All Roads (High & Rough) Lead to Ladakh-Another Indian Adventure

[RB]

Leh
General advice seemed to indicate taking 2 days of acclimatising to high altitude and we found we really needed the quiet time - shortness of breath, balance issues, just not feeling right. The hotel advertises they are at an altitude of 11,562 ft (3,524m).
With this in mind we were booked into the The Grand Dragon Ladakh. Luxury Hotels in Leh & Ladakh - The Grand Dragon Ladakh . Promoted as 5 stars and we found it to be an excellent hotel. We were allocated a great room, the food offerings were good with generous serves & very well trained staff throughout the hotel.
There were conferences being held while we were there so occupancy rates were high but it had no impact on us. We dined a la carte on the advice of the staff - the dinner banquet was strongly aimed at the domestic population, who also represented the vast majority of the diners. We observed that the check-in & out times seemed to be pretty flexible to cope with the constant coming & going of people.
The travel industry is heavily regulated in Ledakh. We (along with all tourists) were required to use local tourist operators throughout our stay so Magan’s vehicle was parked up and he and Chandra joined us in the passenger seats.

A bit repetitious but an explanation Taxi, Bike & Private Car Regulations in Leh Ladakh - Discover Leh Ladakh



The wing we were in

Nice area to sit


View from room

 

[RB]

Some good Italian food available



A club sandwich was a simple choice on the 1st night






You were encouraged to tag if you took the photo


Next time I am in a lift in Aust I will see what average weight they use

 

[RB]

Around Leh

Leh - Wikipedia

Ladakh - Wikipedia

We had a street walk on 2nd day through the markets.-plenty of fresh produce on display-apples, apricots, dried fruits, potatoes, turnips, beans. Leh is such an isolated spot with the fuel trucked in and the locals find a lot of general items expensive because of the isolation factor. Apparently many trucks go back empty. There is a huge armed force presence with many bases- certainly helps to keep the town afloat. We found Leh very different to rest of India that we have visited. -the faces & clothes certainly reflect a more Central Asian/Tibetan presence.

A peek into a butcher shop with pig trotters at front












Quite a few of the towns had these signs

 

[RooFlyer]

Next time I am in a lift in Aust I will see what average weight they use

No more than 75kg !

 

[RB]

Out of Leh
With the correct permits in place, our next activity was 3 nights in the Nubra Valley, an area that played a critical part in the rich history of the Silk Route. There are more rough challenging roads through the Ladakh Range including our highest pass of the trip - Khardung Pass (5,602m). You are supposed to limit your time here because of the altitude, but there was a bit of a traffic jam so we walked the short distance past the lookout while the car caught up! There were other passes to be encountered, but also plenty of visual rewards in the stark, high altitude cold desert environment. Again, there are road workers toiling in terrible conditions - smoke, dust and altitude in mainly manual construction. There are sections of road that have a brick surface as that has shown to be most resilient - more back breaking work. Plenty of Yaks were free roaming as we share the roads with a lot of domestic travellers, motorbike adventure tours, and convoys of military vehicles. The lookout points & significant altitude makers are chaotic but it is somewhat more relaxed at the tea/coffee/ snack spots. We start to see mentions of the Siachen Warriors and that intrigue will be answered in later days. It was noted that from the 19th Century until 1994 tourists were barred from the valley, with military personnel being the only ones mingling with the people of Tibetan descent.
The Nubra & Shyok rivers zigzag through the valley with patches of green where the villages exist.
The popularity of the Nubra Valley has spawned roadside advertising of some attractions with many claiming to be “the World’s Highest” - a 3km long zipline ride, go karting, trekking, Bactrian camel riding, rafting quad biking, camping and bike riding (would be very brave & we didn’t see anyone participating). The Valley promotes sustainability & the area was certainly spotless & a marked contrast to many areas of India.

First rise out of Leh & road surface is good











Our first lookout stop

 

[RB]

A hard way to surface a road




Great spot for a chai tea


Really peeing into the wind here


Some beaut road surface in spots-drivers are generally more obedient here too!

 

[RB]

Just below centre & to left is a person on the 3km zipline ride. Ground surface there is sand & small rock rubble. We had just driven along the L shaped road




The area around Leh had a lot of road safety type signs

 

[JohnM]

Awesome stuff!

