Ladakhalogue… Day 5 and Day 6

Day 5: 30^th June 2011, Thursday

Wow it’s an awesome morning, beautiful climate and love in air.

Today’s itinerary is Shey Palace, Thiksey Monastery and will be doing a long journey to Chang la this is in Indo China Border and guess what? We are going to PANGONG Lake, wondering what so special about this??? Oh my! Please wait, will tell you only once I see the place.

Shey Palace and Thiksay Monastey: More Devotion more tangaka paintings and so many Mani wheels all throughout the monastery. 

One more nice thing to observe is entire Ladakh you can see Stones piled on one top of the other, even on the remotest corner on the hilltop rocks you see stones piled up. I asked our driver, why and who does this? so he told its people while praying to mark the completion of their prayers they pile a stone. Not sure about the reason though, but entire ladakh you will get to see them. There is a game called 'Lagori' I was reminded of that game where we pile stone and hit them in ball.

Also you get to see Prayer Flags all over, these are of 5 different colors which symbolizes Void, Earth, Water, Fire and Sky. This adds to the beauty of the place. Love all these Mysteries in air!

Spot me in this snap!!!

We have started our Journey to Chang la, Here are few interesting sign boards we are seeing over our journey :D, These are truly inspiring.

1.    Darling I love you, But not so fast!!!

2.    I am very curvaceous, be Slow.

3.    On my cure you will lose your nerve

4.    Drive like hell you will be there

5.    Be Late Mr rather than Mr. Late

6.    If you are married Divorce Speed

7.    Slow Drive long life

8.    Speed Thrills but kills

9.    Fast wont last

10.           Time is money but life is precious

 Many more, wonder which driver has patience to read them.

On the way to Pangong...

Now we are heading Towards Pangong lake, Roads are good till we reach the foot hills of Chan la and sign boards are all over.

We reached Chagla, wow this is dearly called as Chang La Queen and is protected area, photography and trekking is also monitored. There are jammers installed it seems hence cell phones doesn’t work so no messaging and irritating friends.

This is at 17350ft. we stopped for permits and I was blessed with snow fall again, oxygen level is very low here and we were rushed to start immediately.

God I am Waiting to see Pangong Tso, tso means lake!

Ok Now about this lake, this is some 130km lake which is spread across India and China and only 20% of it is in India and rest in China, This Lake has become very famous post the movie 3 Idiots which has shot its climax in this Pangong Lake. I am waiting to capture the beauty of this lake in my eyes and hubs in his camera

Now you know why I was so excited isn’t it. I have no words to describe the beauty of this place. Mountains, snow, Blue water, Sun shine, very cold wind, Clouds all over I just can’t get this out of my eyes and can never put in words I am dumb fold. Its 2 am in the afternoon best time to see the lake its beauty is indescribable with different color and shades of blue.

 

We are staying in Tents here, I am writing this post dinner in the camp where we are staying. God it may be less than 0degree, I am shivering uncontrollably and hubs happily remembering his engineering days as he studied in north India he is so much fond of it. Oh did I tell you this is my First North India visit and I have come to Northern most tip of India.

Ok End of Day 5: I was wearing 1 pair of inners, 1 pair of Thermals, 3 Tshirt, 1 jeans, Sweater, Gloves and Head Cap(All these at a time FYI)  over these 2 Quilts and 1 rasai and I was Shivering whole night , never had experienced such cold in my life.

Love my life.

Day 6: 1^st July 2011, Friday

Today we are heading back to Leh, god yesterday night was terribly cold. I woke up to see parts of Lake Frozen, again a long journey and we will visit Hemis Monastery. God! so many monastery so many lamas, Kings and Ripoches I cant remember a single name. Thank god I dint have to study Buddhist Culture or history I would have flunked multiple times!

Again we will be crossing Chang la Peak, Team is waiting for Guide to accompany us, I am sitting in Driver seat and making my notes. Our Driver Amjad urf Namgayal is very happy and is taking my snap in his cell phone.

Ok Journey to Leh has started…

Driver Namgayal\Amjad

We are back in Leh now put up in Hotel Cho Palace, will be here for 2 more nights and then end of our wonderful trip.

But top thing of the trip is still there waiting, ladies guess what!!! Shopping at leh market and that’s tomorrow. I am eagerly waiting for it and hubs is not talking about it!!!

Points to note from Day 5 and 6:

1. All the roads are maintained by BRO, border road organization a military section for maintaining roads in the border. God its one of the toughest job I tell you!
2. Tibetan most common name is Namgayal or Tansieng every other person is Namgayal, so to identify themselves uniquely they keep nick name for themselves like our driver he calls himself Amjad!!!
3. At this altitude your skin dries, and Nose becomes extremely dry because of inhaling dry air and it also starts bleeding, we have got sun tan and dry skin properly. But I always feel pain is good, sometimes I enjoy pain which is the result of maximum joy.

 End of Day 6: Good Night!!! I have rest and be well prepared cause tomorrow its Shopping day :D, Love my life.

Ladakhalogue …Day 3 and Day 4

Day3: 28th June 2011 Tuesday

When I wrote this I was at 14000ft above sea level and its morning 8:40. Today we are going on highest motor able road 18380ft to Khardung la peak and reaching Nubra valley which is near POK. I am enjoying this drive with wonderful music, scenic Beauty and company. Now I can see Stok Kangri Range it is completely snow capped, it is sunny here but cold wind and glaciers around. Am I in heaven???

