FREEZING SHIKARA TRIP - "ARTIFICIAL" OVERLANDERS SAVED BY CHOCOLATE

[Me and Noor on his shikara]

[Life on a houseboat on Dal Lake in Kashmir might have been an echo of the Raj but we were seeing it in the bone-chilling winter.  I recall wistfully in a letter home that 'it must be idyllic in the spring or summer drifting around the lake in a shikara ...!'  As it was, the monotonous brown of bare trees and dead vegetation was relieved only by snow covered peaks and the blue flash of a kingfisher.  After an hour of sitting freezing in an open boat, we aborted a trip to the Moghul Gardens across the Lake, and asked to be taken home.  Noor, our host, abviously thought us a bunch of wimps and declared us 'artificial'.  Only the familiar and welcome cry of 'chocolates! macaroons!' and the sudden appearance of the chocolate seller's shikara, lifted morale.
I observed in a letter home: 'you can get everything off these passing shikaras from shawls to vegetables.  I think some of them are telepathic, because you just had to murmur that you'd fancy a chocolate and they'd be there outside the window!']

FRIDAY 3RD DECEMBER, 1976

" Porridge! Omelette! 

Taken by shikara to woodwork factory deep in middle of the Lake past slummy looking houses - very quiet up narrow canals - lots of vegetables growing.  No carving being done because still a holiday - very ornate carvings of dragons etc. 

Loads of us in little shikara on way back - one fella carrying bits of mutton - cut them the first day, give them as presents the next.  [This was still the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha] Taken to bank, then me and Neva had a short walk up to bridge - most of shops closed.  Lovely lunch of fish, tomatoes, chips, carrots followed by apple in pastry (very smoky taste).

Very cold trip in shikara to see Moghul gardens  Stopped at post office on a houseboat on the way.  Really freezing, so asked them to stop at small floating restaurant (government owned) and had cup of tea.  (Saw Maharajah's house in distance, old king's dwelling on mountainside and fort away in opposite direction.  Snow on hills in front.  Got them to turn back.  Had a go at paddling!  Stopped the chocolate man and had macaroon!  Noor said we were "artificial" for not wanting to go on (but would have been caught in the dark if had gone all the way).  Saw 2 blue kingfishers on fence by water.

Thawed out by stove.  Hot shower and good meal - felt better.  Noor pestered me to sell him my shorts for 5 rupees, so finally agreed.


[Neva and Julie in shikara]




Women wear great head gear - veil pinned at back of head and hanging quite long."

EID AL-ADHA THE KASHMIRI WAY - CURRY, CUSTARD and FIRECRACKERS, 1976

[Our Overland stay in Kashmir coincided with the three day Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice) that marks the end of the Hajj to Mecca.  It commemorates the trials of the Prophet Abraham who was asked by God to sacrifice his son Isaac.  Sheep are killed and the mutton shared out with family, friends and the poor.  There is much visiting and we called on our houseboat hosts and shared macaroons.  In a rather Scoto-centric way, I likened this to First Footing at New Year.]


THURSDAY 2ND DECEMBER, 1976

"Moslem festival - killing of sheep for each family; like their Xmas.  They have a three day holiday.  Had lie in till 9, then as well as the usual 3 course breakfast, we were presented with cake and macaroons by Gulam's little girl - very solemn kid with lovely brown eyes.  Today they'd been made up and she was in a wide green dress with a hanky pinned to the front and little red shoes. [a letter home reports that 'she was a big friend by the time we left!']

Had a really lazy day sitting around writing letters and postcards.  Outside heard them all singing in the mosques - place deserted until 11.30; all go to mosque (only Noor left).  Saw the father going off in shikara.  Watched them all streaming back from mosque - festive air, fire-works (bangers) going off all the time.

Lovely Kashmiri meal cooked by father - 2 different cooked dishes of mutton in lovely masala sauces, cauliflower and rice.  Followed by banana and custard.  Had cold beer when Geoff and Fred popped in.

Went to see Noor's father and Gulam's wife and son in houseboat behind ours - really cold and bare - each room exposed to the outside - big open windows.  Rocked a lot.  Proudly shown each room (4 of them) then a fire at the far end and kitchen area at the other.  Pointed out Koran and photos. (Noor showed photos of his wedding - him in turban with a necklace of rupees.  Loads of family.  He had painted nails which showed he was married recently).  Apparently family visit each other during this festival (like New Year First Footing).  In kitchen, dangerous looking contraption - electrical wires in a bucket of water.

Later on we went and called at Geoff's boat and had tea with Ian - the only one in.  He'd been ill and not out at all.  His news was that fares going up at home.  Went to "Pandora" - Chris, Nicki, Shirl, Bill, Janice and Ann.  Saw Nicki's lovely rug.  Big argument about how much to tip the houseboys - Shirl believes part of their job to receive a tip.

