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Old 21st May 2010, 18:18   #1
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Srinagar - Leh - Pangong - Nubra - Tsomoriri - Keylong - Spiti - shimila with Family

Hi,

I will be visiting Himalayas with My Wife, kid, My friend Vaidee & his Wife.

Tentative plan is as below, We would like it to be leisure & pleasant, Me & My friend are armature birders & like photography Please Advise on
  • Places to see or skip, and where to stay with family
  • Precautions to take while traveling with family & kids in Himalayas.
Abstract Time line & plan :
June 04 - 14 with Vaidee & his wife Srinagar to leh, they have to fly back from Leh on 14th
June 14 - 21 Me, My Wife & Kid plan to do Leh - Shimla via Spiti this circuit need more detailed planning.
Mode of transport:
We all (4+1) fly in to Srinagar, from here we have a 2006 2wd Turbo charged Scorpio & a Super Charged Driver Regzin
Will take the toy train (Motor Car) from Shimla to Kalak & Kalka to Delhi & Fly from Delhi to BLR.

Detailed Plan:
Day1: Friday 04 Srinagar (1730 mtrs)
BLR - DEL 07:45 to 10:10 AM & DEL - SRI 11:15 to 12:40 AM via JetAirways
Check in to house boat on Dal Lake (Any recommendations?)
In the evening Shikara ride on Dal Lake to enjoy the sunset. Overnight at Houseboat.
Day 2: Saturday 05 Srinagar - Gulmarg 56 Kms (2650 m), stay @ Pine Palace Platinum 5.5K INR
Gondola ride (cable car) from Gulmarg to Khalinmarg
Day 3: Sunday 06 Gulmarg - PehalGam 150Kms (2440 Mtrs) stay @ Hotel Pine Spring @ 5.5K
Hire ponies to the meadow at Baisaran (5 km).
From Baisaran you can trek up to Tulian Lake. Mamaleshwara (1 km) has a small 12th century Shiva temple
Day 4: Monday 07 PehalGam via Sonamarg aprox 110 kms, Stay at Kargil (2,704 m)
From Sonamarg ride on horse to visit Thajiwas Glacier
Day 5: Tuesday 08 Kargil via Arayan Village Stay at Leh
Day 6: Wednesday 09 Permits & around Leh
Day 7: Thursday 10 Leh to Pangong stay at Pangong
Day 8: Friday 11 Pangong Via Chushul and Tangestey to Leh
Day 9: Saturday 12 Leh to Hunder Stay @ Hunder
Day 10: Sunday 13 Hunder to Leh
Day 11: Monday 14 (Vaidee & his Wife Fly Back to BLR) we do Leh to Tsomoriri Stay at Tsomoriri @ 4595m 215kms
Day 12: Teusday 15 Tsomoriri to Jespa / Keylong 296 kms
Day 13: Wednesday 16 Keylong Via Gramphu - Chatru - Batal - Visit ChandraTal - Kunzum la - Loser stay @ Kaza 12,000 Feet 185 kms
Day 14: Thursday 17 Kaza (60Km) Lara Dhankar (94kms) Tabo(60 Km) Nako (110 Km) stay @ Kalpa
Day 15: Friday 18 Sangla Karcham Wangtu Jeori (92 Km) Sarahan Jeori Rampur Hattu Peak Narkanda Shimla (175 Km) -
Day 16: Saturday 19 Shimala via toy train (Motor Car) to kalka, from kalka to Delhi
Day 17: Buffer Day Sunday 20
Day 18: Buffer Day Monday 21

My Son is 4.2 years old & My wife is uncomfortable with Ghats travel in a car (Vomiting)
I have rode from Chandigarh to Leh, M-La, Chushul, Chumar & Hanlay & was hit by AMS at pang about 2 years ago
Vaidee & His wife have done Leh to Manali 2 years ago in the same Scorpio

Would like to hear comments from people who have traveled this circuit with Family & or Kids, on what's recommended and stuff to avoid
Where to stay and where to spend more time. Based on the reaction of my Wife & kid's health I am prepared to drop the entire Spiti plan if need be & fly back from Leh.

Other than the below gear what else do I need to carry
  • Sleeping bags for all
  • 6 men tent (in case need be)
  • Woolen & water proof jackets for all
  • Caps , Glows & thermal wear
  • Diamox, first aid kit with all basic medicine
  • Torch, LED head lamps ample battery
  • Camera 400D lens 70-200 & 18-55 tripod, laptop 17 Mack book pro
  • Lots of ready to eat food like MTR stuff
Related Links:Cheers
Sunil
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Old 21st May 2010, 18:26   #2
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Are you booked already?
Pahalgam is to south of Srinagar, and Gulmarg is sort of on the way to Leh(30km diversion from main road),
So going to Gulmarg first and then coming back to pahalgam does not maker sense.

For Aryan village Dha, you need permits before hand.
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Old 21st May 2010, 23:05   #3
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Too hectic. Not for a 4 year old child and definitely not for some one with motion sickness on winding roads. Out of this lay out your exact motive for this trip and then maybe we can suggest some modifications.
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Old 22nd May 2010, 08:33   #4
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Something wrong with your distances.
Pahalgam-Kargil is 320 kms, not 150 as stated.
This one is going to be a long hard drive.


Surprising that you are not spending any time in Srinagar, you need a full day to enjoy the gardens of Srinagar and visit the Sankaracharya Temple.

Gulmarg is not on the way to Leh. Pahalgam is south of Srinagar (45 kms off the Jammu road, divert from Khanabal, Gulmarg is west of Sringar (off the road to Baramalluh & Uri) and Sonmarg is on the Leh road. If you are coming from Gulmarg to Pahalgam, you will bypass Srinagar, and on return to go to Kargil you will again cross Srinagar. In any case, you have to go via Srinagar both ways.

The road from Pangong to Chushul is not normally open to civilians. I have never been given permit for this road so far. Even assuming that you do get the permit, remember that Pangong-Chushul road is terrible and I doubt you will be able to get back to Leh unless you do some zestful driving.

Tso Moriri to Jispa/Keylong is a very long drive, keep possibility of time overrun in mind, and maybe you will reach only Sarchu.

Keylong-Kaza is as good as impossible since Chandra Tal road is going to be closed from this year onwards. Which means you have to walk 14 kms from Battal (Gramphoo-Kunzum la road) and that itself should take you 6-8 hours to and fro. If you drop Chandra Tal, then it is a full day's drive. I have left Kaza at 5 am, taken a 2-hour detour to Chandra Tal and reached Jispa only by 8 pm.

Surprising that you are not spending any time in Kaza - which has Ke Monastery, Khibber, etc. Driving from Kaza to Kalpa is a big challenge especially if Malling Nullah and other sections are closed for landslide repair/ road widening work (expect disruptions of 1-2 hours on this route anytime).

I don't find a car inverter in your lits., needed to charge mobiles, cameras on the move.

If your Srinagar Sumo is a taxi, I don't think they will be permitted in any of the Ladakh sectors like Leh-Nubra, Leh-Pangong and Leh-Manali, which are all controlled by fierce local taxi unions who protect their turf against outside taxis.

Laptops should not be used in higher altitudes - in your case, in Pangong, K-La, Tso Moriri and Sarchu.

Overall, I think this itinerary is not doable in the circumstances that you are in.
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Old 22nd May 2010, 13:17   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tsk1979 View Post
Are you booked already?
Pahalgam is to south of Srinagar, and Gulmarg is sort of on the way to Leh(30km diversion from main road),
So going to Gulmarg first and then coming back to pahalgam does not maker sense.

For Aryan village Dha, you need permits before hand.
HI Tsk1979, I believe Pehalgam is closer or en route to Leh w.r.t gulmarg from Srinagar.

I haven made any bookings as yet except BLR-SRI flights

Quote:
Originally Posted by wanderernomad View Post
Too hectic. Not for a 4 year old child and definitely not for some one with motion sickness on winding roads. Out of this lay out your exact motive for this trip and then maybe we can suggest some modifications.
Motivation is leisure trip, I know I have to skip spiti for it to be leisure, but flights out o =f LEH cost 16 to 17K INR while DEL-BLR cost 4K per ticket, hence for 3 guys savings is roughly 12K * 3 = 36K say 6k for train etc still 30K saved if I dont fly from leh.

Thanks HV Kumar for your detailed response, my comments in line

Quote:
Originally Posted by hvkumar View Post
Something wrong with your distances.
Pahalgam-Kargil is 320 kms, not 150 as stated.
This one is going to be a long hard drive.

Sunil: 150 Kms I mentioned is fro Gulmarg - pehalgam, Could not find the distance between pehalgam & Kargil, but 320 seems a bit on the higher side.

This is what google maps says:

Driving directions to Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, India
164 km – about 3 hours 7 mins

Kargil, Jammu and Kashmir
India

Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir
India


Surprising that you are not spending any time in Srinagar, you need a full day to enjoy the gardens of Srinagar and visit the Sankaracharya Temple.

Sunil: Will take it up with Vaidee to see if we can drop Pangong or Nubra & sped more time in Srinagar.

Gulmarg is not on the way to Leh. Pahalgam is south of Srinagar (45 kms off the Jammu road, divert from Khanabal, Gulmarg is west of Sringar (off the road to Baramalluh & Uri) and Sonmarg is on the Leh road. If you are coming from Gulmarg to Pahalgam, you will bypass Srinagar, and on return to go to Kargil you will again cross Srinagar. In any case, you have to go via Srinagar both ways.

Sunil: from Gulmarg we have to go via Srinagar to pehalgam, but from Pehalgam to Kargil I guess we can avoide Srinagar & go via Kangan & Sonamarg .

The road from Pangong to Chushul is not normally open to civilians. I have never been given permit for this road so far. Even assuming that you do get the permit, remember that Pangong-Chushul road is terrible and I doubt you will be able to get back to Leh unless you do some zestful driving.

Sunil: I have been till Chushul from Pangaon on bikes & the same Scrpio carrying luggage & petrol for us, we got the permits, but forgot to mention Dungti, Tsaga and Nyoma, hence we had to turn back via tungstay to Leh.

Tso Moriri to Jispa/Keylong is a very long drive, keep possibility of time overrun in mind, and maybe you will reach only Sarchu.

sunil: Yes Sir will keep that in mind.

Keylong-Kaza is as good as impossible since Chandra Tal road is going to be closed from this year onwards. Which means you have to walk 14 kms from Battal (Gramphoo-Kunzum la road) and that itself should take you 6-8 hours to and fro. If you drop Chandra Tal, then it is a full day's drive. I have left Kaza at 5 am, taken a 2-hour detour to Chandra Tal and reached Jispa only by 8 pm.

Ok Will skip Chandra tal if the road is closed & we have to trek more than 2 to 3 kms, and how to plan for a day around Kaza (may be the buffer day).

Surprising that you are not spending any time in Kaza - which has Ke Monastery, Khibber, etc. Driving from Kaza to Kalpa is a big challenge especially if Malling Nullah and other sections are closed for landslide repair/ road widening work (expect disruptions of 1-2 hours on this route anytime).

I don't find a car inverter in your lits., needed to charge mobiles, cameras on the move.

Sunil: Good suggestion Surely will add one.

If your Srinagar Sumo is a taxi, I don't think they will be permitted in any of the Ladakh sectors like Leh-Nubra, Leh-Pangong and Leh-Manali, which are all controlled by fierce local taxi unions who protect their turf against outside taxis.

