Leh! A Paradise Hidden Among Mountains.

Leh, the ultimate biker destination, an age old pit- stop for trade routes in  the hills of Northern India has been the Mecca for bikers and adventurers. The city of Leh has now more bikes than people. A perfect destination that has grown very rapidly all thanks to adventure tourism. Leh has been on the wishlist for the past 6 years and finally the dream was fulfilled after much hiccups.

After I crossed over Kashmir Valley, Reshma joined me in Leh to continue the road trip. The first sight of Leh landscape from the window of a plane was splendid. The barren land with beautiful roads curving through mountains with glacier peaks and it was at that moment that it felt like the trip was totally worth it. The Land of Leh has never failed to disappoint. The natural beauty around and the Himalayas is an altogether a different experience. No wonder Himalayas is considered synonymous to meditation, nirvana, salvation. We were relaxed, our worries slowly faded away and all that remained was calmness and a smile on our face that refused to leave.

After reaching Leh, we decided to relax for a couple of days to get acclimatized and not exert ourselves.

We started our Leh sightseeing with Hall of Fame. A war museum constructed and maintained by the Indian Army dedicated to real life heroes who scarified their lives guarding the Nation. It has an amazing collection of weaponry and also on display are Pakistani weapons that were captured during war. There are several exhibits on display that are in use by men and women of the Armed forces. A section dedicated to the hardships that the Army men went through at the time of Kargil war and how they succeeded plus the emotional letters to their family members on display moved us to tears. A deep sense of respect, gratitude and pride filled our hearts. Right behind the museum is the War memorial dedicated to those who laid down their lives for Ladakh in 1947.

Though there are many Shanti Stupas across the World, the one at Leh was the most enchanting one that we visited. It was a surreal experience to walk around the stupa and appreciate the paintings and carvings. If you like to meditate the meditation hall with the massive Buddha sculpture is just the perfect place. From the stupa a very interesting site caught our attention. There were several smaller stupas built on barren land. We were very curious to know it's significance and a kind local told us that earlier at this place Capital Punishment was carried out. To ask for forgiveness for the sin committed, stupas were built with each stupa signifying one execution.

We spent hours looking at majestic Leh town and views of Tsemo Gompa and Leh Palace on the opposite hillock. With stunning vies of snowy peaks, we truly found Shanti at Shanti Stupa! With the cold evening wind settling in, we watched the sun setting behind the brown muddy mountains enjoying a bowl of hot maggi and Tibetan herbal tea at Shanti Stupa Cafe. Post sunset, the city was beautifully lit up and so was the Stupa and we could clearly see the runway of Leh airport from the Stupa. There were barely anyone at the stupa and we soaked in the beauty of this Japanese monument seeing it change colors. From our experience, we found it very safe to be at the stupa post sunset.

If you love to trek you can skip the road and opt to climb steep steps on a beautiful mountain to reach the stupa. The tiring hike to the gorgeous Shanti stupa is quite a daunting task. A good test of one's stamina given the high altitude and dwindling oxygen level but the experience and views of Leh are totally rewarding and nice. The steep hike could be quite easily done with a few breaks enjoying the stunning views of snowy peaks, Tsemo gompa, Leh palace and beautiful green Leh city. After the hike it would be a good experience to spend at-least few minutes in the meditation hall. In the evenings the monks recite prayers and play traditional music instruments creating a calm and soothing atmosphere to meditate and clear your thoughts. It is such an amazing feel even if you are not into meditation. Evenings are best time to hike up as the weather is kinder and you could watch another magical sunset. There are several adjoining hillocks that are easy to moderate treks and offer stunning views of Shanti Stupa.

Though Leh has become very popular there are still a few amazing and stunning attractions that are well within the city and see fewer to absolutely no tourists. One such magnificent place, very close to Shanti Stupa, is "Tisseru Gompa," one of the oldest and biggest in Ladakh. The Stupa is believed to be 600 years old and the name Tisseru is derived from two words Teu and gseru meaning yellow mule in Ladakhi. According to the traditional legend a big yellow mule shaped rock existed in the present location and was haunted by evil spirit bringing harm to the inhabitants of the town. The king was advised to trap the evil force by building a stupa on the site. The existence of a rock beneath the Stupa has been corroborated during scientific study carried out by Archaeological Survey Of India (ASI). This mud and stone structure is one of the most stunning monuments in Leh with the architecture a blend of Indian Stupa and Tibetan shrine. Yet we were the sole visitors to this monumental site with neither an entry fee nor a gate keeper to protect the monument.

A beautiful road from here took us to Tsemo Gompa- A castle like temple built atop one of the highest hills. This amazing Gompa again had very few visitors. Built by King Dakspa Bumdhe in 14th century, the Namgyal Tsemo Gompa got its name after Namgyal meaning victory which was attained by the kingdom after defeating Hor forces in war and Tsemo meaning at the top as the temple is situated at a mountain top.

The stunning views of Leh city and Shanti Stupa plus the snowy ranges seem unreal. Plus the centuries old monument was such a charmer and the massive statue of Mayetra Buddha towering three storeys in height was such a show stopper. The paintings in the monasteries are simply breathtaking and an age old ladder in very questionable condition is what took us three storeys above to the very top of the castle. It was an amazing experience to be right on top with incredible views of Nature and the beautiful Leh town.

