We arrived in Srinagar very tired from our twenty-four hour journey through the Himalayas that included several hours in a bus and then a short stop in the military town of Kargil in order to switch to a jeep and continue on through the night. However, our fantastic Belgian friend, Geoffrey, was full of energy, so we followed him around for hours looking for an affordable and nice houseboat in which to stay.

The house boats are more similar to wooden barges all roped together just offshore in Dal Lake with ornate wooden houses built along the top rather than an actual boat. The first ones were built by the British in the 1800's as a solution to the law that the British could not own any land there. Then they became a popular place to stay for tourists because of their novelty and beautiful craftsmanship. Now, there are hundreds of them but most are overpriced and not well-maintained. We could not find one that seemed acceptable for our price range, so we decided on a small family run guest house just along one of the back bayous with a view of the houseboats and mountains beyond. The small canals and swamps with houses built over the water and small gondola-like boats called "shikaras" topped off with lush green mountains as the backdrop made this place seem to be a combination of a Louisiana swamp, Venice, and Switzerland.

As your imagination would tell, this setting makes for a beautiful place. However, the vast military presence at every street corner and soldiers on the roofs of buildings as well as the many checkpoints was disconcerting. The weather was also mostly cloudy and rainy due to the relentless pursuit of the monsoon, but these factors could not taint the unique sight of vast floating gardens on the lake and the extensive and symmetrical Mughal gardens built by the Raj during the British colonial period.

After we felt that we had experienced the majority of Srinagar, our excitement turned to playing the "Highest Golf Course in the World," Gulmarg. This golf course was supposedly only a couple of hours away and situated high up in a mountain valley of the Himalayas. Unfortunately, our two our trip was actually four hours, and when we arrived we found that the golf course had been shut down for remodeling. So, our plans being foiled, we took out our frustration by skipping the bus and hiking down the twelve kilometers to the main bus station.

Our time in this so-called "paradise on earth" was mixed due to the poor weather, strong military presence, and fruitless golf endeavor. However, the unique charm of the area and its strong culture along with the beautiful green mountains, glassy lake, white and red roses, and lotus flowers maintained its beauty and serenity in a time of seeming gloom and instability for Kashmir. Now, we must begin making our way to Delhi by way of Jammu and Amritsar on our last few days in the wonderful yet bizarre country of India. Till next time, Cheers.