La Revista: 16th May ’09, very late at night, Leh

It is nice to wake up in the morning and have breakfast waiting for you. Can’t remember how many days later I had a proper breakfast this morning. Some toast with honey (yes, sweet and wonderful honey), poached eggs and some black tea is enough to make a breakfast table look decent.

We were a little more active today. We climbed up to the Leh palace and the monastery situated on top of the mountain. I came out of a shop in town to find Palzer and Kenny with an Austrian guy with them, named Wolfgang. All four of us said goodbye to the road and challenged the rocky mountain slopes as we made our way up to the palace and the monastery. The palace was situated at a fair height on the mountain. We reached there first, without much difficulty. The palace was built in the fourteenth century by the then monarch of the place (obviously). Now it is quite a ruin and is undergoing some renovation. Inside, there was a museum (which didn’t have a wide variety of stuff on display) and many empty rooms and passages. We could get a spectacular view of the whole place down below (including the town of Leh) from any open space up there. Kind of enjoyed exploring the entire place. It had a different feel to it. The place really gave me the feeling of being a part of that ancient monument as we climbed up and down the walls of the place. After there was nothing left to be explored, we set our sights on the monastery. It was situated at a reasonable height from where we were, right on top of the hill. It was going to be one tiring climb if we carried on giving the road a miss.

Just a glimpse of the summit excited me. Isn’t it exciting to set your eyes on the top and make your way there by any means? As for me, I love to climb. After an apparently tedious climb, we reached one high point on the mountain – it was a kind of a cliff. The view from there was splendid. The entire town of Leh surrounded by mountains on all sides, that too at so great a height. It appeared magical to me. As we sat there, lost in the ecstasy of the place, the direct sunlight and the cold wind kept kissing us all over, the entire time. After a brief rest there, we scaled the entire mountain and reached the monastery up there. Unfortunately the monastery was closed and the place seemed to be in some sort of a ruin. However, that didn’t stop us from getting all over the place within minutes. We made our way to every place we could possibly reach in the monastery. Standing on the roof – the highest point on that peak, gives an entirely different feeling altogether. The entire landscape of the region from up there reminded me of the videos of Afghanistan I had watched on the Discovery Channel. I think that I would not be able to tell the difference if I were actually in Afghanistan, perched on one of the hills there.

Initially we had planned to hike across some of the mountains to the Shanti Stupa. Unfortunately for me, everyone else seemed to be tired and hungry, and wanted to get back to the town as soon as possible. Reluctantly, I followed these three guys as they swiftly made their way down the very slopes of the mountain we had climbed some time earlier. All the while I kept admiring the scenery around me. Watching Nature from an oblivious point in its bosom gives a better high than anything I have known. When I looked at my companions, I found Palzer leading the pack, moving towards the town at commendable speed. Hunger and thirst are unrivalled motivating agents!

By the time we sat down to have lunch at one of the many Tibetan restaurants in Leh, I had become completely irritated with Kenny (though I did not show it). This guy has got a motor fitted inside, in his buccal cavity. He simply can’t stop yapping. Most of what he talks is crap, as far as my limited understanding is concerned. For the first time, I thoroughly agreed with the saying, “Empty vessels make the most noise.” His head does seem quite empty to me now. Anyway, this time our food tasted pretty decent. To be safe, I had ordered some chicken chowmein. We then returned back to our hotel. I took a siesta while the guys played chess. In the evening, Wolf brought his guitar and we had some nice music and some singing. Wolf is a good guitarist and the other two too can play the guitar. I, once again played the role of the spectator with great perfection. Had a great time (and a relaxing one too) listening to music while sipping on cups of tea in the cosiness of our hotel rooms.

At a time like this, the only annoyance was Kenny yapping away to glory with his secretly designed “motor-mouth.” In this respect, our Austrian Wolf is more agreeable. He seems to have more substance in him. May be that is because he does not speak unnecessarily. Even if he does, he does not yap his way to stardom. I am reminded of a line from the movie, Deadman, which says, “He who talks loud says nothing.” By the way, it’s well past midnight by now, and I must do what I do with great efficiency – sleep.

La Revista: 15th May ’09, 11.00pm, Leh

I am trying my best to forget about a stiff neck (and back) and an aching pair of arms as I sit down to waste the time of all of you who are bothering to read this. It was quite an achievement for us yesterday morning when Palzer and I managed to wake up early in the morning. We were just in time to catch the last taxi bound for Leh. I was very happy to be able to finally leave for Ladakh, little knowing about what awaited us. After travelling for 75kms, we stopped at a place called Sonamarg. Yeah, the scenery along the way was simply stunning. It just kept getting better. Now coming back to this place where we stopped – it was surrounded by mountains on all sides, with snow melting in patches all over them. Initially we thought that we had stopped for tea. Soon we realised that we had to spend an eternity here. There had been a landslide up ahead and the road was blocked.