Before roads were introduced all monasteries, palaces and stupas were accessible only by trek and even today it is so nice to see all these trek paths alive and kicking. There is a trek path from Tisseru Chorten to Tsemo Gompa and from there to Leh Palace.

We took the road to this centuries old Palace. Leh Palace is a legacy of Ladakhis' war with Kashmiri rulers in the 19th century. Stones, mud bricks and Poplar wood was used in the construction of the Palace. The insides of the Palace is more like a maze, the massive 9 storey palace again offers stunning views and is a perfect place to watch sunset. Shanti Stupa, Chorten, Tsemo Gompa and Leh palace all are very close to one another and can be clubbed for one fine evening.

Zorawar Fort Museum an age old fort dedicated in memory of an able warrior Zorawar Singh. Not much of the fort remains today but for a very well kept museum that provides tons of historic information about J & K, Ladakh, the people and prominent personalities that shaped this part of India. There are very valuable and amazing artifacts in the museum. The fort is under the Indian Army jurisdiction.

An interesting stop on Leh - Kargil highway is the Pathar Sahib Gurudwara. It is believed that a massive rock was rolled down by a demon to kill Guru Nanak while he was meditating but on impact the rock softened like warm wax and did not harm the meditating Guru. It is believed that the hollow block on the rock is the back of Guru Nanak. It is a highly revered place of worship. A lot of truck drivers stop by to pay their respect and pray for a safe journey in these unforgiving mountains. Like always no Gurudwara lets you walk out with out feeding you and Pathar Sahib treated us with biscuits, boondi and chai. En route is magnetic hill.

Food is such an integral part of travel there are plenty of restaurants in Leh and we stumbled upon one of the finest in terms of ambiance, value for money, and most importantly lip smacking food. "Wonderland Restaurant and Coffee House" on Changspa Road. For the very first time, we tried tibetian veg thali that has Alu Phing Tse (mixed veg noodle,) fried spinach, a bowl of rice, amazing salad and one Tingmo (steamed dough.) The Tibetan thali tasted amazing. The mixed veg curry and spinach complimented rice very well and was a very wholesome meal. The spicy green salad gave an additional kick. It was quiet a refreshing experience to try local cuisine. We had also ordered for mushroom cheese baked potato, it was exceptionally well done. The local cheese was one of the very best that we had tasted. Potato baked at perfect temperature and stuffed with good amount of mushroom and cheese garnished with local herbs melted in our mouth and was served with fresh and great quantity of salad. All neatly wrapped in aluminum foil made sure the food remained hot for longer time. Peach ice tea and fresh apricot juice that perfectly completed a hearty meal. We were already waiting to get back to this place for dinner.

The Indian cuisine served here is pretty good. A very good meal for two costs around Rs.450. Time goes by very slow in Leh, neither the businesses nor the customers are in a rush. So contrary to the fast paced world back home. In several instances we saw travelers just sit by a cafe, sip flavored tea and be engrossed in a book. During one of our dinners, a group of young Israeli backpackers played soothing music and it was one of the best dinners we had in a long time. Not once did the people working in the restaurant or the owner gave dirty looks or ployed subtle ways to ask any of us to leave. Folks were engrossed in deep conversations and sat in restaurants for long time even after settling the bill. Most of the cafes and restaurants have books and board games to entertain their guests. It was such an awesome and beautiful feeling to have experienced this. Wonderland restaurant serves amazing and sinful pastries. Their mint tea is just out of the world.

Among the many eat outs a jewel in Leh main market is 'Ramposh Shake Corner.' This shop serves amazing mango shake topped with one of the best softies.

There is a café right next to the Hall Of Fame museum- "Aroma Café" that serves amazing quick bites and thirst quenchers. Iced lemon tea and cold chocolate shake are a must try and we loved their veg cheese pizza. The cafe also has books and board games to keep patrons engaged. It would be a great idea to sit out as right besides the Cafe is the Army's Airfield and we got to see several choppers and massive Indian Air force planes take off. The cafe is very reasonably priced, a heavy lunch for the two of us costed us Rs.290.

During our stay in Leh we checked into Hotel Omasila on Changspa Road. An amazing hotel, best part is that we had killer views of Shanti Stupa and the surrounding hills from our room. The room was loaded with all modern amenities and luxuries, super soft mattress and pillows with cozy quilts that would instantly put you to sleep. There service standard is par excellence. The complimentary breakfast was yummy. They have safe parking facility and the main Leh market is at walk-able distance. The sit out at the hotel was perfect, you can just sit there for hours close your eyes and soak in the beauty around. If this was not enough at night the view of the beautifully lit Shanti Stupa with millions of stars lit in the sky and the cold wind whistling in your ears makes the night even more romantic. It was just perfect in all ways.

During our second stint in Leh, we ditched the comforts of a hotel and rather opted for a calm and quiet authentic Ladakhi home stay experience on the Shanti Stupa road- "Thang Thong home stay." We were introduced to this kind and amazing Ladakhi family of 4 running the home stay through awesome friends we made while travelling, a volunteering couple, travelling to Leh for three months teaching children. Their recommendation of this home stay added more charm to our already pleasant experience in Leh. This hidden treasure does not advertise their home-stay much, a fact we found amusing. At Rs.600 per night they let out amazing, comfortable and clean rooms with attached bath and solar powered running hot water.