Had another jeweller in that night - no business.  Hot shower."

OLD SRINAGAR - FLOATING SHOPS AND ROAST DUCK, KASHMIR, 1976

[Between hearty houseboat meals, we Overlanders got down to some serious shopping in old Srinagar as we were lured by shikara to view the beautiful handicrafts of Kashmir: carpets, shawls, papier mâché, jewellery, woodwork, knives ...]

WEDNESDAY 1ST DECEMBER, 1976

"Porridge and omelette, toast and tea for breakfast! 

Noor arranged a shikara to take us round the back of the boats and up canals to old Srinagar to see papier mâché work.  Swamp-like appearance - brown banks, bare trees, tall brick houses with wooden shutters, all rather run down.  Women beating washing by side of lake, kids playing around on shikaras; met men selling vegetables, chocolates, drinks, detergents etc all on shikaras. (Saw one man with bicycle being rowed across on shikara!)  Dead cow floating in lake.

Came in past dilapidated houseboats and got out by bridge.  Boss of papier mâché factory took us up to a small workroom where a man and two little apprentices were painting the papier mâché.  One tiny fellow was rubbing papier mâché smooth with pumice stone.  Then we were led further into town, down little backstreets, past a school (looked like a warehouse) went up some wooden steps and along past classrooms.  Room at the end was another workshop where apprentice boys were moulding papier mâché onto moulds.  Then we were taken to see a 78 year old man (in the business since age of 10) who was doing intricate work with gold filter on top of varnished paintwork. 

Had 2 little boys by him, practising flower designs in their books - really good.  Boss showed us ancient Kashmir vase (lovely figures and elephants on) which was on loan from America because the base needed re-doing - old man was mending it.  Then we were taken to his showroom, also up some obscure stairway.  Really fabulous goods on show - vases, boxes, egg cups, bangles, candle holders etc.  Lovely colours, flower patterns and little eastern figures.

Having bought a few presents (!) we were taken back to the shikara and made our way back past the houseboat to the main landing, where we were taken to the jewellers.  Had been round with his rings the night before - all very big with massive stones.  Went along to funny dark bank, through a mattress-type door.  Like a gambling den inside with bright light at cash desk and man behind it wearing a cap.

Back for nice lunch - meat and veg and apples.  Afternoon were taken to carpet factory by taxi to the old town.  Shown silk carpets - gorgeous green and blue carpets (thought ordinary ones not as nice as Persian - rather dull).  Smaller white hairy ones with nice coloured embroidery  - Neva got one with alphabet on.  Saw woodwork showroom - very cluttered so not the best effect; but stuff too ornately carved for me.  Also went to fur shop - wolf, fox coats and hats etc.

Taken to funny old post office to get stamps.  Hair-raising journey back in taxi - got into traffic jam - bicyclists everywhere, cars coming from all directions.  Driver had his hand permanently on horn!  Sent women scattering; was like the dodgems.

Superb meal - soup, duck and roast potatoes followed by stewed pears.  Tea served in sittingroom round the stove.  That evening, a man (friend of Noor's) came to show his gorgeous Kashmir shawls.  Kept telling us to relax in our home and view his shawls.  Lights were not working, so oil lamps lit the room.  Also had lovely tablecloths and dressing-gowns to sell.  Tried on a red dressing-gown and a green cape - must come back with money some day!  (Shawl man said I should come back for my honeymoon!)

Then man with knives came - really hideous looking carving sets in shape of fish, and other things like nut crackers.  Later on, man with jewel stones came - most of our money spent so not much trade from us.  I bought a garnet for 11 rupees (70!) - my big purchase of the evening."

HOUSEBOATS ON DAL LAKE - chocolate, hot showers and Zorro! KASHMIR, 1976

[Into Happy Valley and houseboats on Dal Lake by Srinagar in Kashmir - this was the stuff of Paul Scott's Jewel in the Crown.  Our Housebout, the Golden Bell, had been run by the same Kashmiri family for generations and they were generous and entertaining hosts.  The boiler was antiquated, the furnishings Edwardian, the meals of meat and two veg and stewed puddings were the menus of the Raj.  Noor and his family lived and cooked on another boat moored behind ours - and a lot less comfortable.
In the 1920s, when my mother was a baby and my grandparents were trekking through the Himalayas on forestry work, she was slung on a makeshift carriage and carried through the jungle.  The world of houseboats in Kashmir in the 1970s probably hadn't changed much since those days.  I often wonder what has become of those families and businesses as civil war has raged in Kashmir ever since.]

