Word: valleyful
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...Kashmir. The present election comes at a crucial triple crossroad. America's clarity on terrorism since the Sept. 11 attacks has knocked the foundation out of Pakistan's jihad in Kashmir. New Delhi's commitment to free and fair polls has resurrected faith in self-rule in the valley. And Pakistan's return to Army autocracy has ended any illusions Kashmiri Muslims might have entertained about their alleged benefactor. A Nielsen poll conducted in the middle of the election for the Asian Age, indicated that not even 1% of the valley's Muslims now want to join Pakistan...
...India's deviation from secularism has not diluted the faith Kashmiris have in it. Their moderate Sufi-based culture and value system is still the predominant ethic despite their persecution. One of the more startling findings of the Nielsen poll was that more than 95% of the valley's Muslims found the ethnic cleansing that drove Kashmiri Hindus out in the '90s repugnant; they wanted to see this authentic Kashmiri Hindu community resettled. This is a view with serious political implications, since a return of the Hindu population means renewal of a plural society. Of course, plenty of Kashmiri Muslims...
...that's the quizzical response many Thais give when foreigners ask for information about this quaint, little burg set in a pastoral mountain valley 135 kilometers northwest of Chiang Mai. "You mean Phrae?" they ask. No. The savvy foreigners mean Pai, which, until recently, was one of northern Thailand's better-kept secrets...
...There isn't a lot to do in Pai, which is part of its allure. You can rent bicycles, motorbikes or jeeps and explore the several temples, waterfalls and hot springs scattered throughout the valley. Or you can just hang out. "The distractions here are the ones you make for yourself," says Daniel Eiland, a twentysomething Thai-American musician at Latino Swimming Pool who moved to Pai from Chiang Mai several years ago. A wander through the daily afternoon market on Rungsiyanon Road offers a great window on Pai-style multiculturalism. Wizened Karen hill-tribe grandmas with dark turbans wrapped...
...MAGNIFICENT SEVEN Affordable no-star accommodation out of town is available for those with their own transportation. A funky cartoon billboard near Thom's Elephant Camp (about six kilometers south of Pai in the middle of the valley near Tha Pai Hot Springs) announces the well-designed and landscaped bungalow complex called Spa Exotic Home. Run by a decidedly non-bohemian former Bangkok businesswoman with an eye for detail and a faith in word-of-mouth promotion, the seven individual bungalows have Balinese-style bathrooms with private hot mineral water tubs. Spa's peaceful and intimate rooms...