Peek Into The Peaks

Of Butterflies & Snowy Peaks

The orange and black butterfly brought back memories from my childhood, flying right above Gobind Sagar reservoir waters, visibly enjoying the new day that had just begun. We were on our way to Kasol, running very late, primarily due to the traffic jam in Delhi and partly due to a few slow moving members of the group. We had stopped for breakfast somewhere close to Bilaspur, with still a long way to go.

Our group captain set the tone for the day by playing some nice numbers on the Volvo’s music system once everyone was back onboard. We were passing through small towns and villages, with open fields on both sides; the mountains beckoning in the distance. The drive to Kasol/ Manali is one of my favourites, with the mighty Beas river flowing alongside.

At Alpine Guest House Cafe

We finally reached our hotel – HHH around lunch time, although we were very tempted to lie down on the soft and luxurious bed; we resisted. My friend, Sukhmani and I decided to head out to one of the many cafes in order to make the most of our free day. The next day, we were to trek up to Kheerganga, a perfect long weekend summer getaway. Alpine Guest House café was our first stop, it had a beautiful view of the snow clad mountains as well as the roaring Parvati river. A hot glass of coffee and paneer pizza provided us with the much needed energy. We went to a German bakery later to have those delicious chocolate balls. Later, we shared the leftover chocolate balls with a beautiful husky who sprang out of nowhere. He did not leave us with much of a choice.

Jim Morrison café, another well known café was unfortunately shut for renovation. We found another great café right behind our hotel called River side cafe. It was a nice, quiet find; by the river as the name suggests.  Their mint tea coupled with the sound of the flowing river was refreshing.

Fresh mint tea

For dinner, we went to an Israeli café on the main road, right opposite Alpine Café’s entrance. Although service was understandably slow, their hummus with lamb and freshly baked pita bread was worth the wait. 

Breathtaking view en route

The next morning, we made our way to Bershani in a taxi, our starting point for the Kheerganga trek. It was a beautiful 45 minute drive past Manikaran and a few other villages en route; the river Parvati flowing alongside as we steadily climbed towards the snow capped mountains. We bought walking sticks for our 14 kms long trek, at Rs. 20 apiece, got a group photograph and off we went. These walking sticks were a good decision, as we later realized. It helped us keep our balance at various rocky, marshy areas.

Our first stop, Nakthan village took us about an hour to reach, the way up here was fairly easy with a few steep areas in between. As we were carrying rucksacks and the sun was out in all its glory, we took frequent water and rest breaks. There were a fair number of trekkers, majority of them carrying day packs. As we kept walking and climbing higher ground, we were getting closer and closer to the snow clad mountain tops. Passing through apple orchards, streamlets and waterfalls along the way made for some amazing photographs and memories. We took a long-ish break at Rudranag which has a couple of dhabas and one of the larger waterfalls; many people took a dip in the icy cold waters there. I lay on the ground, resting my back and taking in the scenery.

Breathing in the deodars

The real trek started post Rudra Nag. It was a steep incline pretty much all the way from there. We were now surrounded by deodar forests, providing us with the much needed shade. As we kept trekking our way up, we could feel the strain in our lower backs. Sukhmani and I made several rest stops, sometimes just to take in the sound of the birds, the river flowing down below, to observe the butterflies flying past us or to simply breathe in the fresh mountain air.

         

Made it!

Campsites at Kheerganga

After a couple of hours, I was absolutely thrilled upon seeing the ‘Welcome to Kheerganga’ sign. After taking a victory picture with it, I dragged myself up the last steep stretch towards our campsite. We were lucky to get a roomy tent for two, the mixed vegetable and rice gave us the much needed energy. After a short nap, we made our way to the famous hot springs. One dip and I could feel the pain and tiredness in my body disappear. Definitely recommended after the arduous trek up!

Reflection of the setting sun

As the sun began to set, we watched it light up the snowy peaks with its warm, orange glow. Once back at our tent, we layered ourselves up with all the woolens we had as it was starting to get cold. It was night sky full of stars; I had not seen so many stars in a very long time. We lay down on the cold ground, star gazing, trying to spot different constellations.

Soon enough, the bon fire had been lit and we could hear everyone singing and dancing around it. As we joined in the merry making, it was a night full of stories, music and laughter under a blanket of stars, a perfect ending to a perfect day.

Time to awaken the writer in me

I've been meaning to update my blog since a while now. 

