Goodbye to the Himalayas

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25 August - 5 September

When I returned from Pangong Lake I found a wonderful surpise at my guesthouse in the form of two lovely women from Torino, Italy - Dalila and Sarah. What began with an impromptu English lesson grew into spending more and more time together until at the end of the two weeks we would easily spend 12-14 hours together enjoying Leh and the surrounding area. I don't know if I have ever felt so comfortable so quickly with any other people as with these two, and every moment was pure fun. Un bacio grande a voi due per tutti i sorrisi. Indeed, all the time in Ladakh was pure magic, between the small community of meditatrs, the Italianas, the joyful Ladakhi people, and the beautiful sights.

In the middle of this time I did manage to tear myself away for four days to go Nubra Valley, which is a six-hour bus ride northeast of Leh with big wide valleys, snow-capped peaks and quiet isolation. On the way to Nubra we went over Khardungla Pass, which at 5600 meters (18,300 some feet) set a new altitude record for me. The highlight of the trip was the small village and big monastery of Deskit. The Desit monastery was what I picture when I think of Tibetan monasteries - old (600 years), sprawling, and set high on a hill next to a thundering gorge. Unknowingly I arrived at the monastery just in time for the lunchtime puja (ceremony) and I was the only tourist there, so I was treated to chapatis and spicy vegetables while sitting in the main temple hall with chanting monks - a nice surprise!

I came back to Leh just in time for a few opening days of the Ladakh Festival, which is a showcase for Ladakhi culture - dancing, singing, archery (not nearly as nice as the archery contest in Sikkim) and polo (traditional??). The masked dance was at Thiksey monastery, which I had visited back in August. This time it couldn't have been more different, with the main courtyard transformed into a dance theater, with monks playing drums and horns, presiding monastery officials, and of course throngs of tourists. The dances were raher laid-back affairs, with slow movements and simple choreography, but the costumes were very colorful and creative and, judging by the mothballed smell as they passed right by me, quite authentic too.

I delayed my departure to Dharamsala as long as I could but eventually I couldn't wait any longer and I got back on the bus for the gruelling two-day trip to Manali, which then is followed by another overnight bus to Dharamsala. Those Himalaya mountains are beautiful to look at but hell to traverse! When I was in Nepal last year I stayed in the Himalayas as long as possible because I didn't know when I would ever see them again. I certainly didn't plan on being back in the Himalayas this year - again I leave wondering if and when I will be back on the roof of the world.

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Photos

We are the champions
Ear cleaning on the street is a common practice and rspected profession (really!)

Close-up dancer
Traditionally the dances were in the winter during down time. Now they are held in tourist season and the poor dancers nearly pass out from the heat