Dharamkot

It's great there is cease fire! May it last for long :)

I spent 6 days at Nagin Lake, the most peaceful place in Srinagar. I could as well spend 60, time was meaningless in this place. I got up early in morning and spend most of the day sitting on the veranda, watching the lake or reading. The shikharas selling everything - handicrafts, grocery, flowers approached to the veranda and I could buy whatever I needed. Internet was the main reason why I got outside. I went for some walks in the city, just to get back after few hours. The old part had brick buildings from the Raj time, and beatiful mosques. I've never been to a mosque before and I found out them to be (at least there) places of true peace. In Jamia Masjid, huge halls with wooden pillars created an atmosphere of tranquility and love to God. Groups of men were sitting among them on the carpets, talking about their things.



















It was a great place for meditation, when the mosque was almost empty between the prayers. I've been warned not to mention that I'm Israeli in Kashmir, but there was no problem at all. The worst response I've got was 'go away' when some shopkeeper asked me if I was Muslim, and I said no, Jewish. Others asked me about the war in Lebanon (as if there was no war in Israel) and some even spoke some Hebrew. On the 5th day I got sick and spent 2 days in bed, until I felt a little better, and than I dragged myself 400 km south. I spent a night in Pathankot and got on a morning bus to Dharamsala. Leaving the Kashmir Valley with its luxurious facilities I entered the plains of India again. Stalls of chai, fields of rice and ganja, and stalls again. And the people, of course. The crazy masala was all around again. As the conductor passed to collect the fares from the passengers, a man wrapped in loungi sitting next to me, told me something about money and pocket. I didn't understand, he insisted, I gave up and looked out of the window. Another passenger reached for the man's pocket and took out a note and handed it to the conductor. I realized the man had no hands. I said I'm sorry, he smiled politely while looking away. Then the conductor enforced the Indian bus rules on me. He said I should move from my seat to another side of the bus. Why, I asked, I feel ok here? He said because I should sit over there. I moved and opened the window. He informed me I cannot put my arms outside the window. There is no point getting angry at Indians (or at anyone else, in fact). Everytime I got angry at them, I felt stupid eventually. The bus stopped on the way, as the driver held helplessly the gear handle. That was refreshing. As a true Indian driver, he managed to drive a little more with means available, with what was left of the handle on the bottom, near the roaring engine. He stopped at some junction and another bus came and picked all the passengers. I got to McLeod Ganj at last, it seemed like backpackers' paradise. Packed with guest houses, restaurants and handicraft shops, it wasn't noisy like most tourist places. The Tibetan community gave the place an atmosphere of honorable dignity. The town looked really prosperous. The economic success of Tibetans seemed to emphasize their struggle against their motherland occupation. I really sympathized them. Their hard work made the place very special. I went up to Dharamkot, small village above McLeod Ganj, which looked like Shenkin street in a middle of a forest. The next day I collected the parcel my parents sent me and after half a year I got music again! It was good to have a break and even better to have it over. Now instead of ignoring all the touts, I just won't hear them :) Anyway, I'm thinking to settle here for a while, it's a nice place.

!כל הכבוד לצה"ל

Srinagar

I left most of my stuff in Kargil and took only the essentials for trekking (berry jam included). From Lamayuru, on the road to Leh, it took me 6 days to reach Padum in Zangskar region. It was very fast, I walked for 10 hours each day, because I had no tent and could sleep in the villages only. It was pretty tough, beatiful though.














On the 5th day getting up and down from the passes was over, I was in the valley of Zangskar river and the road was flat all the way to Padum. I had to return to Kargil, but there were landslides on the road, I had to wait a couple of days, until the bus started going. 40 km before Kargil there was a landslide, the mud river just crossed the road. The bus couldn't go, we crossed by foot and went by jeep from the next village. Then I was on a night bus to Srinagar, Kashmir capital. I woke up to find that the desert mountains of Ladakh were gone. We were on the Zonji La pass, on the eastern border of Kashmir. The mountains were covered with green again, herds of sheep and goats around. In Srinagar the weather was bad. It was raining for the past 3 days, the streets were flooded, and the water in the river and the lakes rised. I spent 3 days in the city, on a houseboat on Jhelum river. The main part of the city is full of military and barbed wire. The recent bombings were arranged by the government, people say. Full of shops selling wood carving, shawls, jewelry, papier mache and other Kashmiri stuff. The vendors have very persuasive techniques, a lot of hassling in tourist areas. But then, there are the lakes, shanti places, the reason why this place is called paradise on earth. The nature on the lake is amazing, plenty of water birds and fish, among floating gardens and lotus flowers.














Salam aleikum.