this is a travel log of sorts to Leh – Ladakh in north india.
i took this trip in 2009 aug-sept just a 3 days quick trip and back….
Left home at 8:20 to Jangos house, we were to watch sum of the ManU vs Arsenal match and board the 11:45 to delhi.
Jango hadn’t completed packing and not even showered so we left his house at 10:50 and boy we were in a hurray, it was raining so barely we managed to get a rick and took the short cut to the airport.
The shorty was slightly flooded and eventual happened the rick stalled and we were stranded on the lonely road and then my first omen appeared a mid 40’s guy in a old maruti 800 probably as old as him in looks but he gave us a lift and dropped us outside on the highway, it was still raining and 2nd omen a meru cab waiting and he was early for his assigned pickup we took him and reached the airport.
We checked in and were told flight is late by an hour sad long faces dawned the mask on us of boredom ahead.
We took coffee, a cappuccino for jango and black with sugar for me also tuna sandwiches for each, later I took garam samosas too. As I was about to throw the paper plates a man with a bag jumped the gates and two guards stopped him and pushed him to the ground while the third kept pointing his Kalashnikov to his head, we were almost 200 ft away but could see it all, another omen. We had a good laugh for each has traveled many times but never such an adventure even before the journey started oh and ya ManU was 0 for 1 Arsenal when we left and by the time we cleared security won the match 2-1 sad cause I like arsenal.
We took the bus to the craft and my window seat was occupied by an old uncle with his awesomely fat wife who was over flowing in to the single aile seat. There were two okish looking hostesses and the rest of the crowd was boring. We took off and later the plane went through turbulence such that even though we were seating on the wings could feel bumpy boat like ride.
I took to my songs and amazingly complex Kafka short stories which I took from amrita. Again we had sandwich half each and fanta as my stomach rumbled to churn the food I heard a sound which was gross and was piercing through my headphones the fat lady was snoring aloud with her mouth open and atmosphere around these three seats was getting smelly too I guess another omen…..
Jolting smelling and kafkasian moments later we landed at delhi airport took a electric buggy to our terminal and had Lattes. I was still high from the smoke we had before leaving.
We stood long in the check-in line our flight was 3hrs later but we had to get rid of our sacks and head for the smoke zone and again I had a moment again I forgot to keep my cigarette case in the main bag and the security asked me give it cause it had lighter attached to it so in disgust I threw it on the counter the lady guard looked in rage at me while the 3 star was not bothered with me. In anger we walked to the smoke zone luckily iam kind of a chain smoker and had another pack in the backpack, we smoked I chatted on me PDA with friends on facebook and had one more coffee and posed for pics while our cameras flashed on self timer. Few hours later i was gona be on the highest livable places in india and this thought of solitude made me happy even as the announcements kept happening and the jets kept taxing to their destined slots to take people their homes, offices or tourist destinations I was weirdly making mental notes of these moments in their life while smiling on my desire to see Leh the foothills of the Himalayas close to china border.
We took the 1hr late flight and the staff was good this time but I fell a sleep listening to the on-board metalica death magnetic on the player fixed with a screen in the back of the chair in front. Jango woke me to ask for food and refused so disgruntled woken from a 20min nap that the good looking hostess felt bad and then I had to go pee but she was blocking the way with her food trolley and like a little kid was squeezing my legs together till she could give me way and I sprinted to the loo which had a vacuum flush thank god I dint drop anything.
We checked into Hotel Hill town courtesy of driver Angdu who has also promised to give us cheap drives to Confluence, khardunngla, pangong etc….
We got up by 2ish after good session of smokes and omelet with parathas. Headed out to the town on foot and decided to eat at la terrazzo had a huge humus with salad an the started walking to Leh palace and Castle Tsemo which was almost 120mtrs climb.
Now on top of Castle of Tsemo almost 3500mtrs high, gorgeous glow of the sun over the valley below white roof top houses tall green trees looking like toothpicks from up here. The king who ruled this place once must have had a Highfi life. In the distance the mountains with snow caps looking ever peaceful and pure.
Came down faster the weather is dry and chill breeze but jango’s sipped on his beer while I had me black coffee sitting at café el franco, there was this girl all alone who sat across me was wearing a green shimmering dupata and had Dark Green eyes was totally gorgeous may be Polish or something like that and Jango was wondering if shes really alone he could go talk to her but we finished our food and coffee and headed back to the hotel.the journey down from the castle was amazing the sun on the top edges of the snow laced mountains and houses below started getting bigger while the Leh Palace was reducing to red white magnificent looking architectural marvel. We asked the hotel manager to get us a enfield to hire to go to the concert and took a nap for 20 mins and we are now almost awake from 29th morning with occasional 20mins nap adding to a 40-60 mins sleep in 24hrs +.
