The blue blue skies in Leh

A few days back a friend pinged and asked how my Leh trip was, how much did it cost, how many days, etc etc.... She went on to ask if there was good wi-fi signal there, and that made me chuckle. Cos once you are up in the hills, mobile connectivity is dicey, leave alone wifi. Told her the same and she gasped, asking how we survived there for ten days with no connectivity...  

I told her the blue skies and long stretches of roads, the local people, food, activities kept us busy and we were all happy to be lost in the hills. Well, here are some of the blue blue skies that came along with us during the Leh trip... 

And then there is the other group of people who ask me "Why did you go to Leh, Ladakh?", "What is there to do there?" 

To them I say "If you are looking for botanical gardens or zoo or maybe a whole bunch of churches, temples or beaches like Goa, then dont go to Leh.. Leh is all about the hills, what you see beyond the horizon, the endless stretches of roads, the monestaries, the few palaces and the millions of other sights that will leave you breathless.. It is not a destination you go expecting a zillion fun activities, but then it is fun if you like being in the middle of nowhere, walking aimlessly following the snow capped mountains, or sitting by the river/lake freezing your butt off and clicking pictures... " 

For me it is the sheer joy of being away, away from the city, away from the craziness of daily routine, an opportunity to experience a new town, meet new people, try their local food, enjoy their culture and to just unwind ..

What is your kind of holiday? Have you been to the Hills? What did you think of them?

Skywatch Friday- The Magnetic Hill, Leh

As we got back on the Leh-Kargil-Baltik national highway, we were told the next stop would be the 

"Magnetic Hill" which is located about about 30 km from Leh.. It is at a height of 14,000 feet above sea level . I had read about this place during my research on Leh but there were contradicting pieces about the same. Some said it was just an optical illusion, others say there is a phenomenon that exists, and then there is one that says this is said to be the path straight to heaven.. 

Well, the human mind chooses to believe what it does right? So, there we were headed towards the "Magnetic hill". As if on cue, our driver turned off the ignition neat  the spot that carried a box with the name board. And lo behold, the vehicle moved ahead down the road. Wait, I thought the road ahead was going uphill, is it a mirage? Are my eyes deceiving me? The car stopped few 100 yards ahead and we walked out to inspect to the place. We did see a few bikers and trucks drive by, and every single one of them would pause when they approached the box marked on the road. 

Finally, we gave up and just enjoyed the place, the silence, the long winding road that seemed to disappear around the mountains and the beautiful blue skies.  Did not matter if this was for real or just an illusion, it was a place worth a visit~! Sometimes it is fun to just believe the concept and play along, what is wrong with throwing caution to wind and enjoying something cos its fun, right?

For more beautiful skies, visit Skywatch Friday

Drama in the sky, Pangong Tso, Leh

We were at Pangong Tso, and after that eventful morning [read about it in earlier post], I was up at my usual time of 5.30am.. Peeked out of the tent and saw it was not too dark outside. Picked up my camera and got out, walked down the road a few yards and stood mesmerized and boy oh boy was I in for a treat. The sky was on fire, well it looked like a volcano ready to erupt and go kapoowwww.... I looked around, none of the others were up. Wanted to wake up the photographer boy in the next tent but before that I had to do a quick visit to the pitstop. When i got back, I saw he was up and his gear was on the chair- tripod, jacket, scarf, shawl, camera & a pack of cigarettes.. lol. But then in a matter of minutes, sun had risen and the sky was blah, gone was the drama and jazz... Well, I sure was glad to have caught the sight...

Clicked a few more shots, told him I was going back to bed and caught an hour of sleep.. When I was out again, the sky was completely different.. It was bright, clouds had moved away, and well it was clear as can be... Here are a few 

For more beautiful skies, visit Skywatch Friday

Skywatch Friday... Where to stay in Leh- Lazakar Guest house, Leh

Where did you stay, how was the place, was it comfortable or did you have to rough it out... are some questions thrown at me from the time I have come back ... So, here goes..

We stayed at this awesome place called Lzakar Guest house..  What makes it awesome? Read on to know... 

This was the first time I was doing a trip through a travel group and they had organised everything so well, we did not have to think/worry about anything! First up was the accomodation in Leh. We got off the airport, piled into an Innova and within minutes reached a lane that seemed to be flooded with listing various Guest house names. I wondered which one was ours.. No sooner did I think that, we turned into an alley which led to a gate. Up above I saw a board saying "Lzakar Guest House". 

It looked a lot like a cozy cottage, there was a garden in the front and a small seating area with a room next to it [which I discovered was the kitchen]. There are rooms on the ground and 1st floor, the 2nd floor was just the terrace. Rooms were all spacious, with twin beds, two chairs, a TV, cupboard and a decent bathroom [ more than just clean]. The place came with hot water round the clock, wifi [that worked for most of the time] and enough blankets to keep you warm on cold nights. That apart, there were rooms that opened to the mountains [I managed to snag a room on this side when we came back from Nubra valley..heehaww.. such cheap thrills in life..This was our pitstop when we returned to Leh after a day tour to nearby places. ]

The place is located about 2-3 km from Main Bazaar and so is within walking distance from most shops and restaurants. The market is also strewn with travel agencies in case you are looking for some information or local tours.  

