Leisure Going Back To India :)

[Harkiran Kaur]

I am so excited... going back to India end of August for the first few weeks in Sept. Going further north this time to Jammu / Kashmir area. So this trip will be more nature oriented... snow capped mountains, cold desert, glacier, grand lakes, lush green valleys... camel ride, pony ride, gondola ride, shikara ride in Dal lake Srinagar, historical gurdwaras, highest motor able mountain pass, second coldest inhabited place on earth (Drass)... Can't wait! And this time, the process is much easier since I did it last year. Need another Visa but this time I got all the proper things ready very quickly. Also got a very good deal on flight. I was watching Expedia and each day got the total. Last week it dropped about 600.00 CDN in one day so I jumped at the deal!
Already got myself a better camera pack for this time... last year the small pack I had was hard to grab the camera and didn't have room for much else... Now I have a good professional camera backpack from Tamrac. I plan to get loads of photos! Kashmir is supposed to be Heaven on Earth!!

 

[aristotle]

That's good, Akasha Ji.
You'll have seen more of India than I myself have :interestedsingh:

 

[Ambarsaria]

Akasha ji it seemss like a good plan. From what I can tell you are quite pretty. So stay safe which I am sure you have considered.

I remember a story of a most beautiful girlfriend of my sister. Someone claiming to be a prince from Kashmir came in a good horse drawn carriage and sought her hand. Parents were impressed and they agreed.

Later it was discovered that whole thing was a fake setup and the girl ended up in a miserable relationship with no out.

Take care and if possible take pictures about some of the metaphors in Gurbani. Whether it is a pea{censored}, a pelican standing in water, a crow, cloud formations or peaceful contemplative jungles, a solitary tree at the banks of a river, people with ashes on their bodies, people throwing water to ancestors at the banks of a river and so on.

Best of all enjoy the experience in abandon.

Sat Sri Akal.

 

[Harkiran Kaur]

Ambarsaria Ji, I am only staying with a friend (yes, friend) for the trip and this friend is very into charitable work and things like advocating for women's rights - things like ability of women doing seva in harmandir sahib etc. His group just rescued a girl from traffickers in Mumbai to reunite with her family. He is also into charities that promote environmental issues especially in Kashmir where the landscape is some of the most beautiful on earth and is being destroyed (same as everywhere). He is just an ordinary guy - never claims to be anything he isn't. He works in media, filming documentaries etc. And does much volunteer work on the side. I will be staying with him and his family. And another aunty friend of mine from here will be joining us part way.

(as a side note, my friend is very well known in J&K and has been published in stories... here is one:
https://thecherrytree.in/balbir-singh/ )

For anyone interested, how I got a good deal on ticket, I was watching every day the prices on Expedia.ca and when it dropped I went to Flight Centre where they guarantee lowest prices, so I got plane ticket to Srinagar this year for 200 less than I paid just to Delhi last year (and have one more flight this time too!) So I won the jackpot with airfare!

Think I will be tired by the time I get home?? Here is my actual itinerary (notice how I will be engaged in activities right from the day I land... after 29 hours travelling haha) I will need LOTS AND LOTS of chai to keep me awake!

Day 1
§ Arrival at Srinagar Airport
§ Transfer to houseboat
§ Shikara (boat) ride in Dal lake in the evening
§ Dinner

2
§ Start for Pahalgam while visiting enrolee Gurdwara Shadimarg (historical Gurdwara of 6th Guru), Awantipora monuments, Mattan, and other places of significance.
§ Night stay at a hotel in Palalgam

3
§ Visit to Aru, a picturesque scenic spot loved by filmmakers
§ Visit to Pahalgam Nature park
§ Trip to seven springs on pony back
§ Back to hotel in the evening

4 (MY BIRTHDAY!)
§ Start for Srinagar
§ enroute visit of Achabal moughal garden
§ Gurdwara Bijbihara
§ Stay at a hotel in srinagar

5
§ Start for Parampillan, the sacred Gurdwara of 6th Guru in Uri
§ Visit to Kaman Post, border post
§ Night stay at baramulla

6
§ Visit to picturesque Gurdwara Tapyana Sahib, Rafiabad
§ Enroute visit to pre historic heritage site and bird sanctury,
§ Back to hotel at srinagar

7
§ Visit to Gulmarg, the valley of flowers
§ Gandola (Ropeway)ride
§ Back to Srinagar in the evening

8
§ Local sightseen in Srinagar and around
§ Visit of moughal gardens
§ Night stay at hotel

9
§ Visit to Dachigam National park
§ Visit of Burzhama heritage site
§ Visit of Harwan heritage site
§ Night stay at srinagar

10
§ Start for Sonamarg, a screnic beauty spot
§ Visit to Thagiwas glacier
§ Night stay at Sonamarg

11
§ Start for Leh from Sonamarg
§ Visit Drass (the IInd coldest inhabited place of world), visit to Drass war memorial
§ Passing Kargil town, visiting Vijay ghat etc
§ Night stay at Mul bagh tourist camp

12
§ Start for Leh
§ Enroute visit longest Buddha statue
§ Alchi basin, lakir, indus and Zanaskar river wedlock site, magnetic hill etc
§ Night stay at Gurdwara Pathar Sahib, the most visited site of Leh

13
§ Arrival at Leh
§ Visit to local Market and other local places of interest
§ Stay at hotel

14
§ Visit to Khardungla pass (highest motorable road of the world, 18,380 ft)
§ Visit to Nubra valley
§ Stay at camp

15
§ Visit to diskit and samstanling monestries, Panamik hot spring (earlier part of world famous silk route)
§ Visit to hunder, double humped camel safari
§ Sunbathe in the hunder sand dunes
§ Stay at Leh hotel

16
§ Visit to Changla pass
§ Visit to Pangong Lake, 14100 ft (only brackish lake in the country)
§ Overnight stay at the Lake site

17
§ Back to Leh and start for back journey
§ Night stay at kargil

18
§ Night arrival at Srinagar
§ Stay at srinagar

19
§ Visit to local craft market
§ Local Gurdwaras and other places of interest
§ Stay at Srinagar

20
§ Fly home

 

[Harkiran Kaur]

I think I will try to tie dastar this whole trip... it will be a good place to become accustomed to tying one and being around others, in an area where that is more common since here only a few women do. (I plan to tie one all the time once I do Amrit or when I leave the Canadian Forces) I will feel less self conscious about it over there and it will give me a taste of how it feels to wear every day, plus giving me the added bonus of not having to worry about my hair every day (blowing in my face while trekking etc.). Only thing I worry about is, is it wrong to only wear there and then remove it when I return to Canada (for now)?

After all, I do know of men who only tie their turban once a week, to go to the Gurdwara).