While Ladakh is a land of picturesque beauty, the Ladakhis as a race are very warm and deeply cordial people. The author and her husband undertake a trek in the region, whereby they discover not only the splendid gompas and terrifying gorges but have the privilege of enjoying the everlasting hospitality of the locals. The book provides a unique insight into this beautiful land and its lesser-known cultural heritage.
From the Book:
Half the excitement of a trek is in its planning and we-my husband Baljit, an officer in the Indian Army and I-had planned his annual leave to be fun-filled weeks of open-air adventure. It was end of August and the ideal time for a trip to Ladakh. Around this time, unlike the rest of India, it doesn't rain in Ladakh.
In the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, an Inner Line Permit is mandatory to visit the areas beyond north of Srinagar-Leh road, east of Leh-Manali road and the stretch towards Aksai Chin. Baljit wrote to the Government of India seeking permission to visit the restricted zones of Ladakh and followed-up the documentation formalities.
On receipt of the green signal from the ministry, he booked air tickets from Delhi to eh, the administrative headquarters of Ladakh. I prepared an inventory of the food and medicines we would need for our sojourn-cum-trekking in the Himalayas, isolated from shops, canteens and bazaars. I also packed the clothes-more than what we would normally need for a holiday. While on a trek, we would hardly ever be staying in any one place long enough to wash them or be able to sit and wait for them to dry.
Parting from the dogs was quite a painful experience. Dachshunds are such loving creatures. They literally droop in spirit when they see travel bags dusted for a journey. A glint of hope remains in their eyes till the very last; just in case we relent and beckon with a nod, "Come along," But, of course, in ths case we could not. It would be too cold for them. Moreover, they would find the rugged terrain and the erratic weather conditions too harsh. "So," we told them affectionately, "Zangbo and Shubeegi, Lama Tashi and Mowgli, you must stay back and mind the house."
We had a hectic time. Rucksacks were checked for holes and tears, their straps were smoothened out and examined; sleeping bags were aired; heavy woolens, caps, mountain trekking boots, thick-knit socks beautifully fashioned in yellow, green, red and blue wool that came up to the knees, were stuffed into kitbags. Reading and writing material were selected. We decided to collect food stuff and medicines on reaching Leh. For a while, our flat looked really colourful with green and royal blue nylon sleeping bags, yellow boxes of films, enough to send us into an ecstasy, visualizing the adventure and sights that the trip promised.
When we were ready and it was time to leave for the Delhi Airport, we bade our pets a fond farewell and piled into the taxi. At the airport, we were astonished to see a good number of foreign tourists booked on the flight to Leh. The flight route was Delhi-Srinagar-Leh.
After a brief stop-over at Srinagar, the Boeing took off for Leh. Once airborne, we could see the Kashmir Valley bathed in warm golden sunlight. The sun's rays danced on range upon range of snow-capped mountains and glaciers, pure, untrodden by man.
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