Laptops should not be used in higher altitudes - in your case, in Pangong, K-La, Tso Moriri and Sarchu.

Sunil: Any more pointers why they should not be used Sir ?

Overall, I think this itinerary is not doable in the circumstances that you are in.
This is a nice summary I like it, lets see how to bend it & make it ore pleasant and do able. what if I can add 5 days to it? I can extend my leaves in Office not an issue.

Cheers
Sunil
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Old 22nd May 2010, 13:44   #6
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Sunil,

Distance particulars are as follows:
Pahalgam-Khanabal 44 kms-Srinagar Patha Chowk (bypass) 44-Srinagar Dal Lake 9-Ganderbal 21-Mangan 10-Kangan 10-Gund 21-Sonmarg 24-Zoji la-Matayan 44-Dras 21-Kharbu 34-Kargil 21, totalling 303 kms

I have great respect of Google Maps, but I have greater respect for my recordings on my drives, and the above coordiantes are from my log books, so I believe in it.

For your information, there is no road between Pahalgam and Kangan as shown in the Google Maps. But there is a trekking path for Amarnath from Pahalgam till Baltal (after Sonmarg) at the fotthoills before the ascent to Zoji la starts.

I think this forum gives you fantastic stuff on the Ladakh route and other info, may be a better idea to rely on these than to go by Goggle and other maps which have grossly inaccurate and wrong information.

Use of laptops in high altitudes - please check out the following thread:

"The HDD's spindle system relies on air pressure inside the disk enclosure to support the heads at their proper flying height while the disk rotates. Hard disk drives require a certain range of air pressures in order to operate properly. The connection to the external environment and pressure occurs through a small hole in the enclosure (about 0.5 mm in diameter), usually with a filter on the inside (the breather filter).[45] If the air pressure is too low, then there is not enough lift for the flying head, so the head gets too close to the disk, and there is a risk of head crashes and data loss. Specially manufactured sealed and pressurized disks are needed for reliable high-altitude operation, above about 3,000 m (10,000 feet).[46] Modern disks include temperature sensors and adjust their operation to the operating environment. Breather holes can be seen on all disk drives — they usually have a sticker next to them, warning the user not to cover the holes. The air inside the operating drive is constantly moving too, being swept in motion by friction with the spinning platters. This air passes through an internal recirculation (or "recirc") filter to remove any leftover contaminants from manufacture, any particles or chemicals that may have somehow entered the enclosure, and any particles or outgassing generated internally in normal operation." in
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_disk_drive
and several other stuff you will get of you search internet. Many laptops manufacturers also caution against use for heights above 13,000 feet. My friend lost his brand-new Mac notebook last year because he operated it in some high places in Ladakh.

Last edited by hvkumar : 22nd May 2010 at 13:45.
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Old 22nd May 2010, 22:08   #7
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Thanks HV will consider the distance talk to Vaidee & repost a modified plan

Thanks Again
Cheers Sunil
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Old 22nd May 2010, 22:26   #8
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I suggest dropping Nubra at the cost of Srinagar is not a good idea. I would drop Spiti Loop and rather do Nubra, Hunder.
Pahalgam to Kargil is not doable in a single day, you have Zozila in between and thats it, period. Google maps or no Maps. I am with HV on this one. That route is deceptive to say the very least.
I think you need to sit down and redo the routing all over again, mate.
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Old 22nd May 2010, 22:48   #9
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I hae just one comment to make:

Your wife has motion sickness, you have had altitude sickness, a 4.5 year old child, not at all a good idea to make this trip. Your chile will not be able to tell if he is feeling sick due to high altitude. Am sure you would have thought thru it, but still think again.

