Travel Diaries | Ladakh Day 2 🚙
Jalandhar to Srinagar | 450 km
Started around 7 AM from Jalandhar
Today's target was Srinagar and we had around 450 km to cover
With the family and more importantly the girl gang and their luggage, starting on time itself felt like an achievement 😄
After crossing Pathankot, we stopped at Haldiram for breakfast
Soon after that, the weather changed and we got some heavy rain
But the drive was good
The roads have changed tremendously over the years
So many tunnels now and some really good stretches of road
The journey from Pathankot to Srinagar has become much quicker and of course much more comfortable
While driving, I kept remembering my earlier trips on this route
The old road had a different kind of adventure
There were times when we would spend hours behind a truck and sometimes more interestingly behind a whole herd of sheep 😂
At that time it was irritating
Today I actually miss it a little
The new roads are definitely better but somewhere along the way they have taken away a bit of that old school mountain road adventure
The landscape around Banihal was beautiful today
The rains have made everything so green
Mountains, clouds, waterfalls and mist
The whole drive was looking fantastic
My wife and daughters had visited Srinagar last year so Kashmir itself isn't completely new to them
But Gurez and Ladakh are still unexplored territory for them
And that's what makes this trip special for me
I have been to Ladakh many times but this time I get to experience it with them.
Before reaching Srinagar I also managed to meet three friends
Mr Shyam Chaudhary
Commandant, CRPF posted at Pulwama
Mr Vivek Aggarwal, IAS
AGMUT posted at Srinagar
Mr KPS Malhotra, IPS
AGMUT posted at Srinagar
Always good to meet friends while travelling.
Finally reached Srinagar in the evening
Tonight's stay is at Frontier Officers' Mess, BSF, near Srinagar Airport
And I must say what a place
A beautiful officers' mess, very comfortable and extremely well maintained
After a 450 km drive everyone was happy to finally relax 😊
Tomorrow is going to be more interesting
We leave Srinagar and head towards Gurez Valley
Gurez is one of the places I have been wanting to take the family to
For them this will be a completely new experience
And for me perhaps the fun will be in watching their reactions as the road gets narrower, the mountains get higher and the landscape keeps changing
Let's see what Day 3 brings
Day 2 done ✅
Srinagar to Gurez tomorrow 🏔️🚙
Stay tuned, network permitting 😄
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