Climbing around Leh
As I had managed to sprain my ankle just before getting onto the overnight bus to Manali, it was less than a comfortable night's rest for me. With an ankle that had ballooned up and was only partially weight-bearing, our big plans to trek in the north might have changed...
While Manali was a pretty enough town, we were on a mission to get up to Ladakh, so we pushed on pretty quickly. After basically laying around all day and watching HBO, we decided to keep making our way to Leh. So, exhausted as we were, we booked in for another 19 hour bus ride to Leh. We must've been nuts!!
The only local traffic jams they get in Manali... hundreds of sheep & goats heading home for the day
Ok, ok... the scenery was a definite upside
Our minivan was scheduled to depart from Manali at 2am, so we dragged ourselves out of bed and were waiting at 1:45am. And waiting, and waiting, and waiting.... We even had someone try to call the driver twice to be sure he was still coming. We were not so impressed when he finally rocked up at 3:30 with no apology. (Insert lots of expletives!!) But since we quickly remembered that this guy was going to drive us over some dangerous passes in Himalayas, we held our tongues.
Our home for 17 long hours
Our home for 17 long hours
We took off on a very uncomfortable, and very, very long bus ride. Freezing cold, as the driver liked all the windows open, we huddled under our sleeping bags with our pressure point wristbands, trying very hard to not get carsick on the very windy roads.
The beautiful scenery helped you forget about the fact that the roads were last looked after 40 or 50 years ago.
After a little bit of sleep, we stopped for some brekkie in a tiny little town in the mountains. It had 3 things in it:
- Beautiful views
- Wine & beer for sale (Why wouldn't they be in the absolute middle of nowhere when no locals drink?)
- Good chapattis for brekkie
Enjoying a moment with the view before creeping off to pee behind a bush (if one could be found in the barren landscape)
Contemplating whether getting a beer at 8am is such a bad thing
Locals making chapattis
While personally doing my best to sleep the entire rest of the trip (to avoid the need to vomit), I did wake up for a couple of the exciting moments of the trip. We went off-road for a couple kilometers on a dirt road track on a steep mountain slope (holy sh*t!!), but we're pretty sure that we actually saved 30 minutes. This was the tipping point for the German woman sitting next to us as she started vomiting, but we did save a little time...
About to do a little off-roading in questionable weather
We stopped in at the little tented camp we would have stayed in overnight had we chosen the 2 day trip... We would have frozen to death!! Glad we decided to just push through!
We then drove through the Taglangla Pass, the second highest pass in the world at nearly 18,000 feet. We were a bit surprised that we didn't really feel the altitude, but we definitely felt the cold. It was freezing and starting to sleet.
The words say it all - "Of the unbelievable, is not it?"
Setting the alarm for at a pre-dawn 6:15am, we rugged up and set out for a walk through the countryside to the Sankar Gompa, a lovely gompa a couple of kilometers away. As it was a little tricky to find, we arrived just on 7am and were excited to be the first ones there (good seats!).
Inside the colourful Sankar Gompa with no monks in sight. (Guess everyone had a late one last night...)
Then 15 minutes later, we weren't feeling as lucky anymore... We could hear horns and drums in the distance, obviously from a puja, but nothing seemed to be happening at Sankar. Finally, a young monk came by to open the doors and told us that there was no puja this morning. Are you serious? Now, I was quite sure that it wasn't going to build good karma to get pissed at a monk, but who cancels morning puja?? Not happy, Jan. Apparently, Sankar doesn't hold pujas on Sundays...
The Boddhisattva Avalokiteshvara (with 11 faces, 1000 eyes and 1000 hands) is the most celebrated bodhisattva in Tibetan buddhism, who embodies compassion and refrains from entering nirvana to stay and help all sentient beings on the path to enlightenment.
Some of the various Buddha interpretations
Another fun sight... a typically decorated truck (They look just like the chicken buses in Guatemala!)
The snow lion, with white fur and green tail and mane, is an ancient Tibetan symbol, two snow lions are featured on the Tibetan flag
After a really fantastic time in Leh, we had to head to the airport at 5am for our flight to Delhi. Kashmir has unusually tight airport security which meant that we had to check in all unused batteries with the flight staff. Isn't that weird?? What are we going to do with a couple Duracell and a Casio camera battery?? Oh well, guess you should never discount the creativity of terrorists.
Flying over the Himalayas on the way to Delhi
About to do a little off-roading in questionable weather
We stopped in at the little tented camp we would have stayed in overnight had we chosen the 2 day trip... We would have frozen to death!! Glad we decided to just push through!