Take care.
D
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Old 24th May 2010, 07:36   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wanderernomad View Post
I suggest dropping Nubra at the cost of Srinagar is not a good idea. I would drop Spiti Loop and rather do Nubra, Hunder.
Pahalgam to Kargil is not doable in a single day, you have Zozila in between and thats it, period. Google maps or no Maps. I am with HV on this one. That route is deceptive to say the very least.
I think you need to sit down and redo the routing all over again, mate.
Yes I have dropped Spiti & booked flights back from Srinagar on 20th June to BLR. New plan as below

Quote:
Originally Posted by dushmish View Post
I hae just one comment to make:

Your wife has motion sickness, you have had altitude sickness, a 4.5 year old child, not at all a good idea to make this trip. Your chile will not be able to tell if he is feeling sick due to high altitude. Am sure you would have thought thru it, but still think again.

Take care.
D
Yes Dushmish, you are right, We will have Issues, But Feel guilty to leave them home and tour alone.

motion sickness
  • We will avoid traveling in empty stomach
    We will keep the distance per day as low as possible,
    Tale many breaks in between

AMS
  • Last time we were in bikes & like crazy committed to offroading in Barlach-La
    We also climbed tooo fast from Manali to keylong & next day to Pang !!
    Did not take any medicine like Dimox, this time will take it 2 days in advance 4mg per KG of body weight = 16mg for the kid. & our ascend will be gradual too.

My Wife has already missed/scarified Israel, Singapore, London, SFO, Austin Boston & previous Himalayas trip on bike for kid & we cant leave the kid with anyone for extended periods, this time want to give it a try with what ever preparation possible. the driver said kids as young as 2 years have also come in not an issues. Just hope & Pray All is Well !!

new plan coming up shortly
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Old 29th May 2010, 02:59   #11
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How short is shortly?
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Old 31st May 2010, 10:02   #12
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Sorry Shortly was not really short !!

Day_Date_Stay_____hotel________ kms___altmtrs_altfeet_altchange_Notes
1__04-Jun_Srinagar_House_Boat___ 20___1730____5676____2676______ Sun_Set__Shikara_ride
3__06-Jun_Pehalgam_Pine_Spring__ 85___2440____8005____2329______ on_ponies_to_Baisaran_5_km,_trek_up_to_Tulian_Lake _&_Mamaleshwara_temple
2__05-Jun_Gulmarg__Pine_Palace__ 150__2650____8694____689_______ Gondola_ride_(cable_car)_to_Khalinmarg
4__07-Jun_Sonamarg____________ 120__2730____8957____262_______ Dachigam_wildlife_sanctuary
5__08-Jun_Kargil________________ 122__2704____8871____-85_______ on_Horse_to_visit_Thajiwas_Glacier_then_start_for_ Kargil
6__09-Jun_Alchi_________________ 168__3500____11483___2612______ Visit_Dha
7__10-Jun_Leh__________________ 67___3505____11499___16________ Permits_&_local_market
8__11-Jun_Hunder_______________ 154__4000____13123___1624______
9__12-Jun_Leh__________________ 154__3505____11499___-1624_____
10_13-Jun_Leh__________________ 166__4095____13435___1936______ Hired_ZMA_Bike_round_trip_to_Rumtse_from_Leh
11_14-Jun_Pangong______________ 160__4350____14272___837_______ Chechout_RegZin's_Camps_18Kms_before_pagan_Nala
12_15-Jun_Chumathang___________ ?150?3965____13009___-1263_____ Chushul-TsagaLa/Tsaka_La-Dungti-Nyoma-Chumathang
13_16-Jun_Tso_Morori____________ 80___4595____15075___2067_
14_17-Jun_Leh__________________ 240__3505____11499___-3576_____
15_18-Jun_Leh_Backupday________ 0____3505____11499___0_________ backup_day
16_19-Jun_Kargil_______________ 220__2704____8871____-2628_____
17_20-Jun_Srinagar_____________ 204__1730____5676____-3196_____

Marked in bold are Altitude changes > 1000 feet per day that could be a cause for AMS.
Only Flight tickets are booked for both ways. Hotel recommendation for stay are solicited.

All feedback & comments till now are considered & hence Spiti circuit dropped, More inputs are welcome.

