The Chronicles of Ladakh - Part 3 - In the Capital of Ladakh

Previous: Day 2 - Srinagar Leh Highway

Day 3, 10th September, 2012

Lamayuru > Alchi > Likir > Leh (175 KM)

Lunar Landscape

We started early around 7.30 am from Lamayuru in order to reach Leh early and make use of the day by roaming around the Leh market (married men travelling with family cannot avoid the market!). Anyway, after the very moment we departed from Lamayuru, we came across the next ‘tourist spot’ called Lunar Landscape or Moonscape or Moonland. The place is said to be very similar to the topographical nature found on the moon, but we had already seen so many similar moonscapes on our way, we really found it nothing new or extra-ordinary.

Alchi

On the Srinagar Leh highway, one has to take a right turn towards Alchi village to visit the Alchi Monastery. We crossed the Induskar River (the name is my invention since it is the combination of the rivers Indus and Zanskar) and traversed through one of the most beautiful landscapes towards Alchi. From the diversion it barely took 20 mins to reach the parking at Alchi village, beyond which a narrow alley pointing gradually downwards would lead the entrance of the Alchi Monastery.

Inside the monastery, there were magnificent idols and paintings of Buddha and His life, but photography was restricted inside. And the exterior was neither that photogenic nor interesting compared to the treasures hidden inside, so many might find this place of little or no worth. But the place was more than 400 years old so for history enthusiasts the place could be a no-miss.

We came back to the parking once we were through with Alchi, had our breakfast and then set out for Likir.

Carvings at Alchi Monastery

Alchi Village

Likir

From Alchi, we again returned back to the main highway with the path already travelled and through those same gorgeous vistas. The Induskar river would flow in the opposite direction for the whole of the journey ahead.

For Likir village, once again, we had to take one more diversion, but this time towards the left from the highway. After a very short off-roading from the off-road, we started climbing through a very narrow road. Fortunately there was no car from the opposite direction otherwise I don’t want to think what might have happened. After 15 mins or so through this road, our fears gradually gave way to exclamation as the Likir Monastery appeared after one turn. The scenery was so breathtakingly beautiful that I forgot to take photos.

We appeared at the parking without any more incidents worth mentioning. There was a giant statue of sitting Buddha outside and behind the monastery which was an added bonus. And no photography restriction anywhere in the monastery made it more alluring like us.

We saw the monastery closely. Inside there were many Buddha idols kept to be worshipped as well as too many utensils and curious little things – apparently they were used in prayer or as offerings. Paintings, thankas and everything else produced an unquestionable sacred atmosphere.

We returned back via the same scary path to the main road – again no cars from the opposite direction this time. But this time I didn’t forget to shoot Likir through the view finder.

Likir Village from the Likir Monastery

The Sitting Buddha

The Deserted Ones

What are these?

Offerings

Sacred Carvings

Likir Monastery with the Sitting Buddha beside

Confluence at Nimmu

Once we were on the main road once again, the journey began towards Leh through the Basgo Plains – which is a fantastically laid tarmac of 10-15 kms on a plain surface at a stretch. We were hard-pressed to believe that all these were above 3500 mtrs od sea level. BRO does a great job – but one has to see it to believe it.

Nimmu is a very small village of little significance, nestled at the lap of the hills – 55 kms from Leh. One might just skip it considering a stay not worth for a longer than five minutes at the most. Had it not been for the Confluence of Indus and Zanskar, this village would have never been recognized by the tourists perhaps.

The confluence where Indus from Changthang Valley and Zanskar from the Zanskar Valley converged with each other and transformed into Induskar, was a very prominent one due to the difference of the colours of the water carried by these two. In the picture below, Indus on the left hand side is grayish and perhaps a couple of shade darker than its right hand counterpart, Zanskar.

Basgo Plains

The Confluence

The bridge looks so small

Magnetic Hill

Some more drive towards Leh brought us to a place called the Magnetic Hill. There were so many mysterious information available about this place over the internet stating that the car would actually defy gravity and go upwards when the engine is killed and the car put on neutral. BRO even put up a signboard stating the same. But, the place actually had nothing, absolutely nothing of astonishment. It was a sheer disappointment for us, even Sonamji was a bit disgusted about this place.

Interesting Signboard - Marketing Gimmick?

