Himalayas & Mountain Camels - Final day in Leh

Opened the curtains to see that it was raining today, so decided against the drive to Lake Pangong. I had planned to spend the night at the lake, but it was nice to have a break from driving, so I decided to visit some of the local sites instead. First stop was the impressive Thiksey Monastery, some 15km from Leh. En-route there were many old stupas (Buddhist shrines) set against the backdrop of more imposing mountains. Thiksey Monastery is quite vast in size and seems to house quite a few lamas (Buddhist scholars) and I caught sight of a few young Buddhists draped in robes scurrying to their classes. The views weren’t as clear due to the cloud cover, but nevertheless still impressive. As with most Tibetan monasteries, it contained idols of various incarnations of Lord Buddha, tapestries depicting the life of Buddha and blended together bright orange, yellow, blue and green colours in a vibrant, yet non-gaudy way.

It was already approaching lunchtime, so I decided to head back into Leh and fancied pizza for a change. I had been recommended to go to Il Forno, an excellent outdoor restaurant, which took some climbing up rickety stairs to its roof terrace. The stone-oven pizza was delicious and just as I was finishing off my meal, the heavens opened up and the makeshift fabric shelter started to leak conveniently above my head! So I paid and scampered down the stairs and across to Desert Rain, a chilled-out coffee shop, which brewed ‘real’ coffee (instead of the instant Nescafe variety, which is the norm). I watched down from the window, where I could see street vendors still doing business in the pouring rain, Ladakhi ladies sitting by the roadside selling vegetables, totally unperturbed by the downpour, and cows and donkeys meandering between cars and scooters on the busy road. Leh may be very small, but it definitely has a unique feel about it and a charm all of its own.

I had been given a complimentary ticket for the last day of the Ladakh Confluence, a music festival hosted every year in Ladakh. It has grown in stature over the years attracting the likes of Talvin Singh, Zakir Hussain, foreign bands and upcoming musicians. I made for the festival ground late evening in almost pitch black, as the electricity had gone. There was a small gathering mingling around an impromptu bonfire as a guy by the name of Suchit Malhotra, an upcoming Indian artist, took to the stage. He soon got us all into a frenzy with some amazing drumming (Indian and bongo drums). It wasn’t quite Glastonbury, but due to the rain, I managed to get covered in a good layer of mud! It was quite an intimate setting, and made all the more special with the silhouette of the Himalayan mountain range in the background.

Tomorrow is the first day of the annual Ladakh festival (Sep 1-15), but unfortunately I have to leave this remote part of India and head back to the heat of the capital. In the space of a few days I have been literally left breathless by the spectacular scenery (and the altitude!), and humbled by the warm hospitality of the Ladakhi people. I know I’ll be back. Jooley Ladakh!

- Rahul

Himalayas & Mountain Camels - Nubra Valley to Leh

Had the best night’s sleep of the trip so far, maybe it was due to the soothing sound of the constantly running stream nearby. It had rained a little overnight, but the clouds soon made way allowing the mountains to show off their fortitude once more. After breakfast I wandered around the small (very small) village of Hunder, and then left the excellent eco-retreat on my way to Diskit, home to a small Tibetan monastery nestled up in the mountainside. I had to climb some steps to get there, but the view was truly stunning. Since there was hardly anyone else there, this also added to the feeling of remoteness. It made me wonder how Tibetans must have migrated from their homeland through the mountains and set up these magnificent temples in such precarious locations.

After a while, I continued on my journey back to Leh. I had to travel via Khardung La again, and soon I felt the altitude taking its toll on me again. Although the driver advised me to stay in the jeep, I had to get out for the mandatory photo, just about managing to stay on my feet! The drive was just as spectacular in reverse. On arrival into Leh, a hot cup of masala chai did me the world of good.

In the evening, I got to meet up with Sajid, a real nice guy who was a friend of the hotel owner. He’s local to Ladakh, and very well travelled. In fact, over dinner he was telling me how he has been doing video and photography work for the World Bank, and he had recently won 2 awards for best press photograph. I can’t wait to take a look at his work. Ladakhis in general seem to be very friendly and welcoming. They are happy that Ladakh is on the traveller’s map now, but due to its remoteness, I very much hope that this remains one of India’s best kept hideaways.