Palzer, Kenny (an English guy travelling with us) and I spent our day climbing up one of the hills and looking down below. It may sound pointless, but there is nothing else to do when you reach right up there. By the way, Palzer and Kenny tried to ski down the hillside, through a patch of snow. It was funny to see them wrap some plastic bags around their shoes, and try their best not to lose control over themselves and reach the bottom of the hill. In the evening, we learnt that the road would only open the next morning. So we checked into a hotel to spend the night. About an hour later (around 8.30pm), the driver came to our room to inform us that the road had just opened and we were going to leave in a few minutes. Huh, the bastard who was in charge of the hotel didn’t even give us a refund!

It was dark and the roads were bad. Soon it began to snow. “You wanted an adventure, and you’ve got one,” joked Palzer as I stared outside the window of the car on a bumpy night. By the time we reached Dras (I believe it is the second coldest inhabited place on earth), I was comfortably asleep in a most uncomfortable position. Woke up for a while in Kargil, but even before I could blink I was asleep again. I woke early in the morning to find myself in a completely different seat from the one I had dozed off in, the previous night. We had entered Ladakh and were on our way to Leh. On our way, we managed to catch glimpses of the Lama Yuru Gompa (the oldest monastery in Ladakh) and the Alchi Gompa.

Reached Leh finally this morning. The car ride during the night was one of the tougher journeys I’ve been on. We decided to rest today and start going around the place from tomorrow. Got a pretty decent hotel for a reasonable price. After a meal of momos and fried rice, we dozed off again, but this time in our cosy hotel beds. I woke up in the evening with a severe body ache. Palzer slept right till eight o’ clock. Considering the fact that he hardly slept last night in the car, I felt that he needed it more than anyone else. However, when I now reflect back at the circumstances in which I managed a sound sleep last night, I know that I am going to be the man to beat if there is ever going to be such a thing as a “sleeping contest.”

I spent the evening looking at some paper-mache stuff in a store nearby, and collecting some information about local spots of tourist interest. Have thought of some things. Will keep recording them here as things happen. By the way, Kenny joined us for dinner and we ate in a Tibetan restaurant. We were glad to find the rates reasonable, but to our horror, the food tasted terrible. The meat was old and undercooked. None of us could finish what was on our plates.

By the way, I wrote a poem an hour ago. I mention this because I wrote one after quite a while. Now as the night covers itself in silence and chill, I must say goodbye, until… (Well, tomorrow of course! Just wanted to make it rhyme.)

La Revista: on 13 May, 11.50pm, from Srinagar

What an adventurous day! Woke up at 12.30 in the afternoon. Palzer got up a little later. I have been a little concerned about my fitness lately. Though it is not bad, I would like to be a lot fitter. Anyway leaving this aside, we could not go to Leh. We went to Lal Chowk and feasted on some bread, kababs and some tea. The elections were successful as the day passed without any kind of violence.

After a satisfying lunch, Palzer began to feel drowsy and decided to go back to the hotel and sleep. However, I was not ready to waste an entire day in the hotel watching TV. We might never again return to this place. I decided to hike all the way to the Shankaracharya temple which is situated right on top of the hill. No matter how hard I tried, I could not persuade my friend to join me. Finally, I decided to make my way up there all alone. Made up my mind to take the shortcut through the forest. My path went through a guarded property where the water-tanks were situated. Unfortunately, the gate to this place was locked. So, I wandered through the cemetery nearby and the swampy area on the other side, asking for directions from the local people passing through the area. However, I couldn’t get any conclusive answers. Finally, I decided that I had to trespass.

I slipped through from under the large iron gate (thank god I have slim frame), and then I jumped over a wired fence, and in five minutes I was on the other side of the property, from where the jungle got dense. I found a path and followed it without knowing if I was going in the right direction. After walking for about ten minutes, I came across a couple of Kashmiri guys and went to them asking for directions. “You have come in the wrong direction, but have made the right choice,” one of them said. “That way is short, but it is tiring and dangerous as there are a lot of snakes there. Along this way (the one I had taken), you will have a wonderful scenery to enjoy. The trip to the temple up above will cost you about a hundred bucks by a vehicle. But the way you have chosen is worth eight hundred bucks.” Now when I look back, I disagree with him on the last point. The hike was priceless. They took me along with them a little farther and showed me the way out from the point our ways diverged.

