On arrival in Srinagar we were hijacked. A motorcycle tout spotted us on the way in, forced our taxi off the road, had people waiting who muscled their way in to the taxi and wouldn't get out until we agreed to go to their hostel. Things got a little tense until the tourist police were called in. Interesting sales tactics.
In the end we found a lovely houseboat and Yussef who has been brilliant at organizing us things to do around Srinagar. Yesterday we explored the Narayan valley, home of the gypsies. A beautiful valley dotted with gypsy houses that are used in winter but lay empty in summer as the gypsies move their herds to even higher pastures. Where the road ends is an ancient Shiva temple of hewen rock with a natural spring of turquoise blue. We trekked alongside a ferocious river churning with snowmelt from the fingers of ice snaking down the cliffs. A lone yak came charging down the path towards us with its herder running futilely behind. It got past me and our guide but not past Bryan the yak herder who got it back on track. I think he's a better herder than horserider. We'd been offered horses for trekking but had decided our own legs were safer after Brys tumble from the mighty Raja the previous day.
You can trek for days up the neverending valleys and mountains. I think it would easily rival Annapurna although different with ponies instead of sherpas and tents instead of teahouses. Yussef said he'd take me next year. Only 8 days to Sonamarg through some of the highest passes in the world could be fun.
The road the Ladakh is open but only for food laden jeeps at present. Leh has been snowlocked for months so green veges will be like gold. Hopefully we set off tomorrow.
Namaste Sandy
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