Delhi to Kashmir
I decided on this trip to India that I would travel by road and see more of the coutry.
Travel by road in India is a very well ummm interesting, terrifiying, slow journey.
From Delhi to Kashmir is all travel on winding mountain roads and I can only describe it as a 3 day roller coaster ride. Roads in India are packed fulled of traffic - trucks, buses, cars, auto-rickshaws, motor bikes. Roads are also for pedestrians, cows, horses. donkeys, monkeys, goats, sheep, buffalo, pigs and probably more.
In the mountains there has been much damage due to monsoon rains so around any corner, apart from any of the above there could also be hugh potholes, a landslide, a rockslide covering half the road or the road missing due to the mountain sliding out from under the road. There are no hazard warnings, maybe a few rocks placed around the missing road. Then there are road works, again no warning signs, just a pile of bricks, rocks ON the road, all this with 2 trucks coming at you on a single lane road. I saw 1 4WD come off the road only to be saved from tumbling down the cliff by the trees.
Just when I thought I had seen it all, not far into Kashmir is was obviously Muslim prayer time. The truck is stopped on the road, not pulling off at all, the prayer mat is out and the driver is on his knees. I thought the traffic only stopped for the holy cow, but it seems also for prayer.
Will I did make it to Kashmir and vowed never to take the Jammu - Syrinagar road ever again. I flew back to Delhi leaving the driver to make his own way back.
The first 3 days in Kashmir it rained non stop and there was much flooding and difficult to sight see, add rain and loads of army trucks to the above mix of road conditions and you can imagine its not pleasant.
I went to a Muslim wedding, this was in a poor area so not a big lavish affair but a magnificent community event. Much love and caring and they were very happy to have me participate. Very welcoming and with the only camera about I became the unoffical photographer and was shoved and pulled into the best possies, shouting of instructions in Kashmiri, the crowd would part, and I had the best view.
All good fun, lots of food but incredibly exhausting as this was a 2 day event - non stop
Now back on the road, exploring Rajastan - Agra - Taj Mahal, Jaipur - great markets, Pushkar - a Hindu pilgimage town - got blessed with Holy, well dirty, holy lake water and got to pay cash for the blessing of my family. Today Jodhpur and yet to be the tourist here.
To be continued..........