Julley! Leh Ladakh
Planning or No planning -
Heading
to a quiet hill station as soon as our summer vacations would begin, was on the
top of our minds. We kept shortlisting places, deciding upon itineraries,
planning our available dates and a lot of other stuff but as the time drew
closer, we were just not being able to zero in on some place. North-East was
going to get affected by monsoon, the airfare to Leh was skyrocketing, the
route to Binsar-Munsyari was plagued by bad roads, Sirmaur was coming out to be
quite a long drive etc. The biggest drawback was that we were looking for
solitude and all we were getting to hear was gory tales of traffic jam en-route
all hill stations. To go to every off beat destination, one had to compulsorily
navigate through those same roads and getting stuck in traffic and spending
hours cribbing on roads was definitely not our idea of a holiday. So when we
had almost given up the thought of going on any sort of holiday, a sudden flash
of thought crossed our minds. We realized that we should make one last effort
cause we don’t want to be the ones who fail to decide upon anything and then
just as the holidays are about to get over, become desperate to go just
anywhere so as not to be left out of the holiday mood.
Late
at night, we sat down to check out the airfare for Leh and surprisingly the
airfare had dipped down to almost half of what was two months ago. It still was
pretty high but certainly not in the unreasonable sector. Our spirits got
lifted as this was like a silver lining in the dark cloud and since we had
planned for the Leh trip earlier, we had our itinerary and list of taxi drivers
intact. That was the initiation of our trip.
Early
next morning, we woke up, started calling up taxi drivers, finalized on one,
discussed our itinerary with him, fixed up the price and then booked our
flights to Leh for the very next morning.
With
only one day in hand, we set down to make suitable arrangements for flying out
for our holiday. The excitement was surging and all focus was on making our
holiday perfect.
Our first stint with Leh -
The
day finally arrived, and we reached the airport in time. The flight was smooth
and soon we were witnessing snow-covered peaks beneath the sheet of white
clouds. As soon as we landed we started worrying as our phones were not getting
any signals but on moving out of the airport, much to our relief, our host, Mr.
Sonam Angchok was there to receive us.
He
drove us to his home which in in Gompa Village of Leh. It turned out to be a
beautiful cottage in a serene locality with a brook flowing nearby. We were
shown to the first floor of the wooden house, which had sunlight streaming in
from the large glass windows. It was warm and welcoming. The upper floor had a
day room cum dining room and two bedrooms for us to use. As the oxygen level
drops drastically due to a sudden increase in the altitude, it is advisable to
stay indoors for at least 24 hours for acclimatization. We did just the same -
ate, slept and sat in the day room through the day. At night sleep overtook us
and we hit the bed early. The weather of Leh makes one feel too sleepy and so
we slept like a log, waking up straight the next morning and still feeling
groggy.
Day 2 – After the mandatory
acclimatization, we decided the venture out for some local sightseeing. After a
scrumptious breakfast, we set out for Sangam, which is the converging point of
two rivers, Zanskaar and Indus.
On
the way to Sangam, there is a magnetic hill. It is surprising to see the effect
that hill has on the vehicle. One can put the car in neutral and the car moves
uphill on its own, albeit at a slow speed but the effect is worth experiencing.
We
then headed towards Sangam view-point. It is always wonderful to see waters of
two different colours merging into one. The colour wasn’t still quite green
owing to the first waters of melting snow. After the initial batch of snow
melts, the water becomes clearer and more beautiful.
Our
next stop was the Army museum. Just outside the museum, they have created an
adventure zone for children and young adults. From the Burma Bridge, flying
fox, rope climbing, net walking to crawling inside a tiny tunnel, the place
offers a basic sneak peak into the tough training of the army folks. Much to
our adoration, Ansh, performed each task meticulously. The museum houses arte
facts and photographs of major incidents, the Indo-China and Kargil war
memorials, and weapons seized from our opponents. It is spine chilling to read
letters of soldiers from both sides of the border. The museum has a hall of
fame, which makes people proud of their Army men.
As
Leh was observing some local puja that day, the entire market was closed till
1300 hrs. After the visit to these places, we were famished and were looking
forward to having some delicious food. We strolled around in the vicinity till
shops started opening and we hit the Lamayuru Café. Wanting to taste 3
different dishes, we ordered for Tibetan Thupka, Israeli Lafa and Pad Thai
Noodles. While the thupka could have been spicier, the other two dishes turned
out to be super delicious. We rotated food and ate to our hearts content topping
it up with “Hello to the Queen” dessert. The best part was that unlike other
tourist places, food wasn’t insanely priced here.
