THE ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME-EXPERIENCE THAT IT IS- LEH LADAKH!
Truly known as 'The roof of the world', Leh Ladakh are not just places you visit, but an experience that you go through. A trip that I was reluctant to go to as I preferred exploring the south of India- Kerala and the backwaters to be precise, I totally feel pride in my decision of having experienced the serenity, gasps of amazement and an absolutely out-of-the-world encounter.
The state boasts of its wide open blue skies with snowy clouds, rocks and hills that are thousands of years old but speak their own stories-each mountain speaks a different story! you see hills of all colors, as if breaking the barriers and borders of religion, caste, and nationality- blue, green,brown,black,pale yellow, turquoise, grey,white,ET.AL. Very interestingly, amidst these mountains, there are patches and spreads of lush green fields, step farming, sky scraping trees, and the most rarely found colours of flowers, which add onto the beauty of this striking beauty!
Although a road trip is highly recommended and a must, but for the time being we flew to Leh (yes, direct flights are available from New Delhi). May- August are considered to be the best months to visit this part of the country, as the weather is conducive and comparatively pleasant (I wonder of the pleasantness though as the weather changes its colors every hour! ). And this did prove true as the forecast was of a sunny day when we landed, but the air turbulence in the craft made us think otherwise; and our doubt did come true when the aircraft door opened up to cloudy skies, ice cold winds, and a drizzle! Any yes we weren't prepared in terms of our attires!
Well, we did know we were in for quite a number of surprises already :D
A very warm welcome with a big box of chocolates in a cozy car taking you through breathtaking views feels totally blissful! It is amazing to see such clean big wide two laned roads at such an altitude! One can't resist admiring the courage, hard work and determination of the 'Border Roads Organization' to have done such a commendable job at this!. It is truly said that' No ladakhi (local civilians) consider themselves any less than the army here and this is another reason why this is considered to be the very peaceful despite lying on the borders and being neighbors to China and Pakistan.
We were taken to our cottage which was in the situated in the army area. The windows of our rooms opened up to tall trees, huge mountains (the nearer ones being dark brown and yellow and the farther ones being black ans snow- capped!), fluffy cotton-like clouds almost touching the peaks of the mountains, and plantations all around. the garden areas were so well kept that you it feels unbelievable that it hardly rains here! There are numerous trees of apricots- the very famous fruit of this region which when dried, turns into the dry fruit- khurmani that's eaten during the winters. Just when you are roaming around admiring the beauty of the place, do you realize that you stat to feel breathless already! The high altitude of this place leads to a lack in the amount of oxygen making you feel gasping for breath just after taking a few steps. Another very important fatcor to be followed here is the 'Water Drill'. A problem of high altitude is dehydration , and in order to avoid that, one must continue to drink water at very regular intervals. This did make us feel that we should follow the suggestions of the locals and rest for a day to feel accustomed to the climatic conditions. So after a sumptuous breakfast and a hearty lunch, we were taken to some nearby places.
Our first destination was the LADAKH SHANTI STUPA . A wide and clean two laned road narrowing into a single laned road now running on a mountain led us to this ancient monastery. Colourful carvings of; and numerous Buddhas in the sitting position on the walls are the highlights of this white colored monastery. Reaching the top where you take a round of the whole monastery has an astounding view of the small villages of Ladakh with sprawling fields around and huge mountains which seem to protect them in a semi circular manner. A huge standing statue of Buddhha in golden color stands tall inside the monastery which looks truly captivating! While we were admiring the picturesque locations around and taking pictures, a familiar voice startles me. The world is definitely a small place if you find a student you have taught in one of your batches comes up to you at a monastery in Ladakh! Meeting up with her family who all are as warm as can be, soothes your heart even more.
From here, our next stop was the cozy little house of a local we had to meet. The simplicity and helpful nature of those people is to such an extent that the lady came half way to guide us back to her abode. The tiny road that led to the main gate of their house ended on a melted glacier fresh water river flowing beneath a tiny wooden bridge. The passage had trees on both the sides leading to quite a big kitchen garden on one side, and beautiful plantations of flowers-predominantly roses- that too four very thick roses in one bud! That's a very rare sight and a treat to someone who is very fond of gardening. We were told that this type of seeds and growth is available and possible only in those climatic conditions.
