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2003-08-17 - Srinagar (Day 124)

Today is a catch-up day, I spend morning, early afternoon working on the photos from the water trek until the power is turned off, and my notebook batteries are used up. The power in Srinagar only is on for half a day which is yet another thing keeping the area in a repressed state.

With the power off and happy to be back in relatively clear water; I go out with on of the Tuman sons Yassin for a swim in the lake. The lake is filled with weeds just below the surface, which must have been the model for many of the plastic plants I've used in fish tanks, which made the swimming very different, as it would tangle on your legs and arms making it impossible to swim. The trick was to try to see the passageways that had been cut by the shikaras in the lake and use them as routes to swim in, but as soon as one went off track or the paths filled in as they inevitably did, you are stuck again in the grapping weeds.

There was a swimming boat, a houseboat that was used as a platform and lunch place in the middle of the lake and I decided to see if I was still in shape by swimming out the 400-500 meters to the boat. The distance I found wasn't that bad though a long ways but trying to navigate through the weeds was amazingly tough. However the swim out was exhilarating and Yassin and I sat on the houseboat and watched the sun go down on the peaceful lake. I was again very gratified I had been on Nageen Lake and not the main Dal Lake, which there would have been no chance at such quiet and peace.

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