Back to Khyber for coffee

Jim was lured to come with me to Khyber for a real coffee yesterday.  We sat in Chaikash (the chai shop) enjoying our coffees, admiring the view and reading the Kashmiri newspapers (three in total).

I read about how a local Srinagar girl band disbanded due to Facebook harassment; social networking bullying is worldwide, the need for sewerage treatment plants to be set up around Lake Dal to preserve  the pristine lake and the installation of etoilets (coin operated) in Gulmarg.  We have been watching the toilets being built at the midstation near the chair lift since we arrived.  Change is a problem everywhere in India so I can't see how the  toilets are going to work.  It is difficult to get change of notes, coins are almost non existent.  "Tell them they're dreaming".

Anyway back to Chaikash, Jim had a strong latte and I had a mocha.  Most enjoyable and the cookies that came in a beautifully decorated brass container which were served with the coffee.  What a bonus. I was in heaven.

Jim is keen to return for the Angus beef before we leave as he won't get the opportunity to see it on a menu any time before we arrive in Dubai which is in 2.5 months time.  Our diet has been balanced and tasty although it is the simple foods (our normal diet) like grilled chicken, fish and steak and a simple green salad are the foods we crave for.

The Khyber foyer

Chaikash

The view from Chaikash

The lights in the outside entrance

New career - TV star

I had my 15 minutes of fame yesterday afternoon.  I may appear on some local or national TV news or tourism show.  It was hard to tell what was really going on.

I was climbing up the poma slope (I like to finish my xcountry circuit at the top of the poma slope to people watch for a while) when I hear this madam, madam and out of the corner of my eye I see this man following (slipping on the snow) along side me with a camera.  I pretend I don't see or hear him but then at the top of the slope there are three more men all holding microphones with their camera men in tow.

One man steps right in front of me on the very top of the slope.  I could have easily fallen backwards as the snow is still quite icy for mid afternoon and there is little grip on xcountry skis.  I said I will need to move off the crest of the hill otherwise I will fall backwards.  That would have been hilarious (not) being caught on camera.

This same man then my pushes a handful of microphones in my face and says look directly into the camera which is within 30cms of my face.  There is no introductions or no explanation of what they are doing.  He just starts asking me questions: my name, what country I am from, do I feel safe in Kashmir, how does skiing here compare with other countries, etc etc.

We go through the same scenario with each of his microphones, maybe five in total, I am not counting.  I am quite enjoying this, thinking it is really funny but I am trying to be serious at the same time giving them the answers they want, by now I am thinking it is to promote skiing in Gulmarg both locally and abroad.  I find this ironic as I am the only foreigner on the poma slopes, the real skiers are out and about.  No foreigner would be caught dead on the poma slopes except me and I am on xcountry not downhill skies.

After this man finishes with me I do the same again with another two men, thankfully they only have one microphone each.  I am dismissed with an "okay" and the usual shake of the head, my television career is over.

Girls lunch

I had a girls lunch yesterday at "Cloves" a restaurant at Khyber, the only five star resort in Gulmarg.

Google Khyber Resort Gulmarg.  It really is beautiful.  It opened its doors just before Christmas.  It is a decent climb up a windy road near the gondola,  the views are breathtaking.  Unfortunately I didn't have my phone on me to take any photos.


It wasn't really a girls lunch because there wasn't any girls or wine.  I had to imagine both.  What I'd give for both at the moment, the girls more so.  It is fun with girls and wine because then it becomes silly with lots of laughs.
I had saffron and snapper risotto, can you believe it.  I couldn't, when I read the menu.  It is quite extensive and impressive.  There was New Zealand lamb and Angus beef.  The dessert menu was inviting, offering bitter chocolate mousse cake and frozen berry panacotta.  I didn't have enough money on me for dessert but I made do with a long black coffee.  It had a beautiful de creme on the top (sign of  a good coffee I have read) and tasted so good.

I had to ask the waiter how much the tax was before I ordered the coffee because the prices are five star which they should be and are "tax applicable".  Imagine how embarrassing it would be not to have enough cash to pay for lunch.  I normally walk around with 500rps ($10) in my pocket.  Luckily, I grabbed another 1000rps before I left the hotel room.  I didn't even think about the expense of lunch.  

I will venture back before we leave and visit the coffee shop "Chaikash" for another real brewed coffee and take some photos.

Today is another day and I have not suffered food poisoning as a few of you might be thinking ordering fish so far away from the ocean.

Soon I will venture out to do my xcountry circuit around the golf course followed by a visit to the market for fruit and stop off at Baski's for lunch for a yummy vegetable burger 100rps ($2), our normal budget.

The one metre of snow did arrive over the past few days.  It was not as light as powder as hoped for but  still well needed snow.  Today is a beautiful sunny day and Jim is out and about with Ski Him guests working on his goggle tan.  I purchased sunblock the other day so hopefully my tan will not be so obvious.  Our faces are starting to look like those weather beaten faces of Himalayan people you see on National Geographic.

A regular scene after a snowfall - at end of our street

A day off the hill

Yesterday we went to Srinagar for the day, for a change of scenery.  It is just over an hour's drive from Gulmarg.

