The Waters of Dal Lake
The room is quite reasonably
priced, and relatively clean. The man at the front desk explained that hot
water would be available from 6 to 8 in the evening and from 7 to 9 in the
morning . Unlike those in more tourist oriented areas, the bathroom is Indian
style. It has a bucket, scoop, and wooden stool for bathing, a hole in the
floor as a toilet, and a jug of water rather than toilet paper. As you know,
bathing is accomplished by filling the bucket with water of a comfortable
temperature, squatting on the stool, and using the scoop to pour water over
oneself.
Your first activity is exploring the canals of the town by luxurious
shikara or water taxi. You lounge on cushions in the shade of a canopy
as you tour the canals, busy with boats of all sizes and also children swimming
and adults washing. Later you enter the lake which is nearly as busy as
the canals, full of vendors selling everything imaginable from their boats.
One such boat approaches yours and the man explains that he sells handicrafts
and would be happy to show them to you in your shikara. As the sun glows
pink and sinks toward the surface of the lake, you head back to town, stopping
to visit some floating gardens where crops grow supported by floating plants.
