Leh, Ladakh
Where heaven meets Earth
Before I begin, here is a sneak-peak:
· Leh is considered to be one among of the must-visit places in India. It is the second largest district in India, after Kutch, Gujarat, at an altitude of 11,562 feet (3524 m). A few parts of the movie, 3 Idiots, was shot in Ladakh.
· It has one of the highest airports in the world, at an altitude of 10682 feet (3256 m) above sea level. It is an out-of-the-world experience to land at the Kushok Bakula Rimpochhe Airport, Leh, Ladakh. You don’t land amidst the Himalayas everyday, do you?
· The terrain is the most amazing one — you get to experience snow, desert, rivers, tiny streams, warm smiles, camels, yaks and other flora and fauna.
· Pangong Tso Lake is a scenic lake, which crosses international boundaries. You will have to cross Chang La (third highest motor able road in the world), to reach this place.
· It is home to Nubra Valley, which separates Ladakh and Karakoram ranges of the Himalayas. To reach Nubra Valley, a picturesque valley at an altitude of around 10000 feet (3048 m) above sea level, you have to cross Khardung La, which is considered to be one of the highest motor able passes in the world. Nubra Valley, a cold desert, home to Bactrian camels (two-humped camels) and sand dunes, is a stunning natural wonder.
· Ladakh is known for several monasteries, including the Shanti Stupa, at a height of 13,999 feet (4267m) above sea level, which holds the relics of the Buddha at its base, enshrined by the 14th Dalai Lama. The architectural style of this Stupa is unique as it was built by Japanese and Ladakhi Buddhists and is a part of the Peace Pagoda mission.
· Indus River flows through this district and the Sangam where Indus River meets Zanskar River is a treat to the eyes.
Through my eyes — Leh, you beauty!
Our trip started off on 24th May 2015 from Bangalore. We landed in Delhi, spent a day in the scorching summer heat of around 47 degree Celsius and then took a morning flight, next day, to Leh. There are flights to Leh only in the mornings and we left Delhi in the wee hours of the morning (3 AM). Our flight to Leh was scheduled to take off at 5 AM. The flight duration is around 1 hour and I was excited that I was embarking on yet another adventure, after the Charlie Hebdo incident in Paris, a few months ago. I was contemplating the acclimatization, from roughly 20 degrees in Bangalore to 47 degrees in Delhi to 0 degree in Leh. Now, that’s called extreme weather variations. After a sumptuous breakfast on the flight, it was sheer moments of joy for we were amidst the majestic Himalayas. There was considerable amount of air turbulence and we were asked to fasten our seat belts. Everyone on the flight was busy, clicking pictures of the panoramic view of the Himalayas and the sun rise.
25th May, 2015
We landed in Leh at about 6 AM at the Kushok Bakula Rimpochhe Airport, Ladakh and went to our hotel, along with the tour representative. The hotel was a nice one and bore a resemblance to any other hotel in Ladakh. An interesting insight I gained was regarding the uniqueness of architecture in Ladakh — similar intricate wooden designs, resulting in similar homestays/guesthouses. On our way, we saw the beautiful city of Leh, waking up to the warm sun rise. The temperature rose by 1 degree every hour or so till around 3 PM up to 5 degrees and then it plummeted; an observation during my 7 days of stay. The temperature was consistent, for say 3 hours, at 4 degrees and then by around 9 PM, it would be 0 degree again. Between 11 PM and 6 AM, the temperature oscillated in the subzero range. According to the local Ladakhis, this year May was relatively colder compared to all these years, as May marks the onset of summer.
We stayed back at the hotel on the first day to acclimatise ourselves to this sudden change. Staring at the Himalayas through the window while lying warm in your bed is heavenly. We had light and healthy meals comprising rice, chapathi, dal and vegetable gravy for lunch and dinner daily. The breakfast comprised of tea/coffee/milk, corn flakes, sandwiches and parathas.
