Day 3, Srinagar Excursion
We woke up very early that morning because the electricity stopped working. The captain informed that the power supply went off and a generator took time to work. I washed my face with ice water (not recommended), went outside to catch the sunrise and found out that the water was frozen in some corners of the lake.
We started the excursion at 10 AM and went to the biggest mosque in the Valley, Jamia Masjid. It’s 1°C and we must open our shoes. Walking bare food was a torture but it didn’t stop us from admiring the architecture. After that, we visited Pari Mahal, a scenic garden overlooking Srinagar from the top of Zabarwan. The fog covered almost everything, but I loved everything I could see.
We passed many important roads and buildings in downtown Srinagar and Anil was being our walking Wikipedia. One that attracted me the most was the Indira Gandhi Tulip Garden, world’s second largest tulip garden after Keukenhof in Holland. A tulip festival is organized at the onset of spring (usually in April) every year. At noon, we went back to the houseboat for a lunch in the garden among the dried roses and apple trees.
The next destination was Nishat Bagh, a part of the Mughal gardens built by the Mughals. With the Zabarwan Mountains in the background, it offers a view of Dal Lake and Pir Panjal. The combination of a lake, garden, and mountain made this place my favorite garden.
Dal Lake or ‘the Jewel in the Crown of Kashmir’, is the state’s biggest lake so it’s very touristy, but I still prefer the quiet Nigeen Lake. After that, we went to shop some Kashmiri handicrafts, but my sister and I chose to spend that afternoon watching sunset near the vibrant lake.
Day 4, Srinagar-New Delhi
It’s the last day in 2017 and we’d be leaving soon (click here to see our next destination), so I went to the patio to watch sunrise for a couple minutes, and went back to our room to re-check the baggages that we had packed the night before after a farewell party. My dad came back from his morning routine (smoking in a below zero temperature) looking sad because he’s run out of cigarettes. Apparently the staff liked the taste of Indonesian cigarettes too.
After breakfast four Shikaras arrived at our little port. One boat can ferry up to five people including one man that paddles the boat. I was still hoping that it’d be a clear day so we could see the snow-capped Pir Panjal mountain but it never happened. We still enjoyed the ride though, especially the tranquility because we’re the only tourists (15 of us) in the lake, and the rest were just friendly locals.
Hawkers approached us on their Shikaras and asked if we wanted to buy something, but we declined politely saying that we only wanted to enjoy the view. They looked kinda disappointed but still wished us a good day before leaving.
Two hours later we went back to the houseboat to have hot Kahwa, a flavorful Kashmiri tea. I really enjoyed staying in the houseboats because there were more interactions among us and with the locals, but the privacy’s still guaranteed.
My favorite moment is when we shopped really hard, that all of us—tourists, guides, staff, and hawkers—would gather in the living room drinking hot tea and munching sweets, trying to communicate with broken English and hand gestures. It’s an experience that shouldn’t be missed, but always make sure your houseboat is approved by the Tourism Department.
We couldn’t use our own SIM card in Kashmir and the registration process for local SIM card would take too long so we only depended on the Wi-Fi in the houseboats. It didn’t bother me at all for Kashmir is a place where the actual view is way more interesting than my phone screen.
After our last Kashmiri lunch, we went to the airport. The airport security is somewhat more complicated but there’s nothing crazy. Just always make sure that you have your ticket and passport at all security checkpoints. The only carry-on allowed are pre-checked laptops, cell phones or other electronic devices and handbag. All other baggages must be weighed, scanned and checked.
In the end, nobody regrets regret taking the trip. There are indeed conflicts and the presence of the armies may be uneasy for tourists, but the locals have been living with them for years and somehow that what makes Kashmir stand out.
Some people suggested us not to take the trip (sure thing their intentions were good) because of the news they read, but traveling surely gives you the chance to reach your own conclusion. Unless there’s a travel warning issued, I really recommend you to pay this heaven on earth a visit.
Disoriented Traveller 
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