Travel Photography | India | New Delhi | Kashmir | Agra

We have already arrange our taxi the night before departure with Vivek Hotel management and paid Rs300 for the trip to the airport. Our flight depart at Terminal 1 at 12:35PM, Terminal one is for domestic flight and terminal three is for International flights, but there were also domestic flight depart from Terminal 3 like Jet Airways airlines (which is more expensive) which depart from Terminal 3. So we really need to make sure where our flight will depart and normally the taxi driver will ask you which airline that you took because Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 are a little bit far from each other and since we took IndiGo Airlines, it will depart at Terminal 1.

After we took a light breakfast, around 9:00AM we move to the airport, we need to be early as possible because this is the first time we took a domestic flight within India and we don’t know what to expect. Before we are allowed to enter the terminal, the security guard will ask to see your flight ticket and then only he will let you go, so it is always good to have everything within reach and once inside the terminal, we have to scan our bags before proceed to the check-in counter.

Actually we are a little bit confused, I mean I’ve reads all kind of procedure regarding flight to Srinagar, some say that we can bring our camera onboard, some said that we can’t and some people said that we can bring our camera but we need to remove the battery. To be safe, I mean not really “safe” but to make things easy we decided to put our camera inside our check-in luggage bag but we put our backpack inside air cargo bag, so it should be ok. The reason is that, we don’t want to get stranded at the last security check point and being told that we cannot carry our camera or we have to remove our battery and put it on our luggage bag, it will be a hassle to get back to the check in counter and drop our battery there or the worst thing is the security will take our battery and throw away, so we decided to put our camera inside the check-in baggage.

Actually there was an important information written on our ticket which said; Due to airport security regulations, no hand baggage is allowed on any flights from Jammu and Srinagar airports. I thought it was the same from New Delhi to Srinagar but later on we found out that indeed we can carry our camera and that’s why all of the photograph of the himalaya above were taken using my iPhone. (our camera in our check-in luggage)

Actually it was always my dream to photograph the Himalaya since I got involved in photography. There was something inside me that always attracted to the mountains. Anyway during check -in, I’ve told the airlines person at the counter to give me to the right because I want to take some pictures of the Himalaya, the Himalaya is on our right side towards Srinagar but when I look at my ticket, she gave me A row, which is on the left side of the airplane towards Srinagar from Delhi. Maybe next time, I must make things clear and told her, to give me F row, instead of A.

Our flight depart on schedule and the flight was brand new. After half and hour of our flight, we are already on top of the Himalaya, I really don’t know how describes my feelings the very first time I saw Himalaya in front of my eye. It was so beautiful and I need to tell myself that I’m not dreaming and my dream finally came true. Since I sat on the A row (left) side of the airplane towards Srinagar, I cannot see much of the Himalaya, so when I saw someone sitting alone at the F row, and there is two empty seats left, I ask the old person sitting there whether I can seat next to the window because I want to take some pictures and the photographs above is the result. I took lots of pictures and video using my iPhone until it reach the airport and it look like we are arriving at army camp, there were so many armies all over the places.

By 1:50PM, we safely landed at Srinagar Airport, looking at the terminal, it was new, maybe they just upgraded it before Commonwealth Games to attract more tourist. After we got our backpacks, we need to fills some form, only foreigner need to fill up this form, just a simple form about our whereabout, name, where we came from, where we wanted to stay in Srinagar, places that we wanted to visit and son on and so on. Just a simple procedure and once finished, we are free to go.

I choose to take a prepaid taxi to get to our hotel and paid Rs500 to get to our hotel, it was a little bit expensive considering that it took us less than 30 minutes to reach in front of Swiss Hotel at Gagribal road. Maybe you ask me why I didn’t take the houseboat, actually we did wanted to try the houseboat but for the first day we decided to stay here and maybe next morning we will get out and look for a suitable houseboats.

This hotel is not very far from the famous Dal Lake of Kashmir, just few minutes walking will get you there and the location is very good and we feel much more secure here. Actually our room costRs1500 per night but we get a special discount to stay here and we are happy with the price.

Just to let you know that the security was very tight here in Srinagar, along the way from the airport until we reach our hotel, I can see a lot of armies all over the place, sometimes I feel secure but most of the times I feel unsafe, if Kashmir is safe, then why so many armies. Anyway we are safely arrived in front of hour hotel and I wanted to tell you that the very first time my eye saw a Dal lake, I fell in love.

*To be continue…

Travel Photography | India | New Delhi | Kashmir | Agra | Part III

Wazari Wazir

Wazari Wazir

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