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I have not been sleeping well at all in Kashmir. The people in the room next to me and on my floor have their TV's on loud until 1 or 2am each morning. They shout to each other across the hallways. I could hear the guy snoring in the room next to mine and his cellphones ringing unanswered. This hotel is a 4 star and is less than 1.5 years old. Staff are great but give this hotel a miss if you are ever in Kashmir.
On the last day, we go for a Shikara (boat) ride on Dal Lake. It's a tranquil ride and we are meant to go straight to the airport thereafter. Getting off the boat, I am not sure what happened but I fell between the boat and the pier. So I was waist deep in water, my cellphone and camera banged against the pier so my iPhone screen is cracked and the UV filter on my camera is broken. Fortunately, everything is still working for now. I picked up a couple of bruises too when I hit the pier. I had to change into shorts and sandals in the back seat of the car since it is all I had.
At the airport, massive security again. These guys make the Americans look like amateurs. My bags and I were probably searched and scanned 3 or 4 times. You even have to identify your checked in luggage while it is waiting to be loaded onto the plane. The airport was full of men and women in military uniform waiting to board a flight to Jumma, and I stroll in wearing shorts and sandals. I felt very out of place!
Flew back to Gurgaon and stayed at my favorite hotel. Got a ride in a Skoda this time to the mall. Ride not in the same league as the Audi A6 but still a surprisingly luxurious car.
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