Day 7 - Srinagar

Wake up early in the morning where Pooja’s sister Vidisha takes me to a depot full of Sumo (jeeps) and Vans who will take you to different destinations. I get a “Traveler” that is to takes me on an 8 hour trip to Srinagar. It was a long and tiring trip. There was a family with me, 2 different pairs of friends and one other traveler. Stopped along the way to enjoy some good foods. Also picked up a wool vest for 300 Rs, a gift for my father.

Now mind you Srinagar is in Kashmir, a state which is controlled by India. Kashmir is a mostly Muslim area which wishes to be its own country. Srinagar is a mostly safe area for tourists.

When arriving in Srinagar the driver was told to drop me off in Lal Chawk so that I could get in touch with my contact. We were stopped in an area known as the TRC (Tourist Receiving Center). He made a call and a man drove up. He told me this was Fayaz, the man I was to meet. In actuality, it was just some one that he said was Fayaz just so he could dump me off. Upon exiting I was swarmed by taxis/moto rickshaw drivers who wanted my money. I fought my past to public phone so that I could phone call my contact, Fayaz.

I called Fayaz, a man with a heavy Arabic/Indian accent, which go to the point, asked where I was and within minutes, a well dressed man, tall dark with a nice demeanor was on a motorbike ready to take me to a place I wished.

We spent the next 2 hours finding a generic hotel in a the area where he works, Lal Chawk, which seems to be a dirty yet bustling shopping area in Srinagar. We also talked and made plans to get to Gulmarg next day.

The room I was in was rather dirty, but much bigger than most American hotels. It was still not a extremely pleasant place to stay, but it was a place to lay my head. I slept as I was to meet with Mr. Fayaz early in the morning to arrange my travel to Gulmarg.

Erick Redcloud

A partially blind Graphic Designer, Freelance Travel Photographer, Artist, Buddhist and Vegetarian who loves to travel. Erick loves traveling by being with the locals and going off the beaten path. He is the founder and owner of Pathlesstravels and loves inspiring others to follow their dreams, whether it is to travel or something completely different. He started Pathlesstravels to hone is photography skills and to meet amazing people, and to help a friend break into journalism. Check out his photography at his link.