Storm on Dal Lake

Every morning on the houseboat I sit on the carved veranda for a couple of hours. Kashmiri tea is delivered in fine china teacups and a cooked breakfast follows soon after. It's a very serene start to the morning with the reflections rippling in the water, snowy peaks in the distance and shakiras(gondolas) gliding past.
We were meant to go on a shakira cruise this morning but Brian disappeared to look at carpets again. I was very happy on the verandah for a few more hours. After a very tasty kashmiri bejerra for lunch we finally paddled off to explore the floating communities around the lake. Truthfully Bry and I lounged on plush covered seats while the boatman paddled with his heart shaped paddle. Very relaxing. We  rounded the corner in to the floating gardens and I was enjoying bird spotting. The boatman was having a break and Bryan decided to try his hand at paddling but suddenly we were going backwards. We all thought it was Brian but a sudden squall had come out of nowhere and it then picked us up, shunted us sideways and almost tipped us over. We ploughed backwards 100m within seconds. Bryans paddling did nothing so we grabbed at sticks and grass. Haha the floating gardens didn't hold us either but floated right alongside us. We eventually came to rest against a more substantial piece of garden then managed to claw our way back to the shelter of a bank. There was another boat waiting out the storm in the same place and they shared tea and stories with us while the rain beat down and we huddled under blankets. As quickly as it had come the storm disappeared and the lake resumed its normal millpond appearance. We paddled back through canals, past shops and homes that seemed to be sitting in the water rather than on it. Bryan had to stop at a woodwork shop and wouldn't leave until I threatened to maroon him there. So the most peaceful of excursions turned into an exciting adventure. I'm not going to let Bryan be boatman again although he gets the prize for the fastest paddle backwards ever.

Namaste Sandy