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Inside a Gypsy house.
Alia with Rashid Begum, a woman who invited us into her summer house near our first campsite. You can see the stove, oven and furnace! Hi, it's Beth, which you can probably tell from the title since I am the one who recently turned a year older. Could have titled it "We're not as young as we think we are or would like to be..." Really just trying to convey how stiff and sore I am since returning from trekking just yesterday. Both Azim and I were feeling our age and a little nostalgic for those days 20 years ago when we could trek through the Himalayas in Nepal for three weeks with large packs on our backs. Not so anymore...Now we trek with a caravan of 11 horses, 2 foals and 8 guides-all to carry our equipment, set up camp, cook our meals and on and on. We felt a bit spoiled but it seems to be the way it works here now. We can't even come into Srinigar from the houseboat without a guide. Saleem brings us in and sits in the internet cafe the whole time waiting for us. ..
But back to trekking, yes, it's as beautiful as you have heard and we had good weather for the most part. Although, when we reached one plateau and had lunch in the
Cold first two days!
But the weather improved and we all got more sunburned than at the beach. hail and wind, we were reminded (and not exactly with fondness) of our trip last year to the Bowron Lakes. Still, the mornings were brilliant blue skies, hot sun and we were surrounded by snow capped mountains! I haven't read the kids' blogs, but I think they enjoyed it for the most part, although walking isn't exactly Samir's cup of tea, which he has made clear since the start of this trip. That's okay, he made the best use of the riding ponies of all of us. Jamil, Alia and I really liked walking and it wasn't only because we didn't have complete faith in the horses' abilities.
Before we left, Azim mentioned to one of our guides that it probably wasn't possible to have meat on the trek. To which the guide responded that it was no problem keeping it fresh. And I am thinking, yeah, it's cold enough up in the mountains and in my head I can see skinless, boneless chicken in the package at Safeway. Then we get to our first campsite and I see four chickens running around and I think, that's strange. Until Samir tells me, didn't you see them being carried
Our campsite.
Our tents, next to a sheep herder's house which we used also. up in the cages on the horse? It's one thing to eat meat bought at the grocery store and quite another to watch (and hear) it being beheaded and plucked! So the kids befriended the remaining chickens, as they dwindled down to just one on our last da, and refused to eat chicken at any meal. Their favourite thing to do on the trek was get in among all the sheep grazing on the mountain and try to catch the babies. Very fun and pretty soon they would be surrounded by hundreds of sheep. As Alia is holding a 4 day old baby and we are all oohing and aahing over it, one of our guides tells us that we can buy a sheep from the gypsies and have it for dinner one night...I said we probably wouldn't eat it. Although, I must say the lamb curry we've been having on the houseboat is the best I've ever had. But there, we are more removed from the live ones and the images of them happily, roaming the hills. So, the kids have become vegetarian and been eating vegetables they would never touch at home and all three are anxious to
Not one of our guides!
Okay Ranjit, here is Azim, even though I think we include him in the photos a lot and need I mention he could write his own blog entries... learn how to cook once we return to Vancouver. And if that happens, I say this trip has been money well spent!
Well, it has been a few days since we have started these latest blog entries but we haven't had time to get our photos on and publish them. So, we are just continuing on with Ladakh and will end up with one long entry-a grand finale before we leave India for the last time! We left Srinagar two days ago on June 5th. Azim and I were a little anxious to move on because having a guide with you constantly is a bit wearing. I'm not sure if all tourists get that treatment or if our houseboat owners feel they need to give us a bit more "protection" because we are with kids, or maybe it is because of the bomb blast at the latest demonstration in downtown Srinagar...Not sure but it is good to be off on our own for awhile.
It took us two, 10 hour days to drive from Srinagar to Leh, the capital of Ladakh. That was with a driver going at break neck speed whenever he could. At first, you feel
The Road to Leh.
Altitude 11,500 feet! a little impatient with a truck or bus in front of you forcing you to slow down (or the military convoy no driver is allowed to pass) but after stretches of open road, high speeds, curves, no guard rails...we welcomed the slow bits to gather our heads and stomachs. It is a beautiful road in its own way-a dry, dusty kind of beauty. Towns, where all the buildings are the colour of the earth, surrounded by a green oasis of trees and fields. Next come the brown rugged mountains and beyond them the blacker mountains with snow on their peaks. But for many kilometers, all you see is brown rock. It's a nice drive to do once, but all I could think of on the way was, we have to turn around in two days and drive back to Srinagar for two more days. Poor planning? Did I mention we lost our guide to India and are sort of at a loss... We did check into flying back to Srinagar (a mere 30 minute flight), but that only happens once a week and that was yesterday! Still, it was worth it (if you ask me or Azim 😊 The town
Thekesy Monastery in Ladakh.
Over 100 monks live and study here. of Leh is again the colour of the surrounding hills and beyond those are snow covered peaks. Very beautiful against the bright blue sky. We are taking it easy because the air is thin and we are feeling a bit breathless with a touch of headaches. Tomorrow we are out for a walk to explore the stupas and monasteries. So, this is it until we reach Turkey, our last country to visit and one we are all looking forward to seeing.
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