Like many Ladakhi families, they have an amazing organic farm that gives them almost all the vegetables they need. The host is an amazing cook and we digged into lip smacking chicken curry with rice, dal and vegetables for dinner. We ended our wholesome dinner with piping hot mint tea in their traditional poplar supported dining room. This home stay is right next to Shanti guest house. They offer safe parking facility and were kind enough to ask our preference and liking in food. Staying here, we felt pretty much at home. On the second day of our stay here, they served freshly made momos with garden fresh vegetables as stuffing and soup. Truly, nothing beats homemade food.

Witnessing The Worst Of Kashmir- A Bike Ride!

The situation in Kashmir valley continued to be grim due to killing of Hizbul terrorist Wani (July 2016). With one of us safely back home, I stayed over at Patnitop to gauge the situation and then decided to continue the ride to Ladakh. The valley was shut by terrorist sympathizers but this was the time when thousands of pilgrims head for Amarnath Yatra and government was trying their best to help those stranded in the valley. The Yatra was cancelled for a brief period and while I was in Patnitop I heard on the news that Amarnath Yatra was resumed. An Indian Army convoy escorts the yatris till Baltal, which is 20 km from Sonamarg. I saw a flicker of hope and was happy that I would be able to cross Kashmir valley and reach Ladakh along with the Army convoy that escorts the Yatris. The entire highway would be cordoned off and manned by Army to provide security cover to yatris. Little did I know that in the next 5 hours, I would be asking myself "Will I live another day?"

I left from Patnitop towards Anantnag from where the convoy would start. As anticipated, I was stopped after crossing Baniyar, just meters away from Jawahar Tunnel. I was asked by the security forces to wait till Night fall and cross after 10 pm along with hundreds of other Amarnath Yatris. 

Slowly and steadily vehicles started piling up gearing up to leave with the Yatris. After 2 hours of waiting, I was approached by a J&K Police personnel who told me that I did not have to wait for the convoy and could leave for Srinagar. Assuming all was good and the situation was getting better since it was a police personnel who mentioned it and I had no reason to doubt his statement, I followed his command and rode through Jawahar Tunnel, an engineering marvel. It was such an amazing feel to ride here and soon I had the first stunning views of Kashmir Valley (Titanic View Point.)

The entire 60 km stretch was deserted. I crossed Quazikund, an area that had witnessed violence a few days earlier but was now peaceful and calm. I felt relieved and my anxiety slowly died down. I happily rode further towards Anantnag, the most troubled area at that time as terrorist Wani was from here and was also taken down here. I was stopped by the Indian Army, the Army personnel were in riot gear ready to face any adversaries or challenges and they asked me routine questions. They wished me good luck and asked me to proceed and I felt pretty safe and confident. It seemed like slowly the mobs were losing interest and the situation would soon return to normalcy.

It was the exact opposite though. Riding further and in just 4 km, I saw a mob of about 50 guys some hundred meters away. I panicked and stopped the bike wondering what to do, some locals who were standing there told me to head back to 'Kanabhal Chowk' near degree college in Anantnag as it was one of the safest areas with DC office and Army camp."Bhago Bhago" the locals yelled at me, Frightened, I took a U- turn and rode back to Kanabhal. It was a welcoming and calming sight at Kanabhal to see a few shops with shutters half down and civilians around. I took shelter at a closed shop and saw plenty of Army men in full riot gear, armed with assault rifles and armored vehicles around. Soon a few locals initiated conversations and asked where I was headed. They advised me to stay put until the convoy along with the Yartis reach and ride with them at around 11 pm. They also advised me not to stay in Srinagar but to continue further for my own safety.

The locals were keen to share their views. Initially during the conversation I was little scared and diplomatic but after a few hours I got comfortable and shot straight forward questions. The locals were very clear and most wanted "Azadi." They wanted Kashmir to be an independent nation.We spoke a lot about politics and how both local governments had failed the Aam Janta. Couple of hours passed and since they were pretty cordial I opened up and asked what would they do if declared Independent? A few of them wanted Islamic law "Sharia" imposed, after which I asked them what other plans apart from that, economy wise what would they do? What would they do if Pakistan occupies Kashmir like they did with Baluchistan? They said how will locals allow that! As far as I remember Baluchistan residents are still fighting for Independence from rogue state Pakistan. Kashmir was not forcefully occupied by India during partition. The Instrument of Accession was signed by the then Kashmir Maharaja in return for military aid and assistance while Baluchistan was forcefully occupied by Pakistan in 1948. So "NO" Kashmir and Baluchistan situation is not the same.

Soon we moved on and locals said Kashmir is Muslim majority and Hindus have taken a lot of seats in Kashmir University. While this man's son studied in Anna University in Chennai. I was genuinely hurt by his double standards and hypocrisy. Then I asked about the Pundits who were chased away from the valley. There was no answer for a few seconds, then the usual India Government chased them away BS came out. One even went on to say "That they were not natives but migrated to the valley and hence do not belong here." At this juncture, one old man said "India intervened in 1971 and helped create Bangladesh, something Indira should not have done." That's when I asked what about rape camps set up by Pakistani army and other atrocities carried out by them? There was no answer.