One of the Ski Him guests had to be dropped off at Lake Dal.  He is staying on a houseboat for the night.  It is offered as part of the package at the end of the ski trip.  It is well worth it to experience the whole Kashmiri adventure.

The rest of us: Jim, myself, Mustaq (the driver), Bilal (one of the waiters from our hotel who came along for the ride) and two German brothers (Ski Him guests) visited three Mughal gardens for the day.  We have seen them before but it was good to walk around without snow underfoot.  The pansies are just starting to flower.  It was cute seeing young couples having sneaky meetings under the Chinar trees to whisper sweet nothings to each other without supervision. 

We were also keen to do some shopping, toiletries and beer.  Unfortunately there was no beer to be found.  Forgetting it was Friday, being Muslin prayer day – all day, the wine/beer shops (3 in total in Srinagar) were all closed, so no beer.  There are three hotels here in Gulmarg selling beer but it would be nice to have it in our hotel room as an option to going out.  We did find a great supermarket (of sorts) for the toiletries.  Bought a can of honey roasted mixed nuts - what a treat!

The landscape to Srinagar

A village stop along the road to Srinagar

Shikaras on Lake Dal, Srinagar

Me, Mustaq & Bilal at Pari Mahal ruins

Nishat Bagh Gardens

Looking down to Lake Dal at Nishat Bagh

Goodbye to new friends!

We met up last night for a few anti-freezes (beer); yes the beer does contain anti-freeze, in my case a plain lime soda to say good-bye to our Blue Mountain friends.  They are all leaving tomorrow for various places.

Hamish has been here without the girls for company for the past two weeks but between Staz and SJ (aka mum & dad) taking turns skiing with him (and me trailing along) he has had a fantastic time.  He is an endearing four year old to spend time with and loves to ski.  There is nothing more special than when a child genuinely likes spending time with you.  The past few days he discovered "Angry Birds" on Ben's (the girls dad) iphone and Jim's ipad so when the adults meet for an anti-freeze top up Hamish is occupied.  Last night when the music was a tad loud Hamish says quite loudly "please turn that down", it was interrupting his concentration.  It made us all stop and pay attention.

The past month has been made even more enjoyable for me by spending time with the girls and Hamish (and their parents of course).

I shall miss them all! 

Jim has been joking with the hotel staff every day for the past five weeks asking for the English TV movie channels.  It only took them a few days to play the game with him.  Yesterday, they said the channel is now available and they weren’t joking.  Jim is so happy, to have the three things he loves beer, TV and skiing. 

I have included two unrelated photos just because it is nice to see the many sides of Gulmarg.

What happens when the living tree grows?

I love the house in the background, it looks inviting.

Bandicoot eyes!

A friend commented on my ski tan but Jim's is better.

When he is in bed with the doona pulled up to his chin I always have to look twice.  He looks bizarre, a tad scary like he has some disease.

It has been easy to get a tan with so many sunny days.
We have been here 4.5 weeks now and in that time there has been a week of non sunny days (when it has been snowing).

There is a snow storm due this week end with over one metre of snow predicted.  That will be good as the mountain is being tracked out except for those keen to trek further into the back country for untracked snow.  

Happy Australia Day!

It is another beautiful sunny day here in Gulmarg.

Neither of us is skiing today, which is not unusual for me but it is for Jim. The tongue of his ski boot broke yesterday so he has tried repairing it today.  If the repairs don't work he may have to hunt around to hire a pair of boots to see the season out??????  See what happens tomorrow.

We walked up to Highland Park for lunch.  It is a lovely old hotel, ornately decorated in the old English manner.  It would be a nice place to stay,  just a bit of a hike to the gondola.  The food is good and an added bonus one of the few places that serves beer.

A big male monkey was on guard at the gate walking up the hotel.  It is best to ignore the monkeys they can attack if provoked.  We did not provoke it but I think a group of monkeys below startled him with a cry so he had a go at us.  Jim was ready to punch it.  I started yelling at it, now that I am practised in dealing with the local wildlife I was not going to be pushed around.

Lunch was good.  Jim had chicken kanti (chicken pieces cooked in tomato, onion and capsicum) and nan.  I had a grilled vegetable (tomato, onion and cucumber) and cheese sandwich.  My staple drink besides tea and water is lemon soda plain, which is soda water with lime juice yes lime even though the name is lemon.  It is offered sweet (sugar added) or sour (salt added), I like it plain.

Walking back to our hotel we followed the poma (beginner) slopes where the locals and Indian tourists like to ski.  The poma had stopped for lunch (that can only happen in India) so we walked beside the poma track.  We were trying to give advice to two young boys that were skiing straight down the slope, to prevent them from head injuries.  No turns just straight down.  They were bouncing off the snow and it wasn't that soft.  It makes you cringe.

We are now back in the hotel soaking up the sun which beams in through the windows.  We are so lucky to have been given this room with the sun and wifi access.  Normally wifi is only available in the foyer but our room is straight above the reception desk where the wifi is.

Looking down the poma slope from Highland Park

View from Highland Park