Gurudwara Patthar Sahib

With mixed feelings we drove, drove and drove – but again not for long, for we came across the next attraction called Gurudwara Patthar Sahib. It was stated that in ancient times, a demon who loitered around in this region tried to kill Guru Nanak ji with a huge stone. That stone did not work because of Guru’s blessings and is now worshipped as a Gurudwara. The story is given in the picture below.

Atheists and the believers can argue, but the place was cool enough to take a breather. And the sweets and hot tea offered by the disciples to every traveller was really a welcome break.

The Sacred Stone (Patthar)

Leh and Rigzin

After an hour or so, around 12.30 pm we were in the capital of Ladakh. Sonamji dropped us in front of the Asia Guest House. The room was spacious and clean enough for a love at first sight and the staffs (two girls) were full of smile to win over you. The garden in the courtyard provided a much needed relief to the eyes from the barren lands of Ladakh – I think that’s the reason why every house and hotel in his arid region maintain some form of the garden inside the premises.

I called Rigzin and he arrived within 15 minutes to meet and greet us. When he arrived I was touched by the Ladakhi hospitatlity, once again. He was so cordial and his behaviour was so genuine that it flushed away the barriers of different cultures and languages instantaneously.

The plan was all set; we were to leave around 3 pm for the inner line permit after the lunch and a couple hours rest and then he would drop us around the Leh market where, as per his strict instruction, we would roam slowly without exerting ourselves.

Inner Line Permit

Sharp 3 pm Rigzin arrived in front of the guest house and we were all set. I filled up all the forms, but since we have arrived a day before Rigzin advised me to write everything afresh instead of changing the dates in the same forms. So from the DC office we ran towards the only Photostat shop nearby to get the standard application form. Rigzin came handy this time (and he would be for the countless times going forward) by getting everything sorted out as I experienced a bit of breathlessness after the short run to the shop.

Anyway, when we arrived back at the entrance of the DC office after Rigzin has sorted out the documents in order and I filled them up (I did it so fast that no wonder Rigzin proposed if he could nominate me to the Guinness Book of World Records as the fastest writer in the world), apart from me no one could be seen applying for the permit which was a blessing in disguise.

We submitted the documents at the designated counter. They verified the same and asked for a fee of 200/ (10 days – 10/ per person per day as permit fee) and passed the same to the next counter where I was asked to pay 80/ (20/- per person as wildlife protection fee so 40 rupees + 20/- per person as a donation to Red Cross so 40 rupees). We were again passed to another counter – the final frontier. Here the permits were stamped and I paid 400/ (200/ per person as Environment Protection Fee). So in 15 minutes and with 680/ I got what I wanted – a 10 days Inner Line permit to roam around Nubra Valley, Turtuk, Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri and Hanle.

Around the Leh Main Market

Rigzin dropped us nearby the Leh market where I was to follow my better half for the next couple of hours towards any direction. I did it religiously no doubt. The functional SBI ATM helped me of course, whenever my wallet ran out of cash, but fortunately that happened only once.

While my wife was busy in bargaining and shopping, I was more interested in exploring the market. The market was just like a market should be – one can find each and everything apart from the various art and crafts showrooms and shops. Sweets, books, accessories, ornaments, food, spices, clothes and many more. And the sky was becoming clearer.

When the dark prevailed, we came back to our hotel – as slowly as possible as Rigzin mentioned – for a much needed rest. Fortunately we did not encounter any symptoms of AMS whatsoever. Next day we would roam around the Capital to complete the local sightseeing.

Shoes

Carvings

Spices

The Ladakh Special

To Be Continued......
Next: Leh Local Sightseeing

The Chronicles of Ladakh - Part 2 - The Srinagar - Leh Highway Experience

Previous: Introduction and Day 1 - The Journey Begins

Day 2, 9th September, 2012

Srinagar > Sonamarg > Zoji La > Drass > Kargil > Mulbek > Namika La > Fotu La > Lamayuru (316 KM)

Leaving the Dal Lake Behind

The first thing we came to know when we woke up next morning was that it has been raining since yesternight. The good part was that the rain had transformed itself into light but steady and monotonous drizzle. Rigzin arranged one of his fellow drivers, Sonam, to dispatch us safely from Srinagar to Leh. We were really touched by the way Rigzin handled all the communication with a sense of responsibility that is missing from many so-called sensible fellows – this was the beginning of the Ladakhi hospitality that we would encounter over the next few days.