I started a new job earlier this year, the demands of which took over and my travel writing took a back seat. I also lost my 9 year old dog soon after my last blog post after which I didn't feel like writing. 

I have travelled a fair bit around India this year. Lots of weekend getaways and even an extended weekend getaway with my family for the first time in 15 years. Jaipur, Kasauli, Shimla, Mussoorie, Mumbai, Goa, Naldhera, Alwar, and most recently Kasol & a trek in Malana.

With the high pollution levels in Delhi, I was finding it hard to breath. In spite of buying oxygen inducing plants and wearing a mask outdoors, the city was beginning to stifle me. Fresh mountain air is what my body was craving. After asking for trek recommendations on a travel group on Facebook, I came across a travel community called Tripver. I like their website's UI & UX, they had great reviews and so I decided to book it. 

It was a 14 hour overnight Volvo journey from Delhi to Bhuntar, Kullu. Suprisingly, I managed to sleep quite comfortably during this time. We were woken up in Bhuntar, when we had to change buses as a Volvo cannot travel on the narrow road leading to Kasol. The seats on the local bus were freezing. I zipped up my jacket, put my hoodie on and sunk my hands into my pockets. The driver decided to wake us up by playing old bollywood songs at a really high volume. An hour later, we had reached our destination. Soon after getting off the bus, I took in a deep breath of crisp mountain air. With our rucksacks on our backs, we hiked down a mountain path, over a rickety wooden bridge, a few people at a time, over to the other side of the Beas. We then walked through the woods, passing a couple of cafes and homestays, to our hotel White House in Katalga, Kasol.

It was a quaint hotel with a huge garden full of flowers and vegetables growing on the side, overlooking the Beas. A breath of fresh air from my daily life in Gurgaon indeed. After lunch, we went for a long walk to Kasol and Chalal. Everyone stocked up on goodies, we did the same, buying old monk and chocolate balls from the German bakery. By the end of it, everyone had gone their own seperate way. As it was getting dark, we decided to make our way back with the help of torchlight. Many cars passed by, some with blaring music and buses swerving on the curves. We flashed the torch their way so that we wouldn't get run over. It was quite a long way back, 3 or 4 kms. Luckily, as soon as we reached the hill from where we were to begin our descent, we saw the others. We passed through the woods, over the rickety wooden bridge,  listening to the sound of the passing river.

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We sat around a bon fire later that night, one of the guys had a guitar. He took song requests, we all sang along and had a great time. Everyone struggled to get out of bed early the next morning. It was the day we had all signed up on this trip for - our trek to Malana, a remote village at a height of 8700 ft known for its hash around the world. We took a bus up to the trek's starting point. The bus journey was quite gruesome. As the villagers in Malana like to be cut off from the rest of the world, they have not let the government build a road there. As the road was very narrow, there were many times when you could not see the road below and it seemed like we were floating (with a few bumps here and there). I tried not to look down as all you could see was a sheer drop right into the Beas. The conductor was communicating with the driver through a whistle - two whistles indicated that there was room to manoeuvre and one meant he should stop. Every time there was a tough turn and the driver would reverse, the whistling began, making my heart sink with fear. An hour later, we reached the starting point for our trek. 

We found out later that ours was the only bus that had actually climbed up that hair raising route.

We were given instructions on how to behave in the village and not to touch anything as the villagers would otherwise create an issue and not let you leave till you paid a fine. We climbed 1200 plus steps to get to the top, stopping many times to catch our breath, realizing how unfit we all were. The locals seemed to climb up and down the mountain with ease. I found the village architecture to be quite unique.

There was what seemed to be a main square with wooden temples in it. There were wooden stilt houses all over the village, some of which had villagers sitting outside drying locally grown weed. A rare sight, I have to admit. They were carrying some of the freshly picked weed on their backs, we would get a strong whiff of it every time they passed us. We had cheese maggi, nutella pancakes and some tea to gather some energy for our way back.  

We had to walk an additional four kilometers to the bus as the driver refused to bring it back up all the way. Although the others were complaining, I was secretly glad as I didn't have the heart to sit through that hair raising journey again. Towards the end, the conductor who was waiting for us closer to the bus, suggested a short cut. It was a steep downhill trail, we had to sit on rocks, hold any vegetation we could get our hands on and make our way down carefully. That, according to me, was the highlight of the trek. While the others slowly made their way down, we waited by the riverside, watching the ripples in the water.

