Jammu and Kashmir: A state divided in many ways
After walking around like a zombie my last morning in Delhi as I was still fighting off the food poisoning, I headed early to the train to secure my sleeper bunk (otherwise, there would have been a lot of unwanted visitors). I was knocked out for the whole fourteen hour journey to Jammu plus another two more hours of the initial jeep ride to Srinagar. I felt refreshed from the sleep and water, but sadly more rounds to come. As the jeep began to approach Srinagar, there were men on motorbikes soliciting to the passengers inside. Being the only foreigner, I was their sole target in the jeep. One motorbike passenger even hopped off and got into the jeep to convince me to stay in their houseboat, the popular means of accommodation in this lake city. On my way to my couchsurfing host's house, I tried pinpointing the déjà vu feeling as I plugged my ears to represent my response to touts that I did not want a tuk-tuk, houseboat, gondola ride, or hotel. It wasn't until I had met the creepy guys that I realized this city was the "Venice" of India. One particular creepy guy, that I had hitched a ride from, decided to profess his love to me after having only met me for less than 30 minutes. The result was a sharp shove after he tried a kiss-hug. I quickly exited and he quickly stepped on the gas before someone came to reprimand him. The majority of the population in Srinagar are Muslims. According to my host, they do not tolerate defiant behavior towards women and would punish any man in such acts. Luckily, I had nice hosts to come back to at the end of the day. They took me in even though they were busy with Ramadan or school. They were the ones from whom I learnt about the political situation in Kashmir, especially about the breaches of human rights by the Indian Army. If you would like to learn more, click here.
In Leh, I was struck first by the difference in aridity, then the altitude. I was reminded of Colorado in the day by the shortness of breath, and by night with visible static electricity as I adjusted my blanket. However, it was much more than that. The region comprises of a large number of Tibetan refugees, so it's as though I've entered into a different country. The people, food, religion, climate, elevation, and culture all come to welcome you to this fabulous region. There are endless activities here for the nature enthusiast but do bring your wallet or lots of time. After a time, the conditions of the roads and climate wear you out. Therefore, I went around the restricted areas with a friend from South Korea, Tae-gyu, I met on the bus from Srinagar and decided to save the trekking for next time.
After walking around like a zombie my last morning in Delhi as I was still fighting off the food poisoning, I headed early to the train to secure my sleeper bunk (otherwise, there would have been a lot of unwanted visitors). I was knocked out for the whole fourteen hour journey to Jammu plus another two more hours of the initial jeep ride to Srinagar. I felt refreshed from the sleep and water, but sadly more rounds to come. As the jeep began to approach Srinagar, there were men on motorbikes soliciting to the passengers inside. Being the only foreigner, I was their sole target in the jeep. One motorbike passenger even hopped off and got into the jeep to convince me to stay in their houseboat, the popular means of accommodation in this lake city. On my way to my couchsurfing host's house, I tried pinpointing the déjà vu feeling as I plugged my ears to represent my response to touts that I did not want a tuk-tuk, houseboat, gondola ride, or hotel. It wasn't until I had met the creepy guys that I realized this city was the "Venice" of India. One particular creepy guy, that I had hitched a ride from, decided to profess his love to me after having only met me for less than 30 minutes. The result was a sharp shove after he tried a kiss-hug. I quickly exited and he quickly stepped on the gas before someone came to reprimand him. The majority of the population in Srinagar are Muslims. According to my host, they do not tolerate defiant behavior towards women and would punish any man in such acts. Luckily, I had nice hosts to come back to at the end of the day. They took me in even though they were busy with Ramadan or school. They were the ones from whom I learnt about the political situation in Kashmir, especially about the breaches of human rights by the Indian Army. If you would like to learn more, click here.
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| Gondolas on the right and houseboats on the left of Dal Lake. A lot of the locals are hired to clean the lake as a result of urban pollution. |
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| A large fried bread stand. One of many to keep up with the masses. |
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| My favorite type of bread in this region. This slightly salty Kashmiri bread is usually served with salty milk tea. |
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| One of many who migrate to the busy city to beg. Sometimes you see the parents setting up the children in a specific manner, adjusting the arms or legs, that must have proved the most fruitful in the past. Imagine laying in scorching heat all day on concrete with flies circling you. Help end global poverty, One Day's Wages vision! |
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| Sunset from Pari Mahal. |
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| A bee enjoying the nectar of one the flowers in one of the many Mughal gardens. |
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| In the herbal garden section of the botanical garden. |
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| Kids cooling off in a mosque. |
In Leh, I was struck first by the difference in aridity, then the altitude. I was reminded of Colorado in the day by the shortness of breath, and by night with visible static electricity as I adjusted my blanket. However, it was much more than that. The region comprises of a large number of Tibetan refugees, so it's as though I've entered into a different country. The people, food, religion, climate, elevation, and culture all come to welcome you to this fabulous region. There are endless activities here for the nature enthusiast but do bring your wallet or lots of time. After a time, the conditions of the roads and climate wear you out. Therefore, I went around the restricted areas with a friend from South Korea, Tae-gyu, I met on the bus from Srinagar and decided to save the trekking for next time.
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| Tso Moriri, lying southeast of Leh. |
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| Hanging mini prayer flags. |
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| Typical road conditions. |
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| Om Mani Padme Hum carved on rocks. They can be seen on the side of the road all around Leh. |
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| Pangong Lake: ~25% Indian territory and ~75% Chinese territory. |
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| Near the site of the world record amount of trees planted. I recognized it from the film Pad Yatra, which I saw during the Vail Film Festival. Very inspiring! |
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| One of many cautioning road signs. Another rendition of this one read "Be soft of my curves." A lot of these signs are painted onto the rocks as you drive by. |
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| Driving along. No wonder they say the gas station in Leh is the last one before you reach the moon. |
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| On the way to Panamik, we got stuck in traffic because the truck hauling the tractor on the left broke down. The passengers alight the vehicles that try to drive through, as the drivers brave the rocky road. |
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| Inside the Sumur Temple, Nubra Valley. |
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| Students and a monk repairing a Buddha statue in Hunder with a clay, glue and cotton mixture. |
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| A "Before i die..." board in Leh. What would you add after this preposition? Watch her TED talk here. |
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| View of Leh, Ladakh from the Palace Ruins. |
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