When we parted ways, one of them invited me to join him as he smoked ‘charas.’ I politely declined their offer and made my way. The scenery around was wonderful even as the jungle kept getting denser. I was scared of coming across some snakes on my way. Fortunately, I did not come across any of those reptiles.

After another fifteen to twenty minutes, I stumbled upon the main road. The temple was just a couple of kilometres away. By the time I reached the temple, I was quite exhausted and had a tough time climbing up those endless steps leading up to the main temple complex. Finally, I reached up above and had a proper ‘darshan.’ The view from the top was majestic. Unfortunately, they did not allow anyone to carry their cameras inside. I could see the entire Kashmir valley down below- the city of Srinagar, Dal Lake, the meandering river (I think it is Jhelum) – everything. The trip was definitely worth all the effort. Sadly it was almost six in the evening and the temple was going to close for the day.

On my way back, I decided to stick to the main road for a different experience (even then, I couldn’t help taking a couple of shortcuts through the jungle). I did not regret my decision at all. The main road was beautiful too, with greenery all around and beautiful flowers on both sides of the road at various places. After about a nine kilometres walk back, I finally reached back to the hotel – exhausted but extremely satisfied. It was then that I realised there is nothing more relaxing than a long, hot shower when one is exhausted.

At night, we had dinner at Shamyana Restaurant on the recommendation of our host (i.e. the “hotel-wallah”). He said it was the best restaurant in Srinagar. The place was wonderful and the food delicious (though a bit expensive). Palzer and I gorged on chicken biriyani. After a hearty meal, we sat near the Dal Lake and did what wee are good at – kill time. Palzer has been an enjoyable companion to have along in this trip so far, but he needs to be a bit more adventurous. The curfew is over now, and we are determined to wake up early tomorrow morning (anyhow), and leave for Leh.

Goodbye Srinagar…Ladakh, here we come!

La Revista: 12th May ’09, 11.55 pm, Srinagar

It was such a great birthday bash. I was having the time of my life. Just then there was a knock on the door which dragged me out of bed. I reluctantly left the party for ever and opened the door. Someone had come to wake us up at 5.00 am so that we could get a taxi for Leh. After having travelled continuously for twenty four hours (from Delhi to Srinagar), I had slept for only four hours at night. I definitely deserved more sleep. Went back to bed and fell unconscious in two seconds. Woke up much later, perhaps at around 9 o’clock. Then took a walk outside, showered and then began to wait for Mr. Moktan to wake up- what a sleepy head! He slept like a log for hours on end. In the meantime, I finished reading The Eleventh Commandment by Jeffery Archer and began to surf through the channels on TV. Palzer definitely can sleep like hell. I’m sure he will be frontrunner for the “Sleeping Competition” if there is anything like that. Nevertheless we are on a holiday and he has all the rights in the world to sleep like that.

We were finally ready to explore Srinagar by 1 o’ clock. We gleefully jumped into a shikara which first of all, took us to a restaurant by the Dal Lake, where we had brunch. Man! Kashmiri food is delicious to say the least. Some Kashmiri bread (or bun I should say), kabab, Kashmiri chicken and some tea made sure that our day began in a grand fashion. Food was cooked in saffron, almonds and many other spices that I have no idea of. Even though the food was spicy (which I dislike), I couldn’t help devouring the food. I was ready to burn my oesophagus ten times over with spice if I could lay my hands on food like this!

After a hearty meal, we set off to explore the length and breadth of the Dal Lake in a shikara. Whoever first said that that Kashmir was paradise was definitely not joking. The mountains surrounding the enormous lake offered one of the most picturesque sights I’ve seen. The numerous houseboats with their strange and even funny names kept us amused right till the end. Palzer got busy with the camera right from the word go. I think he is seriously considering a profession in this field. Srinagar is a hotspot for tourists you see (he even told me that he would love to settle down here). A lot of businessmen in their shikaras kept pestering us, trying to sell us gemstones, ice-cream, saffron and so on. These people left me alone perhaps thinking me to be a local guy (with my light beard and sharp features, I look quite like some of the people here), and hounded Palzer thinking him to be a foreigner (one of them even tried talking to him in Japanese). Poor friend of mine bore the brunt of it all alone. Our host (the guy who owned the shikara) was quite a chatty fellow and pointed out to us various five-star hotels, expensive houseboats (hotels), Akbar’s fort, cottage industries and so on, as we surveyed the lake. He even took us through a vegetable garden which lay floating on the lake. Our four and a half hour boat ride had been worth every rupee we paid for it.