No we took a taxi cause the bike was not available. The ride to Sindhughat where the Confulence was taking place was weird cause it was dark around and as we left the city it was pitch dark only light was that of our car on the road and vehicles coming towards us but Juma kept going faster and faster and we got higher on the cold breeze. We walked 10mins to the music stage and a band playing fusion jazz with a female vocals was playing a song ….. Long long time I have been waiting for a change, amazing voice and the ambience is splendid, its on the banks of almost mythological looking river Indus all around mountains like the coliseum of Greeks and stars are looking bigger then normal with my favorite Orion constellation right over my head. Then came a mix band with Marathi, Rajasthani and African vocals and a array of musicians from Tabla violins Veena sitar to various percussions and they started with Marathi folk song on Ganarayya soothing trance like. We stood in front of the speakers while occasionally sitting on the ground. Thank god we dint get the bike cause it was shivering cold. I was enjoying the music but my stomach wanted food, I guess this pure air makes u hungry and advised jango to be where he is not that we would have moved from there cause 2 really nice looking French girls were dancing in front of us and were surrounded by groups of Israeli and some sweet language talking country people and it was almost like a trance festival I had once been to in Yerodha pune.I walked to the food stall and they had pizzas, wonderful 11500ft above in a city which is operational not more than 5 months a year has pizzas in the middle of no where. As I got my food the concert ended and I couldn’t call out for this shity airtel network. It was dark there hence sent a txt to jango of where I was but he missed me and walked ahead for 10mins we did pingpong Txting and finally met up, we forgot to call the driver ahead of time so were waiting for him to come back from leh city.
There were 2 couples looking to share a cab on asking us we said hop-in ours is prepaid so will give a free ride but they deserted us when a guy in a new Pajero offered them lift. We got our cab and driver Juma a friend of Angdu took us to a place called KC’s garden and boy what a place. And the Green eyed girl was here too, which got jango happy but she was busy talking to indian chaps and they were giving her Golis on their road trip and modified motorcycles, we just flew into Leh so couldnt relate at all. It had Moroccan style tents all over and three bonfires around which mostly foreigners sat smoking weed hash etc.. And we did the same and then walked in Minisha Lambha with a dude and Omar Abdulahs younger cousin with a chick but they were just soaking the fires heat. The place reminded me of goa’s new year when we were 15 of us and only us on Anjuna with a bonfire. We had Kc spl chicken and rotis and headed back to hotel with tomorrow’s plan ready for Pangong lake at 6:30 while listening to channel V fell a sleep at 2ish.
Just 4 hrs some minutes later woke up at 5:30 boy me mother and wife would have been so happy if I wake up on my own everyday and so early. Its freakingly cold I had slept with my thermal inners, tshirt denims and monkeycap under 2sheets and a Razai. My head was splitting cause of cold but jango was sleeping in his unders only salla show off punjabi. We left for Pangong lake in a sumo grande with driver Saeed. The route was through the concert site at Sindhughat so stopped to see it in daylight it is as I imagined like a coliseum only really really huge. We passed Dali lama’s house unfortunately he left on 29th morning so will go inside tomorrow after the opening ceremony of Ladakh festival.
The road to Pangong is amazing twisting and turning going up all the way to Changla at 17500 ft and it just started to snow. Little snow flakes fell on me palm and melted immediately but leaving a cold dot where it rested. My head started to ache and cause of my car sickness was feeling nauseated too so we stopped at a café. A little girl with rosy cheeks polite like a nightingale asked ”khane mein kuch chaiya aap ko” I with a No nod asked for tea with milk, 5mins later she came out with tea and gave us the sweetest smile ever. A boy and a women locals here wanted lift so we agreed. Boy dint speak at all and got off just few minutes later for his house which was at the banks of a river with huge farms and straw brick house. The women was a peon in the local school and got down at Pangong lake we went little ahead from the main parking space so we would have quiet and peace which is the only thing here in plenty along with big mountains with snow caps. We built a small stone stack and kind of prayed. The lake is only 40 percent in India and rest in China standing there we were looking at China. I tossed a coin on the ground like great mountain climbers do to pay respect and ask for a safe journey back.
The water was ice cold and salty we tossed flat stones trying to out do the number of skips of each other. I did what I do often and marked my territory which I had also done at Leh palace.
After half hour later with a Tyre change we headed back. It was getting chillier by the minute and as we reached near Changla we were blessed by a blanket of snow and bigger size flakes falling down like soft cotton. We stood as we had on the sandy river and took snaps. My head ache was now on the verge of explosion but as we decented down it kept getting easier.