We then drove through the Taglangla Pass, the second highest pass in the world at nearly 18,000 feet. We were a bit surprised that we didn't really feel the altitude, but we definitely felt the cold. It was freezing and starting to sleet.
The words say it all - "Of the unbelievable, is not it?"
I think the Tibetans have been here..... ;)
Another must-do in town was to attend a morning "puja" - the boisterous morning prayer accompanied by drums, cymbals and Tibetan horns. The monks do it daily and it can be seen at nearly every gompa at 7am.After a couple more stops, and lots more hours, we finally arrived into Leh. We were so happy, ecstatic really, that we had decided two weeks ago to book the flight back to Delhi. After that ride, there was no way we were signing up for another dose to go back south. We might have had to move to Leh permanently!!
Leh, Ladakh
Literally translating to "land of high passes", Ladakh is part of the state of Kashmir in northern India between the Kunlun mountains & the Himalayas, bordering Tibet (that's right, NOT China - wish you could see me wearing my "Free Tibet" T-shirt....). Ladakh is often referred to as "Little Tibet" for its stunning mountainous scenery and the fact that most of the residents are actually Tibetan Buddhists. We had heard great things about it, so we were keen to see it. In fact, we had heard that Kashmir, in general, is stunning but reports of political unrest in Srinigar & Jammu kept us from exploring further (not to mention accidentally wandering over the Pakistan border!). Therefore, to Ladakh only and then right back out.
We arrived in Leh after dark, after a zillion hours in a minivan and without a booking. Hmmm...maybe a little oversight on our part, but we knew that we wanted to go to the Orient Guest House on the other side of town, so we went about trying to get a rickshaw there.
We were told by 2 different rickshaw drivers that the bridge was washed out, and while it's only a 2km drive, it would cost us 300 rupees (~$8). Yeah, don't think so!! One of our big complaints about travel is that the world over, taxi drivers are usually scum trying to scam you. It's a terrible thing, but unfortunately, we've found that to be more true than not. They like to take you for a ride the scenic way or tell you that the guest house you want to go to has closed, burned down or suffered another type of natural disaster. In that situation, they are always quick to offer another option (that likely pays them a good commission for bringing in customers).
Well, we didn't just start traveling yesterday, so there is no way we were going to buy it! A touch tired and a wee bit cranky, I basically told them that they would have to drive us there and show us the washed away bridge for us to believe it. This whole exchange went on for far too long, and when we had trouble finding other cabs to take us there, we finally succumbed and told them to take us to another guest house of our choice that was on this side of the "washed out bridge". (Side note: Those drivers must have thought I was a real bitch, especially when we walked over the footbridge next to the washed out bridge the next day... Oops.)
We found our way to Jigmet Guesthouse in town. It was pretty basic, and we had to have buckets of hot water brought up by one of the kids to "shower", but it would be ok. The place on the other side of the bridge sounded better though....
Jigmet's did have a lovely flower garden though
We scooted right out into town for a little food so that we felt like normal people again. We were pleasantly surprised by how cheap and delicious the Tibetan food was.
Kyle enjoying a big bowl of Thupka (a delicious & spicy Tibetan soup)
Also, from the roof, we could see the highlights of the Ladakh Festival - an annual festival with camel rides, traditional dancing and polo. Coincidentally, we could see the polo from the roof, so we didn't need to venture any further. Also, not wanting to sound cynical, but after camel trekking through Morocco, a couple camels walking down a street in the mountains doesn't really do it for me.
Polo match, Tibetan-style
People crowding the streets waiting for the camels
While Leh is mostly Buddhist, there is a small contingent of Sunni Muslims and they have a lovely mosque directly below the Leh Palace.
A couple locals making bread rolls the traditional way
And because you can never have too much good merit, we spun every prayer wheel in town. ;)
Shanti Stupa
The Shanti Stupa sits at the top of an exhausting flight of steps just next to our guesthouse. We walked by it everyday, but it took a couple days before my ankle and our lungs were ready for the hike (trying to avoid altitude sickness..). But, when we finally went up there, it was worth it.
Built in 1985 by a group of Japanese monks to commemorate 2500 years of Buddhism and promote world peace, this gleaming white stupa was quite a sight.
Walking around the stupa seven times. I think it took that long to see all the amazing murals and carvings anyway!
Having a look at the gompa just next to it which they had decorated (for Christmas?) with multi-coloured fairy lights. These monks had vision!!
