Guinea Pig Tale

In the earlier post, I wrote about Gulmarg and its beauty. We had actually gone to Gulmarg to leanr skiing. We were a motley group – ranging literally from ages 5-55. We didn’t get to ski on all 8 days of the course, because of the heavy snowfall. Still, we managed decently well according to our instructors (shout out to Ayaz sir, Shabbir sir and Ishfaq sir!). We got a hang of some basic skills like snow-plow turns, basic swings and uphill swings. On the last day, we had a test where we had to demonstrate what we’d learned. It ended with a slalom race – weaving as fast as possible through poles stuck in the snow. Regardless of what grades we got, the one thing everyone was expert in by the end of the course was – falling. Especially me. I got all kinds covered. Here’s a list (because everyone loves lists, okay?) from most painful to least painful: 1.      Very painful    - Fall while carrying equipment Skis are made of metal and woo...

The first view of the Himalayas came from the flight. Brown alternating with white, covered by pretty clouds. The mountains extended far beyond the eye could see. There are very few places in the world where the color green - that faithful indication of life - is missing from the landscape. The mountains here are one of them. It was a view at once bleak and beautiful. Mountains x infinity When I first stepped out of Srinagar airport, I had a strong sense of déjà vu . This landscape was completely new to me - I had never even seen snow at close quarters before and the Valley was positively blanketed with it. Even as we traveled onwards to Gulmarg, the feeling didn't desert me. It was as if I had been here before. Maybe I was reminded of the pictures of Germany that my father had shown me after he went there during deep winter. Sloping roofs and snow-lined roads look the same to a sleep-deprived eye - even when separated by continents, it seems.   Getting to Gulmarg...