High in Ladakh - boarders, glaciers, people
Early morning - 5:40 flight from Delhi to Leh
The view from the plane at 6:00 was lovely seeing the sun peek through the clouds.
After landing at Leh the thin air made us feel giddy plus the early 3:00 am wake up time in Delhi. We needed rest to cope with the 3500m elevation.
We slept most of the day at the Grand Palace Hotel then we had one short outing late afternoon to see the Peace Stupa.
The Peace Stupa is fairly new, one of over 80 built by Japanese. This the fourth one we have seen over the past few years - Sri Lanka, Darjeeling, and Pokhara are also placed on hills with fantastic views.
The Peace Pagoda or Stupa was the idea of a Japanese monk, after meeting Mahatma Gandhi he decided to devote his life to non-violence.
Some angles from around the stupa.
The view from the hill where the Peace Stupa sits.
From one side of the valley to the other dry craggy hills stick up with one long green valley nestled in the middle using glacier water for the greenery. Above Leh, there is an old palace and Buddhist gompa.
A mosque sits above the main market area on the main street, Leh.
From the middle of the town, the mix of people is apparent from the position of a mosque next to a Buddhist stupa in the town. Many shop keepers are Kashmiri and they are mostly Muslim.
An early morning view of the Indus River, as we head up the road on a day-long outing.
Well, we couldn't try the strange magnetic phenomenon because there were so many tourist cars on the road - some remain skeptical of the magnetic attraction.
A small Hindu shrine across from the Magnetic Hill seems lonely by the road.
The confluence of the Skardu and Indus River at Sangam - brown water meets greywater.
Traveling up the Indus valley we pass through a few more green valleys before reaching Alchi.
Clouds and shadows make a lovely black and white shot.
The Indus River
Funeral chortens on way to Alchi.
Alchi is an ancient village that is on the tourist route. Still, it has lovely gardens and restaurants mixed in between the old homes and gompas.
Tibetan style, the three small gombas are said to date to the 10th century. One is dedicated to Manjushri with a 3 story high statue - paintings of Taras decorate the inner walls. The paintings inside the gombas are still vibrant except where rainwater has eroded several areas of the inner walls. The last gomba had a new painting on top of the old, hopefully, that will be repaired. Money collected from tourism has helped to put new roofs on the gombas. The roofs are made from willow branches and carved wooden pillars that reminds one of the Newari woodwork in Nepal.
Apricots grow everywhere in Ladakh. They have added economic value from dried fruit and the dried kernels that are now a popular health food.
Small paths between the gompas are lined with prayer wheels.
Leaving Alchi, there is a side road that goes to the hydroelectric Alchi Dam on the Indus River.
A temporary camp set up for the workers was in such a desolate place.
A cut in the roadshows the unique square patterns of stones that form the hill.
At Tiksey Monastery we learned about ice stupas and plans to build a Himalayan Studies University at Phyang Village near the monastery. His Holiness Drikung Cheesing Rinpochey was there to support the plans and listen to issues from the community.
We made a group photo after the meeting.
A nice seabuckthorn bush.
Nearby, in dry areas of the village, seabuckthorn bushes were fruiting. The fresh berries are delicious and make several great health food products.
A sign before the top gives a few suggestions for coping with high elevation.
A brief stop on the way to the top gave a chance to go find some pretty flowers and watch birds.
A high attitude visiting bird - Guldenstatdt's Redstart.
Having some fun at the top of the pass. Khardung La is 5359 m or 17,582 ft - even though the sign says 18,380 ft. That is a slight exaggeration for the sake of being the world's highest road. The recommended stay is 20 minutes. We were there for about 2 hours visiting a glacier.
Dramatic black and white of the glacier. A few lovely flowers growing at the top. More flowers growing under the glacier.
Hello from the glacier moraine.
The glacier gets smaller every year according to our scientists.
India National Day
India National Day motorbikes at the top of the pass - several hundred bikers and bicyclists had come to the top for national day activities.
Return view of Leh.
Below - the next day starts with several views of our trip to Pangong lake - chortens, fields, monasteries, and glaciers as we approach another pass.
A valley that is irrigated by one glacier at the top of the valley.
Flowers from the glacier, where we stopped just before the pass.
A long trip to Pangong Lake - 5 hours of driving on back blowing roads. This is a photo of the old road - the new one is just slightly better.
Horses and Yaks were grazing on the fine grasses that were in the wet areas.
Yes, that is the road - a glacier lake broke after being hit with heavy local rains bringing all kinds of sediments, covering the road. A tractor and workers were busy clearing the rubble.
Below, the first view of the famous blue waters of Pangong Tso (Tibetan for lake).
It was hard to capture the whole lake.
We stayed just long enough to eat our lunches on the shores and have a short walk before getting back into the cars for the 5-hour trip back. If I have a chance to go again - I would stay one night at the lake to see sunrise and sunset on the water.
A Gull-bill Tern absorbs the blue watercolor on its wings and body as it passes over.
Women busy harvesting their wheat.
One more pass, Chang La, this one is at 17,538 ft. They make a very tasty cup of tea here - much appreciated. Also an important toilet stop.
Prayer flags blow in the wind as we wind down the hill back to Leh just at sunset.
The last day in Ladakh was with a very special 81-year-old, named Choyang Norphel. After he retired from government work he went on to help people get what they needed most - water. I was amazed at his speed and agility climbing over stone walls and hiking up the gully to his artificial glaciers. He was offering us help as we clambered along behind him.
Through a series of small check dams and a canal, he collected water from the glacier above to hold water back for the next cropping season. This water is also held in small recharge ponds. As the water freezes in the winter, it collects behind each rock dam and forms solid glacier-like masses that slowly melt in the spring.
