Julley Leh Ladakh!

                                              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.