last night.
The agent thought we would like it.
Right.
He knows better now.




After the amusing dinner, we finally got into the hotel.
Ah, shower.
Bliss.




Okay breakfast is here.

.......

It's 1000hrs now and we are already at the domestic flight section at the Indira Gandhi airport. We are heading to Srinagar...riotous and a terrorist hotbed.

Flight is due at 1145hrs and we are stopping at Jammu, Kashmir before reaching Srinagar. There we are going to stay in a houseboat. Then we are going to hit the mountains and snow, freezing our tits off along the way.

That sure sounds fun.

We're boarding soon. Hope everything goes well.




P/s: made my first purchase - baskin robbins ice cream!

......

It's 2200hrs (india time) and am heading to bed. Managed to watch the Stoke-Man U match just now in a very surreal manner. Living on a house boat near the Himalayas and watching an EPL match. Globalisation, man.



We reached Srinagar around 1430hrs, all worried and tensed. We were greeted by Bilal, our guide, who then bundled us up quickly into the waiting car.

Srinagar (Kashmir) is beautiful. The burst of colours was mind boggling. Seeing many men carrying M-16 was worse. Security is tight because the election season is still on and stuff.

We saw the snowy mountaineous range from the sky.
This is going to be fun.




CY2 found the latter on board the plane.
Hah.
Finding a life partner anyone?


About 30 minutes later, after seeing men peeing by the roadsides, cows hogging the road and cars honking frantically, we reached this river and were made to board a 'shikara' or a gondola. A very flimsy looking gondola.




At this time, the land temperature was 9C. When got on the shikara and cruised to our boat house ('Fair Heaven Deluxe Boat House'), it was probably around 4C. I was wearing a singlet and a thin woollen sweater. Maintain, Ed, maintain.

After having the Kashmiri tea served by our butler (yup in-house butler!), we were bundled onto the shikara again for another freezing boat ride. We saw the local houses..met some locals who were busy paddling their shikaras and staying warm at the same time. It was about 1530hrs and I think it was close to 0C.











We saw the Kashmiri sunset and was taken to the famous papier mache shop. Bought an ashtray for the brother and 2 musical trumpets haha. Total cost about RP800. Heart pain.

Cruised still and then we finally reached home around 1730hrs. Took a freaking hot shower and then watched the Stoke-Man U match.

Dinner was very very nice. It helped that the cold weather made us starving.





Okay, time to sleep. Need to wake up early to to battle dragons and snow- capped mountains

that,s all.


P/s: was very very sleepy when i penned this.


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