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

Shades of blue at Pangong Tso, Leh

We had been on the road for about 4-4.5 hours.. Had driven through snow fall in Chang la and rains, and now the dark looming clouds seem to come with us to Pangong Tso as well. All along the route, we had the beautiful mountains keeping us company, and apart from that nothing else. When suddenly up ahead we saw a small patch of turquoise/blue amidst the mountains, we got quite excited. That was our first sighting of the gorgeous Pangong Tso [Pangong Lake]... 

It is the largest salt water [not as salty as what we see in the ocean but more than in a lake] lake stretching to about 135-km, located in the Himalayas at the height of approximately 4350m.. This lake is spread across India & China with only about 40% in India while remaining is in Tibet [controlled by China]. That afternoon, the lake shimmered in various shades of blue- turquoise, light blue, pale green, dark blue and other hues as well. The mountains and the sky with its brown blue hues added to the image making it look like a painting.  As we drove closer, it looked magical. 

The car swerved off the main path into the pebble path all the way to the camp site. It was a bumpy ride, but who cares when the accompanying view /element is so breath taking. Pangong Tso is one of the largest brackish lakes in Asia.

Ah, finally we reached the campsite and well, lets just say if you land here without a plan, you will find accommodation [ there are a gazillion camp sites strewn within a few kms of the lake]. We were staying at Pangong Holiday camp, the tents were quite comfortable and we quickly freshened up and that is when the cold slowly started sinking in. Of all the places we visited, Pangong was by far the coldest.. The hills, snow, the water- well, you get the picture! Ordered some hot tea, drank it while enjoying the warmth of the mugs before adding layers and getting ready to head to the lake.

The lake was a short downhill walk from where we stayed, and the path was completely pebble based. The view that awaits you is something that needs to be experienced. The water was still in shades of blue and brrr cold... There were piles of stones stacked up along the water, others who had set up their tripods and shooting images/timelapse videos and then there were some just walking up and down enjoying the place and silence. Occasionally we would see a trail of trucks coming in from China. 

After about two hours here, we decided to head back. The walk is uphill and the winds are brutal, adding to the cold. The evening was spent chilling outside our tents, followed by hot dinner in the dining area and some fun later on. 

I dint sleep much and around 4.30 heard some shouting outside the tent. Woke up with a jolt, staying still trying to make sense of what was happening outside. Sounded like some people were being chased by some animal and they kept screaming "bachao bachao [help help] ... The sound died in a while and I went back to sleep.. The next morning, during breakfast we came to know that some kids from nearby camp got scared seeing the dogs and ran helter skelter screaming. Wonder what they were doing out at that hour?! Stupid kids!! 

So anyways I woke up as always at 5.30 and stepped out to see what the lake looked like at sunrise and must say it was quite different.. Well, that is reserved for another post! :D

But then will talk about how we stopped at the infamous spot where 3idiots climax scene was shot and how it is being marketed... After breakfast, we were back on the road headed to Leh. Enroute, we stopped at this spot just for some photographs and see what was happening as we spotted groups of people busy with cameras.. Looks like this is where couples come to take photoshoots. I even spotted the couple who flew with us from Delhi. There was a photographer, one other guy controlling a drone and these two all decked up in finery. 

We also saw couples riding around in the yellow vespa [ featured in the movie] with video/photo being taken of the same. Damn, the things people do~ Shaking our head, we walked to the edge of land, stood there awhile [till more couples came and took over], clicked some photographs before bidding adieu to Pangong.. 

For now, feast your eyes on what we saw and enjoyed.. 

Leh- Settling in and wandering through Shey Palace

The few people I spoke to [who had been to Leh] told me to take it easy the 1st day, and pop a pill [Diamox] to help with any acclimatisation issues . Since Leh is at 11000 ft above sea level, our body takes a bit of time to settle in. The whole high altitude and less oxygen levels could prove hard for some- dizziness, vomiting, nausea, difficulty breathing etc are some of the symptoms. Not to forget the dip in temperature!! And so I was prepared, armed with meds and clear thoughts in the head. 

The flight landed in Leh around 11 am and we reached the Lzakar Guest house within 10 mins and are shown our rooms. It is a quaint guest house that has about 8 rooms across ground & 1st floor.The rooms are big, spacious and beautiful.. the ones in the front side have a view of the hills while others have a view of buildings around. All rooms had two beds, a TV and a clean bathroom with hot hot hot water through the day.. We checked in, and decided to just chill that day. Some slept, while I watched TV for a while before snoozing off for an hour or so. Woke up, got downstairs and went out towards the market for a short walk. 

