- The last day of our trip had
finally dawned, we had the plan of leaving the hotel at 11 AM, for our
3:40 PM flight.
- Since we didn't have much to
look around that day, we had the plan, but we realized at the end of the
day, it was quite right to board the flight, the experience continues
- Had our breakfast ordered and
delivered to the lodge , nothing other than Aloo parantha, by then
majority of us were already tired of aloo parantha, but quickly munched
some and had some packed as well, and head out to airport on an Innova.
- We left the hotel at around
11:30 AM, couple of vans, headed to the airport, as we hear from our
driver that there are some security checks which would take some time,
hence it was good to start early.
STAGE 1
- Along our way, our driver
stops at a check post, which is potentially the start of the security
check, which literally means, we will have to unload our baggage, put it
into a scanner, get ourselves through the security frisk and again load
baggage back to our vehicle.
- We wait at the check post for
the second van to arrive, spent close to half hour out there waiting, then
we put our baggage onto security check and get out with our baggage and
board the car again to be driven another close to a KM, we unload our
baggage, and head to the entrance of the airport.
- The story begins here, with
many of us having done enough international travels and enough domestic
travels, didn't know what we are going to experience in there, were
patiently waiting in a line to get inside the airport.
STAGE 2
- The queue for indigo was
long, suddenly there were 3 branches, one of the cop comes makes it to 3
more queues, merging into 1, then you can imagine what to expect at that
point.
- Enough quarrelling, non comfy scenes, few NRI's visiting
were really pissed off and speaking about rules and being diplomatic and
what not, super chaos, we managed to get to the mood, into the quarrel
mode and after 45 minutes of time, we get to the entrance gate, with some
frisking we get in.
STAGE 3
- Now we get onto the yet
another entry level Security check within the airport, that is as usual,
normal, we get through and wait for our baggage on the other side
- The security guy would stamp
security seal on some bags and not on some, we were arguing him to get the
security seal done, but he wouldn’t.
- Gupta who was really
challenged with 30 folks storming into the queue, he was way behind, we
were there waiting for him to come, while the cops ask us to move on
- With gupta in, we head to the
counters, to get our boarding passes,
STAGE 4
- We head to the Indigo counter
and requesting for a group check in, managed to get all 9 of ours, with
some confusion we get our boarding passes.
- Being confused some amarnath
yatrees who had set his id cards into the check in baggage, our ticket
issue was delayed, finally we get all our bags checked in and with our
boarding passes we get in.
- While we walk along, one of
the indigo folks stop us and say that we have to check in the baggage
which are really our cabin baggage. Since it was sealed in the first
security check, we again get there to check in those baggage again.
- We were really pissed off by
then, I remember consistently doing a international transit at Heathrow
airport in london with the whole family in 17 minutes, here it took 1.5
hours to get from outside of the airport to getting the boarding passes.
Story is not over there
STAGE 5
- Now comes the real Security
check which we typically have at the airports, we get through that,
security guy demanding Security seal for water bottle which was in my
cabin baggage, first time ever I hear such a weird rule.
- I was directed to the
verification counter, I uncover the contents of my laptop bag, get the
security seal done and again step into the airport, soon enough to be
directed to a place where we have to identify our baggage again(So really
ILLOGICAL), we did that stupid thing again, showing our baggage stickers
and got it verified.
- That was another half hour
job, totally for us to reach near to our gate of boarding it took 2 hours
from outside the airport, the WORST every airport entry experience I have
ever had.
- We were really tired and glad
that all that stupid procedures are over, got something to drink for
ourselves and set in for some group photos
- There was a cat running
around and few birds chiping inside the airport near our seats :) people
fighting for seats where there would come the so called air from the
ducts, man… enough with that airport, NEVER AGAIN THERE.
- We were all wearing the
Ladakh marathon t-shirt, to add fuel to our already tired souls, somebody
asks which group of amarnath yatra you folks are…? , bad about the
organizers to not even mention anything about the run, leave about
mentioning half or full marathon.
- We board the flight, happy
enough while our pilot announces that we are waiting to get the army
clearance to take off, and that was another 25 minutes of wait on the
runway.
- With our last leg of nonstop
nonsense, we were mocking chatting, sharing experience in the airport and
before we could realize we reach new delhi.
- Due to the delay, we were
really close to get the next flight, we also wanted something to eat since
most of were hungry, quickly grabbed some pizza and boarded our flights.
