Then the next morning, we were all up and ready by 8 30. Yawn. The tour operator told us to be ready by 9 so that we can proceed to a really snow filled place called sonmarg. Finally, a rickety rackety bus arrives at 9 15. At one point of time, I thought the bus might fall off if I touch it. However, we managed to get a move on pretty soon.
A couple of hours (or was it? I dozed off during the ride.) later, I woke up to find the bus stopped in front of a hotel. We had lunch at this hotel. Post lunch, we had 3 hours to go up to sonmarg. I mean the 3 hours was meant for enjoying the place and returning back. Te only proper mode of transport to the snow was on a pony.
I pity a couple of those ponies really. There were 2 particular ponies, which carried my extra heavy cousin and one of my uncles. Finally, after a 45 minute, bumpy and bouncy ride on the ponies, we reached the icy place.
Honestly, it was great fun, being on the ice. Not that I've never been on the ice, I' ve been on the ice twice before this. Once at Rohtang pass near Shimla and the other occasion being at Nathula pass near Darjeeling. We had a nice time, sleighing (now I know how Santa Claus must feel), throwing ice on each other.
When we started on our way back down from the ice, again on the ponies, it started raining. Not being used to such weather, most of our hands started freezing up. noy, was I happy to get back to the bus, where it was certainly warmer than what it was outside.
Poof, tiring experience though. Imagine, we had less than 2 hours on the ice. Imagine the guys who conquered everest. Imagine- one man who tried to climb everest without using oxygen- George Mallory. I must admit, I missed Jeffrey Archer during this tour, now I longed to find out what happened to George Mallory and Co.
Another couple of hours later, we were back in the Chinar, enjoying a nice hot dinner prepared by Hussain bhai.
P.S: forgot to tell, evereywhere you go in Kashmir, you can hope to be following atleast 50 army vehicles and atleast another 50 vehicles trailing you.
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