There were of course very kind locals as well who felt bad that we (outsiders and travelers) were affected unnecessarily. They also said a lot of atrocities were being carried out by the Indian Armed forces. Though a strong supporter and admirer of the Armed Forces. I was not going to blatantly support the Army. If what they say is true, it is very unfortunate and the people responsible should be punished. The same concerns were echoed by the people of North East India too. So I do believe some issues are true and should be stopped. I hold the Indian Army with utmost regard and respect and hope such incidents never happen.

I agree that just by spending few hours with them I have not become an expert but for sure I edge over an armchair critic and in my opinion, if Kashmir is declared an independent nation, it would be a failed state.

After taking to locals for a couple of hours, one of them asked me to give him a ride to Srinagar and assured me that he would take care in case we were stopped by mobs. He said he would talk to the local guys there and take me to his place safely where I could rest for the night and leave for Sonamarg the following morning. I was hesitant but the locals around supported his suggestion and assured me that I would be safe as I was with a local. I decided to go with their suggestion, a decision that I was going to regret in a matter of minutes. It was a bad call and turned out to be one of my worst travel experiences.

En route the guy asked me not to worry and told me in case we were stopped and questioned, I should mention that my name is Younis and I was his cousin. I told him I was not comfortable and would not lie. As we left to Srinagar we were stopped by a mob of 30 odd guys in their teens armed with rods and sticks. The Kashmiri local asked me to not say a word and said he would manage them. As soon as we stopped, they immediately started yelling and asking questions in their local language as to who I was and what I was doing there. They turned off my bike's engine but I had the sense to quickly grab the key. I was asked to take my helmet off and as I did the first thing they asked me was "Tum Hindu Kya?" Are you Hindu? While I nodded in affirmative, my pillion cooked up a story that his sister in hospital needs blood and is in Srinagar and I have to be there.

Until then I had heard from locals that there is no discrimination based on religion in the valley, there is no Hindu Muslim here and they were all united. But sadly reality is bitter and unforgiving. They asked me what I did for a living and what my religion was. I told them I am a travel writer and a Hindu while the Kashmiri local and my pillion told them in his local language that I was an engineer and a Muslim. They understood my pillion was lying to them. They asked me to drop him there and proceed and were kind enough to me as I did not lie to them. I told them in clear terms "NO" I will not leave without my pillion and then they asked me how much money I had taken from him to drop him to Srinagar. I told them I had not taken a penny and I did not have any reason to take money. Somehow we managed to proceed further and I thought that would be the end of all troubles. I was so wrong as in a couple of minutes our luck ran out.

There was another mob and the guys were truly awful and ruthless. They stopped an ambulance to check if there was a patient inside. It was disgusting and sick to see the extent to which they were going. One of them was very violent and agitated and asked me to take off my helmet. On seeing that I was sporting a stud which is solely for style he moved ahead to strike me on my face as it is a custom for some Hindus to pierce their ears and they sport it for purely religious reasons. Luckily for me, he was stopped by the rest of the mob. This conclusion was so ridiculous as I even wear a Kada so I should be a Sikh too? by birth I am Hindu but an atheist by choice. I just could not understand why was Religion suddenly so much of a concern and how did it matter what was my belief or faith but who is going to put sense in their heads.

Meanwhile another local car's windshield and windows were smashed, a scene I had only watched in movies was unfolding in front of my eyes in reality. Everyone was yelling, while some asked me to show my 'I card,' the agitated guy threatened to burn my bike if I did not leave while some others randomly opened my bags and were searching the contents. I was sane enough to hide all the cash that I was carrying in a way that sometimes even I had difficulty in digging it out from my bag. Once they could not find any money in my bags they asked my pillion to get down there and I was forced to leave without him, he apologized to me and I headed back to "Kanabhal Chowk," my safe haven.

On my way back I saw a CRPF convoy marching and like an idiot I overtook them and was taken aback! They were the target of stone pelters and I was right in front of them in the line of stone throwing mob. I never expected young guys with masked faces to attack security personnel with stones. The Same forces that have saved them during floods and other calamities.

I covered, ducked and scrambled ahead and luckily no stone hit me. I was really worried that a gun or pellet shot would hit me. I did not want to die in that manner, a little ahead of me I spotted a shed with a mini truck parked there and a hundred meters ahead was the last but furious mob. I did not want to ride further so I parked my bike behind the mini truck and my heart was racing. The only thing I could think of was my family and friends, I was cursing myself and was desperate to go back home. At that moment the kind young truck driver asked me to come and sit in his truck as CRPF were approaching and they could mistake us for stone throwers and beat the shit out of us. I sat inside the truck and witnessed unruly mob throw stones at the Army. The sound of stones hitting the Army vehicle echoed around with the mob cheering and hooting. Army personnel got out of the vehicle in pursuit of the hooligans and they scrambled and ran into their burrows like rats. I have no shame in name calling them as they did not have the balls to face battons and lathis of the Army. The minute they were confronted they ran into sewer like rats and that is where they belong.

A few minutes after the CRPF passed thru it was safe and the truck driver decided to leave and so did I and reached Kanahal. Never had I been so happy waiting for several hours on the road doing nothing and waiting for Army to bail me out. While waiting there for several hours I made a few friends who opened up about the situation. One J&K traffic police said "Though my shift ends at 8 pm, I do not go back home until 1 am for the fear of being targeted." Other J&K police officers admitted that they do not call out their profession loud as they would end up being prime targets.

