The Peaceful People in Disputed Territory

We have been to the Himalayas and back! Just for contrast :) we decided to go straight from Delhi to Srinagar Kashmir for a 5 day stay on a houseboat*. It is one of the most beautiful places we have been to date (yes including New Zealand). We stayed on Dal lake and used Venice-ish boats paddled by a "shikara (friendly old men)" to visit local sites, all while in the shadows of 15,000 ft peaks of the dramatic Himalayas. Though most of the time we spent relaxing on the front porch, we also did a short hike to some great vistas and visited remote a couple Himalayan villages where we were welcomed into several homes and served Kashmiri tea (great tasting chai). A fantastic experience.



What made it the more interesting was that not only is Kashmir a majority Islamic region but it is currently a disputed area between India and Pakistan and there is a very visible military presence. The conflict began when a local Hindu ruler chose to join India during the partition of 1947 despite the fact that the majority of his subjects were Muslim (and therefore wanted to join Pakistan instead). Since then it has been a political landgrab and the local villagers resent being stuck in the middle. An eye opening experience in many ways. Dispite the unrest it is one of the most peaceful places we have been with some of the most welcoming and hospitable people we know. To learn more about Kashmir, go to http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/2739993.stm.



*The houseboats were originally used by the British because they were not allowed to buy land in Srinagar but wanted to take advantage of the beauty anyways.


This is a picture of us on a hike just outside of Srinagar: