I peeked out of my window and saw the blue skies, etc etc and was overjoyed. Woohoo - what a nice day for riding!

I geared up and said goodbye to my friends at Rohella guest house and set out for Srinagar
The yatra season was over by the time I was there, so I had this beautiful road all to myself  - and I thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of zooming up those beautiful, wide and well-maintained roads while revelling in the Himalayan views!
WooHoo! This was amazing biking! WooHoo!
Coming down towards the main road, I could see the beautiful ‘Betaab valley’ below. This picturesque valley is officially called Wadi e Hajan, or Hajan valley -  but that name was totally forgotten, after some scenes from a Bollywood movie called ‘Betaab’ were filmed there. Since then it has been called ‘Betaab valley’.
It’s quite fascinating if you think about it - by now that movie is old and forgotten… - but the name of the valley will stay on forever!
the J&K tourism department has developed a tourist park there, with walkways and pony rentals and tourist-traps of every kind. Jolly stuff for those who like it, but not to my taste.
I rode down the hill roads, engrossed in the beauty of the place - stopping wherever I found a lovely spot - and humming one of the best Bollywood songs about Kashmir.


‘Kitni khoobsurat yeh tasveer hai. Mausam bemisal be-nazeer hai.
Yeh Kashmir hai, yeh Kashmir hai.’ ​
Now I was back on the main road and off to Srinagar! The prettiest capital in India!