"Setting one's own home on fire to kill roaches" is something that I have heard as a proverb but I got to witness that firsthand in Kashmir. Killing of a terrorist had resulted in a total shutdown and it had extended beyond two weeks. Life has come to a standstill for locals and peak tourist season was a total disaster with tourists heading to other calm and peaceful destinations. For the very first time in my life, I experienced rioting mobs and hooligans on the streets.

And Yes it was dumb and stupid of me to go to a disturbed area, even more stupid to ride despite knowing mobs were there. But my question to you is, 'Are you not the champions of free speech, Kannahya Kumar is a hero, Beef is your favorite food? It is a free country and terrorist supporters are cheered on and you ask me why did I go there? No I did not willingly go face mobs thinking it would be cool. I was following directions given by people in charge and then relying on locals but what happened was unfortunate and it is very much possible that the locals were under a different impression or it could even be possible that things changed in a matter of minutes.

Shouldn't you say bravo you go on man! Let the Armed forces take on these guys. But no you would say Army is killing civilians! Hypocrites. Civilians do not throw stones at Army, Block a National Highway, Burn down schools, homes and businesses. DO not question what religion I belong to. So grow some balls and "call a spade a spade!" And by no means I'am stereotyping Kashmiris, I was spoken to so nicely, they were willing to let me stay with them, asked me if I was fine and comforted me. While on the other side I was harassed too. So when you ask the Army not to shoot or arrest or use pellet guns do also ask locals to not throw stones. I am a witness on how professional and calm the CRPF were while being under attack. They only tried to arrest stone throwers. So the next time on Eid the CM of J&K decides to pardon Stone throwers, she better have a constructive plan other than vote bank politics.

Sonamarg Such A Welcome Site

As the sun set and darkness took over and the mosques had the final call of prayers, Army went ahead to remove obstacles on the road as trees were felled on the streets and large stones were on the road. It was all removed and we left at 11 pm. Chewing gum was my best friend all through the journey. I reached Srinagar at 12:30 am and stopped at Boulevard road near Dal lake where I was offered a house boat as it was too late to ride alone to Sonamarg. But by then I had had enough of Kashmiri hospitality both good and bad. I declined and fighting bitter cold rode to Sonamarg and reached by 2:30 am. It was such a nice feeling to know I was from harms way and slept. Leaving to Kargil in the morning I felt like a bird out of a cage.

Patnitop- J&K's Other Summer Retreat

Patnitop is the most sought after tourist destination from Jammu. Temperature soars during summer in Jammu while Patnitop remains cold and pleasant. This beautiful hill station only 112 km away from Jammu, is a perfect destination to unwind. The sheer number of resorts and massive hotels stands testimony to how popular this destination is.

The roads from Jammu to Patnitop are pretty good as this is the same route to Srinagar- NH1 Highway. Close to 40 km of the stretch is a four way lane with work going on and in a few years the entire stretch could be a four way lane. The picturesque landscape, pine trees, beautiful roads and the river Chenab flowing next to the road makes the entire ride blissful.

Close to 8 km before Patnitop is Kud, a popular picnic spot. It is known for its beautiful flowers and locals throng this place during weekends. The most popular attraction in Kud are sweet shops as it is famous for the sweet "Patisa." It is supposed to be had hot and just melts in your mouth. This place is also famous for their ice cold fresh water springs that are said to have medicinal properties.

Patnitop offers a lot to the traveller - meadows, pine forests, snow clad mountain peaks, nature walks, and a host of adventure activities like trekking, camping, paragliding and also skiing during winter months. It also has a golf course.

The main highlight of Patnitop is Padora Chowk. The meadows surrounded by pine trees and cattle grazing is a captivating sight. Horse rides can be availed from here to various view points. Of course, one can enjoy the natural beauty by choosing to trek the path to the view points.

Avoiding the horse rides, I headed 8 km away from the meadows towards the village and it was peaceful, quiet and soothing. En route I saw a small home bang in the middle of forested area. This one home solely stood out amidst thick green vegetation. Moments like this make me realize and accept that the so called houses back in metros are way too hyped. The high rises with so called views that come with a hefty floor wise premium can never offer unending views such as this. It is a pathetic attempt to justify our empty lives. The home owners living in the valley in the middle of nowhere may certainly not be rich and comfortable as per our society standards but they certainly have so much that we city folks with corner cubicles and infinity pools can never have.

In and around Patnitop, there are various places that offer Paragliding and one such place is Dawariyai- takeoff point for Paraglding and the landing happens in Kud. During winter, skiing is another activity that can be indulged in. Since the slopes are not too steep they are perfect for beginners to try their hand at skiing.

The best part about Patnitop is the amazingly less populated trek paths. One can walk for hours amidst massive trees with birds chirping around and excellent views. I bumped into an amazing "Northern Railway Cottage" in the corner of circular road. The cottages are mind blowing and look so magical and out of the world. JKTDC has put up amazing huts in Padora Chowk. It would be amazing to stay in one of these provided you can put up with a lot of tourist crowd. For booking contact 8803575198/8803874406.

Railway Cottage

There are few popular temples in Patnitop, needless to say highly commercialized. One of them even prohibits women from entering the main sanctum. While on one hand there are temples dedicated to Goddess, on the other hand there are such temples that prohibit women from entering. Biggest hypocrisy in the name of religion.

Midway on the Jammu- Srinagar highway after Patnitop is the Baglihar dam.The sheer volume with which the water gushes out when the gates are open takes your breath away. A spectacular sight indeed right off the highway.

