17th July 2023, 9.30 AM - On the Srinagar-Leh Highway
Days begin early in the Himalayas. By 5.00 AM, dawn was breaking over the mountains across the Indus.
Since I had nothing better to do, I decided to laze around for another half hour. Tsewangji would come with the car only at 9.30 am so there was nothing else to do than just lie on the bed and contemplate on life. At half past five, I was getting a bit restless. I was getting bright outside though the skies weren't completely clear.
The sunlight, playing hide-and-seek with the clouds, would light up the mountain top for one moment, only to get blocked by the grey rain clouds immediately after. I hadn't slept well. I was expecting a cold night but I ended up kicking away the quilt and turning the fan in my direction! I wasn't feeling breathless either. It seemed, I was getting used to the weather very quickly.
Used to getting up early, I decided that rolling around in bed wasn't serving any purpose. While researching Leh, I had a plan to do a spot of birding early in the morning but the congested part of the town didn't seem very ideal for a morning bird walk. Besides, the weather would keep the feathered chaps indoors anyway. So I stood at the window, watching the game, the clouds were playing with the sunlight, till it was time to go down for breakfast.
Tsewangji was right on time and as we left the hotel the skies were clearing and it was getting quite warm. For a typical tourist, the second day in Ladakh is also allocated for acclimatisation. That meant, we could explore places around Leh which were more or less at the same altitude. The travel agents have a set itinerary. You leave your hotel after breakfast and drive along the Leh - Kargil - Srinagar highway. The typical stops are at the Hall of Fame, Spituk Monastery, Indus view point(s), Gurudwara Pathar Sahib, Magnetic Hill and the Indus Sangam.
The Hall of Fame, just outside the airport walls, about three kilometres outside Leh; is a war museum. It is built and maintained by the Indian Army, to honour those heroes who were martyred in the wars with Pakistan and China. You can take a guided tour with retired armed forces personnel giving you details of the exhibits and the wars that they are related to. There is also a light and sound show at 7.00 PM, but that is dependent on the weather. Ladakh being the heart of 'disputed territory', you will see the presence of the brave men in uniform and their vehicles everywhere. Unfortunately, we had to skip it as it was not open on Mondays.
Just after the walls of the airport end, is the turn off to the Spituk Gompa (Monastery). A 11th century monastery, built on a hillock overlooking the airport and Leh.
Behind it, on the south, is the Indus river with a belt of green that contrasts with the hard baked brown earth that is seen all around.
Since it was my first visit to a proper monastery, I was reluctant to explore the place. I wasn't sure if I could walk into any part of the monastery without permission. My camera was quite a handful, literally and it would be quite unwelcome. I decided that I would take in the views instead. Spituk Gompa, in any case, offers a vantage point to see the airfield and the planes that land and take off. Even if you don't step into the temple, just being in the place gives a soothing feeling.
After Spituk, as you drive further towards Kargil, the road follows the Indus. You can stop along the way for photo shoots. There are many army encampments along this road so be careful that you don't click photographs of sensitive areas. Further along the road is the Gurudwara Pathar Sahib. It is a place of worship for both Sikhs and Ladakhis. This place has a mythical story attached to it, linking the big rock (pathar) that is worshipped here and Guru Nanak. This is also built and run by the Indian army. We didn't stop there, as our plan wasn't inclined towards pilgrimages anyway.
In any case, for the better or for the worse, my faith in the pantheon of Gods had eroded drastically because of my experiences in life over the last few years. Thought I don't claim to be an atheist, I have never been very pious at any time in my life. Gods, all my life, have been friends to me. Not someone who you have to fear or respect but treat like any other buddy. It means, to me, that we should not trouble them unnecessarily, asking for help by bribing them. No only that, while they didn't communicate with me about their needs, the intermediaries who spoke on their behalf; astrologers and priests, always put me off with their pompous attitudes and big demands on behalf of the Gods! I find their technique of making you do meaningless appeasement ceremonies very annoying and rarely take part enthusiastically.
My initial reluctance to travel to Ladakh was set aside for one other reason, the primary reason being the temptation to add a few 'lifers' to my birding list! As I was researching on Ladakh and its monasteries, another reason took root in my mind. Buddhism and its uncomplicated way of looking at life, threw a spark inside me and suddenly I wanted to go. In fact, there were a few times that I even thought about getting 'lost' in Ladakh forever. I will elaborate in a later post about how my mind turned towards Buddha's teachings.
Having driven past the gurudwara, without stopping for blessings, we continued on to a place of mystery further down the road, the Magnetic Hill (more about in the next post). I suspect that our driver, Tsewangji, being a pious man, wasn't very happy about our skipping that stop. On either side of the highway it was vast spaces of greyish brown crumbly earth. Loose rocks held together by something that like dust is the feature of this landscape. The colours were not exactly pleasing to the eye. Green was at a premium and found only on either side of the Indus and around human habitation. The predominant colour was brown; various shades of it, interspersed with grey and purple. In some places, little patches of green can be seen, but not grass or trees. Some sort of short shrubs with yellow or purple flowers.
It was getting very warm and we were soon throwing off our jackets and other warm clothing. It is a good place to mention a few points about the clothes you have to consider carrying. Ladakh is in the rain shadow region of the Himalayas but when it rains, it pours. Depending on the season your requirement of warm clothing will vary. When we went, it was summer but we were caught in the midst of a period of erratic weather. When it is sunny it is HOT, and very uncomfortably so. Your weather app will say it is between 18 - 20 degrees but it feels more like 35 and more. If you get in the shade or if it rains the temperature drops dramatically. You need to carry a set of layered clothing so that you can peel off layers if it gets warm and pull them on if it gets cold. Here is what you will require in summer.
- Innermost layer of warm thermals, especially for evening and nights.
- Second layer of tee shirts or shirts according to your preference. Your trousers (no shorts) should also be able to keep you warm and try to carry quick drying ones in case you get caught in a sudden shower. Cotton is the best choice of material but denim is not suggested as they dry very slowly.
- Third layer of a warm fleece jacket or sweater. In fact you can carry one sleeveless and a full sleeve one to use depending on the weather condition.
- An outer padded shell jacket that should ideally be waterproof or at least water resistant.
- A pair of gloves and few pairs woolen socks will help your hands and feet keep warm.
- For your head, you'll need a woolen beanie or balaclava for the cold nights and days and also a hat or cap to shade your eyes in the sunlight.
- A good pair of sunglasses or photochromatic lenses if you wear prescription glasses, to protect against UV rays.
More information is available on the internet and you may have to add or subtract to the list depending on the season and current weather conditions.
The next stop will be at the Magnetic Hill.......
The link to previous post is here
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