The next day we relaxed at our hotel, sitting by the riverside, eating and chatting; enjoying the peace and quiet of the mountains before returning back to the city madness.

A Hidden Himalayan Jewel

Tucked away in the panoramic Himalayan valley, on the banks of the Sutlej, lies Tattapani, one of India’s lesser known natural wonders, blessed with natural hot sulphur springs. Tattapani which means Hot Water in English will warm its way into your heart with the snug hospitality of its people and sublime natural beauty. According to local folklore, a dip in Tattapani’s hot springs can cure you off any joint pain, stress, fatigue or any skin disease, leaving you completely refreshed. My crick in the neck disappeared completely after a dip in the hot springs, leaving me calm and relaxed after a long journey. The months’ of January & February are considered auspicious, when a dip is believed to cleanse you off your sins. 

The quaint village of Tattapani is located 51 kms from Shimla and 29 kms from Naldhera, at an elevation of 655 metres above sea level. The 6 hour drive from Chandigarh is delightful; offering scenic views of Kasauli, Shimla and Naldhera along the way. 

EXPLORE

REJUVENATE Start your day with yoga, taking in fresh mountain air and watching the picturesque valley spring to life with the first ray of sunlight softly caressing the majestic mountains, adding various hues of orange to the surrounding green meadows and forest. After greeting the sun with a Surya Namaskar, treat yourself to a hot, relaxing thermal bath followed by a healthy breakfast. Later in the day, book yourself for an Ayurvedic Shirodhara massage to revitalize your senses. Tattapani is the perfect place to unwind leisurely in the lap of nature, without burning a hole in the pocket. Hotels here offer a variety of Ayurvedic and beauty therapies to choose from, from Mud Therapy to Reflexology, in the price range of Rs 500 – Rs 1750. So, take your pick. 

GEAR UP FOR SOME ADVENTURE A paradise for outdoor enthusiasts - rappelling, kayaking, rafting and mountain biking are some of the activities that Tattapani has to offer. White water rafting is an all time favourite here, choose between the 6km and 12 km stretch. Opt for a Mountain biking expedition and enjoy scenic views of the surrounding mountains, villages and wildlife. For experienced riders, there are trails leading all the way up to Chindi at 1950 metres, 30 kms from Tattapani, passing through lovely apple orchards, temples and scenic meadows. Bookings for these activities can be easily made at the hotel. 

TREAD ALONGSIDE MISTY MOUNTAINS There are many trekking routes in this beautiful Himalayan valley, offering ample opportunities for bird watching and photography. A short 6 km trek to Shiva Caves, open all year long, is quite popular. You also have the option of taking your car till there and walking up 450 stairs to the holy cave. Experienced trekkers have a bounty of options to choose from, the Shikari Devi Peak trek is well recommended. A 6 -7 hour trek from the nearby picturesque village of Chindi, through thick woods of pine and deodar and myriad apple orchards, takes you to the highest mountain peak in Mandi district, Shikari Devi at a height of 3360 metres. There is an ancient, roofless temple there dating back to the times of Mahabharata. From there, you can enjoy panoramic views of the Greater Himalayas.

HOOK UP A CATCH Tattapani offers some great fishing spots for Trout (Rainbow and Brown) as well as Mahseer. Bask away in the sun, waiting for the perfect catch and if you get lucky, you can enjoy devouring into your fish, specially cooked by the hotel chef. Fishing is a great option for those looking to enjoy the outdoors without doing any strenuous activity.Trout fishing season begins in April and ends in October. Mahseer fishing season is during winter months, from November to February. Fishing equipment is available to rent from the hotel you are staying at.

A Perilous Journey Home

When Shimla received the season's first snowfall, everybody was in a jubilant mood, all set to go and enjoy the snow. I was in Tattapani, 53 kms away from Shimla, when I heard that it had snowed. I have to admit that I was quite excited myself.

Having lived in London, I have experienced snowfall numerous times, built snow men with soft, fresh snow, slipped and fallen in the snow and have even celebrated a white Diwali! I love it when it snows; trees, cars and the roads are painted a beautiful shade of white and I just can't seem to get enough of it. We were leaving for Chandigarh that day and heard that Shimla was snowed in and shut to vehicular traffic. Upon inquiring from locals, we were advised to take a detour via Salaghat onto Dharampur and then Chandigarh. 

