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Published: September 16th 2007
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Richard and I at the top of the pass
This is 5125 metres (18,000+ feet) The air is very thin and dry. It was a very good achievement and well worth the walk. Following Cambodia and Thailand earlier in the year, another short trip was in order to ensure that this year's holiday quota was used for interesting purposes. Instead of going on my own, this time I went with my friend from school, Richard. Flying via Helsinki (to keep the cost down) Finnair delivered us in a safe and timely fashion into Delhi, the only downside was that it was 1am in the morning. We grabbed a taxi to Main Bazaar and the look on Richard's face when we got out the taxi was priceless. The filth and squalor was a bit of shock I think but totally as I remembered it. After refuting accusations of picking the worst location possible to stay at and reassuring Richard that the whole of India is in a similar state, we headed to the aptly named Hotel Relax. Hoping to 'relax' with some Air Con we were advised that the hotel was full. They were however happy to provide us with a shed on the roof... After traveling all day and in need of rest, we kicked the hotel workers out of their quarters and stayed, nice (only for two nights though). The next day was
The Pass
With prayer flags. The piles of stones must have some significance, any suggestions? spent in Delhi checking out the Red Fort (unimpressive) as well as partaking in a back street tour that was offered by a Rickshaw driver. This actually turned out to be very interesting, taking in a Sikh temple, a Jain Temple, the colourful Spice Market and an ex harem built by the British for their soldiers. It has now been Indianised and is full of dogs and people living on top of one another. The following morning we took a short flight to Leh in the Himalayas. The flight was very impressive flying over the mountains, as the plane came into land it slowly circled 4 times into the valley, the wings seemed perilously close to the mountains at points! The town of Leh is about 3,200 metres above sea level. Before India recently arrived, the locals would have been predominantly Tibetan although there is now a strong Indian population, most of whom are Muslim. Our intention was to go trekking. After allowing an inadequate 2 days to acclimatise that allowed us to take in Leh and some visits to surrounding villages and their associated Palaces, we set off on the Markha Valley Trek. This trek was supposed to be
Polo Match - Leh
As part of the Leh festival. Each side wore dark blue colours, very confusing to follow but great fun to watch! completed in 8 days but, due to time constraints, we had to complete it in 6 days. The first day was shaved off by taking a taxi for the full distance, the second day was made up by doing 2 days of walking in 1. We had a guide and helper called Gimpla and Tinzen respectively and a Ponyman whose 4 ponies carried all our gear and food etc. Even Gimpla did not know Ponyman's name, we thought this quite strange... There were two very high passes and a lot of walking! It was however thoroughly worth it. The scenery and landscape was incredible. The rivers were the life of valley and where there was water, there was vegetation in abundance. Our first night was spent camping at 4,400 metres, the symptoms of altitude sickness included a thumping headache, tiredness, slow reactions and severe breathlessness. Not very pleasant but it soon passed after 12 hours sleep! I was hoping to see a Bear and Lynx but this was very unlikely, we did however see a big Rat type creature, some Hares and a big Beaver lookalike called a Monmoth. after 3 days of trekking up the Markha Valley, we camped
Sleeping on the job
This Rickshaw driver in Delhi has clearly found a comfortable position for a nap! at 4,800 metres with the intention of crossing a pass back towards Leh the following morning. This pass was situated at 5,100 metres. The views from here were immense and went on for miles, we were also very close to a glacier. After arriving back in Leh, we went whitewater rafting on the Indus River which, whilst not the adrenaline rush is was sold as, was very enjoyable and also provided the perfect conditions for some bright red sunburn! That afternoon and as part of the Leh festival we saw a Polo match which was very high speed and entertaining. In order to get onto the flight back to Delhi we went through massive security checks, this is I presume is due to the proximity to the Kashmiri border dispute with Pakistan. After landing we took a bus ride from hell to Agra during which someone was arrested for jumping the fare. On arrival we checked into a mid range hotel with a pool that was a welcome break after the previous poor accommodation and lack of amenities. I saw a different side to Agra this time but was of course happy to see the Taj Mahal for a second
time. We did another Rickshaw inspired tour which turned out to be quite informative. After what was a busy two weeks, we jumped on a train back to Delhi, did some shopping and flew home. India is always an interesting place to travel and it's hard work usually pays dividends. Furthermore, although it is utterly filthy in parts, it is very rewarding in my view, a real blast on the senses. I don't have any intentions to return immediately but I am sure it won't be long before I am drawn back...
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