Cheers
Sunil

Last edited by Rehaan : 13th March 2020 at 11:15. Reason: Old post, but editing it to fix a small problem with mobile page formatting :)
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Old 31st May 2010, 10:11   #13
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Day Date Stay hotel kms altmtrs altfeet altchange Notes
Day_Date_Stay_____hotel_______ kms___altmtrs_altfeet_altchange_ Notes
1__04-Jun_Srinagar_House_Boat__ 20___1730____5676____2676______ Sun_Set__Shikara_ride
3__06-Jun_Pehalgam_Pine_Spring_ 85___2440____8005____2329______ on_ponies_to_Baisaran_5_km,_trek_up_to_Tulian_Lake _&_Mamaleshwara_temple
2__05-Jun_Gulmarg__Pine_Palace_ 150__2650____8694____689_______ Gondola_ride_(cable_car)_to_Khalinmarg
4__07-Jun_Sonamarg_____________ 120__2730____8957____262_______ Dachigam_wildlife_sanctuary
5__08-Jun_Kargil_______________ 122__2704____8871____-85_______ on_Horse_to_visit_Thajiwas_Glacier_then_start_for_ Kargil
6__09-Jun_Alchi________________ 168__3500____11483___2612______ Visit_Dha
7__10-Jun_Leh__________________ 67___3505____11499___16________ Permits_&_local_market
8__11-Jun_Hunder_______________ 154__4000____13123___1624______
9__12-Jun_Leh__________________ 154__3505____11499___-1624_____
10_13-Jun_Leh__________________ 166__4095____13435___1936______ Hired_ZMA_Bike_round_trip_to_Rumtse_from_Leh
11_14-Jun_Pangong______________ 160__4350____14272___837_______ Chechout_RegZin's_Camps_18Kms_before_pagan_Nala
12_15-Jun_Chumathang___________ ?150?3965____13009___-1263_____ Chushul-TsagaLa/Tsaka_La-Dungti-Nyoma-Chumathang
13_16-Jun_Tso_Morori___________ 80___4595____15075___2067_
14_17-Jun_Leh__________________ 240__3505____11499___-3576_____
15_18-Jun_Leh_Backupday________ 0____3505____11499___0_________ backup_day
16_19-Jun_Kargil_______________ 220__2704____8871____-2628_____
17_20-Jun_Srinagar_____________ 204__1730____5676____-3196_____

Last edited by Rehaan : 13th March 2020 at 11:15. Reason: Old post, but editing it to fix a small problem with mobile page formatting :)
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Old 31st May 2010, 10:24   #14
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Sunil, make sure you get permits for Dha-Hanu in advance. They will not let you proceed beyond Batailik turnoff without permit
Even at Dha bridge without permits crossing is not possible
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Old 28th June 2010, 16:50   #15
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Had Ball of a Time

Well Guys,

We are back (about a week ago) was very busy at office clearing 2weeks backlog and attending to some blocker bugs

So My story begins:

During my Ladakh trip couple of years ago on Bikes, I had promised myself to get my family to this pristine land and let them experience the Sheer Bliss first hand, thus began the planning of a trip.

Finally on 4th June 2010 the D-Day had come, we packed (almost half the house) till late at night, 2 of my cousins Raju & Rajesh, My brother Shiv & his wife were also at my place helping us pack all that we wanted to take along, We planned to take 10 pairs of dress for a 16 day trip, so each one had a Bag full of dress, that makes for 3 bags, 4th bag for Ready-to-eat MTR stuff + snacks + Biscuits + Sponge Cake etc ( I really missed these on my last trip), 5th bag for the Tent, 3 sleeping bags (thanks to Sumit & Prabhu for lending 2 bags to me) , an other 6th Bag for just the warm cloths, glows caps Sweaters & Thermals (for all 3 of us) and the last 7th Bag for A pair of Gum boots ( i know should have just bought it, but I had it with me & knew they were useful), Medical Kit, Kids medical kit, Rain coats , Warm jackets Car cigarette lighter to 220 Volts converter, Laptop, 2 Mobile chargers, 2 helmets & kids riding gear etc ....

