Get to Know Ladakh

 Drooling Over Ladakh!!  Hector Dsouza

It is said we need to prepare for some `uncertainty' when visiting Ladakh. Our trip lasting seven days just about offered everything to do with the above word!! For starters, our group consisting of ten travelers arrived at Mumbai Airport one Sunday morning in July for our departure to Leh. We sat patiently in the aircraft for two hours before the pilot informed us, our flight was cancelled due to bad weather conditions at Leh& we were all asked to disembark and return the following day. What followed soon after was six decided to cancel the trip as they feared bad weather could ruin the entire holiday. `Inexplicable', I cried in disbelief! It was just the three of us plus me who would continue to go ahead with the trip.

Various thoughts crossed my mind;foremost, this was my first experience of returning back from the airport and not arriving at my destination! In fact even the security personnel at Mumbai Airport were flummoxed to see the same bunch of departing passengers arriving back at the arrival hall, two hours later. What lay in store for us, I wondered? A couple of hours later I received the news that there was a cloud burst couple of nights before at a village, not too far from Leh. I was reassured by my friend who lives in Leh;`all izz well,! To prove his point, we did a video call in which I saw spectacular views of the countryside & snow capped mountains in the distance. It was time to go, no looking back.

The following morning our flight took off on time, this in itself was a good omen! 120 minutes into our flight we had an occasional breathtaking view of the Himalayan mountain range, as we flew over Manali. The landscape was beginning to change as well; shades of green started giving way to radiant brown, sun-burned and ice capped mountain tops of the Himalayan mountain range. Touchdown was smooth; we all heaved a sigh of relief! Many visits later, I am dumbstruck by the first view of this enchanting destination, forming part of the Tibetan Plateau. Barren mountains strung out in an irregular circular pattern, radiant blue skies, and intermittent white clouds hovering at low heights, feeling of lightness due to rarity of oxygen at a high altitude of 11500 feet, the sight of the Spituk Monastery standing in solitary splendor atop a hill & vibrant feeling of expectancy written large on faces of visiting tourists. This never changes!! It was the same feeling 35 years ago when I landed at Leh airport in 1988 with many other foreign tourists as fellow travelers.

What has changed is the comfort level of hotels & countlesshome stays that have `sprung' up along the way. We stayed at a hotel close to Leh Market with modern amenities normally found in large city hotels;from the verandah I had an uninterrupted view of a glittering mountain range located beyond Kargil, the foreground had many flowering apple & apricot trees. We took it easy on the first day, resting a while during the afternoon. The Leh Market & the Tibetan Market is where we spent the evening. Ladakhis dressed in their customary, attractiveLadakhi dress - Goucha&Kuntop sat on the footpath displaying & selling vegetables, dry fruits, apricots, medicinal herbs & winter clothing. Affluent travelers chose the stores behind for window shopping & purchases. Leh Market has changed & how - with designer stores, specialty restaurants, prayer Mosques &ChokhangVihara Temple giving it a trendy look as well as a religious feel. What hasn't changed from the past are the traditional shopkeepers occupying the footpaths & the stunning sight of the restored seven-storeyLeh Palace at the Eastern End.

Our drive the next morning was an uphill climb over the Khardungla Pass at 18500 feet, before driving downhill to the Nubra Valley located at 10500 feet. Dark clouds hovered over most part of our journey, dimming mountain views. Mountains at Khardungla were bathed in a cloak of white, fresh snowfall made this possible. We took a short selfie break, cold winds & light drizzle made it impossible to stay longer; we continued our downward descent on roads that were now being repaired & converted to double lane roads. This road is an all-weather strategic road as it finally reaches the Siachen Pass on the India-Pakistan border. Five hours of skillful driving past the Hundar Sand Dunes, Shyok River finally brought us to our destination for the day - Nubra Valley, 150 kilometers from Leh& the northernmost destination of Ladakh. Also known as the `Valley of Flowers' the Nubra valley is surrounded by Majestic Mountain peaks to the north in Baltistan, and the Karakoram Mountain Range. The water needs that are so important for survival are met by melting glaciers that form the Shyok&Nubra Rivers. The Nubra Valley has a bit of everything; sand dunes, flower & fruit orchards, flowing rivers, a sea of brown, snow filled high mountains, changing scenic beauty & plethora of Monasteries.

We checked in for the night at a tourist hotel snugly located at the bottom of the valley from where we had a stunning view of the 700 year Deskit Monastery & a 106 foot high sculpted statue of the Future Buddha, precariously perched on a jagged hilltop. Later that afternoon we visited the complex containing the gigantic tastefully done statue in gold, ocher & blue, of Lord Buddha, seated atop a pedestal majestically gazing over the Valley. The sound of prayer wheels being turned in a clockwise direction, constant chatter & laughter of visitors is what caught my attention. Back in the nineties, there was no statue, thoughDeskitMonastery was very much there.

At Deskit, we climbed a series of irregular winding stone steps to reach the Prayer Hall and the Lachung Temple- both containing impressive Thangkas, Wall Paintings, Murals & a32 feet high statue of MaitreyaBudha. En-route we passed the monastery school where young children are provided monastic education. What's so special about visiting monasteries in Ladakh? Firstly it's their location – perched on high points; then there is a studious non-intrusive silence inside incensed prayer halls which heightens my curiosityfor exploring more. Architecture inside is mostly influenced by local culture & availability of local material; plenty of blending with nature & minimal usage of bright colors. Suffice to say, that though monasteries may all appear to look the same, they are intriguingly different from each other. An added bonus is hill-top views!