- After an hour and half we
safely landed at hyderabad, collecting our bags, we step out of the
airport, to our surprise, we had a grand welcome with a huge posted
unfolded welcoming us back, all set up by Madhuri's sister and JB, sweet
of you folks to welcome us with such an act.
- Waving bye to few of the
folks we set on to our home, happy enough, contended about the trip.
- Truly a Memorable one! With
the awesome Company of Hyderabad runners family, obviously with the
co-operation and sacrifice from the respective families to let us out for
11 days!
- We set out early on, close to
6:15 AM, we have our tea and we start, with a plan to attempt at River
Rafting, which our driver promised to get a rafting trip along our route
to SriNagar
- Early on we had a pit stop,
with some great solo snaps and scenic early morning sunrise pics, we
cruise on again. With our principle of not taking too many stops, it
worked out really well, not feeling the hardships that we had earlier in
our trip.
- All were really drained I
suppose, all were in their own slumber mode, had fun capturing the various
poses of people in sleep mode :)
- We were sighting the burnt
tents down in the valley where people were stationed for the amarnath
yatra, that was signs of us nearing Sonomar, where the chopper ride and
normal trek route starts for the Holy Amar
- We stopped at Sonomar for
breakfast, this time we headed to the JK tourism hotel and had our large
order done and waiting.
- While Gupta and Sridhar go to
the enquiry desk there and started to enquire about chopper ride to
amarnath, happy enough they came back with the news that there was chopper
rides to amarnath in an hour's time and with a tentative plan to reach
back sonomar by 3PM, with some initial hesitation, everybody agreed to
take up the chopper ride except uday.
- We had our breakfast, dump
all the luggage into a room at the JK center, with uday waiting to rest
for some time and we head to the place where the chopper tickets were sold
and would take off, which was close to 3 kms away.
- Within no time everybody
reaches out to parents and get approvals and what not, all were really
excited to the potential ride to Amarnath, but only after reaching there
and enquiry did we know that there is no chance of getting a ticket
immediately, and the return trip was not guaranteed to be on time.
- With all of us having the
flights the next day, and with the certain plan of staying at the amarnath
site over night, no body was ready, we all headed back to the room and
loaded our luggages back to our van and we set out to our last option of a
River rafting, Uday had a sudden change in plan, he had a flight at 4:30
PM that day, hence had to skip the rafting trip and took a ride on his own
to the srinagar airport directly.
- Our driver Fareed rides for
quite a while, to the extent that we ended up reminding him that he has to
stop for a river rafting trip.
- In some time we reach a spot
where we saw quite a few rafts being lined up, and close to 8 folks who
have never done the ride before headed out for the rafting ride which was
a 3 k sail, which potentially looked like a Rapid 2 ride
- We snap and record video of
all our folks along the route of the sail, we stop at the end point, had
enough snaps, all first timers enjoying it, get their clothes changed, and
all were immediately set for lunch
- We again capture a hotel
nearby and had a list of orders until everybody was really full, had a
heavy lunch and there we go, close to 80k left to Srinagar.
- While many were into their
slumber mode again, I started to collate all the photographs from every
person, so that it would be easier to share to folks.
- As I finish my write up for
the pending days, we sighted Dal lake again, a different view of dal lake
on a sunny afternoon. We head to the same hotel where we went on our
onward journey.
- Everybody freshens up in an hour's time we head out to the
srinagar town, to get some shopping done, we walked towards the zero point
bridge, take a bus to Lal chowk, started our stroll along the streets
- For all obvious reasons,
locals could sense the tourists, there are enough people by your side
along while you walk, asking if we need shawls, dry fruits, and other
authentic local produce
- We stop at the dry fruits
shop, enquire for quite a bit, and start our purchase spree of black
current, almonds, dry garlic and almost every one item in the store :)
- We walked a bit more, looking
out for sweet shop, our second group arrived and were clearing out the dry
fruit shop.
- We head into JK handicrafts
only to realize that all the items are marked up 100 to 200% as opposing
to the local shops, quickly we enquire and head towards the sweet shop to
taste the so called Rasagolla which few of our group members were bragging
about.
- We had a sudden change in
plan head out to an exhibition near dal lake, we head there in an auto,
purchased few local made handicrafts and stuffs and we went in search of a
nice hotel to dine at.