We put all the in my car Matiz, the entire rear seat was FULL, we weighed the stuff & found it to be 85 kgs while its to be 75 kgs (25kg * 3 People) as checkin limits, later I reduced it as much as I can hope that Vaidee & His wife had less luggage & we could sneak in to their weight too ... cabin baggage is 8Kgs per person & Checkin baggage is 25Kgs, no bag to weight more than 30 or 32 kgs as the belts & people cannot safely handle it.

We boarded a waiting Easy cab & head to the airport, learn that Vaidee is in an other Taxi, the one in FRONT OF US .. what a timing then we synced up at the airport (Poor Tejas learnt just than that Vaidee is also coming to the Trip!!) checked in all the luggage, we were just above 125 Kgs 127 to be precise , cleared the security check & on the way to our flight, had some quick Breakfast at BIAL, noticed lots of sparrows inside the airport, Tejas was All exited as he saw lots of flights & was the first time for him on a flight.

We had a nice meal in JetAirways, landed in Delhi & were taken from one flight to an other in a jet Airways Bus directly !!!, we landed in Srinagar in about an hours time & what a view while landing all snow capped mountains, Anu was all exited to see them So was I. After we collected the huge baggage list from the belt, we came out to see REGZIN the man of the Trip waiting for us, Gave us a big welcome Hug and put all the luggage in his Scorpio's rear, all the while the rear seats were folded to accommodate Luggage. We decided to have food first & then head tot eh house boat. we had woke up that day at 4:30 left home by 5:50, left BLR by 7:00 left Delhi by 11, were out of Srinagar airport by 12:45.

Stopped by a HDFC ATM, and as soon as I got in to the ATM room 4 other localities too jumped in alongside me & Vaidee, I guess it was cold & dreselling lightly out side, we were suspicious but didn't want to chase them out any ways, withdrew cash and were off. All the while we saw huge security on both sides of the roads, like from any point on the road you could see like 20 to 30 military guys, all armed to the teeth with automatic weapons & staring you in the eye. it was not a comfortable feel but had expedited something like it but not of this magnitude, every circle had Gypsy with Automatic weapons on it some with rocket launchers and stuff, you could see many different kins of guns, some were LMG's AK47's Chain guns, i cant name the others, besides feeling fear kind of started ling the ammunition & the ground clearance & armor of military vehicles soon seeing so-many guns all around felt like I should also get a couple of them


we reached Dal lake boliviard & didn't like the looks of the houseboat very much, they were very close to each other * Vaidee expected them to move around like in Kerala, we enquirer at many places for a South Indian restorant ( I am picky with food you see) and found Parimahal Hotel, food was quite good but the place was very untidy. had food & decided to stay in a hotel & not a houseboat as we didn't like the ambiance & felt that our mobility will be restricted & dependent on Shikaras, Poor Regzin had to cancel the arrangements made in the last minute ( I had not requested to Book one, only to check on them) & we stayed in Mallike Place, there was a suite with nice view available at 3500 INR ( 2 rooms one bath room) but by the time I was working with the reception for payment the other partyu just moved their luggage in to the rooms & the room was given to them, but me & Regin talked to the manager & he agreed to give a room that is listed as 2200 for 1500 to us so we got 2 adjacent rooms at 1500 each & moved in, got fresh & were out by like 5:30 PM.

That night we went on a shikara ride, the guy force fully took us shopping in to a floating market & we were back. charged us 460 Rs for 2 boats I think, The boat ride at night was very peaceful & silent, view of house boats at night was quite a sight. It got quite chilly bu the time we returned from the ride, it was bout 8:30 pm, sun set around 7:45 or 8:00 Pm & is up by 5:00 to 5:15 AM !!

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