I checked into Hotel "Jai Shree" on Padora Enclave, a decent property but with laid back service standards. During the day, there was not a single soul to take orders at the restaurant. Rooms are stuffy but clean and have basic amenities. They provide WiFi and the hotel is very conveniently located.

With the situation in Kashmir unclear and fresh reports of violence, I rode into the troubled valley, destination Sonmarg via Srinagar.

Kashmir Valley- Tourism Vs Terrorism!

Kashmir Valley is a dream destination, epitome of romance and we had planned our trip to Ladakh via Kashmir so that we could visit not just the much hyped destinations but explore the lesser known trails in North and South Kashmir, trek around the valley, live in home stays in remote villages and interact with the locals. Very much aware of the fact that Jammu & Kashmir is a volatile state and is troubled often, we were not worried accepting that unrest, curfews and shutdown are a norm in the state and were prepared for it. We knew that we would not be harmed as we were mere tourists. Unfortunately we were not ready for what happened while we had planned to visit the state. We were prepared to deal with unrest for a few days as is a common phenomena but we were proved so wrong. We were not prepared for mob attacks, stone pelting and indefinite curfew.

As we were planning to ride into this state, a commander of Hizbul Mujahideen (a Kashmir based militant outfit), "Burhan Muzaffar Wani" was shot and killed by the Indian Armed forces. He was one of the most wanted militants in J&K, poster boy of militants embracing militancy at the age of 15 and very few to not wear a mask revealing his identity and had a bounty of 10 lakhs. Hailing from a wealthy family with his father a headmaster in a local school and his mother a postgraduate in science, money did not look like a reason for choosing terrorism as a career path. In fact before getting into militancy it seems he was a budding cricketer. For all you know he could have had a bright future as a sportsman. His family attributes his path to militancy based on an incident where Army personnel confronted his brother.  He is believed to have recruited at least 100 youth to join the militant outfit and was known for using social media to coax them.

Youth are the future of our Nation. If they choose to join militancy then how will the state progress. The state already is dealing with a lot of issues and militancy is no solution. Violence and killing can never be the solution. While youngsters at this age should be thinking about building a startup or finding a good career or soul searching or backpacking, here they are choosing to join militancy and terrorism. Ultimately, you cannot blame the situation or the environment as one always has a choice. It is this choice that shapes your future. So, choose wisely.

The most surprising and shocking part was that people in the valley protested against the killing of a terrorist and as a result the Jammu - Srinagar highway was shut. Amarnath yatra was cancelled briefly and several people were put through real tough time all because professional Indian Army did it's job in taking down a terrorist. We wanted to spend over 25 days in the valley exploring the offbeat trails and  here we were wondering if we would be able to head into the valley in the next couple of days or not. Wani was from Anantnag - South Kashmir and was also taken down there, the place where we were planning to spend at least 2 weeks. Never have we felt so threatened to visit a part of India but unfortunately that was our experience when we had to visit the much hyped valley J&K. Fearing for our safety due to mobs stoning, vandalizing and destabilizing the region we considered entirely skipping this part and just cross over to Ladakh..

An entire week after taking down a terrorist normalcy was not restored in Kashmir, thanks to terrorist sympathizers. By then, there were close to 40 people dead in the aftermath. Who were these 40 people? Why did they give away their lives? What about their families and friends? Is anything worth sacrificing their lives? Not allowing businesses to open and protesting on the streets, pelting stones at Army convoy will not help as in the end it is the people of Kashmir who are at a loss. The valley that is in its peak tourist season (June to August) had a deserted look with locals too locked indoors. So why create chaos, disrupt normal life and screw up your own livelihood? It was not like an innocent victim was killed, it was after all a terrorist who was encouraging youth to pick up arms, fight and be responsible for killing Army men and maybe more innocent victims.

Do these people even realize that the so called Kashmir separatists children or close relatives have never lost their lives for Kashmiyat. They seem to enjoy all the benefits, living luxurious lives with promising careers and ensuring that they stay in the limelight by giving brilliant speeches and addressing gatherings while people of the valley are killed, grievously injured and emotionally scarred. Not to forget several Soldiers and J&K police personnel Martyred. Everyone has had their own share of tragedies but this has now become a vicious cycle with only vengeance and terrorism benefiting and the people of the state and Army at loss. Even when the separatists are arrested it has been within the confines of their luxury homes. When will people realize that they are just pawns in someone else political game and are simply expendable?

After several days (July 8- 18) of patiently waiting out and hoping that the situation in Kashmir would ease out and naively expecting that normalcy would be restored in the valley, our hopes were shattered. The continuous support that a terrorist received from the people of Kashmir was depressing to say the least. It was one of our worst travel experiences and their solidarity and sympathizing for a terrorist totally broke our trip.

Since we were just the two of us and not in a group, safety was also another concern. With monsoon kicking in Himachal, it did not seem like a good idea to ride all the way to Manali and reach Ladakh.
We were speculating if we should just end our trip and head back home as moving further was a big question mark. Our hearts were not convinced as we had waited too long for this trip and it did not make sense to abandon it after close to 20 days. We were so near yet it looked so far... With Amarnath Yatra resuming, our hopes increased and we decided that one of us would fly back home and wait while the other would wait it out in Patnitop, gauge the situation and then take a call. If the Army does not give clearance he would come back to Jammu and send the bike home.