No I am on top of the world Khardung la!

Mountains give you the impression that you are very very small, But when I see neatly laid roads even at this altitude, I feel we can conquer Anything.
So dreaming big is valid!!!

Oh snow god its closing by, I am waiting to touch it. Yes I touched and played in snow. God I am also experiencing SNOW FALL first time ever in my life!!! this is trip of firsts as my friend calls it

We reached Nubra crossing a military base camp where we met lot of Soldiers spoke to them hugged and thanked them.

Also I had wonderful noodles it’s the local specialty here, its nothing more than Maggi Masala mania but trust me it tastes like heaven when cool breeze is hitting you

We visited Hunder village, it has beautiful stream of glacier, sand dunes and extremely fine weather, I am getting bests of nature here.

End of Day 3: Surprisingly Reynolds pen which I flicked from office writes in every condition also most shaky roads

Good Night, Love my life

Day 4: 29th June 2011 Wednesday

I am now in Diskit Monastery, due to the journey on very rough terrain and Back seat journey has completely handicapped me I am not able to walk, so Hubs has gone up to Monastery to get Pictures for me. Here are few glimpse of what I missed in real.

This is the image of Maitraiy Buddha who is about to come to this world in 2500yrs now, This statue was inaugurate by Dalia Lama

Every Monastery will have A Big Mani Wheel, People say wish for something and pray by turning Mani wheel and wish comes true. I have prayed for all my dear ones and have turned mani.

Peace is one word which strikes me here Day 4 has started we have a complete Journey back to Leh which is 128km from here and the same bumpy roads.

Highlights of these 2 days:

1. Ladakh is mostly mix of Tibetan and Kashmiri Culture.

2. I was new to learn that Buddists are mostly Vegetarians.

3. All around are Photographers, Big Lenses, Different styles of taking picture, people posing (including me), But I must say our eyes rocks No lens can make justice to the beauty we are seeing here.

4. Nature has given the best and worst to this place, 4-5 Months people here work and save money and rest of the year they have to leave ladakh or sit cozy at home as winter is very sever and floods are also expected.

5. Double Hump camels are endangered and they are seen only in this part of the world, these were used to Export Silk, And this Path was the famous as Silk Route remember reading in History Books!!!

We are now back in Leh, and tomorrow we have a big day ahead as we are going to one of the most awaiting destinations of this trip…

End of Day 4: Good night!!! Yes of course I love my life! :)

Ladakhalogue …Day 1 and Day 2

Day 1: 26th June 2011

Delhi – Leh

I am in early morning flight to Leh now, Flight is safe and also view from our seat is wonderful. I can see clouds all over spread like cotton candy; I am remembering those fairy tale cartoons which we used to see as kid.

Oh here is the first view of Snowcapped mountains in real, gosh its breathtaking this is the first time I am seeing Snow capped mountain for real. Thousand thanks to hubs for giving such moments in my life.

Airport to Hotel:

We were picked in Qualis and the driver name is Dorje, I started to talk to him actually its like interview about ladakh, he must of answered the same question like this umpteen times but still he answered to me with full interest and patience. But Actually I dint see him ever again in my trip :) hopefully he is not irritated.

Hotel Naro:

This is a small homestay cozy and homely. This is owned by Mr. Paldan, As usual over a chat I made friends with him and also bet him on some silly thing and was about to flick his wonderful Hat but alas I lost the bet.

We mostly rested today for acclimatization and evening we visited Shanti stupa built by Japanese for world peace. I am still wondering why they build it here!!!

Day 1, Ended early as we slept early, good night

Day 2: 27th June 2011 Monday

Altitude is taking a call on our health we are facing tiredness, cant walk 5 steps at a stretch and also mild headache, I am surfing through the huge medical kit given by my best friend to find one tablet,

Today we are visiting,

1. Hall of fame: This is a museum for war memorials, Ladakh has both POK and Siachen which is china border, Kargil is 225 km away from the place where I am currently. Despite so many scams which happens inside you feel goosebumps seeing the conditions our Soldiers work to keep us safe, All I want to tell is JAI JAWAN.

2. Sangam of River Zanskar and Indus

3. Spituk Monastery: Monastery is 'Gonpa' in tibetian language, this is the first monastery I am visiting in ladakh, Its full of Tangaka paintings, Its exactly like Kushalnagar monestry. They also have kalli temple they call this diety as Manjushri here.

4. GPS: Gurudwar Shri Pathar Sahib, is a gurudwara in Ladakh.

Ok Now we are going back to Hotel Naro for resting again, trust me you have to rest a lot oxygen shortage is very evident and I am very tired. But I am really waiting for tomorrow, It will be my lifetime experience when I get to touch the snow and also motor up to worlds highest motorable road, God I can only see the mountains as I close my eyes…

Highlights of the day:

1. I got to ride a Bicycle loved it

2. I am still doing good, not feeling any altitude sickness as such apart from slight headache

3. Its only second day seems like Hubs will run out of  memory in his SLR, he he he my notepad is the best I can capture all my memories without falling short of anything :).

4. Despite heavy roaming charges, I have messaged my friends :D to make sure they are constantly jealous of all the things I am enjoying

5. oh one important thing :) Sun rise is at 4:30am and sunset is at 7:30 pm!!! :( this place is not for people like me who love to sleep.

Love my life :D, End of Day 2 Good night