There are many other popular tourist places in Srinagar.
The Shankaracharya Mandir and the Hazratbal Mosque
provide a unique religious experience. Also much sought
after, is the house boat stay in Dal Lake. After soaking in
the beauty of Srinagar, we left for the YHAI camp. When we met him, we thanked him for his assistance
throughout the trip. During the trip, we faced minor
hurdles due to the political situation but Mr. Haroon was
always there for us, ready to support and guide us safely
back to our hotel.
YHAI is an organisation under Ministry of Youth Affairs. It
conducts various adventure camps at many places in India
for adventure activities like cycling, trekking and family
stay etc. The camps are graded to suit various age groups
and fitness levels. They provide accommodation, food
and various activities for the participants that are already
structured and planned, all under an experienced group
leader. For family camping, they also coordinate local site
seeing. We were 20 families in the camp and we were well
taken care of by the YHAI team. Soon after, he introduced us to his family. This was the
most beautiful part of the trip for us. His parents and wife
are great hosts and took great care of us. Talking to his
mother was like chatting with a family acquaintance. She
explained their rich traditions, culture, music, clothing, etc.
We keenly listened as she described the entire life of the
people of Kashmir to us.
In the day, the climate was moderate, but the nights
were extremely cold. The temperature during the night
dipped to 9-10 degree C in May, enough to make us shiver
even when covered with thick blankets. Considering our
experience of winter temperatures rarely dipping below 15
– 20 deg C, it was a unique experience for us.
Our visit to Pahalgam was a memorable one. There are
many beautiful places around Pahalgam, where one can
enjoy the nature’s beauty. We reached Pahalgam from
Srinagar in the morning and hired ponies to escort us to
the beautiful spots situated at higher altitudes. Each horse
is accompanied by a local guide. The local guide walks
along to assist the travellers.
On our way back, looking at the scenery around
us, the words of Khusro echoing i