Val- Leh of Sunshine

Julley all! (That's Hello/Good morning/ Good Evening/ Thank You in Ladakhi) This trip had been on my bucket list since before I can remember and after many almosts and Please-God-let-me-do-this-once, I finally landed at Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport in Leh from Mumbai on 12th September, 2019.

It was a sunny albeit cold morning. Warned by family members, friends and numerous YouTube videos, hadn't felt the altitude shift yet. But it would have been more helpful if they'd told me that Vodafone (Now Vi) and Jio prepaid cards don't provide connectivity 18,000 feet above sea level. Helpful tip #1 for all those tourists and travellers who don't want to get off the grid, please invest in an Airtel or Jio SIM card (obviously, the postpaid version).

As was rightfully quoted by one of cinema's heavyweights Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump Life is a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get. This city, too, offers a veritable banquet to those exploring and discovering her. The first day I checked into the Mahabodhi Ashram located in Saboo Dho and made my way to dinner and explored the local market.

The next day my adventurous and explorer bent side took over. River rafting, ziplining across the Indus and motorbiking to watch the ever changing colors of Pangong lake, now famous, thanks to Bollywood Blockbuster - 3 Idiots were just some of the activities I indulged in. We fell into a selfie-coma recording crazy antics and gag photos with local traditional garb, props on the famous yellow bike driven by Kareena Kapoor in the movie. The next day we visited the plush and unique moonscape at Nubra valley and experienced the gravity defying optics of Magnetic hill. Where up is down and down is up and the roads converge to make you think you're travelling uphill when in fact you're rolling down a hill. Helpful tip # 2 Invest in a private car and driver and stay at different areas around the city to soak up these marvels. 

Being a nature-enthusiast, I realised that nature is the source of all life  while taking a walk along the Zanskar and Indus Sangam. On the third day I visited the Leh Palace and Shey Palace that are so steeped in history and the latter also abutts the Shey Monastery. Oh, if only the walls could talk.

The next day fed my spiritually inclined soul, wherein I took a pilgrimage to the Alchi and Thiksey monastery. I also climbed up the steep hills to Shanti Stupa that was built by Japanese and Ladakh Buddhists. It showcases panoramic beauty and meditative peace, simultaneously capturing the outer and inner eye. A whole day was then devoted to the biggest monastery in Leh - Hemis Monastery that hosts the annual cultural and traditional show of Naropa during late July-September. Its a must-see. I also visited the Gurudwara Pather Sahib located on the Leh-Kargil road. The beatific house of worship is the most revered destination for Sikhs and attracts a number of tourists.

On any trip, weight-gain is a must and I savored the gastronomical delights and local cuisine that didn't just float my boat but uplifted me to a food coma. The delightful Namza restaraunt faamous for its Chutagi (mutton dish) and Thupka (Soupy Noodles) was located in the main market and easy to find. A cozy eatery called Bon Appetit located near the police station in Leh market was another fantastic find and famous for its Khambir (Ladakhi Pita bread) and Pheymar (barley pancakes), typically eaten for breakfast a generous serving of Apricot jam. Another hidden jewel is a family-run hotel called Namra Hotel in Lamayuru. They serve excellent banquet like meals and Butter Tea on sun-lit verandahs spiked by the sweetness in the air from locally grown apricot and apple trees making you positively recline and dine like a royal.

Helpful tip # 3 There are a variety of ways you can get there. Bike or travel by car across the scenic countryside from Delhi to Manali to Leh (takes about 48 hours) or simply take a flight from anywhere in the coutnry. Stock up on some Diamox and camphor tablets to fight against altitude sickness at Khardungla pass i.e. the 2nd highest motorable road in the world and other high points in the city and get ready for the time of your life.

Munch on the local sweet delicacies of apples and apricots and enjoy the cinematic sweeping vistas of the Great Himalayan range and the frolicking Indus river and get swept up in the magic that is Leh. 

I can't wait to make my way back someday and based on some of the localites' suggestions that I unfortunately got only towards the end of the trip. Next up is to visit the Aryan Village i.e. supposed to house the last and lost tribe of clansmen who'd settled there since King Alexander the Great's invasion. Also travel to Kargil and finally see the War Memorial and Chadar Tek.