floating vege

before I start let me apologize for all the typos.
many of you know I am a sufferer of cfs and when I am out
all day doing mad stuff I get too tired to write with the usual
brilliance that adorns my books. yeahhh !

yesterday I couldnt get to the net as it decided to go off
for 24 hrs here in kashmir. So an update.

I woke at 4.30 to the sound of my
small boatman giving me the heebee jeebees and telling me
to get up for the ride to the floating market.

after the usual haggle and price dis agreement we decided on a price and
he showed me onto the small shikara boat that they have used here for a
a thousnad years. Yes folks this boat was probably the original boat repaired.
In the cold darkness they speedily propelled me to our destination the floating vege
market some 1 and a half km away.

so nice to see the lightening flicking off the mountains to the south lighting the
lake for a fraction so I could see all the mtns and lakeboats which
can normally only be seen as pealr's lit by small lamps in the darkness.

we quickly wove through the reads and the lotus leaves floating near some very
odd rather 'lord of the rings' hobit houses built on the mud banks near the market.
(eagles once again diving down all over the place for odd scraps near the homesteads
of families that must have been here for many many moons)

then in the coldness I saw the odd market that floats on the waters not far from dall lake.

this ancient market sits amongst a few reed beds not far from the centre of srinigar.
it consists of small men paddling odd boats laden with veges and all manner of quality produce.
as there aren't many travellers here I was one of the few singled out for the usual hawkers selling everything from mink hats to jewels and flower seeds.

pretty odd really as all I wanted to do was watch the majestic eagles sat not 20 Ft from me
looking on sedately waiting for the odd scrap

to be continued.....
namaste

bo