Visiting Kashmir

Jhelum river, Srinagar

Jet lag from my Thailand travels is a recent memory, Christmas is hardly over, and the major bowl games still loom ahead -- but I'm already eyeing travel plans for 2019.

Therefore, let it be known that I'm traveling to India in March.  A fairly short visit (but a long flight) from March 20 to April 2.  The company organizing my tour -- for such it more or less is -- calls it "Secrets of Kashmir," but only four days will be spent in Kashmir -- in and around Srinagar.  Two days will be spent in Amritsar, in the Punjab.  And three days exploring the vicinity of the Dalai Lama's "capital in exile" at Dharamsala, in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.

This trip was originally intended for a group of between five and fourteen travelers, but they've decided to run it with only three -- a couple (about whom I know nothing) and myself.  We'll be traveling with an Indian guide who is experienced and well-respected by the company with which I've signed up.  As the humorous woman at the tour company points out, I'll have the advantages of a private tour at a fraction of the cost.

The low turn-out suggests a lack of enthusiasm in the American public for "adventure travel," but actually that kind of travel -- in small groups to unusual places -- is more popular than ever.  But the great majority of adventure travelers are interested in the same places -- I snarkily suggest places that look or sound impressive on their Instagram or Facebook pages -- places like climbs of Kilimanjaro or to Everest base camp, or tours to cultural or naturalist targets like Machu Picchu or the Galapagos islands.  India is still slightly off the map, and the Punjab and Kashmir provinces of India even more so.

There may be other reasons.  The State Department advises:

Do not travel to:

• The state of Jammu and Kashmir (except the eastern Ladakh region and its capital, Leh) due to terrorism and civil unrest.
• Within 10 km of the India-Pakistan border due to the potential for armed conflict.

Srinigar and its environs are, of course, in Kashmir, and we will also be traveling to the Pakistani border in Punjab with the express purpose of watching the opposing guards of India and Pakistan.  There have been a few incidents in Srinagar involving attacks on tourists, limited to the throwing of rocks, but in general the area is heavily dependent on tourism, is well policed, and such incidents have been isolated.  Our guide is familiar with the area, and the tour company is extremely experienced with traveling to countries with widely varying levels of public safety.  If they aren't confident because of current conditions, they cancel the trip.  I'm happy to rely on them.

Besides, I've already had a reasonably long and interesting life!   

Although the trip is primarily cultural in focus, we will be hiking in the country -- fairly short hikes -- on three days.  On one of those days, we will climb about 1,800 feet to an elevation of 9,275 feet through forests in the Himalayan foothills.  The wide variety of activities on this trip is, for me, one of its attractions.

You will see more about my Kashmir trip in this blog, like it or not, before my March departure.