gulmarg

Yesterday i went to one of the few ski resorts in india
after a long week of getting here and walking I decided to do it all
in style. Ohhh yeah baby, seen as visa are sponsoring this trip
i hired a 4 by 4 chevvy and driver with 8 seats and just me.
A bit price for the day but we were doing a few miles.

The driver was a laid back chap and he drove reasonably sedately.
we missed a 4 yr old boy by 2 inches going through a village.
(we also hit a small bird on the way back.) I looked at him and said
'well done, you saved him!'
he replied,'so much traffic going so fast!'
i retorted,'dont be crazy lets be lazy!'
he laughed till he nearly pooed and we blasted off up the
hill to tangmarg the small village before the mountains.

IF anyone has been fortunate to have visited Aspen in Colorado then
you have an idea of this place. Gulmarg is reasonably high in the hills here
and is approached by the usual himalaya hairpins. The signs on the
corners read 'no swerve on my curve!' and other such marvellous phrases that
only the indians can invent.

The place itself contains the worlds highest golf course that to
be honest looked like a field full of young boys cutting the grass by hand,
with the occasional stick at one end.
But what a view in the background. The vastness is humbling up here.

I paid my 200rps and went on what can only be described as a european looking
gondola up the steep slopes to the half way point to the summit.
amasing views again as i passed over a few fileds of ganja and a strange clan of folk
who live in small huts covered by grass. Then on arrival I walked over to some small tea huts where
the indian couples who had come there to honeymoon sat arm in arm enjoying the view.

'Hashish sir!'
'Something to smoke sir?'
'have a look at our tea?'

From a small hut a wonderful looking kasmiri mountain man appeared with
the biggest smile.I followed him in met his crew of trusty madheads and sat for an hour or
so discussin the season and the best time to come back for snowboarding. Of course once again
the old hashish raised its head and i smiled and told them im a clean guy.

looks like the jan feb is the best for powder and boarding.
who knows id like to come bcak for a few weeks to sample the untouched snow.
we chatted for a while then i walked off
over the hills and down back to the base.

to be continued....

namaste

bo

p.s. lets hope that the power stays on as i am goin over the mtns tom
and its not looking good in ladakh