The meltwater is controlled and released slowly down to the fields and gives the community water for their crops. Everyone loved him it was like traveling with a film star.
One last stop at Shey Monastery, where the Dali Lama had been just the week before teaching in a public area below the monastery. I hope that next visit there will be time to sit and listen to the Dali Lama. Shey is a very impressive collection of buildings that stack up like blocks to the summit it is made up of very old and impressive buildings - recently repaired. Three rooms were open at lunchtime when we happened to arrive, one had an impressively large statue of the Future Buddha "Matreya Buddha".
From open windows in the monastery, a view of the valley spreads outward with the Indus River flanked by green fields and arid hillsides.
One door remains and that one will have to wait for another time. There are many things left to do in Ladakh. However, the Jammu Kashmir region needs peace for everyone to thrive. I hope they find their way...
The confluence of the Skardu and Indus River at Sangam - brown water meets greywater.
Traveling up the Indus valley we pass through a few more green valleys before reaching Alchi.
Clouds and shadows make a lovely black and white shot.
The Indus River
Funeral chortens on way to Alchi.
Alchi is an ancient village that is on the tourist route. Still, it has lovely gardens and restaurants mixed in between the old homes and gompas.
Tibetan style, the three small gombas are said to date to the 10th century. One is dedicated to Manjushri with a 3 story high statue - paintings of Taras decorate the inner walls. The paintings inside the gombas are still vibrant except where rainwater has eroded several areas of the inner walls. The last gomba had a new painting on top of the old, hopefully, that will be repaired. Money collected from tourism has helped to put new roofs on the gombas. The roofs are made from willow branches and carved wooden pillars that reminds one of the Newari woodwork in Nepal.
Apricots grow everywhere in Ladakh. They have added economic value from dried fruit and the dried kernels that are now a popular health food.
Small paths between the gompas are lined with prayer wheels.
Leaving Alchi, there is a side road that goes to the hydroelectric Alchi Dam on the Indus River.
A temporary camp set up for the workers was in such a desolate place.
A cut in the roadshows the unique square patterns of stones that form the hill.
At Tiksey Monastery we learned about ice stupas and plans to build a Himalayan Studies University at Phyang Village near the monastery. His Holiness Drikung Cheesing Rinpochey was there to support the plans and listen to issues from the community.
We made a group photo after the meeting.
A nice seabuckthorn bush.
Nearby, in dry areas of the village, seabuckthorn bushes were fruiting. The fresh berries are delicious and make several great health food products.
A sign before the top gives a few suggestions for coping with high elevation.
A brief stop on the way to the top gave a chance to go find some pretty flowers and watch birds.
A high attitude visiting bird - Guldenstatdt's Redstart.Having some fun at the top of the pass. Khardung La is 5359 m or 17,582 ft - even though the sign says 18,380 ft. That is a slight exaggeration for the sake of being the world's highest road. The recommended stay is 20 minutes. We were there for about 2 hours visiting a glacier.
Dramatic black and white of the glacier. A few lovely flowers growing at the top. More flowers growing under the glacier.
Hello from the glacier moraine.
The glacier gets smaller every year according to our scientists.
India National Day
India National Day motorbikes at the top of the pass - several hundred bikers and bicyclists had come to the top for national day activities.
Return view of Leh.
Below - the next day starts with several views of our trip to Pangong lake - chortens, fields, monasteries, and glaciers as we approach another pass.
A valley that is irrigated by one glacier at the top of the valley.
Flowers from the glacier, where we stopped just before the pass.
A long trip to Pangong Lake - 5 hours of driving on back blowing roads. This is a photo of the old road - the new one is just slightly better.
Horses and Yaks were grazing on the fine grasses that were in the wet areas.
Yes, that is the road - a glacier lake broke after being hit with heavy local rains bringing all kinds of sediments, covering the road. A tractor and workers were busy clearing the rubble.
Below, the first view of the famous blue waters of Pangong Tso (Tibetan for lake).
It was hard to capture the whole lake.
We stayed just long enough to eat our lunches on the shores and have a short walk before getting back into the cars for the 5-hour trip back. If I have a chance to go again - I would stay one night at the lake to see sunrise and sunset on the water.
A Gull-bill Tern absorbs the blue watercolor on its wings and body as it passes over.
Women busy harvesting their wheat.
One more pass, Chang La, this one is at 17,538 ft. They make a very tasty cup of tea here - much appreciated. Also an important toilet stop.
Prayer flags blow in the wind as we wind down the hill back to Leh just at sunset.
The last day in Ladakh was with a very special 81-year-old, named Choyang Norphel. After he retired from government work he went on to help people get what they needed most - water. I was amazed at his speed and agility climbing over stone walls and hiking up the gully to his artificial glaciers. He was offering us help as we clambered along behind him.
Through a series of small check dams and a canal, he collected water from the glacier above to hold water back for the next cropping season. This water is also held in small recharge ponds. As the water freezes in the winter, it collects behind each rock dam and forms solid glacier-like masses that slowly melt in the spring.
The meltwater is controlled and released slowly down to the fields and gives the community water for their crops. Everyone loved him it was like traveling with a film star.
One last stop at Shey Monastery, where the Dali Lama had been just the week before teaching in a public area below the monastery. I hope that next visit there will be time to sit and listen to the Dali Lama. Shey is a very impressive collection of buildings that stack up like blocks to the summit it is made up of very old and impressive buildings - recently repaired. Three rooms were open at lunchtime when we happened to arrive, one had an impressively large statue of the Future Buddha "Matreya Buddha".
From open windows in the monastery, a view of the valley spreads outward with the Indus River flanked by green fields and arid hillsides.
One door remains and that one will have to wait for another time. There are many things left to do in Ladakh. However, the Jammu Kashmir region needs peace for everyone to thrive. I hope they find their way...
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