Like u,s there would have been several other travellers who would have planned their dream vacation, made all the hotel and flight or train reservations with hopes of enjoying these few days to de-stress from their hectic work schedule. They would have to cancel everything and financial or emotional burden is under any case unjustifiable. The bottom line is not just people going on happy vacations or merry making, a sense of living under constant threat and worrying to fend oneself from stone throwing mobs is not really anyone's dream vacation. Just imagine the plight of several people who rely on travel industry for their bread and butter being affected because an enemy of the state was taken down, above all, the poor local residents, businesses that suffer massive loss.

We have heard of people travelling to Kashmir and despite the unrest they had no problems and had a very enjoyable and pleasant vacation with no problems whatsoever. I guess we were just unlucky but this is the second time a trip to Kashmir went for a toss due to curfew so considering what we went through and what happened would we want to go back to Kashmir another time, we guess no we would not.

While the valley might be naturally beautiful, not all people from here seem to be so. There are other peaceful options like Himachal and Uttarakhand, we wondered why we or others would plan a trip to this volatile place. Ladakh and Jammu regions of the same state are very peaceful and trouble free. In our opinion, Kashmir should be totally avoided at all costs unless rioting, burning police stations, schools and stone throwing mobs are your kind of adventure. So much for paradise on Earth.

A curfew that lasted for a period of 53 days with more than 85 people dead, 13000 civilians and 4000 army personnel injured- this is the price that the state paid for taking down a terrorist. This was such a horrifying experience. Ultimately whoever is in power, whatever be the situation it is and always be that the common man gets jacked. We only wish that the situation just gets better - a distant dream but hope is what we will stick on.

Jammu- City of Temples!

Situated on the banks of river Tawi, with the Pir Panjal range in the background, Jammu is the perfect gateway to the mesmerizing snow capped mountains from Punjab. It is the winter capital of the State Jammu & Kashmir.

Though the Kashmir situation was still tense (June 2016,) the highway to Jammu seemed very peaceful. After reaching Jammu, we were shocked and pleasantly surprised to see life here in Jammu was very peaceful and calm. The city was functioning like any other city with all businesses open and running and we even got our bike serviced. We could see people enjoy their day to day life, shopping in malls, movies being screened in theaters and not once did it feel like there was unrest in the state. It was very hard for us to believe that less than 300 km away there was total chaos. To understand how the situation in the valley was we spoke to locals and truck drivers and they all had just one phrase "Uppar Mamla Kharab Hai, Mat Jao"/ "Things are bad up there, don't go." The only thing Jammu had in common with Kashmir valley was that mobile and internet services were suspended.

With Jammu and Kashmir being a volatile state, we expected a lot of military presence but much to our surprise Jammu had very less security presence. In fact, we have seen more Army men patrolling the streets of North East India.

Happy and glad that Jammu was calm and peaceful, we started our Jammu darshan with Peer Kho Temple or Peer Gufa. This age old Shiva Temple with a series of caves is considered to be one of the most sacred Hindu pilgrim site, justifying the tag- "Jammu- city of temples."  It is widely believed that the cave has a naturally formed Shiva Lingam and this temple also finds a place in the epic Ramayana where Jamvant (the Bear God) meditated. It is said to have been built around 15th century by Raja Ajaib Dev for Peer (Saint) Siddha Ghareeb Nath and the caves are at a depth of around 20-30 feet.

En Route Peer Gufa

Bahu Fort Complex

Keeping religious beliefs aside, it is an interesting experience to walk through narrow passages occasionally stopping to admire rock cut carvings. There are a lot of commercial establishments around attracting touts who asked us to deposit our camera and mobiles. Please note that this is certainly not required. Though photography is prohibited, we were not stopped from carrying our DSLR and phones inside. It was good to see that they trust us to adhere to the rules rather than confiscating our belongings.

Our second stop was a very interesting heritage complex that comprised of ruins, museum, garden- Mubarak Mandi Palace. Constructed over a span of 150 years, it was the royal palace until 1925. In it's heydays, this was an Army Headquarters and a Durbar. The palace construction is a blend of Rajasthani, European and Mughal style architecture and the intricate carvings and details on the doors and windows speaks volumes of the effort taken to match up to the royalty that it deserves/the richness (grandeur) of the Dora rulers. We were told that any good news that comes from the valley to the kingdom was delivered here. There are 5 temples built around this complex and there are three entry gates. Two of them still stand tall while the third one did not last the test of times. The palace has been a victim of fire more than 36 times and twice the victim of earthquake, so most parts of the palace are now in ruins. Majority of the complex is in absolute shambles and ruins and is a very sorry sight. Outside most of these monuments, a pluck card reads "Building unsafe, do not come near." We took a very interesting heritage walk through the narrow by lanes. We would highly recommend you to do this. Major parts of the palace are now government offices and there are thickly populated residential colonies around the complex.

The best part about the complex is J&K Dogra Art Museum. It is a rich source of information and in our travel experience, one of the best kept museums in India. The museum is divided into four galleries. The extensive collection of silver and copper coinage from different eras is a treasure trove and this was the first museum where they had magnifying glasses to view the inscriptions.  The collection of weapons are just breathtaking, with several different types of guns on display- a few of them that stood out were antique seven and eight barrel guns. It would have been an absolute nightmare to aim and shoot with these guns. There was an exclusive section dedicated to swords and there was a 18th century beautifully carved silver walking stick with an inbuilt sword. The 4th century carving of Terracotta human heads was so lively. There were paali and takri stone inscriptions and a 17th century gold plated bow that belonged to Shah Jahan.