Sonam arrived sharp at 6.30 am as he promised the earlier evening over phone. In fact it was us who delayed the journey by 15 mins, as we honestly did not expect him to arrive on time!

We were on the Srinagar-Leh highway in no time with the Dal Lake as our companion. We expected to soak in the beauty the Dal Lake under the sun, but it was not to be. Instead it felt to be in an atmosphere which could aptly be used for mourning. The sky was still under the cover of blackish clouds and the drizzle was on which blurred the view somewhat, so even for Photography the exposure was not proper.

Sonamarg

Dal Lake faded into the background after some time. And the magnificent vistas which Kashmir is famous for started to open up, as we approached Sonamarg – meaning the ‘meadows of gold’ – which is 85 kms from Srinagar. Greenery and white linings as waterfalls of various sizes went hand in hand. In normal days, it would have been some picture perfect combination for photography enthusiasts, but weather played a big spoilsport here with its droning downpour. We saw the Thejwas glacier from a distance but for the metrological reasons, no photos.

We had to skip our initial plan to spend a few moments at Sonamarg, unfortunately.

Zoji La

Once we crossed Sonamarg, the ascent to the (in) famous mountain pass – Zoji La (‘La’ means ‘Mountain Pass’ in Ladakhi – started. Zoji La is the first of the 3 mountain passes one would have to cross on the Srinagar – Leh highway, and it is the most difficult of them all because of its notorious fame of being unpredictable during the monsoon.

The greenery began to disappear gradually and barren rugged mountains took its place. Waterfalls became scarcer and the supremely laid tarmac was replaced by an earthen road, full of slush and mud. A lot of wheel spin fun was encountered; sometimes the fun element was much less than fear. The relentless rain did not help to lighten up the spirits either.

The final ascent to the pass was an arduous one, not only because of the condition of the road (if we can call it that) but also because of the series of trucks and heavy vehicles. Zoji La traffic is controlled by the Indian Army, so it is advisable to cross the same, which we did, before the Army convoy starts from the opposite direction.

Without much fuss, we crossed Zoji La and entered the Ladakh region around 10.30 in the morning.

Towards Zoji La

Crossing Zoji La

Rock formation

Zoji La crossed - The commencement of Ladakh Region

Drass

The road started improving somewhat after Zoji La, and we saw the Army convoys moving to the opposite direction while we were on our way to Drass. We were fortunate that we didn’t have to face them while ascending to or crossing the Zoji La.

The rain subdued itself a bit so the visibility and our moods both improved and we started clicking infinite number of photos of anything and everything. The vistas around us were completely different from what we have seen in the past – our definition of a hill station was changing. Only thing remained constant was the Suru River which, as a huge serpent, was moving towards us.

We saw the diversion towards Mushko Valley, Tololing and Tiger Hill which our Army re-captured from the opponents after hard-fought, bloody and merciless battle – even as a civilian you are bound to feel the pride and the thrill. We saw some of the enemy bunkers which still existed. Besides the left side of the road a huge stone wall stood to announce its existence as a protection from the firing during the night from those bunkers.

Though Drass was in the headlines in 1999 during the Indo-Pak war, it really has anything to offer to the tourists actually. But it is said to be the ‘Second Coldest Inhabited Place on Earth’ which is amazing. The temperature, in extreme winters, sometime goes as close as to -50C!!!

We had our breakfast in Drass around 11.45 in the morning and wasting not much time, proceeded to our next major halt at Kargil.

The road ahead

Drass Town

The 1999 War Memorial, the Pride of India

A few Kms from Drass town stands the Kargil War Memorial which is a must-see for all travellers. This memorial was erected to celebrate the hard-earned victory achieved through ‘Operation Vijay’ during the ’99 battle. The names of all the martyrs who gave their lives for our tomorrow are inscribed on the memorial. The waving national flag with the aptly placed Tololing range as the backdrop would boost the morale of anyone. Certainly that was a moment of pride for us. A Salute to Indian Army!!

Kargil

From the memorial, towards Kargil it was mostly a stretch of fantastic smooth roads to drive on with a few real bad stretches, through the never-ending Ladakh landscapes. The Suru River would go to Kargil with us as we were advised by Sonam ji. The greenery on both the banks of Suru was some welcome break from the desertscapes.