Sleet falling on the way to Dhami

We drove towards Dhami, the closest town en route, experiencing steady rainfall, sleet at a higher altitude and a hailstorm shortly afterwards. Needless to say, the weather was not getting any better and we were eager to get home in one piece. To make sure that we were on the right track, we asked another a couple of other people for directions. They told us about a short cut via Ghanati which would get us closer to our original route so we decided to take it. The road leading there was narrow and had minor landslides. Although we were apprehensive at first, we decided to carry on. A km or so afterwards, the condition of the road deteriorated. There were massive potholes and avoiding them in the incessant rain wasn't easy. There was a sheer drop on the right side of the narrow road so we couldn't turn back. You could feel the tension in the car as everybody sat quietly. We carried on at a speed of 20 kms/ hr and it took us an hour to cover the 15 km stretch.  

Soon after, we were approaching powdered mountains, covered with a thin layer of freshly fallen snow. We passed meadows, houses, vehicles abandoned on the side of the road - all covered under a white blanket. 

Post Ghanati

Snow all around!

Frozen bush

Frozen leaves of tree

I tried capturing a picture of frozen leaves on the road side in the moving car but couldn't quite get the angle I had wanted. 

We were on the main road again. Everyone was relieved and happy to be back in civilization, until we were told that the road ahead was blocked due to snow. We had to re-route again. 

We turned around and made our way towards Arki, passing through thick fog, in which even the bonnet of the car was not visible. It started pouring once we reached Arki. Thankfully, the road ahead was in good condition, narrow but a hundred times better than the previous stretch. 

Rain lashed down on us as we drove on the narrow, winding road ahead. We could only hope that we were on the right track. Shortly afterwards, a car with a Chandigarh number plate overtook us. All of us heaved a sigh of relief. We were extremely lucky not to have gotten stuck because of a land slide, inspite of continuous heavy rain and hail. 

Hailstorm on the way to Subathu

The car slid a couple of times, at turns because of the ice on the road. In a span of four hours, we had witnessed all forms of condensation! Once we reached Subathu, the weather cleared up and we got a glimpse of the setting sun. The journey thereafter was smooth. 

Gorgeous hues of the sky

At Dharampur, we stopped to grab a bite at Hot Millions, a popular eating joint. While eating, I looked up to see the outside traffic hauled up and a man in khaki running after another with a huge stick. I thought the cops were after a thief or something. Till I was told that the bus driver ( in khaki ) was running after a car owner whose car he had banged into. Cops had to intervene and get the disrupted traffic moving again. It was an amusing sight, made us temporarily forget about the treacherous journey we had just undertaken. 

5 Reasons to have a Winter Himalayan Vacation

Winter is most definitely upon us. A lot of us have been enjoying the afternoon sun, at home or even at our offices,  getting out of our cubicles for a stroll to soak up some sunshine. As the year is coming an end, a lot of us are making vacation plans for Christmas/ New Year. While many people prefer a warmer destination - Goa or Thailand, being a hot favourite amongst us Indians, here are 5 reasons why you should buck the trend and head to the mountains this winter.

1. Scenic beauty - Everybody travels for different reasons. Whether you are looking for some peace of mind after the crazy late nights at the office, need some quiet time to focus on yourself or a fun trip with friends, the mountains are beckoning you. The crisp mountain air, snow covered peaks, fresh water rivers and streams, wildlife sounds in the morning will surely put a smile on anyone's face. In that moment, all the noise and stress from your city life will be forgotten. 

2. Fresh perspective - The fresh mountain air will open up your mind, spirit and being to fresh, new possibilities in life. You will be able to reflect on your current circumstances in a calm and balanced manner. A trip to the mountains in the winter will leave you feeling rejuvenated, ready to take on the world with a fresh, new mind set. 

3. Adventure sports - For the adventurous, fun seeking lot, winter sports are definitely worth a try. At Solang Valley last year, I tried skiing, which requires an incredible amount of strength, endurance and balance. I also enjoyed driving an All Terrain Vehicle (OTV) in the snow and downhill, zipping through the long traffic jam. Para gliding, snow boarding, sledging and zorbing are some of the other options there. Gulmarg in Kashmir is a beautiful skiing destination, comparable to the Swiss Alps I hear. 

