Gulmarg, Himalayas

It's not the luxury James and I were expecting but at least there is running hot water and the staff are very friendly and solicitous - breakfast is "whenever we want it" - there doesn't seem to be a restaurant closing time...

Scratch that. Running water is a bit of a misnomer - its more like trickling water. And the water is not hot - you have to request it to be heated in advance. Sometimes it runs, and sometimes they have to bring it to you in a bucket.

And the hotel is actually still under construction.

The bedding is clean but stained - so are the towels. However, they all reek of cigarette smoke, which has made me chesty and not helped James' flu either.

Still, the staff are very helpful.

James clearly doesn't know how to watch foreign language Soap Opera - had to teach him how to make up his own dialogue to go with the action...

Driving up a very zig-zaggy, icy road from Tangmarg to Gulmarg, with only 1 snow tire (a chain tied on to a regular tire with rope) and a bunch of roadhogs coming the other way. A couple of very harrowing near-misses but the only casualties were my heart and the side view mirror.

Some very amusing signs by the Gulmarg Development Authority - like "Please be calm on my curves", and "Gulmarg is a no-horn zone" - a sign which is studiously ignored at every blind hairpin corner.

Today is cold - below freezing at some points during the day. The snow is so deep we could quite easily step out of our first floor window into it... And I had to wade through knee-deep snow to get from the hotel across the way (with Internet access) back to our hotel, this afternoon.

Powder snow is not nearly as thirst quenching as you might think - probably because it's mostly air.

Tastes yummy - wonder what goes into it?

And now I am sick :( - kind of flu-y, exacerbated by the fact that we are in a smoking room, and all the bedding reeks of smoke. I have needed an Allergex every time I've gone into the room but only just realised why. And now that I've noticed the odour of cigarette smoke permeating the pillows and somewhat stained bedding, I can't stop noticing it...

Snug in bed with electric blanket on, watching a parade of monkeys of all ages troop past (pardon the pun)