The Ladakh Diaries

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.