I left the Sikh driver after his mysterious race, relieved to be on stable ground.
On the one hand, Srinagar was disappointing. The town had the all too familiar neglected appearance, and the food was different from anywhere else I’d been in India.

There was a lack of flavour compared to the spicy south, and the addition of raisins as a side dish wasn’t for me.
On the other hand, there was the lake to explore and the snow capped mountains along with the cooler air to look forward to. Here was a perfect place to take a breather from crowded buses and sweaty temperatures.