Srinagar

Dear friends,

Finally this is the time to write. I am sitting on top of a bed in Leh, in a nice hostel, surrounded by goods friends, which give space …….

It was quite an adventure to find the night bus to Jammu. Three, four people directed me in different directions. I myself expected a big bus station like in Turkey……. but in the end I found a small office in a side street, surrounded by other offices and signs and posters, but I was right there. My first night bus with sleeping cabins. Fine. Sleep was more or less possible.

In my bones and in my system I carry the experiences from Afghanistan, parts of it needs still to be diguested. Also the flight to Delhi and a new country concioussness. Little light sightseeing with Prabat during the first day in the city, a guy from Sri Lanka, who applied for Visa to Estonia, for his studies…. and succeeded….. And a night of dancing. Uuuuuhhh. I have not done that for 1 1/2 year. And it was so good. Prabad had the idea and Ali from Irak, who never danced in a place, where also women are present. We all had one in common: we don’t drink Alcohol….. But even not drinking made a kind of hangover.

Anyway. Arriving in Jammu. The Taxi drivers where already waiting and it was so easy with the help of some night travellers to find a place in a cap. Little refreshing and the journey continued. Nearly 300 more km are waiting to Srinagar. Srinagar lays on an elevation of 1600m surrounded by mountains. To get there we have to get over some 2.800m pass along lots of winding roads. Yes I am in India. Lots of monkeys at the side of the road. The Taxi driver drives safe, but he is a fast driver and horns all the time. In one village I really had something to say, people where jumping to the side….. And the journey took much longer, then expected. All the winding roads….. And the indian women music voices are so shrill, pain in my tired system and ears…..  In the back of the car three young men. As we finally come through the second tunnel they express: this is Kashmir, this is ours. This is our land, we want it back, free Kashmir!!!! Innerly I break together. Oh, another tension area….. I can’t stand more of this conflict, tension areas any more.

I knew there was a conflict here, but I thought it was more between India and Parkistan. And about that I was very aware. But that the Kashmiries by themself want a ‚free Kashmir‘ – I kind of missed this. Last year after some conflict and 6 dead people on the Kashmir side, there was even a ban of going out for half a year. Even though I have been last year so much in the net, that part I completely missed.

I had to move into another cap because the three young men have another direction. Little while later we got followed by a motorcycle and it seems I am the object. Soon after one of the motorcyclists, Sayad, sits also in the Taxi. He starts his advertisement. He shows me a business card with a beautiful white coloured house boat on a blue lake. Its his house boat and the fee is starting with 500 Rupies /7€. Even though my money is running out soon I find the offer interesting. I am so done and tired. Because of regulation by the government my and any prepaid phone registered in India is not working in Kashmir. So I have no access to my couchsurfing account, can’t check if I have some answers on my requests. I am kind of willless and follow Sayad. He ‚buys‘ me from the Taxi driver (200 Rupies), as he confessed a little bit later, because the Taxi driver did not want me go, he had other planes of book me in a hotel, where he also benefits……

Arriving at the house boat – a complete different story. The boat was not on a clear blue lake, but at a sand brown river, the boat itself brown coloured and old. Sayad disappeared and left me with his father Abdul, who wants me to see the more expensiv room and liked me to book a full breakfast dinner arrangement, cooked by his lovely caretaking wife. Willless I booked the 500 Rupies room, a mat on the floor and it looked a bit like a used and old sheets and blankets. And a meal for the evening. They did not believe me, that I am nearly out of money. Anyway dinner was nice. But no promised WIFI – I had to find a internetplace to see if my couchsurfers colleges left a message. Anyway – the information on the couchsurfing platform came through with delay and took me three days to arrange something. In the meantime I was ‚fixed‘ on the boat and Abdul offered me on and on some sightseeing tours, for example on a boat through the channels, lakes and rivers of Srinagar, but I refused all, just no money left for it. In the boat I had some hard nights. Mosquitoes, a fan, what produced a cold, and one night some old energies, I did not really find out what, if souls or just old thinking and memory structures, but I was busy for hours, to clean that structures, who where in the room and below. Abdul always said he is not into money so much, but everything he talked about, was about money….. Finally he offered me a reduction, but when I left earlier, he insisted that we had an agreement for 4 more night, and I have to pay it all…..

It was good to leave the boat, on which I anyway could not find a rest……  Abdul and his wife and lots of people that really have it not easy. Because of the Kashmir conflict not so many tourist show up….. The city itself has so a big potential with all the water streets and so many old houses. But the whole city needs a renovation, they need to open restaurants and cafes at the rivers, channels, and lakes side …. and then it’s a jewel.

During my stay I visited a Hindu shrine on a top of a smaller mountain. 800 years old. From there I had a beautiful view over he whole city and the enormous water street system. A Venice in Kashmir. The city also moved a bridge some hundreds meter further to build a better road and kept the old bridge structure, constructed on top a wooden relaxing area, with shade places, banches and so on. I met some interesting people on the bridge, nice conversations. Some of the men I met there, said while going, I should continue my teachings next day……

Finally I moved over to my couchsurfing host. Imran and all the family had there first foreign guest ever in there house. The day before, there was the engagementparty of his sister, so there where soooo many guest in the house. 25 to 30 people overwhelmed me breathless with questions. Also all the women where in the room, what I don’t know from Afghanistan. And supercoloured dressed in Indian style. But there are all Moslems, the colours are used in there culture. After a while a needed a break and visited a Sikh temple. I witnessed more police and Indian army on the street. Independence day of Parkistan and India coming soon. At ‚home‘ again, I was asked, if I was hungry,  and I said I will eat later with them, when they are ready. Dinner is always late a 8 or 9pm+, but luckily not so late then in Iran. After another bombardment of question I had to get another break…. Imran, the only men responsible for all the organisation (his father is not able anymore and he is the only son) sent me to a empty room. A little nab. After they had dinner, he called me down to the living room again. I was so irritated, that they had eaten already….. and after some questions and insisting questions from my side, I was shocked to hear, that they don’t eat together with ’non-moslems‘. So shocked, that I gave my food back. Anyway I was not so hungry and second there were onion in the souce – and I have a onion allergy, third, everyone was restless to sleep and where waiting, that I finish my rice….. All the mats got on the floor, but the shock did not let me sleep for at least an hour. So this I had to communicate the next morning. I also told them the day before, that I am all religions. That means I am also a moslem, I even got once a official paper from a Mufti in Jerusalem (because I wanted also to walk to Mekka). So even on official paper I am a Christian,  a Buddhist and a Moslem. The family was ashamed to speak about the eating topic and I found out and they confessed, that this behaviour is only in there family. I was a bit released, because it means its not a general behaviour, even though I had to eat in some other family by myself – but I did not ask for the reasons – because of circumstances.

Imran was very courious to find out all about me. Also about what I carry around. So he got some spoons of iranian Henna the day before. I made almost 25 peace birds for the family. My Afghanian dress I gave to him too. The family of 30 people could not wait to get more presents, so all my kilo dates where given to them. Later, because more questions of presents where arising I distributed the rest of my food for the next day to them, apples and even a lemon, they took….. When it was time to go and to start walking, Imran did not want me let go and asked to stay 2 hours more, ok. Then he found out, looking through my pictures, that I had still 2 turquoise from Iran with me. If he could have them. I also gave them to him. Even though one of the nephews if him realised and mentioned to Imram, that he really takes everything from me……. But always when it came to the point, when he could profit from the fact, that I am a peace walker and I just wanted to give him some deeper ideas, then he did not have time anymore. So I left. All together it was a heart warming experience and gathering.