- Rahul

Himalayas & Mountain Camels - Khardung La Pass and Nubra Valley

Woke up with a horrible headache and body aches, not sure if it was due to altitude, exhaustion, or both. I had planned to leave for Nubra Valley at 8am, but didn’t get out until 11am. We seemed to climb eternally, as our jeep weaved around infinite curves on our way to the world’s highest motorable road, Khardung La Pass. At the risk of sounding repetitive, the mountains looked even more awesome. For large parts, they seemed like huge forgotten mounds of dry rock. Then all of a sudden, there were glimpses of snow-capped peaks. And as if by some bizarre trick of nature, there were large patches of greenery. The views were unlike anything I had ever seen before.

My head had not fully recovered, and I could definitely feel the effects of altitude when I reached Khardung La Pass, which stands over 18,000 feet above sea level. Tibetan prayer flags waved in their hundreds, and I could feel goosebumps thinking that I was standing at one of the world’s highest vantage points. After digesting where I was, I continued on to Nubra Valley, a remarkable area defined by its unique sand dunes. I checked into the wonderfully relaxed eco-retreat, set amongst sunflowers, marigolds, vegetables, where the silence was occasionally disturbed by the falling of apricots, apples and walnuts from the trees.

After a cup of hot masala chai, I wandered off to the sand dunes, where I finally managed to ride the famous double-humped Himalayan camel (Bactrian camel). It was thrilling to ride on top of this awesome beast as I ventured with my guide into the depths of the sand dunes, as the sun began to set.

I returned to the eco-retreat for a hearty Indian meal which rounded off another exhilarating day.

- Rahul

Himalayas & Mountain Camels - Rafting in the Zanskar

After a good breakfast I set off in my jeep for rafting. The terrain here in Ladakh is incredibly arid, with some astounding rock formations, constantly changing in colour, from deep purples to bright turquoise. Set against another royal blue sky, the colours stood out even more. After 2 hours of driving, I finally reached the aptly named village of Chilling, which was the departure point for the raft.

There was a good turnout of rafters, and after our safety briefing and donning of our wet suits, we were ready to take on the rapids. We were to set off down the River Zanskar for 28km, with the end point coming at the confluence of the River Zanskar and River Indus. I last went rafting some 6 years ago in Africa, so I had forgotten just how tiring this can be, especially in the face of strong sunlight. Apart from the jaw-dropping backdrop of mountains, the most memorable moment was when we hit a rapid and one of our rafters fell into the water. For some 10 seconds she was out of sight, then we caught sight of her floating sandal, before she promptly surfaced when our guide hauled her to the safety of the raft. At the end, I tucked into a richly deserved lunch and then headed back to Leh.

En-route I stopped at Magnetic Hill, so called because this particular spot seems to defy gravity. To the naked eye the road appears to go downhill, yet when we put our jeep into neutral, it rolled backwards in the opposite direction! From there, I went on to Gurudwara Pathar Sahib, which is revered by Sikhs, as a rock formation bears the resemblance of the Guru Nanak. After an eventful and tiring day, I finally reached Leh, wandered around the bazaar for a while and decided to call it a night. Tomorrow is another action-packed day.

Himalayas & Mountain Camels - Leh

Early start to the day with a 6am flight from Delhi to Leh. I was hugely impressed by the revamped domestic airport, which really does look world class. The 90 min flight was the best I have ever taken, purely for the dramatic scenery. I was able to see the magnificent Himalayan mountain range with its snow-capped peaks, barren landscapes, jagged columns of rock, all set against a perfect blue sky and clouds.

On arrival, I checked into the hotel, which had a serene Tibetan feel. The room was comfortable and I was given strict instructions to only rest for the best part of the day due to the altitude of Leh, which stands at 3500m above sea level. Seeing as I hadn’t slept the past week this was no problem! Come late afternoon, I made a short trip to Shanti Stupa, a Buddhist shrine, which offers breathtaking panoramic views of Ladakh, which looked especially spectacular with the setting sun.

Leh has a vibrant feel about it, which was apparent when walking through the bazaar. The region is known as ‘Little Tibet’, so it’s no surprise to find that many of the souvenirs and goods for sale are Tibetan influenced, although there are also plenty of other handcrafted items from other parts of Kashmir.

Tomorrow I should be fully acclimatised, and look forward to a day of white-water rafting on the River Indus and checking out some of the nearby sights.

- Rahul