Early June - Kashmir

Streetwise Animals
I am always amazed at how traffic wise the animals are here. Street dogs lay right on the edge of the road to sleep. Sometimes with their legs actually on the road. And the drivers go around them. Well, almost always. I have seen a few crippled dogs, and a 3 legged street dog. When I first spotted this scene, I was wondering if the foal was a traffic victim. No, it was just taking a nap with mum watching over it. If anyone wants a horse that remains calm in traffic, Kashmir is the place to pick one up!

They are not skittish, and don't need to be on a lead. They follow their owner on the sides of the busiest roads, with huge trucks honking and passing within inches of them, and they don't flinch. Just like cycle tourists.



But like the street dogs, sometimes there are casualties. This horse, for example, is not fit for pulling a cart any more. But you can see it is not starving to death by any means. Someone is caring for it.












Kashmiris don't revere cows like the Hindus do. But they are allowed to wander the streets at will. And nothing, absolutely nothing, makes them hurry, when they decide to cross the road. And I have not yet seen an injured cow. It turns my stomach when I see them foraging in the garbage heaps along with the street dogs, but hopefully the milk I drink doesn't come from these cows.









Bicycles
I purchased a bicycle so I could have the freedom of getting further afield for photos and for exercise. A heavy, inexpensive, and sturdy single gear Indian bike. Every boy in town wanted to ride it. But if I let one ride it, there would be no end, and I soon would not have a bike. Ishtiyak, the servant boy of the Wani family, got to ride it just around the walled in front yard by his house. No further.





Women do not ride bicycles in Kashmir. So when I was on my bike, I generated lots of smiles and laughter, but no one was indignant that I was riding a bike. On the contrary, I received lots of support - at least from the men. The women just stared at me. The first time I took it out for a spin, it felt for all the world like the first time I drove a car on my own. Ah, the freedom of wheels! I will leave it with the Hope Centre when I depart, so the staff and other volunteers can use it.




I had two experiences with cycle tourists in June. The first time Tahir and I were heading into Srinagar and I spotted cyclists going the other way. I asked Tahir to stop so I could talk to them. They were German cycle tourists, Elle and Louis Weinschmitt. It was lovely to chat with them.
















A couple of weeks later, Tahir surprised me by bringing a couple more cyclists to the Hope Centre for me to chat with. He had spotted these two eating their breakfast by the side of the road, and knew how excited I got about cycle tourists, so invited them to the Hope Centre for tea and a chat. Yurik and Nicole have been on the road since January, and have another year to go. Interestingly, Yurik has a background in working with the disabled, and has been looking as he travels for organisations he might return to work with!! It's a God thing.

I could have chatted all morning, but they had to get going. I gave them some key Kashmiri words to help them get by, and off they went.




Kashmir would be a superb place to cycle tour. The people are so hospitable, and the roads, while very busy, and sometimes in really terrible shape, are not so steep as in New Zealand. And much of Kashmir is quite flat.



More Animals
I found this a novel way to allow a duck to be in the stream without losing it. This method of tying up an animal normally in a cage was also used on the rooster in the Wani family compound.
One day Tahir and I were waiting for Sami to finish with a meeting and a cowherder wandered past with his animals. I was taking photos of something, and the man asked if I would take a photo of him and his cows. So I did. He asked if I would send a copy to him, and I agreed. Boy, was he happy! Mohammed Shabam Gulam, Son of the Late Haji Samad Gulam. I find it interesting that people regularly include Son Of or Daughter of as part of their address. In this case, even Son Of the Late was used. Fascinating.











Sex Tests Illegal

One day at the hospital I noticed this sign. They are in many ways, very politically correct in Kashmir. The signs everywhere encouraging people to respect the environment, keep roadways clean, and love all your children, no matter what sex they are.












My Kashmiri Clothes
I love the Kashmiri clothes worn by the women, though the scarves are just too much for me usually. But I wanted my own outfit, so one Saturday, Shabnum and I went on a shopping trip. Shabnum is Sami's sister. First we stopped to pick out fabric.
This photo is of Shabnum in the fabric shop. I selected this one:


















Then we went to the tailor shop. I was pleased to see that one of the tailors in the shop was a disabled woman.




We took a tiny swatch of the fabric to a dupta maker, and he dyed the dupta (scarf) to my colour specification.










And here is the final result: