Rock, Water, Desert & Ice

It's so incredible that a region that was isolated, rugged, largely devoid of modern infrastructure, digital connectivity & visited only by highly adventurous people just one or two decades ago, now attracts lakhs of tourists every year. When I recall the impression of Ladakh I had in my school days, it feels like it was just a dream.

But the fact is that I have completed the adventure & shockingly it never felt much of an adventure except the severe headache I had for 2-3 days. I opted not to take the EMS tablets & just tolerated the headache as I wasn't sure that it was due to EMS or due to chilly winds I enjoyed at the airport.

Leh Airport

Arrival in Leh - day 1

This was the first time I had been to the Mumbai airport & the domestic terminal felt small compared to Ahmedabad. Also, the tea at the lounge was bad & hence my first order at the Leh hotel was for tea. Leh airport, as expected, was even smaller with no restaurant at all. (I realized about the situation of eateries on my return flight, by the way.) Hopefully, after my visit it will develop for the benefit of lacs of tourists.

Acclimatization is compulsory for first day in Ladakh & anyway I had an overnight journey of two flights so I had no intention to do anything but rest & relax. A briefing of the trip & introduction of travelers was arranged at afternoon tea time in the restaurant. It was advised not to go out on the first day but people get bored too easily on trips & so many went out to have a glimpse of the city in the evening. For me, evening fatigue especially after an inactive day is very routine & I have to go out in such scenario. So I went out for a walk with a hope to visit the famous Leh market. But after a few minutes of walking, I dropped that idea as the market seemed to be farer than estimated & also the fact that the return journey was going to be uphill.

Leh Hotel - Youthok Heritage

So the rest of the evening was spent at leisure in the beautiful hotel room as seen in the video.

I usually skip dinner in the trips but the chilled weather somehow makes you eat on every opportunity you get & hence dinner completed the day.

River Rafting in Indus river - Day 2

After the thrilling river rafting experience last year in the playful Bias river, I was eagerly looking forward to the rafting here. Our group of 6 members was perfect for the raft size. There were no rapids to ride in the Indus river but the excitement was delivered by self rowing the boat with the guidance of our enthusiastic captain.. The climax of the rowing experience came in the form of losing a fun race with another group.

Indus River

the Group

Before the rafting, we visited the Hall of fame & passed through the Magnetic hill & after the rafting we visited the Gurudwara Pathhar sahib. Sadly, there was no lunch after the heavy lifting done in the Zanskar river apart from the langar at the Gurudwara.

To Nubra Valley via Khar dung la pass - Day 3

On the Way to Khar Dung La

Many landscapes in single frame

One of the highest motorable passes in India - as expected - was the most difficult place for me as I was struggling even to stand for a minute. I was not feeling well due to headache & maybe AMS but still went out as I had to pee. After finishing the task, I somehow managed to click 2 photos before rushing back into the safety of the SUV.

Khar Dung La pass

Watching people playing in ice while I had to sit inside the Scorpio inhaling Camphor felt disheartening & this made me recall that I am getting closer to the Fifties of my life.

Anyway, this journey gave me a chance to click some breathtaking views of beautiful landscapes that is the specialty of Ladakh. 

Lunch was never enjoyable for the whole trip but its a small price to pay for the unforgettable memories. Today's bet was Maggie as I wanted to avoid any negative surprise. The Cafe Cirque also gave me a chance to play dart game & get a discount of 10 per cent on my bill. 

Cafe Cirque near Khar Dung La

As seen in the after lunch Selfie at Cafe Cirque, I began deploying monkey cap to get rid of the headache I was suffering from since day one.

Anyway, the journey after lunch brought us to the oldest, largest & very picturesque Diskit Monastery.

Diskit Monastery

It was late afternoon, we were about to leave the Diskit Monastery & suddenly I realized that I haven't missed my afternoon tea in past 2-3 days. But this remembrance made me go for a coffee before the resumption of our journey to the Nubra valley.

Another round of activities & photographic pleasure was awaiting us at the Hunder Sand Dunes. I enjoyed archery with traditional bow & realized that it is not so easy to shoot wooden arrows as it looks on screen.

Portrait at Hunder Sand Dunes

So the sightseeing came to an end as we reached the stay at Nubra valley passing through narrow roads of the rural area but the fun didn't as we all indulged in an impromptu party motivated by the senior members of the group.

Night outings are rare for me & so I took the opportunity & enjoyed two pegs of almost neat whisky shots. A memorable night of dinner, drinks & dance was worth the painful headache I suffered on the way to Pangong lake the next day.