THE HOTEL GRAND MUMTAZ, PT. TWO

Departing Srinagar was proving to be as difficult as arriving had been without the luggage. Still, the cancellation of all the departure flights from SXR yielded a tasty nugget, the highlight of the trip to date: a free stay and meals at the Hotel Grand Mumtaz, Srinagar, transport included.

The Grand Mumtaz took my previous experience of comfort in Srinagar and raised it to a much higher level. I was lodged in a spacious room and ate excellent food. The shower was hot and the pressure strong. The central heat was warm and constant, the cable always worked, the power never went out. I cleaned myself up entirely. The irony was craptaculicious - I was at my Sunday best but the flu had me beat. I stay in on my last night in Srinagar.

In the morning I read the papers over breakfast and wait for the taxi to SXR. It was unclear if planes were flying and the weather looked dubious. The newspaper stories were describing that seasonal fog chaos in DEL was disrupting flights and stranding passengers, so I was warily optimistic as we left the Grand Mumtaz.
Photo credit: MHIP