Now
it was time to buy some little souvenirs so we walked into the Tibetan refugee
market and bought some little things. The rest of the market was also similar and
had attractive colourful objects on display. Our next stop was the Leh Palace,
almost in ruins but still worth a visit to see how modestly the royals of Leh
lived and how with so much difficulty they must have constructed the palace so
long ago.
We
then went to the Shanti Stupa, located on a hill and the atmosphere there was
absolutely serene.
The
day winded up with dinner cooked by our lovely host.
Day 3- Trip to Nubra Valley
Since
it was to be a round trip the same day, we started early morning at 6. We were
advised to carry gloves, caps and jackets as it would be cold on the way. This
was the day when we would be at Khardung La – The world’s highest motorable
road at a height of 18,460ft. The feeling of being at such a place gave us an
instant high. We reached Khardungla top at 8, and even during peak summers, the
temperature at the top was freezing. We clicked a few quick pictures and jumped
into the cab to avoid being frozen.
The
road further was in bad shape and was an extremely bumpy ride. Kudos to the
drivers who navigate such roads everyday! However traumatic the drive was, it
was made enjoyable by the snow-capped mountains on either side of the road. The
view was enigmatic!
After
a 5 hours drive, we reached Hunder.
The
landscape changed completely!!! From snow covered mountains to sand dunes – it
was in complete contrast!
Hunder
is famous for its sand dunes and its small population of double humped or
Bactrian camels from Mongolia. We were looking forward to see these rare
creatures and wanting to ride them. The camels were definitely worth looking
at. They looked so vastly different from the regular ones we see. These camels
had fur on their body and looked as if they had long beards.
We
selected the camels with the most evident double humps and went for a short
safari.
As
Ladakh is the land of monasteries, one cannot avoid these beautiful and
peaceful monasteries which are present in almost every village. Keeping that in
mind, our next stop was Diskit Monastery. The main attraction of this monastery
is a huge figure of Lord Buddha painted aesthetically in myriad colours and
placed out in the open so that it can be seen from quite a distance. We were
completely enamored by the beauty of the statue!
It
was time to head back to Leh as one needs to cross the police check post of
North Pullu within a certain time frame, else they won’t allow you to do so.
Since we hadn’t eaten anything as such, we stopped at a roadside stall for some
chowmein and maggi (the staple diet when in hills). On the way we spotted loads
of female yaks grazing in the scanty fields. By the time, we crossed the checkpost
of North Pullu, it had started snowing. Ansh was thrilled to see fresh flakes
of snow falling on him and rolled down the window to be able to get a proper
feel. We stepped down from the cab for a short while and savored the pleasure
of soft cottony snow falling on us. It was still not very late in the evening
but we decided to get back to our cozy homestay and were welcomed back by our
host with some hot tea and milk. We spent the rest of the evening relaxing and
drinking the beauty of the nature that the window view offered us from our day
room. The day again wrapped up with some piping hot food served lovingly by our
host.
Day 4 – The mesmerizing Pangong Lake
Pangong
Lake has its own History. It is a huge lake almost like a sea, spanning
kilometers and kilometers and is shared by India and China. Earlier India had a
major portion of the lake but during the Indo-China war of 1962, China captured
a large area of the lake.
This
day was reserved for a visit to this famous lake along with a night stay by the
lake. We started at 7 in the morning and in about 3 hours, reached at Changa-La
peak. This peak is at a height of 17,688ft. It was covered in snow and fresh
snow was falling, to the delight of the tourists. The beauty of the snowflakes
falling on us and the feeling it rendered, is indescribable. We hopped back
into the cab to head further but the pleasure we had experienced a short while
ago, turned into disappointment as we got stuck in a traffic jam for about an
hour and a half. Since it was snowing, the roads were getting slippery and some
inexperienced drivers were facing difficulty in driving through the area. This
made the road get stuck with vehicles. It was however noteworthy that none of
the drivers were losing their cool and were patiently waiting for the road to
get cleared.
Once
cleared, the drive to Pangong Lake was engaging. One couldn’t hold back
emotions while passing through the gorgeous landscape. From the scenic snow
covered mountains, to the colourful mineral laden mountains, to loose mud or
rocky-mountains, every turn on the road had something beautiful to offer to the
eyes.
We
stopped to have some lunch, which comprised of soup, thupka and aloo paratha.
We were so hungry that we quickly lapped up whatever came in front of us. At
around 2:30, we reached Pangong Lake. We were stupefied by the magnanimity of
the lake!
