Houseboats on Dal LakeHouseboats on Dal Lake with mountains in background, Srinagar. Kashmir, India. We haven’t done much today--just lazed around a bit on the roof of our houseboat. We had tea on the veranda, and are now sitting here reading and writing.

I think Srinagar looked better at night. The town is a typical Indian dump, there is haze and pollution obstructing our view, and Dal lake looks pretty foul. Still, it’s home for a few days, and at least we have a little space to ourselves. We just need to unwind and plan our strategy. So far, neither of us is too impressed by this country and we may make major alterations to our travel plans. We are getting worn out from too much travel and not enough rest. Also, what we have seen so far has not been spectacular. Both Simla and Srinagar are nice places, but have been ruined by overcrowding and pollution. If these are the highlights, what does the rest look like?

Also, the Indians are not as friendly as the Africans, who warm up to strangers very quickly. Here, everybody wants to sell us something--a product or a service. The music, too, is not the happy, upbeat African sound, but a more melancholy and depressing sort.