This morning after another round of heavy breakfast and bidding an extensive farewell to Gulamrg (in way of more photo taking and saying byes to the good people at Hotel Alpine Ridge), we started on our way to our next stop, Pahalgam.
Pahalgam was a good 130kms away from Gulmarg, which meant that we made multiple stops on our way.
The first one was at a shop where we bought ourselves Kashmiri Phirens - their woollen loose kurtas for women.
Then as we passed by the area called the Saffron Belt of Kashmir - where the most common sight was that of fields and fields of the beautiful little lilac coloured saffron flowers. We made another stop to buy fresh saffron stigmas that's a popular spice in Indian cuisine. And while we were at it, we also bought a lot of dry fruits that the region was famous for.
Then we passed by an area where we saw rows and rows of shops selling... well, cricket bats! That was kinda unexpected but we were told that most cricket bats are made from the Kashmiri wood and they come in all kinda price ranges. But no, we didn't buy any cricket bats.
Then we passed by acres and acres and acres of apple orchards. It was so fascinating to see the abundance of the apple trees bending over with the weight of the huge apples they were carrying. We decided to make a stop there on the way back and for the time being kept on with our drive.
Then we passed through typical Kashmiri villages with small tin roofed duplex houses, wooden shacks, little shops, narrow paths and huge stocks of wood piled up in every corner, in preparation for the impending harsh winters.
Soon we were driving right beside the Pahalgam river. In spring, the river would be overflowing and apparently a lot of white water rafting is done there, but right now, the water levels are low and we could see a lot more of the rocks and riverbed. Still it was a spectacular sight. The raging river, the quaint houses at its banks, the mountains beyond.
Our hotel Woodstock was right next to the small market in Pahalgam and we checked in to our spacious rooms on the third level that offered amazing views of the mountains. There were no lifts in the hotel but we still chose the top floor rooms just for the view! Luckily for us, the staff were extremely accommodating and they offered to serve all our meals in a function room on the same level than making us climb up and down the stairs to their actual dining room for every meal. How nice is that!
We sat around for a while in our rooms, taking in the gorgeous views, then had a rather late but very-heavy-to-compensate lunch.
The rest of the folks were tired post the long drive in the day, but my dad and I decided that we must step outside and explore the market even though the sun had set and it was rather cold. We wanted to "experience Kashmir in the cold, cold night." So, wrapped in layers and layers, both of us set off for our exploration. We discovered some really cute shops that sold woollens at excitingly low prices and we made the most of it with a lot of shopping! My favourite spoils were the two Kashmiri ponchos that we got for the little one.
Back in the hotel, we displayed our purchases to everyone which got them super excited. All of us promised ourselves to make a thorough exploration of the market tomorrow and then, turned in night for the night.
Another beautiful day in Kashmir comes to an end!
Pahalgam was a good 130kms away from Gulmarg, which meant that we made multiple stops on our way.
The first one was at a shop where we bought ourselves Kashmiri Phirens - their woollen loose kurtas for women.
Then as we passed by the area called the Saffron Belt of Kashmir - where the most common sight was that of fields and fields of the beautiful little lilac coloured saffron flowers. We made another stop to buy fresh saffron stigmas that's a popular spice in Indian cuisine. And while we were at it, we also bought a lot of dry fruits that the region was famous for.
Then we passed by an area where we saw rows and rows of shops selling... well, cricket bats! That was kinda unexpected but we were told that most cricket bats are made from the Kashmiri wood and they come in all kinda price ranges. But no, we didn't buy any cricket bats.
Then we passed by acres and acres and acres of apple orchards. It was so fascinating to see the abundance of the apple trees bending over with the weight of the huge apples they were carrying. We decided to make a stop there on the way back and for the time being kept on with our drive.
Then we passed through typical Kashmiri villages with small tin roofed duplex houses, wooden shacks, little shops, narrow paths and huge stocks of wood piled up in every corner, in preparation for the impending harsh winters.
Soon we were driving right beside the Pahalgam river. In spring, the river would be overflowing and apparently a lot of white water rafting is done there, but right now, the water levels are low and we could see a lot more of the rocks and riverbed. Still it was a spectacular sight. The raging river, the quaint houses at its banks, the mountains beyond.
Our hotel Woodstock was right next to the small market in Pahalgam and we checked in to our spacious rooms on the third level that offered amazing views of the mountains. There were no lifts in the hotel but we still chose the top floor rooms just for the view! Luckily for us, the staff were extremely accommodating and they offered to serve all our meals in a function room on the same level than making us climb up and down the stairs to their actual dining room for every meal. How nice is that!
We sat around for a while in our rooms, taking in the gorgeous views, then had a rather late but very-heavy-to-compensate lunch.
The rest of the folks were tired post the long drive in the day, but my dad and I decided that we must step outside and explore the market even though the sun had set and it was rather cold. We wanted to "experience Kashmir in the cold, cold night." So, wrapped in layers and layers, both of us set off for our exploration. We discovered some really cute shops that sold woollens at excitingly low prices and we made the most of it with a lot of shopping! My favourite spoils were the two Kashmiri ponchos that we got for the little one.
Back in the hotel, we displayed our purchases to everyone which got them super excited. All of us promised ourselves to make a thorough exploration of the market tomorrow and then, turned in night for the night.
Another beautiful day in Kashmir comes to an end!
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