The walk continues

Yeah. Finally the walk continues.

Still with all what I have to work through, in my system, from Afghanistan

Still not have been really there in India

After this exhausting journey from Dehli to Jammu to Srinagar

Restless nights on the house boat

And this overwheming couchsurfing visit at Imram’s

I want to leave this tension area of the city and get hopefully in the more calming atmosphere of the mountains.

In the city, 2 days before 70th independence day in Parkistan, 3 days before 70th independence day of India every 30 Meters 2 or 3 Indian armed soldiers. (500000 until 1 Million soldiers are based in Kashmir and Ladakh)

I am so happy to be on the way again. Just 500 km air line away from Kabul. After not getting a Visa for Parkistan, a good compromise to continue at the same level (degree of latitude) east.

Close to Dal Lake I find a ‚poster‘ scenery. 2 typical small river boats left on a river bank in a forest. The water overgrown with sea weed. A image of pure silence. (you can find fotos of instagram: schmockelthomasheinrich)

Reaching the entrance of the first valley next morning. Puhh ….. What a nice view….. And the climate is suddenly so changed. A brise of fresh air from the glacer water river. And there is such a nice simple outdoor restaurant. I enjoy the scenery and the location, looking forward of entering the mountains valleys – 436 km to Leh (for the beginning)

It is strange: Before you come in a real conversation with someone. They always want to hear, that it is so beautiful here. Calls of praise. It is really beautiful, but this behavior is exceptional. Towards the evening it’s starts to rain a bit and I immediately have a invitation. Some guys, working in a traditional souveniershop, selling fabrics, scarfs and carpets offer there sleeping space to share. Blankets and mats brought out to the floor. Ready is the rest area.

Arriving in in Kashmir, everyone who I told my story, that I knock in the evening at the doors to ask for a free place to stay, and even for food…. everyone said, that will not work here. I will nowhere find a free place to stay. I found it in every country (with exeptions in Afghanistan) and so it continues here. My budget is extremely small this time. I have around 20 € left. My account is empty. Afghanistan and the flight and arriving in India took all my last donations. I have some lented money from my sister with me, for emergencies, but I don’t want to use it. A peace walk on credit, no, I don’t like.

Life is not easy in Kashmir. There is for example the power situation. Second evening in a row there is no electricity, yesterday a bit. With that often no internet connection. So everyone sits in the dark. Even the shop has no generator. Aaqib explaines: ‚The Indians are stealing our electricity. We are the richest state in whole India. Now they have build a huge power station at the Indus. Have you seen that, he adds accusing. They take all our energy and they serve 95% of India with our energy, but they leave us nothing….. you see how they are with us….. they even leave us not a little bit for us self….‘ ‚We all want a free Kashmir and only Parkistan is helping us with that‘ he continues….. nobody is supporting us with a free Kashmir. The only country which supports us, is Parkistan – and United Nations also had an ear on it… But no other country is supporting us…. The Indians have one million soldiers here to give us no freedom, they want Kashmir….‘ he adds. I for myself have not seen the power station, and even all the power poles are not erected. And it seems that they will have only 3 or 4 power cables possible to install. So I mention to him, that this can’t be a true information. To serve a nation with 1.2 billion people needs to have so much more effort. For me it feels, that lots of the Kashmiries want to have a enemy image in India. And later the evening I get also invited to be honest with my opinion: I mention that I still think, to be with India is the best option for Kashmir. The acceptance of different religions in one country is in India so long experienced and also political I see being with India is a better option then with Parkistan or China. And I don’t see a freedom of Kashmir so much, how do they want to defend themthelf between this nations,  if something happens? And that’s all just a feeling, I continue…. (some days later I think: if Parkistan is supporting a free Kashmir, why don’t they have freed the from Parkistan controlled Kashmir not by yet. I have the feeling, the Muslim Parkistan is playing with there brothers on India Kashmir side – but it’s just a intuition)

Salim shows me around in two villages nearby. Both very beautiful. One of them is directly located at the ‚Sind‘ river. There he explains and shows me a home made carpet. The images are coming from Persian times. This specific carpet we see, will take maybe a year to complete, so little fine knots….. And we have to watch everything with torch light, no power. …

Next morning. A rainy day. I can stay. Aaqib tell me that he always liked to stay in Goa in the winter. A lots of years. Now the government don’t like to have the Muslims there anymore. He is not going anymore.

I repair my trouses. And at the afternoon, I feel, where is here my space? Outside its raining, but very little. My trouser I repaired on the stairs under a roof and inside, people are smoking. I deside to walk. I be honest in explaining my decision. Grateful for stay, invitation and food I step on the way again.