The interiors were equally intricate and tastefully done! The wooden furniture with carvings on them is a specialty of this region with beautifully made colorful carpets and wooden flooring which helps keep the house warm in bone- chilling winters. We were served with a very different kind of tea that they make with some regional spices and flavors and snacks. I had the best authentic green tea there which had a very different color and taste!
The day ended with another lavish meal at the officer's mess and yet another revelation about Leh Ladakh - that its a phenomenon here of winds blowing at a very high speed starting around late evening continuing throughout the night. The speed and noise was such that one felt its going to snow in no time! We were now waiting to explore more about the place with a beautiful sunrise.
Well, we did know we were in for quite a number of surprises already :D
A very warm welcome with a big box of chocolates in a cozy car taking you through breathtaking views feels totally blissful! It is amazing to see such clean big wide two laned roads at such an altitude! One can't resist admiring the courage, hard work and determination of the 'Border Roads Organization' to have done such a commendable job at this!. It is truly said that' No ladakhi (local civilians) consider themselves any less than the army here and this is another reason why this is considered to be the very peaceful despite lying on the borders and being neighbors to China and Pakistan.
We were taken to our cottage which was in the situated in the army area. The windows of our rooms opened up to tall trees, huge mountains (the nearer ones being dark brown and yellow and the farther ones being black ans snow- capped!), fluffy cotton-like clouds almost touching the peaks of the mountains, and plantations all around. the garden areas were so well kept that you it feels unbelievable that it hardly rains here! There are numerous trees of apricots- the very famous fruit of this region which when dried, turns into the dry fruit- khurmani that's eaten during the winters. Just when you are roaming around admiring the beauty of the place, do you realize that you stat to feel breathless already! The high altitude of this place leads to a lack in the amount of oxygen making you feel gasping for breath just after taking a few steps. Another very important fatcor to be followed here is the 'Water Drill'. A problem of high altitude is dehydration , and in order to avoid that, one must continue to drink water at very regular intervals. This did make us feel that we should follow the suggestions of the locals and rest for a day to feel accustomed to the climatic conditions. So after a sumptuous breakfast and a hearty lunch, we were taken to some nearby places.
Our first destination was the LADAKH SHANTI STUPA . A wide and clean two laned road narrowing into a single laned road now running on a mountain led us to this ancient monastery. Colourful carvings of; and numerous Buddhas in the sitting position on the walls are the highlights of this white colored monastery. Reaching the top where you take a round of the whole monastery has an astounding view of the small villages of Ladakh with sprawling fields around and huge mountains which seem to protect them in a semi circular manner. A huge standing statue of Buddhha in golden color stands tall inside the monastery which looks truly captivating! While we were admiring the picturesque locations around and taking pictures, a familiar voice startles me. The world is definitely a small place if you find a student you have taught in one of your batches comes up to you at a monastery in Ladakh! Meeting up with her family who all are as warm as can be, soothes your heart even more.
From here, our next stop was the cozy little house of a local we had to meet. The simplicity and helpful nature of those people is to such an extent that the lady came half way to guide us back to her abode. The tiny road that led to the main gate of their house ended on a melted glacier fresh water river flowing beneath a tiny wooden bridge. The passage had trees on both the sides leading to quite a big kitchen garden on one side, and beautiful plantations of flowers-predominantly roses- that too four very thick roses in one bud! That's a very rare sight and a treat to someone who is very fond of gardening. We were told that this type of seeds and growth is available and possible only in those climatic conditions.
The interiors were equally intricate and tastefully done! The wooden furniture with carvings on them is a specialty of this region with beautifully made colorful carpets and wooden flooring which helps keep the house warm in bone- chilling winters. We were served with a very different kind of tea that they make with some regional spices and flavors and snacks. I had the best authentic green tea there which had a very different color and taste!
The day ended with another lavish meal at the officer's mess and yet another revelation about Leh Ladakh - that its a phenomenon here of winds blowing at a very high speed starting around late evening continuing throughout the night. The speed and noise was such that one felt its going to snow in no time! We were now waiting to explore more about the place with a beautiful sunrise.
Hi,very good startup . l think your nanu gives u t inspiration to write your experiences to share with your near d dear keep it up always with u sucheta
ReplyDeleteHi,very good startup . l think your nanu gives u t inspiration to write your experiences to share with your near d dear keep it up always with u sucheta
ReplyDeleteVery well written! I couldn't come along, but having read it gives me a first hand experience of how memorable it has been for all of you..
ReplyDeleteCommendable start with this blog! Proud of you.