I have always been mesmerised by North India. Right
from the time when I took the customary family trip to Shimla and Manali as a
child, till my recent journey to Amritsar, it fascinates me to no end. Then I
got a rare chance to make a trip to Ladakh this August. Looking back, I was so glad I went. Travelling
alone, without usual company is the most liberating experience ever.
I had a couple of colleagues travelling with me. I was
quite hesitant to plunge into this all by myself; as I didn’t know them very
well. To top it all, an already cancelled trip to
another destination did nothing to improve my mood.
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| From Thiksey Monastery. Amazing! |
We spent a night at Delhi airport to board our
connecting flight to the capital city of Leh. As our aircraft soared through the
countryside next morning, I felt my stomach churning; wondering if I had done
the right thing. The tiny Kushok Bakula Rinpoche airport loomed ahead soon
after. Surrounded by the most breathtaking mountain ranges on all sides, it was
a lovely sight. The airport itself, to my amusement, was no bigger than a
marriage hall. Upon meeting our co-travellers, a family from Delhi, I started attracting
a few quizzical looks from onlookers. Then I realised I was the only girl my
age in our group of seven. Frankly, I did feel a little weird. But then, I
pushed my sunglasses further up my nose, bundled my hair atop my head and
confidently walked towards the nearby Toyota Winger that was to serve as our
vehicle for the tour. Nothing was going to stop me from taking this break from
life that I so needed. A huge fluffy bed, clean washroom and a cup of steaming
hot tea greeted me when I checked in to my hotel, located in a small alleyway off
Fort Road. That was more than enough to put a big smile on my face. We slept
like babies all day after staying up the previous night.
In the evening, me and my colleague Mihir decided we
would get out for a walk. Boy, did we forget about the low oxygen levels in the
air! Walking even five steps was enough to make us huff and puff like we’d just
run a marathon. The plan was immediately abandoned. Diamox then came to the
rescue! This is a medication to prevent altitude sickness, a common phenomenon
in the region. Over a hearty dinner of butter chicken and tomato soup, we
wondered if we should be feasting like this; considering we had to travel to
Nubra Valley the next day. I decided I’d just let go and not worry about it.
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| Yay! |
Very surely, I showed no signs of motion sickness the
next day, not even when we reached Khardung La Pass - the highest motorable road in the world – at
a dizzying altitude of 18380 feet. The bone chilling cold hit me as soon as I
got out of the winger to take photographs. I was actually overwhelmed by it
all. While Mihir was busy taking photographs, Tejas was patiently trying to
explain to a group of green-eyed Italians that the peak of K2 was in Nepal and
not in India. Apparently the fellows had made ambitious plans to scale K2! Even in that cold, I could not help but
smile.
Standing like a silent sentinel over the Nubra Valley,
facing down the Shayok river to Pakistan, this 32-foot high statue of Maitreya
Buddha makes for a very dramatic picture. There is just barrenness all around,
and there you have this statue, painted in all the colors imaginable – the only
flash of color for miles. It was a truly remarkable sight.
As we drove back to our desert camp one evening after
spending some time in the sand dunes, I watched the sun setting over the
valley, casting a pink glow far and wide. It was a beautiful sight. At that
moment I felt incredibly thankful to be where I was. That night we all played
cards and talked and talked over a few drinks like there was no end to it. It
was good to be making new friends.
After returning to Leh from Nubra Valley, I went
exploring by myself in the downtown market one day. With my backpack full of
shopping, devouring the most delectable Nutella pancakes and coffee at a nearby
café watching the world go by, I was happy to be where I was, with not a care
in the world. It felt good to be disconnected.
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The journey to Pangong Tso Lake was a six hour long
drive. As we entered a region that looked eerily like a dinosaur excavation
site, I spotted a brilliant flash of blue in the distance. And once the lake
came into view, I realised that the best things in life take time; and that the
drive was all worth it. The photographs I had seen of the lake earlier didn’t
do it justice at all. With one fourth part in India and the rest in China,
Pangong Tso was a marvel; a true highlight of my journey. The steaming hot
Maggi we had at a small café by the banks was the icing on the cake.
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What struck me most was the natural diversity. Whether
it was the picturesque sand dunes of the Nubra Valley , the snow capped
mountains of Khardung La or the azure waters of the mighty Pangong Tso Lake, I
was actually surprised to see such different natural phenomena in one single
region.
Somewhere in between the endless bowls of Maggi I
devoured, the pegs of Old Monk that I had to beat the cold, the long journeys
through the winding mountain roads and the sunburn adorning my face a few days
into our trip, I left a piece of myself up there in those mountains. A piece of
me that doesn’t ever want to return to normal life.
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| Good times. |
Travelling without usual company was one of the best
things I could have done. It increased my self confidence most importantly. Now
I am quite sure I can pull off a solo trip if I ever plan one.
A highly under
rated destination, Ladakh is one of India’s best kept secrets. A friend of mine
rightly said – “It is an emotion, not an experience”. I couldn’t agree more.