 

[RB]

The Dunes Boutique Hotel Hundar Village Luxury Boutique Hotel in Nubra Valley | The Dunes Ladakh

Our hotel in the Nubra Valley was a great spot. Magan has had people stay here many times & believed it was our best option. Perhaps not as polished as the web might present but certainly very comfortable. We asked for a room on level 3 (better views that Magan knew about) & despite the stairs it was a worthwhile decision. The location is in the middle of a small rural village (a cow mooing for added atmoshphere) and there are some very nice gardens that were well maintained. The room was spacious, everything worked, the food was excellent and the staff were all wonderful people. Magan pulled some strings and had chilled bottle beer delivered to our room each evening for pre-dinner drinks. We were also treated to a specially requested garlic chicken dish on our last night.

Bed was a very comfortable queen








The light colour is a different stone insert. Most of the hotels during this trip had multiple shower head options fitted. Not sure of the sink fitting in this case though.




Views from balcony






The special chicken dish-very tasty

 

[RB]

Around the Nubra Valley
This is a very strategic area. We made a day trip to the beautiful little village of Turtuk, just 7km from the Line of Control and within sight of the massive peaks of Pakistan.
Huge Indian Army bases are dotted along the road with lots of “no photo” zones along an airbase for fighter jets, bunkers, and outposts on the hills. We stop at a moving memorial to the "Siachen Warriors", whose troops defend this mountainous border. The 1971 war saw this part of the Valley - where the Shyok River speeds up as it flows to Pakistan and the border with China is also only a short distance away - come under Indian control. Another chapter in an extremely complicated and volatile history.
In the old Summer Palace Turtuk, we have a long talk with the current Raja of the Yabgo Dynasty - Raja Mohammad Khan Kacho. With Magan interpreting, he shares the history of the Balti people and a lineage of 1000's of years. Within the palace there were displays of the mens living room, a ladies living room and a kitchen. We also had another presenter who spoke of & illustrated the fractured history of the area.
The drive covered some excellent road, rough dirt sections, bridges with load limits of one car only, fresh tar being laid ( had to just sit for 20 odd minutes for it to cool & dry), buckwheat being grown (a first for this trip) and another solemn memorial for a army bus that crashed into the river in 2022. Seven soldiers killed, 19 injured as vehicle falls into Ladakh river | India News - The Indian Express
A rainbow appearing as we drove back seemed to be an appropriate unexpected bonus!

25 Years Of Kargil: Story Of Turtuk - Homecoming In 1971, Defended In 1999

Siachen conflict - Wikipedia

A video I took that day

 

[RB]

Photos from drive to Turtuk



A pretty fair indication of how bad the dust was in some sections




Shyok War Memorial

 

[RB]

More of drive to Turtuk











Raja Mohammad Khan Kacho-he is on 4th last line on left in above photo




Walls of the palace


Part of the kitchen

 

[RB]

The peaks at back right (darker colour) are in Pakistan




Buckwheat crop


One of the army bases-some have their own schools & school buses


Roadside memorial for victims of bus crash

 

[RB]

Day around Hunder

A day with much less time spent in the car & less of a challenge on the roads.

Hunder is a place of rich history and culture as it was once a part of the ancient Silk Route that connected India, China, and Central Asia. Hunder has a long and fascinating history that dates back to centuries and it was one of the important stops on the Silk Route, a network of trade routes that linked India, China, and Central Asia, and facilitated the exchange of goods, ideas, and cultures. It was also a hub of commerce and culture, as it attracted traders, travelers, and pilgrims from different regions and religions. Hunder was also a part of the ancient kingdom of Ladakh, which was ruled by various dynasties and empires, such as the Tibetan, Mongol, Kashmiri, and Dogra. Hunder witnessed many wars and invasions, and also enjoyed many periods of peace and prosperity. It has a diverse and harmonious culture, as it reflects the influences of various religions and communities that have lived and visited here. Hunder is predominantly a Buddhist village, as most of the residents belong to the Tibetan Buddhist sect.

Our first stop for the day was the monastery at Diskit. which is one of the oldest and largest monasteries in the Nubra Valley. The monastery belongs to the Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism, and houses a magnificent statue of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion. The monastery also hosts various festivals and ceremonies, such as the Losar, the Tibetan New Year, and the Dosmoche, the festival of the scapegoat.

