Day 1 Srinagar

I landed at Srinagar in Kashmir at 3:30 in the afternoon. As the plane came in on its final approach it flew over beautiful snow capped mountains. The temperature was around 5 degrees Celsius. My driver was waiting outside with my name tag. Driving thru Srinagar on way to the Houseboat I noticed the presence of military personnel every few hundred yards all with rifles in hand. This didn’t alarm me as much as it should have probably because I was used to the scene in NY city after an amber alert. In NY the terrorist task force are armed with semi-automatics and are in body armor. Here the military men were wearing Khaki sweaters and no armor.

My pre-paid cell phone was out of action on landing in Srinagar. It displayed a message saying “not registered with network”. Actually they didn’t register it intentionally for security purposes. Apparently only pre-paid cards bought in Jammu and Kashmir would work here. Other pre-paids like mine bought out of state will be not be registered with the network. I am told that all post-paid phones are monitored it is the pre-paids that make it difficult to identify the caller hence this measure. In America too phone calls are monitored. both India and America are free democracies. Ishudder to think what monitoring tyrannical governments can do.

So I borrowed my driver’s cell phone to make a call. He offered me a spare SIM which he carried in his wallet. By this time we had gone thru downtown Srinagar with its dried fruit stores and numerous. stores with aircel and airtel banners. I added the SIM given by my driver. He even made a call from his phone and my phone did ring so I had his number. We had reached the location of the houseboats. The lake in front of me was Nishat lake. Everything is named Nishat here. Have to look up what it means. The lake itself is not vey impressive under the grey skies. there are hundreds of such lakes in NJ. It is ironic that I am comparing to NJ to supposedly beautiful Kashmir. while living in NJ I thought it looked like a dump.There was a boat, a Shikar, waiting for me to take me across the lake to my houseboat. The air was chill over the lake. I whipped out a sweater from my backpack to wear inside my jacket as It was chillier over the lake. The scene was a Wintery grey not the bright colors I had seen in pictures. This lake is adjacent to the famed Dhal lake which I will see tomorrow. If it is anything like this one I will be disappointed.

The houseboats lined up along the shore look like a floating trailer park. Inside it looks like a cheap motel and it is cold. There is a boiler like contraption called a bukhari which the owner of Peacock houseboats lights up for me. It reminds me of the copper boiler we used to have in Chennai to make hot water for bathing. Yes even in Chennai you need hot water in the winter months. There is nothing much to do in this houseboat. I am told there is another couple staying in the adjacent room. I can’t vouch for it as I have seen only the guy. The woman is probably shy of meeting strangers she hasn’t stepped out of the room. I am trapped in this houseboat. There is nothing to do. Phone is not working as the money in the SIM card the driver gave has expired but the card itself will expire in another fifteen days. Although I have the number of the driver in my cell phone I am not confident that I can explain the subtleties to him in broken Hindi from another borrowed phone which has Rs. 10 talk time left. The houseboat assistant Anil from Bihar lent me his phone so I could make. a phone call to family members.

My arrival at the houseboat seems to have been noticed by vendors on boats. The have come and parked themselves outside and they want to sell me trinkets. They want me to take a look even if I don’t buy. It is getting colder. The mosques are issuing prayer calls. The hat vendor is showing me hats that I have seen adorn Sheikh Abdullah’s pate. I am not sure it will suit my style. He shows me a pair of gloves which I like since the only pair I brought are skiing gloves which I am planning on doing at Gulmarg in a couple of days. I ask him for the price and he says Rs 500. Like a true Indian I say 100 and finally we stettle on 250. He seems happy and I am ok as I think the pair would have cost me $25 in the US. The jewelry vendor is next. He insists that I take a look. He shows me necklaces and earrings and bracelets. My wife does like jewelry a lot. I think she has enough of it already but this thought crosses my mind that maybe I should buy something from here to compensate for coming here without her. I think I have a fair idea of what she likes too but I am not sure if she will like something from this guy. She might say wow that is great and give me a hug or she might drop it on the table saying after all these years I don’t have any idea what she likes. Too much risk. I will not mention this vendor at all to her. I am totally unsure of the prices of these necklaces. The guy says Rs. 1200. I tell him 200. He is laughing so it must be more than 200. I am not willing to spend more not knowing what the wife’s reaction will be. I refuse to go higher. The vendor shows other necklaces in small plastic bags. I am sure what Chitra’s reaction will be if I get her these. I tell him I have seen enough. He leaves reluctantly. He wanted to sell the necklace for Rs 800.

The houseboat is colder. I am wearing a sweater and a jacket on top of it and a cap. I haven’t removed my shoes. Looks like I have to keep them on. It is like a camping trip. Same temperature inside and outside. There is a room heater. I turn it on. The lights start flickering and Anil rushes in and switches it off. Apparently we are on invertor power. Power cuts from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. Woeful. I tell Anil what I want to eat and he says it is fine as long as it is chappathi dhal and subzi. I ask him for Kawa since I had heard about it. Tastes like lemon tea. The other guy in the houseboat has retired to his room to be with his invisible wife. I switch on the TV and I am happy to catch up on ‘ek hazaron. me meri behna’ and ‘Diya aur bati hum’. Nothing much has changed. The sasurals are still mean to the bahus and bindinis. The jitaniji is still mean. Time is 9:30pm I asked for hot water for a bath. Anil says water is very hot. I let the tap run for five minutes. Nothing but lukewarm water. My body shivers at the very thought of a shower. I still take it nevertheless and come out shaking and shivering. Anil has prepared nice food. I am ravenously hungry. He offers me another cup of Kawa. I retire to my room I am sleepy. There is an electric blanket which has warmed up the bed in some areas. I wriggle under the bed under three blankets and a razai with my sweater and monkey cap still on. I wake up to the sounds of a crowing cock. They have them in Kashmir too. Next I hear the mosques calling out. It is still dark outside and no sign of Anil. I want a hot cup of coffee. Nothing better to do so I write this. Will be off to Pahalgam today. Hopefully the rooms are heated there.