...It was amazing to see this large army commander with all of his 'power' take a few steps backward. Our friend Jen had caught him completely off guard, and we were hoping that he believed what she said. Part of it was true...she did know someone at the consulate, even if all they did was help process lost passports. If he didn't buy it, well then we may have written our own epitaphs, and with no one sure of where we were, it would take a while for us to be missed. We stood there as united as could be as the commander regained his composure. He called a few of his other officers over as they discussed the situation at hand in Hindi.

Finally the commander shouted a few orders then made a hand gesture to the now shaking drivers who were still kneeling down. Two men walked over to them, kicked them in the face and stomach again, yanked them to their feet, and pushed them towards our truck with the barrel of their rifles...

photo(c) TwoFeathers 1999
~All over Dal Lake you will find both enchanting neighborhoods and interesting people. Some people have compared this paradise to Venice. This photo and the next few will give you some idea of the diversity on the lake~