Head Count:

The Skinny: Kargil is the unfortunate town closest to the Pakistani border in this section of Northwestern India to have seen it's fair share of warfare in the last five years. Things are quiet now, but still laying underneath the surface is a feeling of vulnerability in the town. The town also introduced us to our short tour of Islamic sites, so very different in culture and beliefs than our previous few weeks surrounded by Buddhism.

What Thar Be: We only stayed long enough to catch some sleep and jump back on the bikes the next day.

Digs: There are planty of cheap hotels to choose from in Kargil. We stayed at the Greenland, just off the main road.

Vittles: Not so many choices, but we ate at a cheap place along the main street.

Hooch Factor: didn't even try.

Navigability: Traffic was a little thick, but we basically just cruised in and cruised out.

Sliding In and Out: The road leading up to Zojila Pass led us out of the barren, moonlike, landscapes of Ladakh and through "enemy-effective fire zones" near the Pakistani border. Over the pass, we crept down into the lush, green, valley of Kashmir.