Then we went walking to Lal Chowk hunting for an ATM, after which we found ourselves inside a small café. Hot chicken patties, spicy kabab with bread and tea- had a really delicious evening snack. Palzer believes that at this rate we will fatten up in a week. I believe that in a month, we will transform into hogs. Even after such a heavy snack, we managed to enjoy our simple dinner which consisted of roti, jeera rice and rajma. I think that the wonderfully cool weather here makes us relish our food like never before. The ambience at this town could also be another factor.

Tomorrow, elections are going to be held here, so we may not get any vehicle for Ladakh. We may have to spend another day here. There’s not much we can do about it, can we? Let’s see how another day unfolds.

La Revista: When I was in Srinagar, 11th may 09, 11.00pm

What a way to begin our journey! Last night we boarded the Jammu Mail to find little spoilt brats (with of course, their parents accompanying them) as our co-passengers. I particularly enjoyed being the chief source of discomfort to one “Little Lucifer” by stifling him for space as I sat next to him. Palzer and I soon climbed up to our upper bunks and spent half the night chatting. My dear friend was his usual self with his wisecracks and a carefree attitude.

This morning at around 11 o’ clock, we set our first steps on the exciting land of J&K as we got down in Jammu. The landscape reminded me of Dehra Dun – a unique mixture of hills and plain flat land, or should I say a fusion of two different landscapes. The clear and fresh air was a sharp contrast to the stifling and polluted one of Delhi. After a quick lunch, and a long wait in the car (as passengers slowly filled up the seats), we finally set off for Srinagar. As we ventured further up the hills, the scenery around kept getting better. Unfortunately, sleep seemed more irresistible than the beautiful scenery as I dozed off quite often in the car. All the while, an enthusiastic and excited young man called Palzer kept clicking photos of the priceless natural beauty around us. He has certainly done a commendable job, and has a promising career ahead of him in this field if not anything else….

Along the way, our driver was a good source of entertainment as he kept sharing his interesting experiences with us. Even though I have spent a very long time in the hills, its beauty seemed so much more as I returned to hilly regions after spending an awfully long time in Delhi. The view of the snowy Himalayan range spreading across the valley at twilight is something I would like to remember for a long time to come. Unfortunately Palzer had dozed off by the window seat and we did not have any photos clicked of this magical scenery. Our unending car ride finally ended when we reached Srinagar at 9.30 pm. The hotel we are staying in is quite an impressive one for the five hundred bucks we are paying (with TV, geyser, etc.). The view at night of the Dal Lake with all its houseboats lit up is a majestic sight for any traveller from any land. Also, I bought some “kesar” or saffron for my mom. I think she will be pleased to receive it.

I have begun to like the attitude of the people here. They are warm and friendly and seem to have a no-nonsense air about them- just as I like. This has been a smooth beginning for us as far as our trip is concerned (thought the travel expenses are sky high). I am beginning to see why Kashmir was known as the “Paradise on Earth.”

La Revista: before it all began

It is the 10^th of May ’09. At 1.45 in the morning, it seems just another hour in this long break of about a couple of months. What makes it different is that I have packed my bag for a trip to Ladakh. It is a trip that I have always dreamt about going on. The route through Manali hasn’t opened yet. That means we have to make our way to Leh via Jammu and Srinagar- not a wise move, my family members would say. However my dream (of going there) has managed to surpass all their disapproval and all “common sense.” But life is not lived well if lived with fear as a companion. Life exists because of faith, and faith will carry us through and decide the fate of our trip. We have tickets to take us to Jammu tonight by train, which leaves from Delhi Railway Station at 9.25. Just hours away from what might be one of the most memorable trips in my life.

1st Time

Hey,

I have started this blog to...to...well, let me think of a reason and i'll post it as soon as I do so.

Anyway, you guys may need to be informed that my friend, Palzer and I had gone on a trip to Kashmir and Ladakh during the month of May this year. It was quite an achievement for me as I maintained a journal during the trip. Those who are familiar with my nonchalant attitude will have a decent idea about how tough a task it is for me to do so. So, I have decided to post a chapter at a time from the journal, for the aesthetic pleasure of my friends and anyone else who has all the time in the world to waste over the "finer" things of life.
All you folks keep visiting here from time to time (esp. if you are of a non-moronic nature) and entertain me with your comments. Humour and sarcasm are always welcome.