Visual Storytelling
A Himalayan Lake, Popularized by a Classic Movie, is the Perfect Place to Find Oneself
The vast expanse of blue water surrounded by lofty mountains will allure you leave a lasting impression.
Last year (around this time) as my Ladakh road trip was unfolding, I was getting more and more surprised. I was getting enchanted by a variety of landscapes (mountainous, valley, and a desert), I was feeling I was back in Israel as many Israelis were everywhere. Many places have signboards written in Hebrew. I knew that after compulsory military services, young Israelis take a long break and travel the world especially, India and South America. I was a bit ashamed that they were traveling for months in Ladakh while I was out there for a mere fortnight. We left the Israeli crowd in Turtuk, the outermost village of India, and moved in hinterland towards Pangong Tso.
It was quite a long ride. We were moving in a caravan. This road trip was an idea of my college friend. As I was submerged in launching my startup, he did the planning. We were in a group with five more tourists, a guide and a driver. Our trip was almost canceled due to the abolition of Article 370 and the reconstitution of Ladakh as a Union Territory of India. Yet, we managed to carry on the trip despite cancellation by the others. All the travelers were Mumbaikars and wanted some time away from hustle and bustle. People were playing games and sharing sweets. Meanwhile, it was my chance to be the DJ and take a short nap after an early morning walk in Hunder (stay tuned — follow to be notified when posted).
We were all tired by the time we reached the lake. The first look of the lake was majestic. Though previously, I had visited big lakes (Lake Mansarover and Lakes in Iceland), the turquoise blue water was enamoring. The shade of water changed with passing clouds. I observed as if I was in trance (photos below). We were hungry and had a plate full of Maggi noodles. Upon finishing the food, we rushed to the beach. From the parking spot to the beach was a long walk. Like true travelers, we were not distracted by the touristic traps along the beach such as dressing like movie characters, riding a yak, and riding a fixed scooter. Finally, we reached a spot far away from the crowd.
The vast expanse of the lake surrounded by high lofty mountains was enchanting. My friend and I felt calm and solace after a long time. Struggles of daily life had made us stressed and insensitive towards others. Long repressed, stress can give rise to depression. At this moment, when everything in the world ceased to matter, we felt close to nature. The vanity of life had no meaning.
After staying for an hour or so we returned to our camps in the hills. I put down my backpack and went out for a stroll, but by now the weather had changed drastically. A strong wind was blowing, and the temperature was dipping sharply. Still, we ventured towards the lake. We walked over the rocks and pebbles examining the macro flora along the way. By then, the crowd was gone. But the serene lake was eternal. We relished the moment as we witnessed mindfulness but with numbness in the body.
We had a simple dinner and I returned to my bed to charge my camera and phone. I slept early as I wanted to wake up in the middle of the night to see the reflection of stars on the water. Alas! it rained the whole night and we were not able to get out of the tent. Around 5 am the weather cleared up and the rain had stopped. We braved the biting cold and walked towards the lake. We saw a flock of birds along the beach but they flew away as we went close. Few ducks stayed back and we enjoyed their movements. The first ray of the golden sun peeping through the clouds was something special.
We strolled along the beach and enjoyed the movement of the clouds over the mountain. As light and shade played with each other, different colors of mountains evolved. The variety and expanse of different textures appeared. The color was more vivid because of the rain in the night. The brown and somewhere black color mountains enthralled us. Interestingly, as we looked towards our campsites, the tall mountains with snow-covered peaks told a different story. As the sun rose, the mist was blown away and a fairyland was revealed.
We returned to our tent and packed our rucksacks and ran to the kitchen for breakfast (parathas and puris) as we were starved. As we moved along the beach, we again saw different shades of color in water. The water was so clear that we could see the rocks at the bottom. The vastness of the lake was so enchanting that we lost a part of ourselves there and never returned.
As our caravan moved away from the lake, we passed local villages and Gompas. The road was bumpy but we were so numb with the beauty of the place that nobody complained.
