Kashmir Himalayas 1983 ...part 2

I had a pleasant time sometimes strolling into the countryside with my box camera..taking photos..2 pics are of Kashmiri kids near the Baramulla-Srinagar road, in one the kids in the foreground, me behind
them, and the "mullah" on the road (with whom I had some philosophical discussions)..one can see the poplars by the road..
The 3rd pic is from the other side of the Jhelum, which was the Old Baramullah Town, and one can see the Jhelum and the hillocks in the background, as also the Baramulla - Ramban - Uri - LOC - Muzaffarabad
road running parallel to the Jhelum..

Uncle (Colonel Saab), Dollypishi and the 3 of us had the best of our times..catching up on ole' times..Mussoorie ka gup-shup..step outside our log cabin..just a few meters away was the Jhelum..it was just a faint gurgling river

Anyway, let me describe Baramulla..there was the New Town, Jhelum ka is paar..where we were in the Military Cantonment. The discipline of the jawans and their C.O. were beyond compare..they were also very
helpful..The jawans as well as the highest ranking officers had a hard time over there..it was so far away from home..
We, the tourists, had a nice time strolling along the banks of the Jhelum, within the roads and by-lanes of Baramulla..Aah, the bylanes of Baramulla..the apple orchards..crossing the 2 bridges,from one of
which one could see the transformation of the river..On the other side of the Jhelum was the Old Town of Baramulla..

Now let me describe the Kashmiris. They are one of the most soft-spoken people I've ever met..they also talk very mildly. And the spoken language carries a hint of rhythm..the average Kashmiri was very friendly..the Kashmiris of Baramulla were quite different from the tourism-dependent urban people of Srinagar. They were far more simple, honest, hard-working and devout people. They were extremely eager to point out the nearby tourist spots of interest, as also the different folklores..

Folklores about the Yeti-like Apeman..I've forgotten the Kashmiri name ..who lived further downstream the Jhelum..inhabiting the higher reaches of the mountains..He liked goats mainly..

Q: "sometimes humans,maybe ? " ...this was the point of disagreement between the Kashmiri village
folk...

Uncle's batman Abdullah became my local friend and guide..his "gustaab" or "gustafa" as also some other stuff was one of the best pieces of cuisine I've ever tasted in my life..Abdullah told me many stories of how he esacaped from a Pakistan Prisoner of War camp..he also showed me his bullet wound in his leg..he was one of the simplest person on earth I've ever met..

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