Leh, Ladakh
Literally translating to "land of high passes", Ladakh is part of the state of Kashmir in northern India between the Kunlun mountains & the Himalayas, bordering Tibet (that's right, NOT China - wish you could see me wearing my "Free Tibet" T-shirt....). Ladakh is often referred to as "Little Tibet" for its stunning mountainous scenery and the fact that most of the residents are actually Tibetan Buddhists. We had heard great things about it, so we were keen to see it. In fact, we had heard that Kashmir, in general, is stunning but reports of political unrest in Srinigar & Jammu kept us from exploring further (not to mention accidentally wandering over the Pakistan border!). Therefore, to Ladakh only and then right back out.
We arrived in Leh after dark, after a zillion hours in a minivan and without a booking. Hmmm...maybe a little oversight on our part, but we knew that we wanted to go to the Orient Guest House on the other side of town, so we went about trying to get a rickshaw there.
We were told by 2 different rickshaw drivers that the bridge was washed out, and while it's only a 2km drive, it would cost us 300 rupees (~$8). Yeah, don't think so!! One of our big complaints about travel is that the world over, taxi drivers are usually scum trying to scam you. It's a terrible thing, but unfortunately, we've found that to be more true than not. They like to take you for a ride the scenic way or tell you that the guest house you want to go to has closed, burned down or suffered another type of natural disaster. In that situation, they are always quick to offer another option (that likely pays them a good commission for bringing in customers).
Well, we didn't just start traveling yesterday, so there is no way we were going to buy it! A touch tired and a wee bit cranky, I basically told them that they would have to drive us there and show us the washed away bridge for us to believe it. This whole exchange went on for far too long, and when we had trouble finding other cabs to take us there, we finally succumbed and told them to take us to another guest house of our choice that was on this side of the "washed out bridge". (Side note: Those drivers must have thought I was a real bitch, especially when we walked over the footbridge next to the washed out bridge the next day... Oops.)
We found our way to Jigmet Guesthouse in town. It was pretty basic, and we had to have buckets of hot water brought up by one of the kids to "shower", but it would be ok. The place on the other side of the bridge sounded better though....
Jigmet's did have a lovely flower garden though
We scooted right out into town for a little food so that we felt like normal people again. We were pleasantly surprised by how cheap and delicious the Tibetan food was.
Kyle enjoying a big bowl of Thupka (a delicious & spicy Tibetan soup)
Again, our original plan was to do some good trekking out of Leh as it looked like we would be postponing our side trip to Nepal for now (Just not enough time to see it all...). With my gimpy ankle, trekking wasn't going to work so we'd have to come up with Plan B. For us, Plan B turned into seeing a few stupas around town then just spending the rest of the time relaxing.
The next morning, we packed up and grabbed a rickshaw to our original guesthouse of choice, The Oriental Guesthouse in Changspa, just a couple kilometers north of Leh. It turned out to be a fabulous choice. Very lovely & relaxing, not to mention cheap as well.
The view of the mountains from our room
The Oriental Guesthouse sitting just at the base of the mountain with the giant, beautiful Shanti Stupa on top!
A lovely garden to sit in and just enjoy the silence
Beautiful sunsets over the mountains
Sunny days, blue skies without a cloud and flowers in bloom everywhere
Cute guesthouses accessorized with prayer flags
Walking past one of the many, many markets we had to pass on the way into town
As Leh has so much Tibetan influence, there were some lovely old stupas & gompas (Buddhist monasteries). Lots to see, after you climb a few hundred stairs up to each one. Not normally a problem, but with my walking stick/cane, I was a definite handicap and would be slowing up our normal progress.
One of the top places to visit was the ruined Royal Palace of Leh (Leh Palace).
A view of the gompa sitting above the palace (still in use), and the restored former Royal Palace of Leh
Built in the 17th century by the kings of Ladakh, it apparently looks quite a bit like the Potala Palace in Lhasa (Tibet). So, for those of us boycotting travel to Tibet at the moment, it's about as close as we'll get for now.
The palace is set on top of a craggy mountain in the middle of town. While a mountain in the middle of town shouldn't exactly be hard to find, the windy alleys leading up to it were a bit tricky to navigate but very interesting.
The one little landmark we saw along the way which, was now, obviously, being used as a storage closet.
Passing by a gompa on the way up
The plalace is being restored currently, but it looked like it was coming along at a snail's pace. There wasn't all that much to see inside, but climbing through small passageways and up ladders to a series of roofs, the views were really amazing.
