The following morning, the hotel owner drove me to a small village where some semi-–nomadic Gujjars stay for the winter. The tiny road took us past some crude shelters made out of stone, logs, and grasses - the type of dwelling the Gujjar tribe (one of the largest ethnic tribes in Kashmir) used to build. The house we visited was made out of brick and its interior covered with a smooth layer of mud. With the parents away at the market, a young boy promptly gave us some tea. A bit later, a woman came in. I admired the traditional embroidered hat that she wore. Small, tight braids similar to that worn by African American people framed her face, a style typical of the Gujjars. In a couple months, the family would make their way up into the mountains where they would graze their sheep. With the mountains full of flowers and green grass, what a beautiful surrounding these shepherds must have in the summer!
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