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Published: December 30th 2020
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Come to think of it, I and my friends were glad that we made a decision to visit Ladakh last year in August. It had been a long awaited trip and on my to-go-list of destination for quite some time. Excited, we flew from Jakarta to Delhi via Singapore and took connecting flight to Leh from Delhi. Landed safely in Leh in the morning, we immediately bought oxygen cans at the airport. We were greeted by our driver, Sonam, and also by the blue sky. What a perfect weather!
At 3,524 meter above sea level, Leh is the joint capital city of Ladakh, formerly part of the union territory along with Jammu and Kashmir. Our accommodation, Sangaylay Palace, a full-board two-star hotel, was clean and homey. In the afternoon, we could sit at the courtyard sipping chai latte. The hotel staff was friendly and resources as well who would remind us whenever our meals were ready.
It was walking distance from the city center, mainly few stretch of streets with small shops and cafes along the road. I felt immediately at home, and felt like being in Tibet. The building architecture looked similar to those of in Lhasa. So
were the people. Lots of souvenir shops. While exploring the city, we came across a Tibetan Center, where its community held Summer Festival on Saturday. The performers were the Tibetan in exile who had been living in Leh for many decades, most of whom made a living by selling souvenirs at Tibetan market.
The next day, we left early to visit Magnetic Hill, known for its unique characteristics; when parked at the spot, cars seemed to be moving uphill, an impression of gravity defying. Only after I searched online, I learned the truth: it was actually a cyclops hill; the layout of the surrounding area creates the optical illusion of an up hill, while it was actually a downhill. Cars seemed to be moving uphill while they were actually moving downhill. I bet our driver, Sonam, didn't know about this fact.
On our way to Nimu Valley, we stopped by at Gurudwara Patthar Zahib, a Sikh temple built by the founder of Sikh faith. Many soldiers stationed in Ladakh this came to pray. No photography was allowed.
A few kilometre later, we were mesmerised by the beauty of the landscape where two rivers converged: Indus and Zanskar
River. It's well known for its white water rafting. Not only the current was strong, but the water was also cold and muddy. Indus River is one of the longest river in the world which flows from Tibetan plateau, Ladakh and Pakistan, to which it provides primary sources of water. We stopped at a cozy homestay at Nimu Village for lunch and headed towards Alchi Gompa or Monastery, which unfortunately was closed. No monks were seen.
The next day, we headed towards much-awaited destination, Nubra Valley. As we drove, we could see range of mountains against blue sky backdrop and as we went further uphill, the mountain range in a distance become eye level. What an awesome sight! Because of its proximity to the border with China and Pakistan, Ladakh is heavily guarded. To enter the area, you need travel permit as there were a few check points along the way. Many military trucks passed by.
Gateway to Nubra Valley, Khardung La Pass, 5,359 meter above the sea, was covered by snow. The thin oxygen made my head heavy, and it was then when our oxygen can became handy. Historically, the pass was used by the caravan to
transport goods from Leh to Kashgar, which would have taken months. I could not help thinking how rough the journey would be during winter. The scenic sight along the way never failed to impress us. Every where we turned, it was picture perfect: snowcapped mountains, curvy roads on hillside and wide valley.
Six hours later, we arrived at Deskit Gompa. Built on a hilltop of Deskit, the 500 year old monastery had breathtaking landscape view of Nubra Valley. Built on the 14th century, the monastery looked tired and deserted. It belonged to the Yellow Hat sub-sect of Tibetan Buddhism and was home to 100 monks, none of whom were seen. Had we come in February, we would have been able to see many monks during Festival of the Scapegoat.
Next destination was Hundar Village, famous for its sand dune and Bactrian camel safari. Native of Central Asia , Bactrian camels were historically used to transport goods during Silkroad era. Today, they are used as tourist attraction at Hundar Village. We skip the ride and went to see Ladakhi traditional dance instead. By the time we reached our accommodation, Mystique Meadow glamping, on the other side of the valley,
the sun has set. Without any wifi connectivity, star gazing was our only pastime option after dinner.
We headed towards Pangong Lake, 240 km away from Nubra Valley but was entertained by the sight along the way. Six hours later, the sight of turquoise blue color started to appear from the horizon, and we finally reached one of the largest salt water lakes. Located at 4,350 meter above the sea level, Pangong Lake is 5 km wide, covering 604 m2, bordering with Tibetan Autonomous region, China. There was nothing much to do other than strolling by the lake; in the evening, when the temperature dropped to 5c, I had to forego the idea of capturing milky way.
The next day, we left early and headed towards Tsomoriri Lake, another salt water lake located at 4,595 meter above the sea level. Much of the journey was on dirt roads as there was no paved roads connecting Pangong Lake and Tsomoriri. It was not only scenic, but we were lucky to spot a few mountain deers, black neck cranes and also wild horse, Kiang, mole, and not to mention other yak and herds of sheeps. By the time we reached
our accommodation, Norling Camp, temperature must have dropped to near zero. Strong wind and downpour made our evening unbearable, and it was in during Summer! I cannot imagine how cold it would be during winter. For a moment, I had a pang of regret for not staying in a hotel.
Returning to Leh the next day, the drive was relatively painless as there was a highway connecting Pangong Lake to Leh. Before reaching Leh, we stopped briefly at Tikse Monastery, a mini version of Potala Palace in Lhasa. No monks were seen either.
Back in Leh, we were relieved to arrive at our comfy accommodation, and it was then, we learned about the government decision to separate Ladakh from Jammu Kashmir. Officially, Ladakh became a Union Territory on October 31, 2019. I could see how excited our driver, Sonam, was. He believed government's decision would improve the economy of Ladakh. Before heading back home the next day, we had a chance to visit Leh Palace, Namgyal Tsemo Gompa and Shanti stupa.
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