Very close by is our next stop - the Maitreya Buddha Statue. This is a stunning and impressive statue which is 32 meters high, and stands on a hill overlooking the Nubra Valley. The statue is made of clay, gold, and copper, and depicts Maitreya Buddha, the future Buddha, sitting on a lotus throne with a smile on his face. The statue is a symbol of peace and harmony, and attracts many pilgrims and tourists.
Diskit Monastery, Diskit - Diskit Monastery - Wikipedia

We paid a quick visit to a new resort (same management) to look at the facilities & raid the apple orchid - with a bit of assistance from a willing tree climber. There were some very weary looking older motorbike riders arriving!
Then it was out to the Bactrian camels and a little camel riding chaos - we decided being a just being a spectator was a good idea. Bactrian camel - Wikipedia
These camels derive from Mongolia & were bought to the Nubra Valley during the golden silk route trade era. The camels only appear for the designated morning and afternoon ride times. The rides take place around the sand dunes and there is beautiful light as the sun sinks. There are a few food & tea outlets here as well & you can also test your archery skills.









Our Rajasthanis

 

[RB]

View gives an insight into the work involved in the sticks stashed in the columns

 

[RB]

Out to the camels




Some of the archery gear. There was also some slug gun targets

 

[OZDUCK]

It almost seems like the phrase 'starkly beautiful' was coined just to describe some of these vistas. They are definitely beautiful but you they also make you well aware of how difficult life must be up there for much of the year.

(The updates to the site are still causing odd effects on my posts.)

 

[RB]

Back to Leh
Our next day was taken up travelling back over the Khardung pass to Leh.-fresh snow had fallen and certainly changed the appearance of some of the affected peaks.
As per Smart Traveller
“Do not travel to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir; and the India-Pakistan border (except the Atari-Wagah border crossing). This doesn't apply to the Union Territory of Ladakh, which was established as its own union territory of India in October 2019, separate from the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. ”

So it meant we had to compromise our ideal itinerary. The accepted solution (not 100% valid) was for Megan & Chandra to drive on through Kashmir while we stayed another 2 nights in Leh. Our rendezvous was to be at Jammu via us taking a flight from Leh.

 

[RB]

Our stay was to be at at Hotel T Chong Leh. This hotel was owned in the same interests as the tour car that took us to the Nubra Valley.

Hotel T Chong Leh
A step down in price from the Grand Dragon and not as swank but still very comfortable (soundproofing was not as good for traffic & dogs barking but still fine). We had a very full day out sightseeing so there was not a lot of time spent in the hotel. Again the staff were very caring, the food was fine and our beers were nicely chilled in the restaurant fridges. The day tour progressed as planned & the early morning transfer to the airport went without a hitch.













Good view again




Their version of chicken fried rice-a nice respite from curry

 

[RB]

Day Trip Around Leh
As noted earlier, tourism is a bit of a closed shop in Leh. We set off with the same driver (very steady and good company but no real value add to what we were seeing) and a young lady as our guide. Going on our previous experience with guides in India we were expecting someone who was well versed in all we were to see on the day - sadly not to be. Her basic knowledge was OK, but when it came to detail of dates & details of the colours/symbolic meanings at the sites we felt a bit underwhelmed as there seemed to be no genuine passion for her subject.

Alchi Monastery-Glimpses of the Lost World of Alchi | Smithsonian
Alchi Monastery - Wikipedia

Our drive through the Indus Valley & associated villages took us along an excellent road and past a lot of military activity. The Monastery is over 900 yrs old & located on what is now a tiny hamlet. Unfortunately, there is water damage to some of the buildings & frescoes but some measures are now in place to stop further deterioration. It is amazing to think the frescoes are untouched since they were created. Other statues & murals are, incredibly, in excellent order. There are some very worn prayer wheels in the passageways, plenty of souvenirs and famously the The Original Walking Stick of Lama Lotsava Rinchen Zangpo ( it is believed that Lotsava Rinchen Zangpo left his walking stick behind when he left Alchi and from it sprouted the tree which stands today on the path that leads to the Alchi monastery)

There are plenty of very small doors to get through, shoes off in many areas and our phones & camera are locked away in a locker at the main entrance . The major shrines with their wood carvings, Buddha statues & wall paintings certainly made it a worthwhile visit.

Heading out of Leh










The original walking stick




Indus River flowing past




Very worn prayer wheels