Leh Ladakh

Ladakh Introduction
Here we are in Ladakh region in India… and we continue our special journey through this age old peaceful civilization inhabiting one of the most challenging yet surreal places to live on this planet earth…..  We will pass through two of the world's mightiest mountain ranges, the Great Himalaya and the Karakoram Range, drive on world highest motor able roads and see the land like no other……….. up, close and personally…..
 

LEH PALACE
I’m so so excited ……..
We start this leg of our journey from the capital and the largest city of ladakh, that is Leh…..
Leh is an enthralling destination with astonishing views, old-fashioned houses, lanes, lively markets and amazingly nice people…… Leh is the starting check point of your excavation of Ladakh
The usual itinerary of an average traveler in Leh starts with a guided tour of the world famous monasteries, but as you know we like to shuffle up things….. So let’s start our tour with an historic palace…. Yes there are palaces in Ladakh too here too ………

LEH PALCE
This structure was made by the founder of Namgyal dynasty…..
This worn out nine-storied symbol of The Namgyal rulers stands proud on the slope of the Namgyal hill, overlooking the gorgeous valley below…

TRADITIONAL HOSTING OF GUESTS IN LEH

TEA IS BROUGHT IN….. GUD GUD CHAI…: This is traditional ladhaki gud gud chai
Tea drinking shots,… TASTES LIKE SOUP  

Something smells really nice…..My nose tells me we are up for a nice meal…..
TRADITIONAL FOOD MOMO’S IS BROUGHT IN …  

          

YUMMY!!!
Momo’s are a staple food of the Himalayan people…
Oh god!!! I need to go for a walk, to settle all this food down…..Let’s go and check out the local market ….. We’ll walk, digest food and shop….3 birds in one burp, haha!!!
Let’s see who reaches first come on people…….

How to Reach

By Air – Leh has its own airport…. Regular flights connect Leh to destinations like Delhi, Chandigarh, Srinagar and Jammu.
By Rail - Nearest railhead from Leh lies at a distance of 680 km at Jammu Tawi.
By Road - By road, Leh is linked to Delhi via Srinagar- Zoji La Pass route and Manali Rohtang pass. Both the routes are open between the months June to October.


LEH MARKET
I’m at leh market which is famous for a lot of things…
Try and buy only local stuff like In Leh you can buy Pashmina Shawl, Handicraft Items such as Tibetan or Kahsmiri carpets, wall paintings, wooden masks and dragons, Ladakhi carved wooden tables and paintings, etc.

ladakh is famous for turquoise and coral stones and jewelry ...
Be smart and bargain as most of the stuff is highly overpriced …
You guys wanna see how these amazing carved wood table and wall hangings are made….

locals are very talented peopl they are the artist behind all that you see in the market ….
Come on hit the road people and make our way out of leh city straight into wilderness,  we should venture into the real rough and rugged Ladakh…..

Wow what a place…… this is truly out of the world……
Seems like a small road jam…..
Get out of the bus people and let’s start a snow fight ….
WE are set to go all aboard…..
From Leh when you drive to Khardungla the road sharply moves upward on steep mountain slopes and once you cross the paas the road radically dives down into a series of twist and turns like a swirl ……. It’s exciting like a roller coaster ride .

The camel safari
Is this for real or am hallucinating……. this sand, this is really sand, how is this possible? And are these camels or yetis????
Camels are ship of the desert
I never thought that camels can survive such severe cold….. look at their body wool
These camels are really cute…. Look at their faces….
Usually camel safari is in Rajasthan
I guess camels are quit adaptable as animals…. Quite like us humans….don’t you think…

I’m in Numbra valley and getting the feel
Who had thought that we’ll go on a camel safari in Ladakh…. That was killer fun….

IMPORTANT SLATE
Tips for being a responsible traveler:
Ladakh for centuries was an autocracy society surviving on agriculture, husbandry and trading. Since military access in the 1960s and opening to tourism in 1974, more and more people are pushing on already limited and difficultly accessible resources available in this rugged cold desert…..  
Approximately 40 to 50.000 tourists visit Ladakh every season, who have to eat and drink as well as use water for showers, toilet and laundry. There is no proper waste management in Leh… The ecological here or for that matter anywhere in the universe is very sensitive and to maintain the landscape the way it is today, there are some serious efforts to be made by us all.
 

Nubra Organic Camp
WE now are heading to The Nubra camp just 2 min walking distance from the sand dunes …….
The camp is situated in the beautiful village of Hunder

Situated in the fertile Nubra valley is this 5 acres of lush green paradise called the Numbra organic retreat…..
Also reffered as The ‘Valley of Flowers’ of Ladakh, Nubra was an important pass in the well known silk route connecting Tibet to Turkistan.

I’m at organic retreat camp
This nice look camp is spread over 5 acres of lush green fields of different plantations and small streams… You seriously feel intone with nature while staying here ….
The best part is that these people maintain their own organic garden so that you can enjoy the taste of fresh and locally grown vegetables.
The menu is huge, you can choose from a huge list of Cuisine and delicacies ranging from Tibetan, Chinese, and Continental and Indian dishes.

Ladakh is such an unexpected place….It is truly a land out of our world……. It’s impossible to get bored here…… it is dynamic….….ever changing…. …..and even then it seems that this region hasn’t changed much since the beginning of the universe……..If you wanna have an un heard of experience and feel closer to god…. You need to get a backpack…..get on a bike and drive straight to  Ladhak in Jammu and Kashmir India, it will hit you with endless adventures and wonderments  ……… Come here and literally feel on top of the world…..

How to Reach

By Air – Leh has its own airport…. Regular flights connect Leh to destinations like Delhi, Chandigarh, Srinagar and Jammu.
By Rail - Nearest railhead from Leh lies at a distance of 680 km at Jammu Tawi.
By Road - By road, Leh is linked to Delhi via Srinagar- Zoji La Pass route and Manali Rohtang pass. Both the routes are open between the months June to October.

Weather in Ladakh
The weather and climate of Ladakh display a great deal of diversities
In summers temperature Fluctuates between -3° C to 30° C.
Winters are extremely cold with heavy snowfall. The average temperature ranges between -20° C to 15° C.

Though the weather can be freezing cold, the smiles on the faces of the Ladakhi people are sure to warm your heart.


SLATE
What can you do to make our planet a better place to live in

• Firstly avoid plastic as much you can in any form like bottles and bags…. It is not biodegradable and very bad for the environment…
• When eating in the restaurants Preferably order dishes made from local produced ingrdiants.
• Give your empty batteries to Dzomsa or better take them home, where there is a proper system for recycling. Ladakh doesn’t have any possibilities.
• Put your rubbish in the garbage bins and give the organic waste to your guesthouse or some other people who have animals to feed.
• Water is scarce and Leh has big problems. Try to avoid water flush toilets and prefer Ladakhi style compost toilets if there are some. Try to shower or wash with only small amounts of water.
• Give your laundry to Dzomsa as they use eco-friendly detergent and wash it in a stream which leads.