Shame on me: I forgot to show the usual map of where I am. Included is a map showing the location of nearby countries. This should give you a sense of the closeness of China, Tibet, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
Before coming to Leh, we were warned it would be cold, so we packed lots of warm clothes. Boy, what a surprise when we were ROASTING all day AND all night! Of course, during breakfast people were in down jackets and hats while Zeeshan and I were in summer clothes.
The morning view of the mountain with the clear sky was all the coffee I needed.
After breakfast, we drove out into the country to see beautiful nature and a monastery. The drive was spectacular, with rocks in the dry, high desert showering colors and designs, framed by the crystalline, blue sky.
The faraway mountains in the spectacular view from the hotel did not seem to soar as high into the sky now that we were closer. This was when I realized we had been steadily climbing up since we embarked, confirmed by some road signs as we passed through towns.
Then the scenery changed, allowing me to focus on the stripes and patterns made by the rocks and boulders. The colors of the various types of stone paint incredible canvases I love; I always appreciate desert landscapes.
Patterns were present as well!
I was also enamored with how sand-flow from the mountains created designs that looked as if God took his paintbrush and made long, downward strokes.
This ride also afforded me my first view of the Indus river, a critical waterway during the Indus Valley Civilization (2600 BCE to 1900 BCE) – a key historical era in Indian history.
Then there were the old style and new style bridges!
Along the way there was an official scenic stop called Moonland View Point. It was especially stunning, well worth the stop.
The long drive wasn’t boring at all! Not only because of the stunning landscape, but an army convoy passed by, affording me gorgeous views of hunky men, especially one behind the wheel of one particular truck …a rather fun distraction.
Also a source of entertainment were the road signs. One road sign said, “disconnect from Internet and connect with nature,” which was very easy to do since there was no Internet or phone access up here!
This view totally reminded me of the Nevada desert.
While driving we periodically passed an oasis where a village had developed.
When we stopped at an army checkpoint, this woman was selling dried fruit.
Shortly after our stop at the moonscape, we arrived at our destination: the Lamayuru Gonpa. Also known as Yuru Gonra, this Tibetan monastery was officially started by two Indian Tantric masters between 1143-1212. However, a holy man, Naropa, came to this area in the late 10th century and mediated in a cave now located inside the temple. In the 16th century the name of the site was ‘place of freedom’ and offered sanctuary to everyone, including criminals.
Situated high on the mountain, the architecture of the monastery is very Tibetan and I felt a deep sense spirituality and peace. I loved how I heard the young students laughing with their teacher before serious study began … I heard monks drumming. There was a young student who kept staring at me, clearly enjoying the unusual view of a white woman!
I had a great moment with the monk in the photo below. He said he was wrapping the string in preparation for focusing on his prayer and similarly when he was pouring the oils over the wax figurines in the chapel. He said I was welcome to take photos and enjoyed chatting with me as much as I enjoyed chatting with him (until he saw a senior monk coming and hurried into the temple!).
I also wish I knew what these rocks were saying, but they were carved recently and whoever did them seemed to create one per year.
The inside and outside of the temple were, of course, beautiful and colorful – adding to the wonderful mood of the location.
Next stop was the Alchi Choskhor (sacred enclave), a complex of ancient stupas built in 11 AD. I had to put my camera into a storage locker as photos were not allowed, but for some reason not my phone, so I snuck a few photos of one stupa to show how amazing the insides were. The photos of the alleyway towards the complex give a sense of the ambiance of this little town and the sacred enclave.
I bought a heavy yet beautiful local hat here, which hangs proudly on my bedpost. My excitement at the hat precluded serious bargaining but Zeeshan did his best!
Next was one of the highlights of the week: lunch at Alchi Kitchen where we sampled every local delicacy of the area. One of the benefits of having a good driver with whom you have a good rapport is he knows the best places to eat! The owner and chef, Nilza Wangmo, has been recognized for her efforts at motivating an ‘army’ of women to revive Ladakh cuisine and has won awards for her cooking/restaurant. The all female staff cooked on these simple burners and bowls to create the magic.
The food was AMAZING, one of the best meals I have ever had. I took photos of the menu to describe each dish for you.
Thukpa: a noodle soup with wild chives, garlic, pepper. Since there are no local spices, typical flavors are used to create the unique cuisine.
Tain Tain: In the highlands of Ladakh wheat struggles to grow, however buckwheat thrives. There were two styles of crepes: savory and sweet. We ordered the savory but if anyone goes here, sweet would be better.
Khambir: the bread of the mountains is a thick bread baked on an iron griddle. It was traditionally made to sustain farmers, traders and monks through the long, cold days and the chef says it pairs beautifully with bitter tea. This chef serves it as a stuffed bread.
Mok Mok is the local dumpling, a staple in every Ladakh home as well as every culture in the world. We chose ours with farm fresh vegetables and cottage cheese. There was an accompanying chili sauce I passed on.
Yarkendi Pulai is a local rice dish, believed to have originated during the times of the Silk Route. Here in Ladakh they add mulberries, apricots, almonds and saffron which grow well here.
Apricot Juice is a local favorite as there are many groves filled with this delicious fruit. This hand-pressed juice was delicious.
One of the draws for me to visit Ladakh was its connection to the Silk Route. As Ladakh was a major stop on the Silk Road, many of these dishes were made to be easily transported. Merchants would eat the meals on their trek across the rugged terrain of this mountainous part of the Silk Road. As Zeeshan and I enjoyed the food and the view from the outdoor table, I contemplated what life must have been like in those days.
While waiting for the food, my zoom lens afforded me the chance to take some photos of the snow up close. It was fascinating to see how hard it was for the autofocus to find the correct focus, so I ended up manually focusing the shot.
On the way back we had four stops, the first being a bridge festooned with Buddhist flags. Here I was able to take a nice photo of the river.
Next was where the Indus River meets the Zanskae River. There were a lot of water sports to be experienced here and it was advertised as the world’s highest rafting point. Of more interest to me was how the two rivers met: there was a clear mixing point of the clear water of one river with the muddy silt of the other.
Then was a spot called the Magnetic Hill, found at 11,123 feet above sea level. I entered as Doubting Thomas and left a true believer. There is a magnetic pull that moves heavy cars. The location was discovered because planes kept losing altitude in this area and through the research, scientists found the spot that was pulling them down. I was amazed at the speed with which we were pulled back.
Our next stop was Pathat Sahib, a very holy spot for the Sikh community. It was here that Gury Nanak Dev Ji arrived in 1517 as part of his travel journey from 1515 to 1518 when he traveled around Nepal, Sikkim, Tibet, Yarkhand, and Leh. He started mediating to counteract a local demon that was troubling the local community. The demon, to kill the Guru, rolled a huge builder towards him. The boulder turned soft when touching the Guru and you can see the imprint of his body on the boulder. As Sikhs always provide free meals for anyone, there was a kitchen as well as information on the religion. One enters with a covered head and bare feet, walking through a thin layer of water to ensure cleanliness. I learned about the three pillars and five virtues of Sikhism. A very noble religion.
The drive back passed quickly again, with not a moment of boredom as I relished every nuance of the nature I saw, soaking up the beauty as well as enjoying more funny road signs.
The day ended with us returning to the pedestrian shopping street. I took photos while Zeeshan went to pray in the Mosque. It is here I made one of those silly connections: the call to prayer is exactly that, the CALL to prayer and the prayers being within a certain amount of time. After that, we meandered off the main street and found back streets where there was a lovely little shop with great prices, so that is where I bought gifts. Overall, another wonderful and full day.
