OUR FIRST VISIT TO THE APPLE TOWN OF SHOPIAN .

Shopian in Kashmir Valley is well known as the APPLE TOWN. Its alway in the news for all wrong reasons, so alway we skipped this place, as we travelled across extensively in J&K....might be some sort of fear in heart. Last saturday , we just planned for a drive on the Mughal road , at Poonch district.... though , we loved that drive last time we took it from Bafliaz to Peer Ki gali , total 44kms dream drive across the Ratan panjal range...... but this time we thought to extend our drive from Peer ki gali onto Shopian town in Kashmir Valley.
     As one takes on the drive from Peer ki gali , there's lots of checking before one crosses over..... Its Now DUBJAN......................... Oh, God..... what a creation of Almighty, we were awestruck by the beauty of nature. As we drove , we got to see Aliabad Sarai, a historical sight built during Mughal period..... Dubjan is truely mesmerizing..... one gets to see another Sarai ,offcourse in ruins called Sukh Sarai........................

It was truely amazing as we drove off to HEERPORA,which was more a valley from where the Apple Orchards starts................ I was very eagerly waiting to see my favourite PINK LADY Apple trees, untill we stopped a while to have a peep into those acres of Apple orchards spread across on both side of the roads. though , its still 2 more months to ripe but we were all very excited to pose with those apple trees..................... Now we wanted to drive further into SHOPIAN town to see the way of life of those people,...................... It felt ,a different landscape as we drove,the people there have a totally different way of dressing both men & women , got lovely houses with big farms of Apple & Cherries.... I chanced to speak to a localite there, they r really good..... he was so pleased to speak to me ,that he shared his lunch ie garden fresh cherries from his own farm , a km inside the village................. I really got so impressed by the persons behaviour. I really loved their simplicity besides their beautiful town ......Don't know , whether i will again get a chance to be there or not but today , I am not scared of the place anymore.... I think , media alway portray the wrong image instead of highlighting the good and diverse culture all across.