Ladakh is a dream destination for every traveler so does mine. This dream got oomph every time one of my friend visited Ladakh almost
every year for 5 years in a row. And every time he visited, he posted pictures
on Facebook. I don’t know if he is aware of it or not, but I was very jealous
of him because he got so many chances to be at my dream destination. And then
one fine day I decided to materialize my dream and planned to experience Ladakh. It is not a place where you visit but it’s an experience which you live by being
there. Only the ones who have been there can understand my feelings.
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| From the roads of Ladakh |
After long hours of planning and
discussions with my friends, we finally decided to fly to Ladakh from Delhi and
return via Manali by road. So the big day arrived and we boarded our flight to
Leh. It just took an hour to reach the paradise. Our excitement levels were
rising and I was glued to the window when we were about to land to make use of
my every single moment. The views from sky above were showcasing love of
golden mountains with clear blue skies.
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| A Random click |
While going towards Hotel, I was completely
in awe of what I was seeing ahead of me. Those sights can best be described as
the magic of God. I actually took a deep breath and gave myself a couple of
seconds so that my brain could actually register what I had in front of me. A civilization
over 1000 years old in the most hostile environment in the world is nothing
short than God's magic.
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| White Lotus School (where 3 idiots (movie) was filmed) |
Started with visiting White Lotus School
where last scene of 3 Idiots (movie) was shot. This school is being run by
Dalai Lama where little lamas live, pray and learn. A lady took us for a walk
inside the school, no one was allowed to talk to or click pictures of
kids. A café with name "Rancho Coffee Shop" have been opened in the
premises after grand success of ‘3 Idiots’.
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| Buddha's Gods Idols at Hemis (left) and Thiskey (right) Monastery |
Ladakh is house of monks and is crisscrossed
with ancient Buddhist monasteries. Meditation can be best practiced in there.
Hemis and Thiskey are among the very popular ones with huge idols of Buddha’s
gods. At Hemis, Monks were busy in preparations for Dalai Lama’s visit. Thiskey
mesmerized us by offering such spectacular views which made us stand still and
set a gaze at them.
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| Sunset at Shey Palace |
A beautiful sunset marks a day well spent
and the sceneries from Shey palace ensured we had one. I sat there silently to
watch the show nature was playing. As sun went down, light golden mountains
turned sun kissed orange and when sun hid behind them, turned back to golden. I
had never witnessed such a sight where I had forgotten to blink my eyes while I
was totally fantasized by the magic of God.
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| Indus River |
While sitting by the shore at Indus River
and listening to the mild waves, I was surprised to lose track of time. There
are times in life when you are so lost in observing tiny details which hold no
meaning. Like I was lost in thoughts, how beautifully this river was making its
way and flowing with well-defined waves. The complete aura of the place was
just hypnotizing.The topography throughout the journey
shoots up so abruptly that they throw off all calculations of distance - what
looked to be a ten-minute crossing easily required an hour or more. At times,
it appeared as if so many of nature's forces were warning us away at the steep
slopes and uneasy bends and not to forget the great chunks of ice appearing
static and frozen in time.
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| Khardung-La Pass |
After driving for few hours from Leh City,
we reached The Highest Motorable Road in The World – Khardung-la Top. Yes it is
the highest one at a height of 18380 ft., colder than rest of Ladakh. We felt
even more altitude sick and started gasping for air. And then The Mighty
Military Men served us life saver ‘Kahwa’ at the café run by them.
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| Diskit Monastery |
While passing
by Shayok River and making our way towards Diskit Monastery, I didn’t realize
the piece of land which appeared from a distance was actually a rapidly flowing
grey river. Moved on to Diskit where huge Idol of God stunned us by its elegance. Surrounded
by gigantic grey mountains, this captivating monastery at a far flung place is
worth seeing.
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| Nubra Valley |
Devoid of flora and fauna, Ladakh keeps the
tempo up by surprising you at every bit you travel. So the next surprises for
us were sand dunes of Nubra, double humped camels and apple gardens. Landscapes
of Nubra valley are like oasis where you behold low lying sand dunes amid infinite
towering mountains and Indus flowing along one side. I was really amazed to see
the apple gardens inside hotels. This cold desert is a place that just sucks
you in by its beauty and the warmth to its people.
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| Panamic Spring |
The tired travelers who get aches while
hitch hiking or the ones who struggle with their back and joints pains, Panamic
Hot Spring can be a great help. It is said that a bath in this spring takes all
your joint pains and skin problems away. I personally did not try it so cannot
give a feedback.
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| Chang La Pass |
The next day was the most awaited one and had
to unveil the biggest surprise of Ladakh – The Pangong Lake. I consider this as
the most beautiful gift of God to our country. Even the thought of being at
Pangong on next day was making us impatient. With rushing excitement, we started
early in the day and took short halts. After driving for few hours, we stopped
at Chang-La – The Third Highest Road in The World on the way and had Kahwa.
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| Marmot |
Having tasted Kahwa at Khardung-la, we all were big fan of it by now. So did
not miss a single chance to have this healing nectar. We drove further and
spotted a little cute animal MARMOT on the way. We stopped to feed him some
munchies. The innocent animal was so gracefully jumping, running, grabbing and
hiding himself in his little abode.
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| First view of Pangong |
With high expectations and enthusiasm, we
drove further towards the biggest attraction and motivation of this trip. With
every turn our vehicle took, our driver announced we are almost there. We
impatiently looked around and fell back to seat with disappointment. After many
such announcements, we finally saw a board which returned our lost smiles ‘The
First View of Pangong’. We could see a far-off blue strip amid mammoth humps of
Golden brown sand with streaks of dark brown.
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| Pristine Pangong Lake |
Our excitement rose as we headed closer to
lake. It felt like the New Year eve when every one of us was counting minutes
for clock to hit 12. And then wait was over and we stood at pristine Pangong. With
widened eyes and opened mouth (completely unaware, in a shock or surprise), I
stood awestruck in disbelief, soaking in every single moment. It was the time
when started my love affair with Pangong. The complete aura was so intriguing
and awe-inspiring that I sat there for long without a blink of eye. With the
very movement of clouds and sun, lake presented different sights in different
shades. Mountains decorated as jewels around the lake create a charismatic
scenery in a way which leaves audience in confusion if what they just saw was
real. But then you pinch yourself and realize oh!! It’s real and it’s actually
happening. Its sheer beauty and starkness made me wonder if I was on planet
earth. Speechless as I was, short of words I would fall, whenever I would have
to explain my feelings for Pangong.
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| Shanti Stupa |
Shanti Stupa, a meditation paradise, is at
a hilltop in Leh city with breath-taking views of Ladakh. The hoardings around
the Stupa with labels signal towards the directions of major attractions in
Ladakh. You can get a high level idea from here of what lies where.
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| Village near Tso Moriri |
Tso Moriri, a bit lesser known lake with wondrous
views is located in a very remote area of Ladakh where you would hardly find
any hotel or restaurant. But the best thing about Ladakh is military is there
to help support and guide you even in the remotest area. So Safety is not at
all an issue in Ladakh, be it for men or women. We stayed in nearby village
where people survive with bare necessities in very sour weather conditions.
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| A click on Leh-Manali Highway |
Next day, we unwillingly left Ladakh with a
heavy heart and made our way towards Manali. Leh-Manali highway never lets you
down in terms of the awesome sights, sheer adventure and of course the
challenge that it presents to you. It is 480 kms of pure adrenaline and is a
biker’s delight. While traveling on these roads, one can experience first-hand
the change in mountains, people, and culture. You leave the arid lands of
Ladakh where nothing grows and land in Manali hills full of trees. Stopping at tea
stall at 13000 feet with stunning sights cannot be described in words. One
sight after the other, one experience after the other, it is definitely an
experience of a lifetime.
Have you been to Ladakh?
If yes, share your experience.
