The whiteout around us circled and blinded us as we climbed the slopes of Himalayan peaks in our Travera that was our lifeline here in Srinagar....The untimely snow in the the higher ranges of the Himalayas had caught all tourists unaware in the month of April...but this place was a lure inexplicable...This was Gulmarg which was covered with ten feet of snow...
In this haze of snow that lay everywhere like a sheer white cloth on mother earth, we were nearing unknown land and unending sea of snow..when suddenly we saw a crowd in the distance and as we neared further, we saw a bunch of earlier invisible tourist crowd...We breathed a sigh of relief on seeing signs of life as we were venturing into unknown territory and we didn't know what to expect...
This was a small market place with a difference...the small shops boasted of the best boots, socks, gloves and furry coats on rent! and you didn't have a choice but to hire these commodities whether you had these on or not. There was not choice but to face the vociferously haggling men near these shops who volunteered to be our "guide"...
The shop we entered was darkly lit and cold. A withered looking boy brought in a cane 'sigdi' that was burning coal inside to keep him warm...he decided to share it with us while we looked around. The old men huddled in corners came forward and helped us to choose the color of snow boots, and coats...They were convincing in their tones when they told us to keep our shoes with them while they looked over them and we toured their mystic land and behind their hoods they had the kindest looks I had ever seen any 'shopkeeper' having while convincing their customers...
Armed with the hoods, boots and the guide we approached still upper ranges....the man began talking about the history of the place while we soaked in the white tapestry around us...the pine leaves bowed as if in respect for the white cloak spread on it...
Then again, we came across more haggling men....we got down from the vehicle to face them. we didn't know what this pandemonium was all about while our kind and gentle looking, soft-spoken driver conversed with these men in the local dialect in loud pitched tone of which I could make out that he was asking them not to ask exorbitant prices...I looked at the guide for more clues but he had turned his back and was speaking to them too...
These men turned out to be the sledge drivers....! I was aghast at the idea as I had seen dogs pulling sledges in pictures and photos of snowy regions...not human beings. Amidst a lot of feelings of foreboding, we had to stoop down to their demands...I hated to hire labor to pull our sledges; but then this was their livelihood I reasoned myself...feeling less guilty. This was high skilled labour! Among the men was a child of 14 years...I asked him whether he wanted to go with me to my house and start school...He answered me with a faraway look and a grin on his pink cheeks....
After an exhilarating experience down and up the snow covered slopes, riding on the sledges -we visited various places, a temple, a church, the golf course, a spring amidst snow covered bridge...I paid the three men and the boy seven hundred bucks to earn that day's living...As I handed over the money to them,our guide beamed and waved to them as if to say..."see! I brought them to you, and now get lost!" As I went forward to wave at them and thank them properly, they had already moved on with more rosy pink cheeks, coughing vehemently, sprinting forward to toil and earn their living....
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