The view from the highest point was eclectic as well as enchanting; the verdant Shyok Valley with green orchards, unusual land formations & in the distance, a glimmering mountain range, some of which were covered with snow. The falling rays of the waning sun on the entire landscape added luster to the proceedings. Satiated with our experience we returned back to the hotel, eagerly looking forward to the next day's sightseeing program. Dinner was a mixture of Punjabi & Tibetan Cuisine. The light Tibetan or Ladakhi Cuisine which is easier to digest is always preferable at high altitudes.

Visiting the Hot Sulphur Springs at Panamik&Hundar Sand Dunes for the Bactrian Camel Ride were the two highlights of the following day. A two hour drive where we had to cross the Shyok River & reach the north eastern side brought us to Panamik where two separate cabins – (one for ladies & gents) had water tanks containing the temperature controlled spring water. We dipped ourselves in the waters containing high levels of sulphur for a small fee of Rs 20/-. This is good for healing rheumatism & arthritis. Panamik receives its share of locals & tourists in fare measure each season. The only other hot spring in Ladakh is in the Chumathang region, these waters bubble from the ground and is unregulated in terms of temperature & facilities. Panamikis better organized. Refreshed, we left the enclosure.

We continued our journey exploring the grand Samsthaling Monastery founded 140 years back in 1841 by Lama TsultimNima and home to 50 monks, before proceeding for a Tibetan Lunch at Deskit for Thukpa&Momos. Post lunch we drove with much enthusiasm to the Hundar Sand Dunes for our ride on the double humped Bactrian Camels, endemic to the Valley. Natures drama unfolded yet again as a huge cloud hovered over the sand dunes darkening the entire area. Winds start blowing followed by a sand storm that had us totally dumbfounded. We raced to our camels, our twenty minute ride across the sand dunes, and done at a leisurely pace was a moment not easily forgotten. Gigantic Mountain ranges on both sides dwarfed us, in comparison. We waited for the rain clouds to burst open, that didn't happen thankfully. Unlike the camel ride at the Thar Desert in Rajasthan, this was of much shorter duration, yet it had all the ingredients of a soft sporting adventure. A rainbow greeted us on our way back,I had never seen a complete rainbow. Take a bow, Nature! It was a perfect end to yet another day, in the land of countless surprises. At 8.00 p.m that night our ever reliable & fabulous driver, Sonam informed us the `road' from Nubra to Pangong was finally open after being closed for a week due to landslides. Phew, we looked forward to our next great adventure.

Daylight is long in Ladakh during summers, normally lasting from 5 30 am to 7.30 pm. We set out from Deskit at 6 30 after a hurried breakfast; the adventure began soon after. Sunrise was spectacular; we watched the sun rise from behind the Ladakhi Mountain range. The moment was similar to what we experienced in August 2021; mountains aglow in the morning light, the valley bathed in dull grey. The next five hours was pure wholesome delight as we travelled on nonexistent roads filled with stones, dirt &scree. Often dust raised by passing vehicles reduced visibility to zero.Sonam had to look at the path ahead as well as cast glances above to avoid falling rocks & boulders, just in case!!! We drove past flowing streams caused by Siachen Mountain Glacier, gigantic rock formations and prayer flags. We crossed bridges on swollen rivers, zigzagged on meandering paths, finally making a pit stop for a steaming cup of tea at Shyok Village. Three hours later we had our first glimpse of Pangong Lake, a tiny speck hidden between two mountains.

We looked in admiration & glee as the Lake came into full view. One third of Pangong measuring 40 kilometers lies in India, the rest in China. The lake stretches from end to end. Our joy knew no bounds as Pangong exceeded our expectations, Turquoise blue waters against the backdrop of aurum colored mountains. It is also a sacred lake, revered by Ladakhis. The sky though was filled with clouds, the waters stiflingly cold. We sat on the '3 Idiot Chairs' making several pictures in comical poses. The crowd mostly from surrounding hilly regions followed suit. At Pangong sparse crowds are left to the mercy of Nature. Those that decide to spend the night in tented camps often have spectacular Sunset & Sunrise views, but need to cope with high velocity winds & freezing temperatures. We didn't spend the night at Pangong but chose to drive back to Leh via the Changla Pass at 17,000 feet. We arrived at Leh late evening, treated ourselves to a warm bath & couple of shots of whiskey. Well earned, I thought!!

The last day was reserved for exploring the iconic Thiksey Monastery, often referred to as the 'Vatican of Ladakh' with spectacular views of the Zanskar& Indus Valley; Rancho School, the Morvian Church in Choglamsar&Shey Monastery. Lunch was in the Tibetan settlement of Choglamsar. Momos, Thukpa& Noodles is what we settled for; all cooked in authentic Tibetan style. Late evening we visited the Zorawar Fort at Leh for a sound -n- light show. Here we listened to the exploits of Zorawar Singh, General of DongraRajput ruler, Gulab Singh. In a baritone well modulated voice the speaker also described Ladakh as a ` land of innumerable surprises'!! We couldn't have agreed, more.