4. Away from the crowd - Depending on your preference, you can choose a getaway to a quaint village tucked away somewhere in the Himalayas or a busy city like Shimla. Barot, in Mandi district is a great option if you're looking for a quiet get away. Surrounded by the Dhauladhar range of Himalayas, with Uhl river passing through, Barot is a picturesque valley, well known for its trout & trekking trails. 

5. Discover a new you - Some of the most famous writers and poets are known to have been inspired by the beauty of the Himalayas. You can get completely spellbound by the surrounding natural beauty and might even discover the hidden poet in you. That is exactly what happened to me in Ladakh last year, when I just couldn't seem to put my pen down, and have been writing ever since! 

“Chasing angels or fleeing demons, go to the mountains.”
(Jeffrey Rasley)

The Highway 

(Part 2)

Route: Manali to Leh 

Distance: 490 kms

Travel Time: 14 hrs

The alarm woke us up in time for the minivan. Groggy eyed, we strapped on our rucksacks, turned on our flashlights and made our way down the dark mountain path to the vehicle. It was chilly, pitch dark and drizzling.

We got the middle seats in the 12 person minivan - a window and an aisle seat. Our fellow travellers were mostly Europeans; both of us and another Indian guy were minorities. There was a French girl sitting next to me and she was carrying a puppy rescued from an animal rehabilitation centre in Delhi, all the way to Leh! Slowly, we started to make our way out of Manali. You couldn't see much outside through the foggy window. About 20 minutes into the journey, the driver picked up a local Ladakhi family of 4, to be seated on two seats right at the back of the vehicle. Soon enough, their young children started crying because of the extra bumpy ride and claustrophobia that they were being subjected to. Somebody was nice enough to exchange their passenger seat for the mother and her two children. Those children pretty much took turns throwing up for the rest of the arduous 18 hour journey.

Soon enough, we were making our way to one of the first passes en route - Rohtang La (13,050 ft). There were massive craters (potholes won't suffice) on the road - or lack thereof, leading to the pass. As the driver would try to avoid these, we would often end up being dangerously close to the edge, missing the sheer drop only by a few inches. Obviously, I couldn't sleep during this time and had my heart in my mouth. It was freezing outside, the snow shining in the moonlight. The puppy let out a whimper because of the cold and its owner wrapped him up in a shawl. I was nicely layered up and had my Warwick hoodie on, which kept me warm. Although I was wearing two pairs of thick socks, my feet were still cold.

Dawn at Keylong

An hour later, dawn started to break. You could see orangish red rays of light on the horizon, through the snow clad misty mountains. It was definitely one of the most beautiful mornings I had ever experienced. We were passing through alpine meadows, streamlets on the road and flock of sheep out for an early morning graze. My attention was quickly diverted as the puppy threw up on its owner's pants. I passed her some tissues to clean up and asked the driver to stop at the nearest toilet. We stopped in Keylong. It was freezing outside; I quickly used the facilities, took some pictures and then joined my friend, Mallika in a tiny dhaba (the size of a toilet) for a cup of tea. I stood next to the stove to warm myself up and we got talking to our fellow travellers, a couple from England.

Keylong

Getting more woollens out from the luggage atop the minivan

Back on the minivan, although I was very sleepy, I couldn't shut my eyes. The landscape was changing at every turn. Sometimes you could see barren mountains, sometimes rocky and sometimes green. The snow clad mountains in the distance beckoned us. Soon, we were at ZingZingBar - our next stop for breakfast. I got off the minivan and took in the cool, crisp air. There was a lot of snow around and no toilets, so we had to go out in the open. After another cup of tea, omelette and toast we were on our way again.

Steady climb towards Bara-lacha La

A couple of turns later, an azure lake appeared, nestled amongst snow clad mountains - their reflection shone perfectly in the water. Suraj Tal, the second highest lake in India and 21st highest in the world is certainly worth a visit. That image has since stayed with me; it reminded me of the pristine, clearwater lakes of New Zealand I had visited a decade ago. I had travelled a lot thereafter, and had never seen a sight so pretty. It got me thinking about how everyone is eager to go abroad on exotic holidays, little realizing the beauty our own country has to offer. Luckily, I have had many opportunities to travel within India in the last two years and would encourage people to do the same.

We passed another high altitude pass, Bara - lacha La (16,040 ft). You could see the colourful prayer flags fluttering in the snow. The picture perfect valley we were passing through was absolutely breathtaking. There were snow covered mountainous ranges on both sides, with a stream flowing through green grass fields down below. There were barely any clouds in the deep blue sky, a colour you never see in the city skyline, and the morning sun was shining bright right on me. I put on my shades, covered my face with the hoodie and plugged in my headphones. Aah, Eddie Vedder, perfect!

