At 5.36pm on 04 May 2024, we were on board a barge, in front of “our” houseboat.
We were about to head out into the quiet, unpopulated part of Dal Lake, well away from houses and houseboats.
Late afternoon light was flattering the houseboats that were directly opposite “ours”.
A few minutes later MV Bulbul (pictured in immediately-preceding post) would fire up, and begin to tow us, very slowly, toward the lake’s more “open” waters.
For a while, Dal Lake’s southern shore was still close by, and – until darkness descended – clearly visible.
We were definitely not “slumming it”.
The barge sported a lot of very shiny woodwork, a large, carpeted floor, and generous quantities of food and drinks were on board.
However, as this series’ next chapter will illustrate, this barge was not merely a floating restaurant/bar.