The two ladies who managed the kitchen were super friendly, sweet and always had a smile on their faces. The minute they would see one of us, they would come asking if we wanted anything... Both breakfast and dInner was served piping hot, and every dish was delicious. 

Breakfast was bread toast, omelette, or poha with tea

Dinner was roti, rice, a vegetable, a daal [which was out of the world] and egg curry/chicken [if there was a request]

What more do you need right? We had the run of the place, and it was full of surprises.. There was an apricot tree right next door and we did manage to snag quite a few fresh fruits. The vegetable garden had Cauliflower, cabbage, local saag, onions and tomato. There was also an apple tree, must say the apples were yummm .. 

Here are a few captures from the guest house... [taken during the 8days we were in Leh]

Address:

   Lzakar Guest house

SHEYNAM FORT ROAD
194101 Leh, India

Thiksey Monastery...

Still reeling from the beauty of Shey Palace, we got back on the road towards Thiksey Monastery which was a few kms down the road. After a while on the road, we turned left into the most beautiful road that went uphill. All along the way, we spotted stupas lined up with colorful flags on them.  And within minutes we had reached the parking lot of the Monastery. 

Once again, this too was situated atop the hill and involved a bit of walking, climbing and marching through flights of stairs. This beautiful Buddhist monastery is the largest monastery in central Ladakh and was set up by the Gelukpa monks.

Within the Thiksey monastery we found Lakhang Nyerma, a temple dedicated to Goddess Dorje Chenmo  Apart from Lakhang Nyerma there are a few other shrines inside the monastery complex. Basically, this Monastery consists of two main buildings with steep stairs leading up to the Buddha.

It is a massive twelve storey monastery complex with a number of stupas, statues, thankas and wall paintings. There is also a large pillar engraved with the Buddha's teachings. There is also a museum many sacred items besides a royal sword among other precious objects are on display. 

While making my way up, I kept stopping to click pictures, admire the writings on the wall and also say hi hello to fellow travellers. Met a lady who was here from Orissa, another duo from Europe and the first question they ask is "So how many days were you sick after landing here?". I would reply"none, i was alright" they would gape and share their story, of how many days they were violently ill before moving on... 

 Also met the lady I had met earlier at Shey Palace [she was part of a large group of women who had travelled from Mumbai, about 3 of them were very unwell and back in the guest house, while 6-8 of them were out exploring town.. all of them were 60+.. I was quite amazed and impressed with them]

As per tradition of Buddhist monastic orders, the successive Lamas are believed to be reincarnations of the original Lama.. The successive reincarnations of the Skyabje Khampo Ringpoche act as Head Lama of this monastery. The main prayer hall has a 15 meter high seated Maitreya Buddha statue spanning across two stories of the building... The prayers are held early in the morning. The one amazing thing about the Buddha statue here is that he is unusually portrayed as seated in the lotus position rather than his usual representations as standing or in a sitting posture on a high throne..

When inside one of the shrines, we spotted many silver and stainless steel bowls filled with water. Alongside was a box where people had put donation in form of money [ across currencies could be spotted here] and then there were boxes of tropicana juice, parle g biscuits or just individual cookies and chocolates. We assumed these were all offerings to the God by devotees. But i was curious about the bowls of water and so when i spotted a monk walk into the place, I decided to ask him. Oh and he put his feet on the torn piece of clothe and waked using them as a base. [conversation took place in hindi]

Me: Hello, can we have a minute of your time?

He: Are you from India?

Me: Yes, am from Chennai.

He: Then say you are an Indian [Bharatiya] . How can I help you.You all know hindi right?

Me: Yes

He: Ok, ask

Me: What is the significance of these bowls of water?

He: Well, Buddha believes all people are equal, no disparity based on money or status and so people are welcome to give whatever they can as offering.  if he began differentiating between people, we would stop believing in him. 

The silver and stainless bowls are bought by our monks whenever they travel. Water is an offering by the devotees. In case they cant afford anything, they can choose to fill the bowls. Normally these bowls would be in count of 7. 

Me: Ah nice. 

Another question, why are you walking on cloth and not on the floor?

He: So that I dont step on anything on the ground, the cloth would swish it away.Knowingly wont hurt anything.

Me: Thank you! 

Once again, we were mesmerised by the burst of colours across the monastery. Yellow, red, blue, green, you name it, they were all there - on the walls, pillars, and everywhere else as well. 

After a good few hours wandering this monastery, we were finally ready to head back down. The steps seemed easy and all we heard was silence around us. There were hoards of people making their way up to the monastery.. Some were taking a break near the first flight of steps in the shade [of the prayer bell]. There was a store near the entrance with some souvenirs, books etc... priced higher than what you find in the local market! 

Can read more on Wikipedia- Thiksay Monastery