- Soon we settle in a hotel,
which seemed to be best around, we were on our last stretch of eating
spree, we ate so much for close to a bill of 6k for 11 folks, we ate so
much and still had something left over to pack enough.
- Not a single soul was ready
to walk back to the hotel, we hitch on auto and all set back to our hotel
rooms, only enough energy left to change clothes and hit our beds
- This was the day which many
were really not wanting to come, for couple of reasons, the awesome time
at ladakh was getting over and travel back by road via kargil again to
Srinagar.
- Man… the onward journey was
so tedious, that we longed for the drive to end at times, but the return
road trip was not bad as expected
- With all bags loaded up, we
graduated from Xylo to Tempo traveller :) all piled up and here we go,
declaring the start of another window seat fighting saga :)
- We stopped at the Magnetic
Hill, the name given to that section on the road where there is Zero
Gravitational force, with Gear in neutral, our Van with 13 people in it,
started to roll UP Hill, that was an unique experience.
- We briefly stop for
breakfast, with almost everybody limping or being tired, most of them were
asleep, I was busy documenting the day's happenings all along the route.
- Our saga of emptying the
shops along the way continues, we stopped for lunch at a place, where we
ran out of Maggi packets, people wouldn't stop, rajma chaval, Bread Jam
left over from previous day, were all emptied and everyone of us were
really loaded with food :)
- With the way we were cruising
along the route, except for 2 stops, we were set for a early reach at
Kargil, we again go to the Army Workshop, where we had our accommodation
set.
- We had high tea, with some
snacks prepared by the cook at the army canteen, and dinner preferences
being given, we thought of getting out for a while, roam around.
- We went to the army CSD
canteen, to get some army patterned tshirts and some other supplies, then
we went on to the Plateau Baba Temple
- Unique name! Isn't it, brief
story about the temple was , When there were firings exchanged at Kargil
during Operation Vijay, a noble soul, who was called Baba, kind of
emphasized to build a temple there with shrines of Shiva, stating that it
would safeguard the whole place
- As said, they set up a temple
and not a single bomb landed in that particular plateau, following which
folks started to believe in this guy and post his time the Army has taken
over and full time Army havildar is acting as a poojari, performing daily
Pooja.
- We were offered some dry
fruits and each a cup of tea, that a good gesture from that poojari, from
my experience with this guy and the folks at the Line of Control where we
went, they were really longing…. To meet and exchange their views and talk
with more people.
- Truly salute those souls
stationed out there, and the pain they go through by their Solitude and
also the risk and the extreme weather those folks go through.
- We went out to our dramatic
Kabab venturing into the town of Kargil, only to realize that there were
enough varities of non vegetarian kababs. With multiple order and
cancellation, we finally settle with one small pack of kabab. With few
requests from folks on the van to walk around the streets of kargil, it
was all dramatic, finally we sneak away from the spot in some time.
- While we went back to the
army camp, we saw Captain Manish playing Volley Ball, with his whole team.
- With our experience of
playing volleyball during our onward journey, we were more interested to
play again, that too with the army folks.
- Quickly we change our attire,
we headed to the volleyball court. I was immediately offered a spot in the
team of manish. The guy whom I
played with earlier, knowing about me playing, graciously offered a spot
:)
- Manish was so furious
already, demanding his team to play proper passes , but unfortunately he
was kicking the ball more so often.
- While I moved to the front
line, manish sighted me and was briefly enquiring me about the race. The
irony being he advised the whole HR team to not run and would face serious
problems if we tried to push ourselves and run a 42k.
- I so badly wanted to go tell
him that we all finished and that too in great times, which I literally
blurted out to him on face, saying "Opposing to your views, we all
finished strong with great times". He was kind of in his amused mood
to just take my comment.
- Playing 5 games, the only
thing that stood in my mind was the way Leaders behave in Army Vs
Corporates, The way the captain was commanding his team and he behaving
his own way, was something that I couldn't just not avoid commenting on.
- We played till we could see
the ball until around 7 or so, then had a quick shower in that damn cold
water, with a stick in hand to woo away the dogs… :)
- Had a great planned dinner,
the fortunate Non-Vegetarians had their feast while veggies had to be
contended with some carrot and beans :(
- With the intervention of our
teacher taking disciplinary action on the whole team we were forced to hit
our bed early :), with an ambitious plan of starting early by 5:30 AM.
Again swooshing the dogs, many we realized there were easily around 30
dogs around the place where we had our rooms, so scary…