26th May, 2015 (Monasteries Tour)
We visited the magnificent Hemis monastery, which was established in 1672 AD by King Senge Nampar Gyalva. This monastery is 40km from Leh and possesses hidden treasures of years bygone. Hemis Monastery is known for its vibrant Hemis festival that happens in July.
So, if you are planning to visit Leh then, Hemis festival is a must-see on your itinerary. Next, we headed to Thiksey Monastery, where we had lunch before proceeding to the monastery. Thiksay or Thikse, is located at a distance of around 19km from Leh. The monastery is located at an altitude of 11,800 feet (3600 m) in the Indus Valley. This twelve-story complex houses many items of Buddhist art such as stupas, statues, thangkas, wall paintings and swords. One of the main points of interest is the Maitreya Temple installed to commemorate the visit of the 14th Dalai Lama to this monastery in 1970; it contains a 49 feet high statue of Maitreya, the largest statue in Ladakh. The last monastery for the day was Shanti Stupa. This piece of wonder offers beautiful panoramic views, apart from the sacrosanct value it holds. After spending some time at this place, we headed back to our hotel.
27th May, 2015 (Leh — Khardung La — Nubra)
I was excited about this day for this route has an interesting history associated with it. We were en route Nubra Valley via the famous Khardung La (La means “pass” in Tibetan). This pass on the Ladakh region lies north of Leh and is the gateway to the Shyok and Nubra valleys. The Siachen Glacier lies towards the north of Nubra valley.
Khardung La is historically important as it lies on the Silk route from Leh to Kashgar in Central Asia.
About 10,000 horses and camels used to take the route annually, and a small population of Bactrian camels can still be seen at Hunder, in the area north of the pass. During World War 2, there was an attempt to transfer war material to China through this route. Though the approximate travel time to Nubra Valley is estimated to be around 5–6 hours, it took us close to 10 hours. This was because, Border Roads Organization, which maintains this road, had blocked the pass to clear the unexpected snowfall that happened a couple of days ago and it took them close to 3 days to clear up the snow. Additionally, they informed us that Khardung La follows vehicular restrictions and strict timings (if you are heading to Khardung La, reach between 9 AM and 1 PM; else if you are returning to Leh, reach the check post between 2 PM and 5 PM). In case you do not make it in time, then they’ll either send you back or you are stuck on that route until any further vehicular movement is possible. It was unfortunate to hear that just 5 hours before we reached that pass, 3 vehicles had been washed down due to an avalanche and the route was now under the control of Indian Army. We were stuck on this route for close to 4 hours. We had sufficient supplies of food and water to last all of us for the day. Meanwhile, while we were stuck on the pass, we walked around for a while, made snowmen and explored the terrain, though it is not advised to stay out for too long. All of a sudden, we were asked to rush towards our vehicles for there was a snowstorm approaching. We let the storm pass by and our journey continued. One word of caution, here; DO NOT fall asleep while travelling on the passes, as you are travelling to an altitude of around 18380 feet and oxygen is low at this altitude. (REASON: If you do fall asleep, your breathing rate decreases and serious health consequences might occur). So, ensure you have chocolates or are busy clicking pictures of the breath-taking views. It was 7 PM by the time we reached Nubra. We had a bon fire camp and then we decided to call it a day.
28th May, 2015 (Nubra — Khardung La — Leh)
The main attractions of Nubra Valley are the high altitude desert, with sprawling expanses of white sand (Hunder sand dunes) and Diskit monastery. On this day, we headed to the sand dunes of Hunder, which is situated at a distance of 7 km from Nubra Valley. We wore the traditional Ladakhi costumes, clicked pictures, walked on the white sand of the desert, and experienced Bactrian camel rides.
A Bactrian camel, a critically endangered species, is a two-humped camel that can tolerate extreme climatic variations (-40 degrees to 40 degrees).
We then left towards Diskit Monastery, which is the oldest and the largest Buddhist Gompa in Nubra Valley. This Gompa has a statue of Maitreya Buddha, 32 meters in height, and it faces the Shyok River towards Pakistan. After a light lunch at this place, we headed back to the Khargung La, given it had vehicular restrictions.