The next morning, we packed up and grabbed a rickshaw to our original guesthouse of choice, The Oriental Guesthouse in Changspa, just a couple kilometers north of Leh. It turned out to be a fabulous choice. Very lovely & relaxing, not to mention cheap as well.
The view of the mountains from our room
The Oriental Guesthouse sitting just at the base of the mountain with the giant, beautiful Shanti Stupa on top!
A lovely garden to sit in and just enjoy the silence
Beautiful sunsets over the mountains
Sunny days, blue skies without a cloud and flowers in bloom everywhere
Cute guesthouses accessorized with prayer flags
Walking past one of the many, many markets we had to pass on the way into town
One of the top places to visit was the ruined Royal Palace of Leh (Leh Palace).
A view of the gompa sitting above the palace (still in use), and the restored former Royal Palace of Leh
Built in the 17th century by the kings of Ladakh, it apparently looks quite a bit like the Potala Palace in Lhasa (Tibet). So, for those of us boycotting travel to Tibet at the moment, it's about as close as we'll get for now.
The palace is set on top of a craggy mountain in the middle of town. While a mountain in the middle of town shouldn't exactly be hard to find, the windy alleys leading up to it were a bit tricky to navigate but very interesting.
The one little landmark we saw along the way which, was now, obviously, being used as a storage closet.
Passing by a gompa on the way up
The plalace is being restored currently, but it looked like it was coming along at a snail's pace. There wasn't all that much to see inside, but climbing through small passageways and up ladders to a series of roofs, the views were really amazing.
Views over town from the roof
Polo match, Tibetan-style
People crowding the streets waiting for the camels
Feeling thoroughly puffed after hiking up to ~4000 meters, we took in some of the sights around town on flat land.
While Leh is mostly Buddhist, there is a small contingent of Sunni Muslims and they have a lovely mosque directly below the Leh Palace.
A couple locals making bread rolls the traditional way
And because you can never have too much good merit, we spun every prayer wheel in town. ;)
Shanti Stupa
The Shanti Stupa sits at the top of an exhausting flight of steps just next to our guesthouse. We walked by it everyday, but it took a couple days before my ankle and our lungs were ready for the hike (trying to avoid altitude sickness..). But, when we finally went up there, it was worth it.
Built in 1985 by a group of Japanese monks to commemorate 2500 years of Buddhism and promote world peace, this gleaming white stupa was quite a sight.
Walking around the stupa seven times. I think it took that long to see all the amazing murals and carvings anyway!
Overlooking another amazing stupa, the Gomang Stupa (9th century)
Having a look at the gompa just next to it which they had decorated (for Christmas?) with multi-coloured fairy lights. These monks had vision!!
Setting the alarm for at a pre-dawn 6:15am, we rugged up and set out for a walk through the countryside to the Sankar Gompa, a lovely gompa a couple of kilometers away. As it was a little tricky to find, we arrived just on 7am and were excited to be the first ones there (good seats!).
Inside the colourful Sankar Gompa with no monks in sight. (Guess everyone had a late one last night...)
The Boddhisattva Avalokiteshvara (with 11 faces, 1000 eyes and 1000 hands) is the most celebrated bodhisattva in Tibetan buddhism, who embodies compassion and refrains from entering nirvana to stay and help all sentient beings on the path to enlightenment.
Some of the various Buddha interpretations
Having missed the puja and feeling a little dejected, we made our way into town for a big brekkie to make us feel better. There were fantastic bakeries around that did a good breakfast, so we were spoiled for choice. Pumpernickel German Bakery was our favorite!
Another fun sight... a typically decorated truck (They look just like the chicken buses in Guatemala!)
One of the last things to see in town was the Friendship Gate. It was Tibetan in design, but unfortunately, we don't know the story about it.
The snow lion, with white fur and green tail and mane, is an ancient Tibetan symbol, two snow lions are featured on the Tibetan flag
The only prayer wheels in town that we hadn't spun yet
With a little over 20,000 residents, this was as thick as traffic got
After a really fantastic time in Leh, we had to head to the airport at 5am for our flight to Delhi. Kashmir has unusually tight airport security which meant that we had to check in all unused batteries with the flight staff. Isn't that weird?? What are we going to do with a couple Duracell and a Casio camera battery?? Oh well, guess you should never discount the creativity of terrorists.
Flying over the Himalayas on the way to Delhi
After 2 hours of delays, we were just glad that our flight wasn't cancelled, and we were on our way flying back to smoldering hot Delhi. 1 hour and 10 minutes sure beats 20 hours or torturous time on a bus from Manali! Just amazing how short flying time is compared to going by land in India!
