Thy Beauty is Amazing!:) :D

Exploring things alone has a charm of its own. Being a single traveler in Leh was met with a few “Ahan(Eyebrows up)” kind of an expression. I have got used to it nowJ.

Though I’m alone I never feel lonely. I feel the loving presence of God at every step and at every moment. Looking at the beauty of Leh my mouth just hangs gaping. I can’t help wonder about the magnanimous nature of God which is frankly incomprehensible.

Traveling in a local bus which is as big as my washroom was quite daunting. The aisle was so small I was left thinking “How in the world do people travel in this”?. But they doJ And quite comfortably that is. It has also led me to understand and appreciate everything that is easily available in Delhi but no so in Leh. I spent my Sunday exploring monasteries because sitting at home is not something I’m very good at. My boss dropped me till the bus station and off I went to see monasteries around Leh. My first stop was Stakna. Aah! Stunning is an understatement because it was so much more. The area around Stakna is surrounded by hills and snowy mountains. There are huge tracts of land which are unoccupied and unhabitated. As soon as I got off my bus I went lunatic. Seeing such humongous open spaces surrounded by mountains is not what I’m used to. I jumped around the area took a lot of pictures. Smiled, grew ecstatic, laughed and so much more.

As soon as my shenanigans were over I walked almost three kilometers up towards Stakna monastery. Now to reach Stakna monastery I had to cross a beautiful old bridge which is established over the striking river Indus. The joy of listening to a river flow by is indescribable. The bridge was covered with different colored prayer flags fluttering along with the wind. I reached the monastery after fifteen minutes or so. There was not much to see as most monasteries are same but the best part was that there was a small pink colored building that stood atop the monastery. As soon as I saw that I moved right towards it and the view from the place left me breathless and speechless. I could see huge green conical trees; which looked like grass from that height; and the river Indus flowing by quietly forming small rapids at every turn. At the backdrop was snow covered beauties. I spent alone time there and thanked God for bringing me here. I descended down his rocky slippery terrain and I almost slipped at one point but it was good funJ. I waited for the bus to my next stop Thikse for almost fifteen minutes. As soon as I reached Thikse I was famished. I desperately needed food. So I went to this small idyllic restaurant called Chamba and rested myself there for some time. As soon as I got in the waiter asked me “So ma’am are you with that group(pointing towards a boisterous group of six people)?” I said “No(straight face)”. Then he just looked at me for a moment and said” Ohhhhhhh(Nods head and twitches eyes in a weird way)”. I couldn’t help but smile noticing his reaction. Anyway , I ordered a Tibetan dish by the name of Thustma or something. It was yummy!I think I ate too much because I was not able to walk up to Thikse monastery. I was so tired I rested at every step.Phew!Thikse monastery was no different.I just took a lot of pictures , interacted with a few monks, shouted ‘Julay’ and walked downstairs. Oh and I also went up a few creepy staircases just to see what lies ahead but there was nothing so I was a little disappointed. I hopped on to the next bus which then took me to Shey Palace. It was the palace of the royal family before they shifted to another village named Stok; in the nineteenth century. The main attraction here is the statue of Buddha covered with precious stones and gems. Sadly it was closed for the day so I missed seeing that. Anyway I wandered around the place and took some gorgeous photographs. It was empty except for this bunch of guys who were discussing Madeira.Hee Hee! Thankfully they were going down while I was moving upstairs. Oh but I could’nt help notice one of these guys had an AMAZING NIKON DSLR. Praying for the day when I will own my very OWN DSLR with a superb lens. I’m sure God will answer my prayer soon just like everything else. Love Him so muchJ..Moving on I went downstairs and kept on walking for half an hour. That way I explored the countryside better. There were huge tracts of farm lands and it was getting cloudy with the wind blowing on my face. It was such a blessing to experience that. I waited for my bus at a desolate area where there was nothing but trees and barren mountains around. Finally a bus came by but it was so overcrowded that I was almost hanging out of it. The best part was that I could see the meadows and pastures, feel the wind, smile all over again, dream and pray for more such experiences to come by. 

When God listens...Ladakh beckons:) :D :D

“No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.” – Lin Yutang

Sitting in the office going back to the days when I was praying hard to get a volunteer job I never imagined that I would end up in a place as pure and beautiful as Leh.

Glancing out of my window I see the mighty mountains with their peaks being kissed by clouds. These clouds are grey and the rays of the golden sun cut through them to highlight the amazing detail that lies within each cloud. I feel so privileged to be a part of Ladakh Heart Foundation. People here are so humble and polite; which is good break from the generally rude people back home. It amazes me that every person here is ready to serve one another with a smile on their face. They never tire of being hospitable to people who are completely different from them. Every person that I have met till now says “Joolay” meaning ‘Hello’ with a big huge smile. People in Ladakh are economically poor but the chambers of their heart are overflowing with the treasures of love and goodness. My first day was quite eventful. The flight from Delhi to Leh was real quick. I felt like I was lifted and dropped within a minute. A nice Bengali couple ; in their late sixties, were next to me. I showed off my Bengali skills by shouting ‘Khoob Bhalo’ while viewing the gorgeous terrain of the Himalayan range. They were very pleased indeed. J

The room that I stay in couldn’t have had a better view than the one I’m enjoying right now. Draw the curtains and there you see the gigantic mountains greeting me with their mightiness. They look like a conical dark brown chocolate fudge cake sprinkled with a generous amount of icing sugar at the top. I lazed around the whole day lest I get altitude sickness. So a large part of my day was spent sleeping. I did not really develop any breathing problems as I was warned off back home. The transition from dilli’s garmi to Leh’s khoobsurati was as smooth as a baby’s bottom. I visited Shey palace, Shanti Stupa, Sindu Ghat(by the time I reached there the festival was over and it was completely deserted), Indus river, saw the royal family’s palace and walked around Leh market.

My evening was spent pretty well as I went out for dinner with my boss at this nice restaurant called Tibetan Kitchen. I wanted to try something different so I opted for Mutton Phee Phee soup(Mutton dumplings with boiled vegetables that are slightly raw). It was really warm and something that I desperately needed in this cold weather. After dinner went shopping for bread but got buns instead which I devoured this morning with eggs and butter. Electricity or rather the lack of it is something that I will have to live with for the time that I’m here. Everything is very erratic leaving aside the water supply(which is 24 hours a day).Even local communication is challenge here with most areas being out of range. I just hope to get my own local number pretty soon before my family goes crazy trying to get in touch with me. Internet is also a problem with most cafes charging Rs.120 for one hour of usage. Like I’m going to pay that much.The issue here is that since its snowing for atleast 7-8 months in this region people make the most of business during summer months so that they can save enough for winters. Many people prefer to stay inside the kitchen and make handicrafts to make a living during the harsh winters. As far as I know I can only dream of experiencing a snowfall for the time that I’m here.Adios!