Wednesday, April 21, 2010

The Wild and Crazy Ride to Srinagar

Easter Day was spent mine an 11 1/2 hour bus trip (seats very uncomfortable and now my butt muscles and back are aching) that was hair-raisingly horrifying at times as the bus driver was insane and careened up, down and around the mountains, narrowly missing all sorts of vehicles and cliff edges... we screamed like we were on a rollercoaster at times, certain that we were going to tumble to our deaths (Anna and I even said our goodbyes to one another, just in case!)

When we arrived in Srinagar (on Pakistani border.... largest soldier to people ratio anywhere in India...700,000 soldiers in Jammu-Kashmir!!) some of the artists decorated and hid eggs and had an Easter egg hunt .... I enthusiastically participated because we had eaten almost nothing all day and Anna and I were starved...so basically I went hunting and gathering for supper... yummy! we got two eggs each!!

We're staying at a university 8 km outside of town (which is unfortunate because Srinagar is the city where they live on houseboats in the middle of Dal Lake... kind of hard to get into the town spirit when you're nowhere near it!)...however, our rooms are fancy, smancy...almost like western hotel...with hot strong showers, TV with cable (we watched 3 movies last night while we crocheted scarves with my leftover yarn...I'm NOT carrying it any further!)

It's COLD here, though, and I sent all my warm clothes home, so I'm wearing three shirts, a sweater and my sleeping blanket along with the pink-yellow-orange scarf Anna crocheted....QUITE a stunner, I am!!

We're planning to go stay on the lake for a couple days... our collaborative project is on water so, DUH! it's essential that we go enjoy some time ON the water! (and AWAY from the Art Karavan...group travel is REALLY wearing on us!... although, we've collected several new artists and lost some so the group is actually the best its been since the start)

We've also decided to fly to Delhi (1 hour $80 plane ride versus 30-hour $20 busride from hell) and stay in a hotel separate from the group while we prepare for the final shows in Delhi (there are 4.... 2 sound like good opportunities)

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