Ladakh Diary : Phir se udd chala

Day-1

The first scene of the undulating white sheet against the grey background from the limited range of flight window makes you spell bound. The Siachen Glacier, the Cold Desert whatever name I call it symbolizes the magnanimous presence, the untouchable existence, where common life struggles to exist. The victory of the failure to own it/possess it/access it increases the love/lust/longing to enjoy it. Sometimes the love of the failure has it's own pleasure/romanticism, it keeps pulling time and again. The romance can still exist even if it cannot be yours. That's a different way of living life, perhaps a Sufi way. "Saqi ne phir se pyaar se mera jaam bar diya"

Day-2 : Shaam Valley Tour

The view points are just to prolong the stay on the road. The longer the time more the number of frames...endless, timeless wonders...frames which were there before human beings and might be even after human beings. The background of the Hall Of Fame or the Sangam (confluence of Indus and Zanska) each of them shakes you up. The single frames near the Sheh Palace where one gets to see multiple colours in such abundance and enormous proportion...green meadow, blue sky, shining white snow, barren brown rock, the dark grey mountains hits the senses hard. I can only quote "maine dil khoke ishq kamaya". 

 

There was an add which used to come in TV..."there are some things which money can't buy.." true but without money such opportunity perhaps does not come unless you are son of the soil. It sounds sinnic, but true...we are all greedy individuals who cannot surrender the comforts of life to accept a less eventful life, hence all this confusion, all the chaos and every now and then plan for a retreat.

I do not know what lies ahead, what I shall see in future, but certainly I have not seen better frames... frames which are all "Kodak Moments" yet they can hardly be captured. 

We are possessive in our thoughts, ways of life, relationship. The need to own does not end. I am perhaps no exception to the rule. As I have been watching The Frames I wanted to watch more, I clicked many in spite of knowing all these really do not capture the moments for me. Am I blessed to view such scenes or a only Popper to this immense treasure that lies for me to explore in my mortal time...am I being too greedy!!! Wonder what drove men like Captain Cook to keep on exploring remoteness amidst uncertainties...greed ? Love ? Lust? Or submission?

Day-3 & Day-4 : Khardungla Pass-Nuvra Valley & Pangong Lake-Chhangla Pass

It's the journey which thrills me,  excites me more than the destinations. Wonder if Life could be looked upon in the same way..." kisi manzar par main rooka nahin, kabhi khud se main bhi meela nahin, yeh gila to hai par khafa nahi, sahar ek se gaon ek se, log ek se, naam ek se"

Day-3 : the word desert sends a signal to the brain which can be quite unnerving...but the white sand dunes of Hunder was the gift of the day. Miles of Miles of white sand with some rough greenery and walls of ranges all around, barren or snowy. A valley of cold desert protected/shielded by mountains all around. Aided by the wind, the sand dust and clouds mingle with each other to create a mystic veil..."khub parda hai ke chilman se lagaye baithe ho.....saaf aate bhi nahi, samne aate bhi nahi".

                                                    

Day-4 : the journey from Nubhra to Pangong is perhaps the best of the trip, if not the best of all road trips I have done so far. The changing scenes at every bent leaves one mesmerized. I really got frustrated, what to see and what to click ....every moment felt like stopping the car to absorb more. Our driver Mr. Padma had a good music collection, mainly Kishore. At one point when I was getting too frustrated to choose from the treasure flashing past every moment...the line came up..."kya hai bharosa aashiq dil ka aur kisi pe yeh aa jaye, aa gaya to bahut pachh tayegi tu"... perhaps it defined my feeling for the scene...every moment you see a new one, you forget the old one...if only human mind had slots to store every such moment perfectly and correctly along with the emotion. So much to see and so much to capture yet so little I can do.... "aye dil chal pee kar jhoomein, in galiyon mein ghumein".

Pangong Lake...how to describe ... If only I knew how to. "Is rang badalti duniya mein"....every moment the colours threw new challenges to collect...if only I could stay a little longer, don't know how long would have done justice. Only one song comes to my mind which might be able to honour aptly...."Maharaj oi ki saaje..". Forgive me for my ignorance, my failure to express the moment. I wish I could stay at least a month somewhere near Pangong and visit Thou every day. Pardon my in capabilities.

                                                

The bumpy ride through the last 10km of approach to Chhangla Pass is overshadowed by the cruise through the narrow lane amidst the white snow towers on either side..clean bowled...I was so much overburdened after 2 such successive experiences (Pangong & now Chhangla), I asked the driver "wapas jaana zaroori hai"...the chilling wind, the snow in the air hardly had any effect, I had lost it completely. After Day-4 ends I can say about myself..."bhogi hai jogi yeh chain kahan hoga"

Day-5 : leisure in Leh

It was a planned leisure day in Leh City, mostly taking stroll down the market area & clicking some pics, taking tea at cafeterias and using there wifi to upload photos. View of the ranges all around the market area is pleasing to the eyes, quite different from Mall area in other hill stations. The Leh Palace is visible just above the market. Plan was to try Momo at a special place, but had to try at a different place. However, the trial for the initial plan led to the discovery of a excellent view in front of "Glacier View Hotel".

                                                    

Day-6 : Tsomoriri Lake, journey to the nomadic area

The journey like the whole trip has been a great visual experience, may not be same as the one from Nubhra to Pangong, yet not something to be written off. The lake near Tsomoriri or the Tsomoriri Lake all are no less than the now famous Pangong. The expanse of green meadow after the 1st lake was quite a different experience. The pashmina goats of the nomads where roaming about in the sun. The nomadic tents didn't look much of a special entity from outside, appeared pretty normal. 

Tsomoriri offers beautiful views. With the hide and seek game of the sun & clouds the changing colour of  water is visible here also. I decided to take stroll along the length of the lake. Our tour guide Mr. Singe, a man from the Aryan village accompanied me. He has just completed his 12th and waiting for admission in Jammu in June. He shared about the Aryan living, showed some pics and videos.

After 7pm though light was there but weather was getting really chilling. (The barometer reading is generally negative here, only roars up above zero to 2-3 degrees between 11am-3pm.) We decided to return to the camps nearby the lakes. I must admit, even in this trying condition the facilities available for stay, food and sleep are much more than one can expect. The bit of uneasiness will be there at such climatic condition. But if you are not ready to adapt that you miss out the experience of staying in such beautiful place. The night sky, the star lit view are common in most places at such altitude, Tsomoriri offers the same too. I missed the sunrise, but got a good glimpse of stars & moon from my bed.

Day-7 : Back to Leh & preparing for departure

Nothing special as I made my way back to Leh. Roamed about in the market..tried Thupka & Kebab. Back in the hotel taking the last glimpse of the snow range from the room. A farewell glimpse....

But I do wish to travel to Ladakh again, travel to places less visited. Once more I feel like coming back. In a short time the memory has been overcrowded by so much fascinating gifts of nature, I am struggling to isolate them. There has not been many tours in which every travelling moment challenged the previous to stamp it's supremacy. On my return flight I was lucky to get the window seat and bid my farewell to the Cold Desert. Let's see if I meet Him again. Our plans rarely work the way we want them to!!!

Day-8 : on my way back to Kolkata I stayed back for a day in New Delhi. Met old friends, old and new 'adda', Metro ride, car drive, old memories.

Note : Visit the link below for selected photos & description (comments)

https://photos.app.goo.gl/9fr1UoS2GKXmDVQSA