Did We Mention There'd Be Monkeys?: FAT, Part One

During October, we embarked on a ten-day adventure known as the Forward Area Tour, or FAT. During the FAT, the College takes its students up to the Northern border with Pakistan or the Northeastern border with China. I chose North, so off I went to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. J and K is well-known as the site of many skirmishes between Pakistan and India, and as one of the highest battlefields in the world.

We began our trip at midnight with a three-hour bus drive down to Sulur Airfield to pick up an IL-76 transport aircraft. This would set the tone for the entire trip, 75% of which was spent on broken-down buses driving hour after hour over even more broken-down roads. Eventually, we reached the airfield to meet our plane. I'm not sure what the safe load on an IL-76 is, but we were certainly pushing the limit. About 200 of us were squeezed into the airplane with all of our luggage. Sweat and muscle cramps were served throughout the flight...

We made many stops along the way to drop off groups which were going to other areas for their FAT, and also to make sure we didn't go over three hours without a tea break. Our first stop was in Bagdogra, Gateway to the Northeast.

Zul (Malaysia), Naeem (Afghanistan), Tim (UK), Siti (Fiji), Riva (Indonesia), Jeff (US), me, and Lanka (Sri Lanka), with Ahmed (Saudi Arabia) in front...parting ways at Bagdogra.

Phady and I get ready to re-board the aircraft. Note the refueling going on behind us...very safe.

Our next stop was at Srinigar to drop off another group. This was just a quick stop, though tea and samosas were given yet again.

Ali (Oman), Amin (Afghanistan), Ruwan (Sri Lanka), and I waiting at Srinigar.

My group was the last to be dropped off. Finally the FAT was ready to begin. Our first night was a quick stay in Chandigarh. Chandigarh was designed entirely by a Frenchman who based the city around an orderly grid with huge avenues outlining each sector. It is the only large Indian city I've been in with orderly traffic. We did some quick shopping and went out to eat in the city before bedding down for an early wake-up call.

Group photo in Sector 17, the main shopping area in Chandigarh.

The next morning we arose early to catch our plane to the first stop in the forward area, Kargil. Kargil sits at over 9000 feet of altitude, and was our first exposure to the high altitude locations we'd be visiting for the next week. The air was crisp and clean, a rarity in India.