Sheep Wrecked

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First I have to alert readers to a mistake appearing in an earlier entry. I let you all know that Namaste means 'hello' in Hindi. According to my dear friend Pam it means 'I honour your light' I am as yet unable to verify this, however, I think its better, so lets work on that basis.

Anyway - I've been a bit lazy on the old travel blog front recently so I promise you all a fun packed, thrilling extra long entry. Or maybe I'll just write a few words....

So today's entry finds me still in Leh on a sleepy sunny Sunday morning. I leave for Manali tomorrow (feel for me guys I have to be at the bus stop at 4.30am for the beginning of another two day bus odyssey - more about the roads later)

AND I THOUGHT DUNGENESS WAS THE WIERDEST PLACE IN THE WORLD

I did you know until I went to the Nubra valley. Its even got its own mini desert with sand dunes and everything. A six hour bus trip over the highest motorable road in the world. A little hairy either side of the pass. But once over the Khardang La Pass you are dumped into a thin desert valley with two rivers running through it allowing the pockets of green and fertile land that support the communities here. Its stark, beautiful and quite frankly odd. It is also very peaceful so it proved to be 5 days of well earned escape from the car horns of Leh. We visited all the 'major' villages. And went as far north as a tourist is able to go India.

You'll probably be wanting to know about the camels. Well I did find them but it took me 3 attempts and a total of six hours of walking. I was a little disappointed to find them too late to ride them, but I guess thems the breaks. They were a lot bigger and friendlier than I thought. Apart from that pretty much camel like in most respects. One member of my camel hunting party seemed disappointed that they had parts of their riding saddle on. He felt that this would spoil the 'wild look' in his photos. Twat. Did he think the camels were native in the first place? No, fool, the camels came over the himalayas as part of the trading routes. There are about as wild as my parents' pet cats.

Have you ever heard of Ladakhi dancing and music? No? After a 'cultural evening' in the village of Sumur this no longer surprises me. Ladakhi's should stick to something else I think. They have a wind instrument that sounds like an unhappy balloon being strangled. I would rather listen to a one armed, tone deaf man with an iron lung play bagpipes. And the dancing. Well its more like shuffling really. With a bit of hand twirling to keep the audience awake. Quaint but shite.

WHEN THE LOCALS ARE GONE THERE WILL BE NO BUS

We had decided to visit the nubra valley independently, making use of the local buses. This worked out well half the time until trying to get back from Sumur. The alleged bus would be leaving at 8am from near our guest house. We wait until a local tells us that this bus had been cancelled we should walk to the village to get the main one. At the main bus stop there are quite a few people waiting. Apparently there is a festival in the opposite direction. One hour later...still waiting....two......three.....There are now no locals left they have all given up, gone to the festival or hitched rides. We had to find a jeep.

Same thing happened to trying to get back to Leh. So much for independent travel.

SHALOM

So finally back in Leh and meet an Israeli chap called Chico (yep I couldn't help thinking of X Factor either) who might have room in a jeep for pangang lake. A brackish lake at 4200 metres altitude. Cool. So ff we set the next day. Me and three Israeli chaps, which gave me another wonderful opportunity to sample the delights of another culture's music. Much like the ladakhi's the Israeil's should stick to something other than music.

After 6 hours we are all rewarded with a view an enormous electric blue lake surrounded my the now familiar brown mountains of Ladakh and snow capped peaks.

I am rewarded with a break from Israeli music.


The night's accomodation will be in tents. I set off for a quiet paddle on my own.
This remote spot is remote, rugged and peaceful. I was in awe. Chinese occupied Tibet is just a few kilometres away. It is so beautiful as the sun goes down I am scared to try to describe it for the moment I put it into words I will have done it an injustice.

As the night draws a huge electrical storm lights up the sky over China.
"Thats heading our way I casually remark"

How right I was, at times I thought I might wake up without the tent.

We returned to Leh the next day and I've been hanging out with Chico. A man with no goals. Chico wants to buy a bike to ride the Manil Leh highway. For the past four days Chico's major objective has been to find one. Around and around the streets of Leh he searches and follows up leads, asking in guesthouses, stopping random motorbikees on the streets to ask if their bike is for sale. I pointed out his obsessional search for a motorbike could be interpreted as a little goal driven.

Fair comment he thought.


ROADERCOASTERS - MORE ON BUSES

I think perhaps Indian bus trips provide another example of the excellent value for money to be had in this pagaal (crazy/mad) country.
How much does a rollercoaster cost? ten punds for 5 minutes, twenty for ten? I don't know, I hate them. Anyway in India you can pay eight pounds for a 24 hour bus trip which is pretty much like a slowed down version of a rollercoaster. And it really is dangerous. Well at least more dangerous than a roller coaster anyway.

Perhaps I am developing an obsession about buses. Truly I am my father's daughter.

INDIA HAS A BUREAU FOR STANDARDS

What standards? Over the course of my road trips I have been fortunate to be able to undertake some informal research into the standards of India's roadside toilet facilities. There are none. On most occasions you would be better off relieving yourself in the middle of the road.

I am going to find the man or women responsible for India's lavatorial standards and shoot him on grounds of gross incompetence.

SHOPPING

Now I reached the point about a week ago when I realised that I really didn't have enough clothes. Well that's OK because there are shops in Leh - I can buy some.

This lead to several pointless trips. Ooooh should wear the shapless cotton drawstring orange pants, or or perhaps the tie die pants. In the end I opted for some Thai fishermans pants - pattern and colour wisethe seemed to be the least offensive and cheapest option . Huge loose pants that are supposed to be 'one size fits all' Using a couple of draw string anyone can wear these comfortable trousers (so the shop dude said)They should have come with instructions. Chico had to show me how to wear them. They weren't in the least bit comfortable.

One size fits all? One size fits no one.

Or perhaps I can buy a tibetan blanket, grow dreadlocks and a beard and look like every other f**ker here.

ITS FUNNY WHAT YOU MISS

You know the other day at Pangang lake it was nice and cool. I found myself missing the cold and wondering if I could ever live without winter.

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