Kargil was the administrative head of the region and our intended stop for the night. I was all excited as we approached Kargil since I have read and watched so many things about this place during the ’99 war. But again, apart from being the headquarters and the desired break for the travellers, the town had very little to offer.

We reached Kargil at around 2 pm, Sonamji advised us to move to Lamayuru instead of staying at Kargil. Thus we could save a day which we could adjust later. His proposal made sense but we were worried about the acclimatization part, but he advised us to decide upon reaching Mulbek – if we start feeling the altitude effect at Mulbek we would stay at Mulbek or come back to Kargil.

So we headed towards Mulbek. On our way we saw the deserted shops and building which were ruined by the shelling in 1999. Many small huts bore the marks of bullets on their walls to remind us that the war was bloodily true enough.

Accidents do happen frequently

Kargil Town

Mulbek

Mulbek was just 40 kms from Kargil but the road was in a mess with lots of ongoing maintenance. As it was not enough, we were delayed by the Army Convoys too. One thing one must note is the heavy army presence through this highway, for obvious reasons.

The surrounding became more and more barren and rugged. Greeneries were available just in patches at a few places and the absence of Suru River made the ambience more arid that it may really be. But the best part is that the rain stopped completely, but the sky was still wearing the blanket of the cloud.

On the way to Mulbek, there stood the Buddha statue, the Maitreya (or the Buddha of the Future). Built in around 7th or 8th century BC from a single rock, the statue is still almost intact reminding us about the height our architecture achieved in ancient days.

We arrived at the sleepy town of Mulbek around 3 pm, starved. The world seemed cruelly prosaic with hunger. So when we were served with fresh hot rice and lentils, the food disappeared in no time! After gathering some strength we roamed around the small village for 5 mins to stretch our legs till Sonam ji refilled his car’s fuel tank.

Maitreya, the future Buddha

JKTDC Bungalow Mulbek

The sleepy town of Mulbek

Namika La

Immediately after departing from Mulbek, the ascent started for the second mountain pass called Namika La. The scenery outside was out-of-the-world. We never saw mountains which looked like to be made of sand and soil and absolutely no greeneries!

I felt a little breathless when we reached at the Namika La top, so Sonamji, as experienced as he was, advised me not to exert myself at all and take it easy as we have ample amount of time in our hands to reach Lamayuru.

From the top the landscapes at both the sides were astounding but I was happiest when I saw a small shade of blue above – the sky was indeed getting clearer. I felt I could jump in joy but controlled myself for the better.

Namika La top

From Namika La

The first shade of blue sky

Fotu La

From Namika La, another (and final for the journey) ascent began for the highest point on the Srinagar-Leh road and the 3rd mountain pass, Fotu La. The road was in a mess with slush, but nowhere comparable with ascent to Zoji La.

Apart from the bad road, the ascent was relatively easy towards Fotu La. The top was quite windy to stand, but the Prasar Bharti tower did it easily.

It was again getting darker and as we were tired too, we did not spend much time at the top apart for a few photographs and ventured towards Lamayuru.

Fotu La Prasar Bharti

Lamayuru

From Fotu La, the newly built tarmac led us to Lamayuru in no time, but yet it was 5 pm. The moment Lamayuru village and the gompa appreared at a distance, we were ecstatic as we have made this far in a day.

We easily found a cheap accommodation at the Niranjana Guest house with clean rooms and great view of the village below (common toilets). The guest house was situated just besides the Lamayuru monastery, and we were lured by the prospect that we could visit the Gompa in the evening and thus could start in the morning early.

A cuppa hot tea recharged us quickly and we entered the premises of the Oldest Monastery of Ladakh (Lamayuru Gompa is founded in 12^th or 13^th century) within 5 minutes. The monastery was not in great shape, but the prize moment came when we identified a group of lama kids were playing together and they did not shy away from the camera.

From the Gompa, the surroundings looked as someone had meticulously painted them as a whole with gorgeous colours which would never fade away. The village below was full of greenery as an oasis in the midst of the desert.

It was enough for us to call it a day after the tedious journey, so we returned back to our nest where we got freshened up, had our food (good food) in the dining hall, crashed into the bed and sank into a delicious slumber in no time.

Lamayuru and Gompa - the first sight

The village

Prayer at the Gompa

Inscription

Niranjana Guest House

To Be Continued......

Next: Day 3 - In the Capital of Ladakh