TUESDAY 30TH NOVEMBER, 1976

"Walked up hill to small village (Kud) and had coffee at cay shop looking over mountains and valley below.  Row of cay shops on raised terrace.

Lovely journey through mountains - great wooded slopes of fur trees - kept thinking of Grandad working in similar places.  Beautiful views up narrow deep gullies - eagles flying around.  Had to stop where army were pulling up a truck that had gone over the edge, quite far down.

Had really tasty samovas in small village (spicy filling in batter).  Fairly poor villages - drab clothing again.  They all go around with big coats on and fire baskets underneath - pots with charcoal in basket.  (Noor, our houseboat owner goes to sleep with his sometimes - once the bed went on fire!)

Before lunch we climbed to a pass and went through new tunnel to Happy Valley on the other side (Vale of Kashmir).  Here the mountain sides are bare.  Stopped for lunch - had super view over valley - wide and stretching into mist in the distance.  Looked over small hamlets - taller 2-3 storied houses.  Noise of meuzzin from mosques came drifting up to us.

Met by a boy from the houseboats.  Travelled down valley and arrived at Srinagar.  Trees all bare and everything very brown and dull at this time of year.  At the edge of Dal Lake, all piled out and into shikaras and taken to various houseboats.  Passed chocolate seller in his shikara - looked delicious and tasted it!  Luggage came on, on another boat. 

Me, Neva, Paul, Julie, Pam and Mark were all in The Golden Bell.  Older smaller houseboat than some of the others - run by really friendly people - Noor Mohamed and Gulam - houseboat a family concern for several generations.

Lovely hot stove in little living-room - burnt wood in it (fairly expensive).  Had hot showers!!  Stood in old tin bath - tiny bathroom.  Rooms really cold, but each given a hotty at night!  Noor put on stiff white waiter's jacket to serve on us at supper!  Had delicious lamb, potatoes and carrots, soup and stewed golden apples.  Great to sit down at a table again.  Lovely old-fashioned furnishings and pictures (Edwardian) on the walls. 

That evening we piled into a shikara and went over to Maid of the Mountain (Rob, Maree, Diane, Mary, Pam and Sue's boat) big central room.  Chris, Nicki, Geoff, Jan, Fred, Chris, Hans and Adrian all there too.  Had gin and limes, rum, brandy; then Rob organised a game of charades!  All chose a film title (2 different teams) and gave one to member of the other team to act out  in front of their group - time limit too.  Their group gave us the most obscure titles to act (must have made them up!) eg Robin Hood Maid Marion, Lust in the Dust!  I got the worst one - "The Erotic Adventures of Zorro" What acting!  I was exhausted!  Still they managed to guess it (just over time limit) but Geoff felt I deserved extra for effort!

Really cold that night.  Me and Neva had a long chat about homes, the bus etc (and how cold we were!)"

ROAD TO KASHMIR - VULTURES, ELEPHANTS AND GOOD CHAI, 1976

[From Amritsar we made for Kashmir, that disputed land between India and Pakistan.  On the way we passed village India - vultures at a slaughter house, roaming elephants, snake charmer, good chai - and then rose into the hills alongside army convoys. 

In a letter home I reflect: 'Kept thinking of Granny and Grandad as we drove through forested mountains and especially through the Punjab ... the Punjab villages were fascinating - full of fried smells and cay shops; saw my first elephant eating branches off the trees ...'

This landscape would have been very familiar to my Scottish grandparents (my grandfather was a conservator of forests here in the 1920s to 1940s).  Strange to think that my mother, Sheila Gorrie, would have known the Himalayan foothills of India as home, long before she set eyes on her own mountains of Scotland.]

MONDAY 29TH NOVEMBER, 1976

"Woke to heavy dew, morning mist.  Lots of bicyclists with gaily coloured turbans - most of them stopped to look at us!  Trains roaring past on the other side of road; road lined with tall trees.

Soon after leaving we saw loads of vultures in field by the road.  Stopped and went over to see them - massive ugly birds with long necks; some found it hard to take off because so full!  Flocked up onto trees - looked top-heavy on branches, made trees look undersized!  Slaughtering going on nearby - skinning buffalo for skins and leaving carcasses for the vultures.

Stopped at little village (with a MacRobert Hospital, Salvation Army!)  Incredibly cheap fruit and veg eg 7p for 5 bananas.  Walked up village and saw 2 elephants!  One big one tearing down ends of branches and eating them, with little fellow next, trying to get a look in by putting its trunk in the biggun's mouth!  Both had painted ears and top of trunks.  Big one had something strapped to its back.

