53 thoughts on “Kashmir Express”

    1. I’ve been on the road now for
      two months, so I’m cruising 😎
      The hardest thing about being
      away from home … is leaving
      Puppy behind. Fortunately we’ve
      also left the kids behind so Puppy
      could get fed. Just not sure who’s
      meant to be looking after the kids 🤔
      Hope you had a pleasant sojourn
      as well. I was missing the brilliance
      of your prolific poetry 💛

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      2. The Planet Earth can no longer
        accommodate the old tribalism.
        Industrialised modern warefare,
        and globalisation has made that
        crystal clear. The world has more
        important problems to sort out
        than ancient religion based
        squabbles over territory.
        Forgiveness for the past
        would be a great start.
        But I can’t see that happening
        without a Love Resurrection.
        Thanks William for commenting 🙏

        Liked by 2 people

      6. Just got home late last night, Stella.
        I believe I’ve driven 7,500 miles in
        the last two months. Managed to
        not hit any kangaroos, wallabies,
        wombats, echidnas, or emus. But
        had a few close calls. Puppy was
        ecstatic, and very relieved 😎

        Liked by 2 people

  6. Absolutely fantastic carpets, David.

    I’m glad Puppy is going to enjoy his magic carpet ride.

    When I first read the title Kashmir Express, I thought you were going to be talking about Pakistan’s insane Minister of Railways who was quoted in the London Telegraph last week that he’s planning to use railway cars to fire miniature nuclear missiles at India.

    Of course no doubt hashish dealers are pleased that some of their products are being consumed by the most influential people in South Asia.

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    1. Yes Chris, it’s an ancient Kashmir
      tradition . . . With never a frown
      whiffing & spliffing Golden Brown.
      The only thing is it seems to leave the
      local politicians in a whirling dervish
      of beserkergang blood-lust 😎

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    1. My pleasure, Marisela 💛
      I’ve been on the road for two months,
      and missing Puppy terribly 😢
      So I put her picture in just to let her
      know that I was thinking of her.
      She’s actually a few years old, but
      never got any bigger than a small cat,
      so she’s stuck with the name Puppy 😎

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  8. The Subcontinent is a richest of all,
    Which one had the magnificent Mughals and the tribal chiefs.
    The people might be a touch boring,
    But you always find some of your own.
    The carpets they make in Kashmir,
    Where you go by a crowded train.
    They say it was the softest wool there could be,
    Coming from the Pashmina Sheep.
    It is the home and the heaven which tourists flock to see.
    But peace no longer remains…….

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    1. Much of the grand archicture to be
      found in Pakistan, India, & Kashmir,
      such as the Taj Mahal, was built by
      the all conquering Moghals, who
      orininated from Uzbekistan. Their
      cultural influence still resonates
      in many of the places we visited
      in the subcontinent.
      Most of the northern Indian states
      are still technically ruled by the
      Maharajas and Maharanas.
      True Persian rugs can be made
      from camel hair, silk, or wool.
      But for me, it had to be Pasmina
      Kashmir (Cashmere), of course 😎

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      1. Sorry for being so late,
        Pakistan is a forgotten place,
        Though they have the kindest people,
        And the most beautiful moulds,
        Of human intensity.
        Kashmir is paradise,
        The home of god,
        Just as if there is a place,
        Where you can be alone and with beautiful people
        At the same time.
        India is a rich country,
        Glad you visited.
        Taj Mahal is a bit overrated,
        Though the white marble in the moonlight is like earth’s God.
        Yet, there is a lot left to see,
        From the colorful city of Jodjpur,
        To the sunset at Kanyakumari.

        Liked by 4 people

      2. I’m still travelling a cyberless outback,
        Scott, So I’m blogging in social media
        slow motion. Like an occasional
        underwater gasp of oxygen 🗨️🐬
        I agree that the Taj Mahal, impressive
        as it is from the outside, but when
        inside you realise it’s but a white
        marble mausoleum.
        I found the Maharana’s Palace, at
        Udaipur, much more alive, creative,
        and rich in cultural history.

        Liked by 1 person

    1. I’m starting to worry for an old
      school friend who moved there
      years ago. He was an Australian
      citizen, but was adopted by a Sufi
      Muslim, and was then able to
      move there and buy land. Without
      that ‘adoption’ (despite being a
      fully grown adult) he would never
      have been allowed to become a
      Kashmir citizen, or land owner.

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      1. I know that, David! You keep most of your profound thoughts close to your chest, spilling them occasionally. I can’t say what the Mahatma would have said but I am sure he would have shed a tear or two. 😢

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      2. As previously mentioned, Punam,
        I have walked in the Mahatma’s
        footsteps. But that’s another story
        that I’ll share with you someday.
        Needless to say, the men of violence
        always end up regretting their
        actions. And if lucky enough to
        have the chance, come to some
        kind of repentance.

        Liked by 1 person

      3. Yes, you have David! I do hope you are right about men of violence regretting their actions. These days they often strut around boasting about their misdeeds and trying to bully people into believing what they did was right! But I have hope in your belief.

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      4. For but a season, Punam.

        “There’s a love that’s divine
        And it’s yours and it’s mine
        And it shines like the sun
        At the end of the day
        we will give thanks and pray
        to the One.” ~Van Morrison

        Liked by 2 people

    1. Thank you muchly, Katy 🙏
      Yes, I’ve just done about 5,000
      kilometres driving. Seriously!
      With another thousand to get home.
      Australia is truly the lucky country,
      but it’s so vast you need to drive fast.
      But at least you don’t need a visa
      or passport to get past any border 😎

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