I am writing this from Srinagar
Airport, on the last day of my 3-day visit. I returned to Kashmir after 12
years. My last visit was here in 2003, when Vasuman and I drove down from Leh
to Srinagar via Kargil, Dras and the treacherous Zozilla pass. That visit to
Leh was incredible in many ways. We had (Chitra with us) travelled from Manali
to Leh by rickety public transport bus. But that was not the most painful part
of our journey. From a height of 6500 ft we had climbed to Sarchu at 15000 ft
on the same day, giving ourselves practically no time to acclimatize to high
altitude. All three of us were suffering from headache, lack of appetite and
feeling nauseous, and cold, but Chitra faced the brunt. She was so miserable
that she was willing to dictate her will, only that I had no strength left to
take down the notes. Next day, we crossed the second highest motorable pass,
Tangri La at 17500 ft, when even Vasu and I wanted desperately the ordeal to be
over, such a splitting headache we …