DAY 105 - Houseboat, DAL LAKE

105) MONDAY, 10 OCTOBER 1977 : 0KMS. - Houseboat, DAL LAKE

I got up almost at half past eight. It was rather cold at near dawn.  After  my warm shower, it was time for breakfast, I still had to put on my jacket .  After breakfast , we rented  a Shikara  boat without  roof to paddle around  DAL & NAGIN Lake  about 5 hrs (Rs. 8. -). 

Children and women usually sit on the front of Shikara while paddling to pick up water vegetables and to go shopping . Most Shikaras are paddle boats, I did not see a long-tail boat or any motor boat.  

 

Shikara boat - Photo : kashmirvacations.com / Bing images search

It is very calm and peaceful  in DAL lake without noisy engine sound of motor boats. Probably because there are water plants  growing under water throughout the lake  that help absorb the noise to keep the sound at low volume !

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Water in DAL lake is very clear and the lake  is not deep. We could see deeply  into the ground below the surface, the water plants and algae, duckweeds  and also water lilies. The water surface was so still that we could see reflection of houseboats and mountains as well as Shikaras. It was very beautiful.  We saw Shikara boats  selling fruits, drinks and souvenirs. similar to (mobile)  floating  markets in Thailand.

Lotus in DAL lake - Photo : Ap photo / Mukhtar Khan (Google images search)

SHIKARA & DAL LAKE : Video from YOU TUBE

DAY 104 - Houseboat, DAL LAKE

104) SUNDAY, 9 OCTOBER 1977 : 0KMS. - Houseboat, DAL  LAKE

We took a Shikara boat ride across the lake from the shore in  SRINAGAR and  arrived at the houseboat we rented around noon.

 

Shikara boat in Dal Lake - Photo : wikimedia.org / Bing images search

This houseboat comprises of a  living room, a dining room, a pantry  and  2-3 bedrooms (and bathrooms) with a balcony overlooking the lake. The interior of  the boathouse  is very luxurious. It is not a Deluxe but an Economy level.  The upper grade the houseboat is classified, the more expensive is  the rent and the interior and exterior fixtures, including assembled are upgraded.

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Some houseboats  are very beautiful. Rental fee per day costs Rs 200. – It is beautifully decorated  with a nice patterned wood carvings.  Even the curtain and  bedspread are embroidered  with  a native of KASHMIR designs.  It is fully equipped with running tap water and electricity. When we arrived  at the “Shabasch” houseboat, there was already  an  Indian couple from BOMBAY  renting  one room.

 

  

Houseboat "Shabash" - http://munichtomadras1977.blogspot.com

One thing I was very surprised, when I knew and  had seen with my own eyes,  that the shawl, blanket, etc., are all embroidered. They look from  far more like a printed textile.
 

Man's work in KASHMIR - Photo : kashmircorps.wordpress.com / Google images search

These  were made with exquisite workmanship by the hands of men, both young and old. It is the same like a woven rug that most labors are mainly boys.  It is not different from what we have seen in IRAN and AFGHANISTAN.

DAY 103 - SRINAGAR

103) SATURDAY, 8 OCTOBER 1977 : 0KMS. - SRINAGAR

We went for a boat ride around DAL lake. We enquired for renting a houseboat in DAL lake for 4 days so that we could change a bit and to experience daily life of Kashmiris in DAL Lake. The rental fee was agreed at  IRs 60. -/per day, including breakfast and dinner, at the houseboat named “Shabasch”. (IRs 3. - = DM 1. -)

Houseboat, DAL Lake - Photo : fotopedia.com / Google images search

Rows of hoseboats next to one another in DAL Lake

DAL Lake in SRINAGAR

 

DAY 102 - SRINAGAR

102) FRIDAY, 7 OCTOBER 1977 : 0KMS. - SRINAGAR

Walking around the city and its lake, which has very clear water.  I was looking for souvenirs, but have found  that they were very expensive to buy.  I initially wanted to buy Kashmir wool shawl but it was too expensive (probably because it is popular for many tourists and is hand-made).

 

Old SRINAGAR bridge - Photo : trekearth.com / Bing images search

SRINAGAR   is the capital of the region JAMMU & KASHMIR , surrounded by the Himalayas. It is situated at high altitude 5,200 feet or 1,585 meters from sea level  (Wikipedia). It was a major city founded by King Ashoka  and there is the river Jhelum flowing through.  There are 2 major lakes , Dal and Nagin,  in which a lot of  houseboats  can be found all over.  They are mostly houseboat hotels for rent.

 

DAL Lake houseboats - Photo : bharatdiscovery.org / Google images search

 

From  WIKIPEDIA: 

Dal Lake is a lake in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir. The urban lake, which is the second largest in the state, is integral to tourism and recreation in Kashmir and is nicknamed the "Jewel in the crown of Kashmir" or "Srinagar's Jewel". The lake is also an important source for commercial operations in fishing and water plant harvesting.

 

DAL Lake - Photo : 2nomads1narrative / wordpress.com ( GAoogle images search)

DAY 101 – SRINAGAR

101) THURSDAY, 6 OCTOBER 1977 : 293KMS. - SRINAGAR

Departure from JAMMU to SRINAGAR crossing the mountains.  There was a convoy of military vehicles on the road.  Almost every city we passed we saw military camp located. Some parts of the road  collapsed on the sides  looking terrifying  when we  think of moving ahead on the road and suddenly it happens as the roadside is a deep abyss . We had to park waiting until there was no car coming from the other direction before we could cross the last mountain, which is not far from BANIHAL (about 2 hours) because the traffic was limited to only one lane as it was under repair.

 

Dangerous road - Photo : panoramio.com / Bing images search

After passing the limited traffic road,  we arrived  through the vast  valley near BARNIHAL. It is terrace-agricultural land for rice crops in steps cascading down that looked beautiful.  We drove further  through a long tunnel  onto “The Happy Valley” or KASHMIR with high mountains and large plains.

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We arrived  in SRINAGAR , regional KASHMIR  in the twilight and parked our campervan in the Tourist Hostel ground under the huge Maple tree (along most city streets, I saw big Maple trees ). I guessed that it should have been grown up to 400-600 years  because from the historical evidence of Maple or Chinar trees  in the valley of KASHMIR they were planted in the reign of Mughal (or Mogul) dynasty.

Old Chinar/Maple trees in SRINAGAR - Photo : newshopper.sulekha.com / Google image search