Soon enough, we had reached Sarchu, a military base camp and check post. We were so excited as we were officially in Ladakh territory. It was a steady climb through a beautiful stark landscape. About half an hour later, my head started to hurt. I had read up on Altitude Sickness and how to avoid it by having Diamox, but never thought I would need it. My headache became worse and I continued to ignore it thinking it would go away.

Interesting formations after years of soil erosion past Sarchu

It was amazing to see how after starting at the bottom of the valley, we had soon reached the same height as the snow clad mountains. It seemed like we were on top of the world, literally and figuratively speaking. We passed another high altitude pass, Lungalacha La (16,600 ft) where lots of tourists were busy taking pictures. Our grumpy driver refused to stop. My head was pounding at this time. I finally decided to pop a pill, once the others did as well. I think it was only because of the sheer beauty around that I had managed to bear the headache for more than two hours.

Snowy mountain peaks at the same height as us

As the others were waking up from their long naps, I decided to finally get some shut eye. By this time, I had removed most of my layers as it was really warm. You could tell that you were in a desert by all the dust and fumes coming in through the window. It was a downhill drive now, through reddish brown sandy mountains to Pang - the world's highest army transit camp at 15,640 ft. I slept through most of the journey and didn't feel like stepping off the vehicle when we stopped there for lunch. My head was still hurting and I could feel the long journey getting to me.

There were tented eating joints, some even providing accommodation on either side of the road. This is where I saw the most amount of people in the last few hours. Food options were limited to eggs, bread, Maggi, dal and rotis. I opted for Maggi - being a safe option. I shared a bit of dal and rotis with the others, the rotis were very different from what I was used to. They tasted like roomali rotis, the size of a normal roti. In fact, when we ordered north Indian food a couple of times, it was completely different to what we had expected or normally ate. I am reminded of the time when we ordered chicken curry at our guest house in Nubra Valley - famous for its sand dunes and Genghis Khan's double humped camels. First of all, they took more than an hour to prepare it. We were absolutely famished by the time our food arrived. When we tried to bite into the chicken it was so tough, that we just had the curry instead.

So, we mostly stuck to Italian, Continental and other cuisines wherever possible. Leh offers some of the most delicious food, by the way. I think I am getting side tracked by food (as usual) so let's go back to the rest of my journey.

The driver signalled towards us to get into the minivan as the rest of the passengers were waiting. I quickly went to the nearest hand pump and washed my face with icy cold water. It felt good and made my headache subsequently disappear. Everyone in the minivan was awake now, and the atmosphere inside was lively. We were exchanging travel stories with others and advising them on places to visit in India. The driver put on a Hindi music CD and soon the conversation turned to Bollywood, and strangely enough Sunny Leone! It was funny to see our fellow traveller; an English guy sing Hookah Bar, a popular Hindi song and we all had a good laugh.

We were passing through a vast plateau now called Moore's plains, surrounded by sandy hills on both sides and just the open stretch of road ahead of us.

About an hour later, we had reached the world's second highest motorable pass, Taglang La (17,480 ft). The change in temperature was palpable. We heard that there had been a huge snowstorm just a couple of days ago and the road had been blocked. Thankfully, the weather gods were on our side. Again, our driver didn't stop besides repeated requests and seemed to be in a tearing hurry. We began our final descent to Indus Valley and the driver swerved through tight corners to reach our final destination before sundown.

We made our last stop at Upshi village, on the shores of the Indus River, while the driver got the necessary checks done. The flowing river had an unusual grey colour that glistened in the setting sun. We had our evening tea and fed biscuits to the puppy travelling with us. Hats off to little guy for undertaking such a difficult journey! 

Evening tea at Upshi

Past Upshi, the way was fairly flat and smooth. You could see a lot of greenery now, lots of trees, cultivated pieces of land and white stupas dotted around the beautiful stark landscape. You could feel the heavy army presence here as we passed many cantonment areas and base camps. I don't think I have ever felt more proud or thankful to the Indian Army for bearing such treacherous living conditions on a daily basis just to keep us safe.

As the setting sun disappeared from the evening sky, we had reached Leh. And the journey had only just begun.

“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” 
― Ernest Hemingway