Stopped for lunch at wayside - incredible amount of army trucks going by (now in Jammu & Kashmir - heavily guarded).  Wandering through a dry empty field - lovely view of fields, hedgerows and greenish dips; round cocoon-type nests hanging from couple of trees - all empty.

Countryside becoming greener, with lovely pink flowers in hedges and gradually hillier.  Went to tourist place in Jammu - very helpful and friendly.  Snake charmer by bus - pipe and 2 snakes around neck and arms!  I decided to watch from the window!
      Cay stop at little village - very nice cay - water boiled up with the milk, tea and sugar.  Into hills - lovely orange sunset over hills and green gullies - green pool and waterfall; climbing up slopes covered in green scrub.  Villages full of friendly waving people.  Camped quite far up by the road - dropping away to valley below."

INTO INDIA - MAD CYCLE-RICKSHAWS & GORGEOUS GOLDEN TEMPLE AT AMRITSAR, 1976

[This was the day I arrived in India for the first time - the country where my Gorrie grandfather had made his living and my mother had spent the first 8 years of her life.  Of course in the 1920s there was no division between Pakistan and India and they felt equally at home in both, as I did, returning 50 years later.  The border area we drove through was all the Punjab. 

The first main stop was at Amritsar and its golden temple - the heartbeat of the Sikh religion - and a hugely impressive place.  In a letter home, I was obviously as taken with the people as the amazing temple: 'There was a great holiday atmosphere.  Some of the Sikhs in their bright turbans and dark beards look really gorgeous!'

SUNDAY 28TH NOVEMBER, 1976

"Left Lahore, soon at the border.  Hours there while got through health checks, immigration and customs.  They hassled Mary [from New Zealand] over stamp on her health card and Pam and Sue [Australian] because theirs not stamped.  Two doctors very stubborn about cards.  Sue and Pam injected.  They suggested a bribe which Geoff had been expecting.  One took a foamy!  Layed on grass by a milk bar - lovely milk shake.  Nice shady trees, flowers, cooing of birds - very pleasant.  Eventually got away.

Headed for Amritsar along nice countryside - greener fields and trees all the time, fairly rich area.  Got to Amritsar late afternoon and left bus by the station - not allowed over the bridge.  Got tricycles into town - me and Neva perched dangerously on this tricycle with a very young lad peddling!  He was sweating away!  We had hilarious hair-raising journey, dodging through the mass of tongas, tricycles, scooters, bicycles - they came from all directions!  Then we all had to get off tricycles and walk up the bridge.  Coming down the other side the boy sped away overtaking everyone on a sharp corner.  We were nearly thrown - Neva said I was as white as a sheet!  Through bazaar streets, passed cows wandering oblivious among the traffic!

Dropped us outside Sikh Golden Temple.  Gave in our shoes and socks, given scarves for heads (tied like a pirate - blokes given them too).  Not allowed to take in cigarettes either.  Padded through trough of water before going through big archways.  Huge square with tank taking up most of the room with golden temple in the middle.  Marble promenade all around with white and pink arcades and various mausoleums and stalls of holy drinking water at various stages.  One mausoleum dedicated to somebody Singh who'd led attack to regain temple in about the 17th century and had fought on almost headless, only letting his head drop when reached the temple.  Temple was often desecrated and Sikhs persecuted up till 18th century - great fighters, kept fighting back for it.

Sikhism begun by Guru Nanak (15th century), bridging the gap between Islam and Hinduism - emphasis on non sectarianism.  Went across bridge to Temple - people touched stone on floor by doorway to the bridge and again at doorways to shrine.  Beautifully gold plated covering outside of temple shining in the evening light - one main dome and lots of little ones round parapet.  Followed queue into inside.  Lots of elderly women and men sitting round inside while musicians sat cross-legged beating drum and playing 2 electric pianos and singing continuously from Holy Book - all this was relayed to outside.

Dishing out free meals inside - sweet stuff served in leaf type dishes.  People giving money and bright orange flowers.  Some went upstairs where men reading out of huge big books and looking down on the scene below.  Out of second door, circled round temple - others stopping to bathe with tank water before moving on and touching 2 other doorsteps.

Amazing place - felt quite privileged to have this opportunity to get to the heart of the temple.  All so open in their prayer.  Saw fellas stripping and going into tank and immersing selves.  Sikhs put up anyone who comes to the temple and give free food - some people have misused this sadly.

Got lift back with same boy - fled downhill again - Neva tugging at him to slow down - he found this very funny and went faster.  Went with Neva and Janice to station cafe - taken by a little man in white who then serve us - had lovely coffee (though sweetened) - much cheaper than British Rail!  Vast, dark, old fashioned station restaurant.

Camped along wayside after dark - had eaten by road earlier.  Dead dog in ditch by tents - Hans buried it."