Among other amazing artifacts were 19th century murals from Resai fort, massive tea kettle, hookahs and centuries old sculptures. The naturally cooled marble hall was beautifully decked up with white stone, There are several precious stones in the inlay work of the marble hall. The museum also houses various Hindu Veda literature and Puranas. It was for the first time that we saw Skanda Purana on palm leaves, there were books in Devanagri script, Ramayana translated in Persian (17th century) and other old manuscripts. All of these were acquired from Jammu.  The museum took us back 1600 years. It has extensive collection of Dogra jewelry. The traditional Dogra dress and Pashmina shawls were in their best shape. This museum stands testimony to the rich culture and heritage of Jammu and was inaugurated by the first President of India- Dr. Rajendra Prasad. It is open from 10am - 4pm and remains closed on Mondays and National Holidays. Another surprising thing is this is one of the museums that lets you click pictures inside, of course, with a few terms and conditions for Rs.120. Entry ticket is priced at Rs.10 for Indians. En route to Mubarak Mandi is a view point that offers brilliant views of Golghar.

Amar Mahal Museum is a French style royal residence and was built in the 19th century for Dogra ruler- Raja Amar Singh by a french architect. A part of this palace is now converted to a luxury Heritage Hotel and another part is the Royal Residence, which is off limits for tourists. The museum with several portraits offers a peek into the royal family and also has Pahari paintings depicting scenes from the epic Mahabharata on display. They also have paintings on display by M F Hussain and Laxman Pai among other renowned painters. There is a golden throne weighing 120 kg on display that was once used by the royal family. The view of Jammu Tawi river from here is scintillating. The museum is open on all days except Mondays and National Holidays and is closed for lunch from 1pm-2pm.

En-route from Pathankot to Jammu falls an amazing dhaba,- Sanjha Chulla, their cold kheer and tulia kulfi are their signature dishes and are totally worth it. So is their namkeen lassi which is a thicker and creamier version of butter milk.

While in Jammu, Wazwan is a must try and Naz Hotel on Residency Road is one of the best places to try authentic Kashmiri food. This restaurant is believed to be the oldest in Jammu. We ordered one portion of rice, half portion Rista and Mutton kebab. Rista, a meatball dish in gravy was rich in flavor and aroma. and the mutton kebabs were soft and meled in our mouth. We relished the food and surely it was a delightful experience and this place is a little paradise for meat lovers. Their service quality was pretty good and the meal costed us Rs.390.

We got to taste the best of  "Rawalpindi" in Jammu at Rawalpindi Sweet Shop - a perfect breakfast joint in Trikota Nagar. This age old place is a landmark in itself. It started first in Rawalpindi, then part of India and post partition the family moved to India and set up their shop in Jammu. This humble hotel serves amazing Puri and Channa. The channa is just out of the world with perfect amount of spice and rich in flavor with puris that were fried in pure desi ghee and had a touch of masala and tasted sinful. This place is also famous for it's lassi. In fact, their glass of Lassi is so huge that it looked more like a jug. The pricing was pretty reasonable, a plate of Puri and a glass of Lassi costed us only Rs.100.

After hearing a lot about Pahlwan Di Hatti, we visited this place in Gandhi Nagar. To put it in a nicer way, this place was a total letdown. We tried their much hyped Pav Bhajji which was nothing more than ordinary. We tried their signature and recommended sweet "Nutties" but were disappointed, a normal candy would have tasted better. We tried their Pani Puri and the puris were not crisp. And finally, we tried their Shahi Kulfi which was very moderate. Our recommendation would be to totally skip this place.

During our stay in Jammu, "Gupta Resorts" which is more of a luxury hotel was our home. Again, thanks to OYO Rooms we got a steal deal of Rs.1700 per day. Being very strict budget travelers, this hotel offered us over the top luxury and comforts. We decided to pamper ourselves in the lap of luxury after 1000 km and 16 days. Their rooms offered super soft mattress and pillows, cozy quilts, spacious bathroom with a comfortable shower cubicle.  The hotel is owned and run by very friendly and humble folks who gave us a barrage of insider information of where to eat or savor our pallets and a lot of places of interest in and around Jammu that are worth exploring.

Their restaurant Curry Vault serves amazing and top class food. We had ordered Kheema naan and paneer kulcha that tasted heavenly with mushroom masala. The kulcha and naan were uber soft and the super flavored, aromatic Kheema and paneer stuffing just melted in our mouth. The mushroom masala was mild, had a blast of flavors and the quantity was very generous. All of this costed us Rs. 370. The owners take special care when it comes to their restaurant and their service quality was top notch. The restaurant's class shows how passionate the owners are about their food.

After having a wonderful stay at Gupta Resorts, we encountered an unpleasant experience. During breakfast, the flask in which tea was served was infested by several worms. We were taken aback by this incident and immediately brought it to the Management's notice. They accepted, apologized and replaced the tea immediately but by then we had lost our appetite. They took care to ensure that this incident never gets repeated and the owner himself was there to apologize and made sure we were comfortable with our stay. Their approach towards customer satisfaction was commendable.