The main Leh market is just under 1.5kms from the guest house and since it was daytime, I went for a stroll. All the while my brain is sending me signals saying "go slow", "take it easy", "you wouldn't wanna fall ill on the 1st day and ruin the holiday". So I paid heed to it and go back to the room within a hour for more chilling. In the evening we all caught up for tea, followed by dinner. The temperatures had dipped further, to around 8degrees and we could feel the chill in the air.  We were all wearing a few layers, inners and sweaters/jackets, socks, gloves etc... 

The next day was when the holiday began officially, with the agenda being to explore Leh - Shey Palace, Thiksey Monastery  and Shanti Stupa ... We were up early, and ready to leave by 8am having gobbled down a few slices of hot toast and omelette, and couple of cups of tea. Bundled up, packed our backpacks, water bottles, snacks and we were off. 

After being on the road for about half hour or so, we reached the parking zone for Shey Palace. As with all buildings in Leh, this too was situated atop a hill. It was almost like the forts we find across our country, how they are all situated beyond reach and you need to put in effort to get there. 

Across the palace was a water body with lush green grass and it was quite a sight from the top. We got off, carrying just out back.. The path is long and winding before you see a flight of steps up to the main building. You really have to crane your neck to get a full view of the palace. There are numerous prayer wheels along the trail which suggest the existence of a monastery within the  royal palace.

The village ‘Shey’ was the old capital of the upper Ladakh. The Shey Monastery [Gompa] and the Shey Palace complex are mostly in ruins now, was built first in 1655, near Shey village, by the king of Ladakh, Deldan Namgyal [or Lhachen Palgyigon as he was called]. Infact this palace was used as a summer retreat by the kings of Ladakh. However, back in 1834 the royal families abandoned the Shey Palace and Leh Palace due to invasion of Ladakh by Dorga forces of General Zorawar Singh and moved to Stok Palace [ located at about 13Km from Shey Palace]. Today, Shey Palace is a historical monument and is maintained and managed by the Archeological Survey of India.

The Palace is famous for two things- it has the largest Namgyal Chorten (victory stupa) in Ladakh, the top of which is made of pure gold. Secondly, the monastery is renowned for its giant copper with gilded gold statue of a seated Shakyamuni Buddha [said to be the second largest such statue in Ladakh]. 

 As we walked down the winding path, my hands reached out the prayer wheels, spinning them one by one while my mind was wondering what it would have been like to live in a place like this....

The horseshoe bend.. Arizona

After the jaw dropping few hours at the Grand Canyon, we were headed back and then towards the Horseshoe bend. There was another tour that had Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe bend, but since I was keen on the Grand Canyon i chose this one..  We were a handful of us in the bus and it was quite exciting... Located near the town of Page, Arizona, the horse shoe bend got its name based on the shape formation of the mountain. From up here, you can see the Colorado river flow down below, all the way down the canyon... This is a continuation of the Grand Canyon... 

I had read and seen pictures of the place, but did not know of anyone personally who had visited here. Anyways, it was all part of the travel experience right?  The van pulled into the parking lot and we were told we had an hour to get back to the van. If any of us found it difficult to hike up, we could always come sit in the van and wait for the others.

Now, even though the hike to the edge of the horse shoe bend is less than a mile, the first few yards is uphill and quite steep. Beyond that it was all sand with ups and downs.. The path is not difficult, I spotted many wearing flip flops and sandals, walking by. It took me about 15mins and as I neared the ledge, it got a bit scary. I kept thinking "please God, let me not slip and slide down the edge". There are no fences or walls, or even ropes for us to hold on to.. You go as far as you can, stand for as long as you want or sit or walk around, or jump on nearby rocks, click pictures but it is all upto you how safe you remain!! 

It was a good thing I carried my water bottle, even though it was cool and windy, I was thirsty and I hear that in summers it gets quite hot.. There are no shaded areas, so make sure to carry a cap along. met a couple who have been coming here every month on their anniversary date and all they do is drive down here with their dog, sit for a few minutes and go back.. I also spotted quite a few others with their dogs :-) 

I am not scared of heights, but I guess I was afraid of slipping and falling [esp since it has happened before to me] Hands were shaking as I was trying to click pictures and so I stepped back a bit before clicking them~ Oh well, fear conquered and I survived the trip.. Yipee...