On our way back, our vehicle skid and when I peeped out of the window from the rear end of the car, all I could see was abyss. That feeling when you are in a no-network place and anything might happen to you is inexplicable. I thanked my stars as the driver was able to maneuver and steer us back on to the icy path. By late evening, we were back to our hotel in Leh. Those life changing experiences, makes you ponder about the enigma of life.
29th May, 2015 (Leh — Pangong Tso — Leh)
After a good night’s sleep, we were all set to visit Pangong Tso Lake. To reach this natural wonder, you have to cross, Chang La. The journey to Pangong Tso, took us around 4.5 hours and since we had to return on the same day, we didn’t spend more than 4 hours at the lake. On our way, we saw a rare phenomenon — a solar halo.
Since we didn’t have cellular network on the mountain ranges, it took me a few hours to figure what that spectacular wonder was. Pangong Tso, is known for its climax scene in the Bollywood movie of 3 Idiots. The pictures say it all. After lunch and a couple of panoramic shots later, we started our return journey to Leh. Pangong Tso, is a beautiful lake where tourists camp for a night to witness its beauty in the night.
A word of caution: The place gets very cold in the night and becomes unbearable in the early hours of the morning, when there is no power. On our way back, we saw Rancho’s school from the Bollywood movie, 3 Idiots.
30th May, 2015 (Sham Valley — Sangam — Magnetic Hill — Gurudwara — Adventure Park — Kargil History)
On the sixth day of our trip, we went to Sham Valley and spent a few hours at the Ladakh Adventure Park, maintained by the Indian Army. Next, we headed to The Sangam (Confluence of the rivers Indus and Zanskar). After admiring the sheer scenic views, we headed towards the famed Magnetic Hill, after which we went to Gurdwara Pathar Sahib, close to Leh. This holy place was constructed in the memory of Guru Nanak in 1517, at an altitude of 12000 feet above sea level, to commemorate Guru Nanak’s visit to the Ladakh region. We didn’t have the time to have a sumptuous meal at the traditional langar as we had to cover a lot more that day. We spent a while admiring the history of Kargil War at the Ladakh Hall of Fame and had a late lunch at the café there. In the evening we headed back to the hotel for rest.
31st May, 2015 (Local sightseeing)
The final day of our trip was more relaxed as we started off later in the morning unlike the other days. We visited the ancient Royal Leh Palace. The Palace Museum, inside, was a house to a rich collection of jewellery, ornaments, ceremonial dresses and crowns. We spent the afternoon at the local Leh market and had lunch at a Tibetan restaurant. We headed back to the hotel a little earlier than usual, as we had to start packing.
1st June, 2015 (Leh-Delhi-Bangalore)
Our flight was scheduled to depart at 7 AM and we had to be in the airport 2 hours prior. We were informed that no hand baggage would be allowed when departing from Leh, prior and we packed accordingly. Since the airport is really small amidst high security, the airport personnel check-in your baggage only after you identify your luggage after the traditional check-in that happens anywhere else in the world. So, after re-checking in our luggage, we finished the other airport checks and boarded the plane to Delhi. It was one of the most beautiful take off ever and it was spectacular.
When we landed in Delhi, we got rid of all the winter wear. Luckily, Delhi’s temperature had plummeted to 25 degree Celsius from the earlier 47 degree Celsius. We visited a couple of places in Delhi, had lunch at Connaught Place and headed back to the airport. Our flight to Bangalore was delayed and we reached Bangalore, a couple of hours later. It was 2nd June, 2015, by the time, we reached home (Namma Bengaluru).
So, what was the takeaway from this trip? Well, this trip was priceless. Ladakhis greeting you with warm smiles, cold and barren deserts, one of the oldest civilizations, Indus Valley, disputed land, international boundaries, the vibrant Monasteries, the rich heritage, absolutely brilliant nature, amazing terrains, snow and sand. All in all, it was an experience of sorts, truly out of the world. Leh, Ladakh, is a place, where Heaven meets Earth.