The
lake is of a beautiful greenish-blue colour and is a visual treat for the
onlooker. Very few people knew about this lake until the movie, 3 Idiots, shot
its finale sequence by this lake and then many other movies followed suit. The entry
point of the lake was filled with tourists, people with yaks for posing,
Kareena Kapoor scooter and the famous 3 Idiots stool. This was an eyesore in
the serenity of the place so we avoided the place and moved further down the
lake. At a certain point, many tents were clustered and we decided to stay at
the one closest to the lake.
By
then the wind had picked up quite strongly and its was getting extremely
difficult to stay outdoors. The tent owner told us that it is an everyday
phenomenon. The wind blows strongly every evening. This was a setback for us as
we had come to drink in the beauty of the lake but drinking even a sip of water
was proving to be impossible. It was dull inside the tents and so we were left
with no choice but the brave the winds and walk along the lake. We were soon
left gasping for breath in the bitter cold accompanied by biting winds and had
to rush indoors. This was a mood spoiler and by night we were regretting our
decision of spending the night at such a place as it seemed more of a
punishment than a holiday. We had an early dinner and retired to bed, only to
be woken up by the sound of some Bollywood music being played outside. A young
couple had lighted a small fire and was sitting there enjoying the music. They
insisted upon us joining them and we eventually gave in after some reluctance. We
had an entertaining conversation with them and at midnight, parted ways.
The
next morning, we were to leave for another lake called Tso Moriri lake, but the
hardships of this place dampened our spirits. We were struggling to survive in
the bitter cold of this place. The water running from the taps was like direct
molten ice and we couldn’t take it anymore. Also the road to Tso Moriri was in
bad shape so we decided to cancel our visit to Tso Moriri and head back to Leh
instead.
The
next morning, we woke up and informed our driver about our change in plan and
he happily agreed to bring us back to Leh. On our way back, we visited the
“Druk White Lotus School” popularly known as Rancho School (after Amir Khan’s
character in 3 Idiots). We also visited the stunning Thiksey Monastery, which
has an amazing character and feel. The sounds of the chants emanating from the
monastery left us spellbound.
Then
we stopped for some lunch in Leh Market. This time we ate at the German Bakery
and the food was decently good here as well with some lip smacking bakery
delights. We then headed back to our comfort zone in Leh, our lovely homestay. This
place made us feel really comfortable and relaxed. Owing to our tiredness, we
again had an early dinner and retired to bed.
Day 5- Total relaxation!
This
was the first day of our holiday when we didn’t have any plans for the day.
That meant we could wake up late, laze in bed and do whatever we felt like. At
8:30, we had a fulfilling breakfast and then spent the rest of the morning
admiring the snow covered mountains in the distance, listening to the sound of
the brook flowing nearby and basking in the sun, which streamed in through the
large glass paneled windows of our day room.
Sometimes just doing nothing gives you immense pleasure. With no signals
in the phone, no wi-fi and no household work to finish, this was a day of total
relaxation.
The
only time we felt the need to go out was when our stomachs started growling in
hunger for lunch.
Points
to note:
1. Since
Leh Ladakh shares its border with Pakistan, China and even Afghanistan, prepaid
mobile phones do not work here. Only Airtel and BSNL postpaid services offer
some connectivity although some areas like Pangong Lake still do not get any
coverage. So no phone and data network.
2. The
oxygen level is quite low and lungs do not perform to full capacity, so it is
extremely important to be physically fit and then to acclimatize yourself for a
minimum of 24 hours before you start exploring the place. Diamox is a
medicine,which gives relief from altitude sickness symptoms. You can get your
oxygen level checked at the tourist information center in Leh market.
3. The
roads are in a pretty bad shape with long stretches of kuchcha road. So brace
yourself for a bumpy ride and make sure your driver is experienced.
4. There
are many avalanche prone areas mid-way, so heed the warning signs and don’t
insist on stopping at such places for pictures no matter however tempting those
snow-white mountains appear.
5. Carry
suitable winter clothing as in all probability you will experience spine
chilling cold.
6. Taxi
Union rates are fixed and you might find them quite high but there is generally
no bargaining. If you are lucky, your driver might offer you a 5-10% discount.
7. People
in Leh are still not corrupt and are quite hospitable.
Recommended
driver –
Mr.
Sonam Angchok (an ex-army guy). He is a mature and experienced driver and
navigates the tough terrain with ease.
Contact
Numbers – 9419347945, 9622361980
Recommended
stay –
If
you are looking for a simple and quiet place, then Mr. Sonam’s homestay is
definitely worth a shot. His wife (a school teacher),is a wonderful host and
cooks tasty food, serving it with even more love. Though the cottage is at a
distance from the main market but if solitude is what you want, then this is
the place to be.
