Gulmarg trip

Sunday, May 9
Break! Sami planned a trip to Gulmarg, in the mountains. The group included Sami, his girlfriend Arifad and her sister Cosa, and driver Din. Arifad lives in Srinagar, and I took a few photos while waiting for them to join us in the van.



Typical Srinagar street, with free roaming animals and many shops.





























This shop is typical of hundreds of shops in Kashmir. So many of them, and they all seem to carry the same things, with minor differences. This photo typifies life in Kashmir: beautiful roses growing on barbed wire, above an imposing wall. Despite the militarism here, life goes on and it is still beautiful.

























We went way up into the mountains. I am not allowed to take photos of any military installations or military people, but I took a chance on this military vehicle in front of us.

















I knew it would be cold, so brought my jacket and scarf. Good thing, because Arifad and her sister Cosa needed it to keep from freezing.



We stopped for breakfast along the way, and the hotel had this most interesting toilet. For sitting or squatting, as you prefer.





































Across the street from our hotel was this mosque:















































We arrived, and walked around for a bit. There was a beautiful church





























The thing to do at Gulmarg is to ride horses - ponies, really. Very tough little horses. We selected a group and rode them higher into the mountain. We dismounted at a spot in the woods where people were serving tea and pulling people further up the hill on sleds and coming down again.

































Arifad fell off her horse on the wayback and hurt her shoulder and back. Fortunately it wasn't serious, but she was not having a good day, since she got car sick in the van on the way up, with all the twists and turns.









We went to a hotel where the manager tried to convince us to bring guests there. He doesn't know us very well, because at $100 US per night there won't be many Hope Centre supporters staying there. We ate at the hotel and Din and I went for a walk while the others rested. We had a lovely walk up the mountain stream. I took lots of photos of the wildflowers blooming in the shadow of the receding snow banks.

And I had Sami a photo of myself showing off my socks. These socks were a Christmas gift from my sister Sandy, and I wanted to let her know they are well traveled.