Near the Shey palace every one on the road was turning back, saeed spoke to someone about the situation and was told a big accident had taken place and road ahead was blocked. So we took a short cut as told and reached a dead end in the middle of nowhere. Three military trucks came along with other civilian cars. Every one got out to scout for a route and just then our angel came a small old man who knew the road out but some stones needed to be moved and with three trucks of our army men it was easy. Soon we got on track to Leh city and reached the room and quickly got into our sheets and the sweet waiter gave us tea and later food in bed and fell asleep. Got up at 8:00 wanted to buy a few local things, as we got out we noticed it was raining so we called Juma for a cab he came 15mins later during which the hotel managers friend talked about how mumbaites are worldly different from all others added “ aap log bahut chalak hota hai” I guess he meant we are outlandish and I said in my mind ”salla kidar bhi jao we are noticed” but we always get better service may be it has to do with my french sense of tipping 10percent of the bill. We were also told that Khardunngla will be closed cause of heavy snowfall which we witnessed in Changla which is only 10 thousand feet shorter of Chomolungma (everst). With disappointment we went to an ATM first and then shopped some PASHMMINAS and silver jewelry even bought a two stone blackmoon ring for my self. Jango and me are having a fun time making jokes and the long silence which is making conversations too for we kinda looking at the same things the vastness of this place and mountains which gives you a feeling of dwarfness and cold reminds you how useful long sleeve t-shirts can be. We later had dinner at a punjabi dhaba and are debating over to either extend a day here or spend 2 days in punjab at his natives. Filled are tummies over mutton curry, panner, dal and roti-shoti and cause of the rain KC’s was closed so no bonfire tonight we came to the room got happy and watched TV while deciding tomorrow’s POA i.e. Shanti stupa, Dalilama’s house, Ladakh festival opening, more shopping and then closing of confluence concert.
Waking up is the difficult in this part of the world cause nose is blocked and chilled bones. The thought of washing your face with cold water sends shivers. Jango the showoff punjabi is hit by the weather finally he’s feeling cold just like me. We were to get ready when Jumma came in and had tea with us while we got ready to hit the streets of Leh. We walked to the Leh Polo ground where the festival was to start from. The sun was high-up and it was getting hot so were only in our t-shirts. We sat on the ground to watch the dance performance and then came Janice a sweet girl from London who’s gona be in Leh for a month to teach English in a village and does the same back home too, poor girl had twisted her ankle. We couldn’t see much cause of the people in our way and it was getting really hot so headed back into town. Jango needed something for a bad throat and we had to shop things for home. I bought military shoes and sweater along with a dragon-mouth blow horn and a traditional Ladakhi dress for Tvisha. Jango dint shop today so we headed for il franco to have food it was so crowded that our order took 2 hrs so just got it packed. Jango now was totally down and went of to sleep. We got-up around 8ish and around 10pm went to KC’s garden.
A live band was playing and groups around the bonfires smoking up good. The people around the bonfire were laughing and getting high, a Indian was entertaining by his talk and giving some bullshit about life too. Next to me sat a Australian who had done his PHD in Psychology and 2 Russian girls one of them was Elena and she had a cute smile or I was just plain high me and the Australian kept laughing about the Indian mans philosophy and dialogues.
Jango was sitting with out hotel manager and his local friends and owner of KC garden along with a Russian Couple. The Girl was only 20 yrs old and was already on a backpack trip of India “Aur salla mein abhi tak India nahi dekha” I too sat with them for long and then me stomach reminded me of the chicken lasagna I had eaten and the body rejected it, even in this clean and fresh atmosphere they make stale food we smoked more and headed walking back to the hotel cause Juma left us saying he had work at home.
We sat there till 2am and droped dead on the bed. Juma came to wake us up at 7am cause our flight to Srinagar was at 9am. We got ready in a hurry and amazingly before going to bed we had packed which we dint remember at all.
We left for the airport after long wait and more longer waiting we took off and the view was fantastic for I could identify this time the places below. We reached Srinagar and one more moment here too our direct flight to Mumbai was canceled so now were to go Srinagar – Jammu – Delhi – Mumbai simple 3 hrs flight converted to a 6+hrs flight. It was like a Best bus ride stopping at all stations. We had male hostess salla boring ride it was, occasionally I was dozing off but the view of the clouds below was amazing there were Teddy bears, Monsters, Dinosaurs, cartoon characters etc.. in the shape of the clouds or was it the last smoke of the locally grown plants that made me see all this but I got pics to prove. Some how the journey back home is always longer and this was really long. We landed at Mumbai around 7ish and ran to the exit for smokes as we had not in almost 7 hours. We took individual ricks to our homes and the bumpy ride of a different kind with pollution which was giving me a headache similar to the one at Changla which was 5380 mtrs above and here iam now 10hrs later at 0mtrs above sea level. Every time I would close me eyes I could see the valley no I was not feeling sleepy but pollution was making them burn.
The trip to this true Shangri-La was amazing next year will go for at least 10 days.
Jyule!!!!
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