On a Houseboat in Kashmir

We left early the next morning to avoid all the horrible trucks and buses. We had a few good minutes through great curves, but then the traffic began.

Majestic passes and valleys, where you could see mountains converge from all corners, and all mountains had thin little passes on them with tiny shiny vehicles, and down in the valley were fields and a river, and pine forests on the slopes.

We passed several disheartening long queues of trucks and buses and cars over bridges (I think there was a demonstration going on) - sometimes it's good to be on a bike.

I think I have mastered mountain passes. I can flow through them like a river, overtaking on straights or in hairpin corners. I had one army truck coming toward me - I was overtaking, but decided to slip back behind the bus. But I couldn't slow down - I was pulling everything and was hoping the army truck would slow down, but it just kept on coming toward us. Eventually I slowed down enough - I think I was still on the accelerator - that was the problem.

After driving through a long one-way tunnel we found ourselves in the picturesque Kashmir Valley. The valley itself was a quilt of different greens, and totally surrounded by mountains (not very high, though) It was very beautiful, and reminded me a lot of South Africa.

All along the mountain passes in the Indian Himalayas are traffic signs to warn drivers to take care. Like "Any time is safety time", "This is not a runway, it is a highway", "Beware of my beautiful curves", "Drive like hell, and you'll be there", "A dangerous overtaker, surely [I like this] meets the undertaker", and my personal favourite "Don't gossip, let him drive".

We eventually arrived in Srinegar in the late afternoon - blackened by pollution. Our houseboat owner picked us up and took us to his houseboat by shikara (like a Venetian Gondola - same same just different).