First Day At Leh

05.08.2016

It was a rather comfortable morning than previous days when we woke up by 5 A.M. Today we woke up by 7 A.M thanks to the tiring 385 Km hectic journey from Keylong to Leh. We had planned for a bike ride to Nubra ,since two of my friends succumbed to AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness) we have to change our plan .We planned for a complete rest to acclimatize with the high altitude. As Oxygen at high altitude is very less we found difficulty in breathing and decided not to go further high but to spend our day on the same altitude with 6 point sightseeing. We stayed at KHAN MANZIL GUST HOUSE  and lucky enough to have a generous person as Mr. Basheer. He guided us what to do and what not to do. Yesterday we had arranged a vehicle for 7 person with the help of Mr Basheer. By 8.30 we all were ready and started by 8.45 A.M. I clicked few snaps and started our journey. The driver Mr. Kadir took us to German Bakery to have a breakfast. Suddenly I realized i left my camera bag on the bonnet of the vehicle standing behind our Tata Aria.I called up Mr Basheer regarding this and thanks god it was there as it is and Mr. Basheer kept that with him. The breakfast in The Apple Tree Restaurant and German Bakery (I wonder it is the original German Bakery) was OK OK type .As we could not find any South Indian nor north Indian food we had to rely on the English breakfast. I was rather comfortable having an English breakfast than Indian Breakfast. I ordered Bread and omelets with butter and jam and found it too delicious. My friends too reluctantly had some sandwiches and all.  In fact  we were really enjoying the free Wi-Fi in the restaurant which we were desperately searching like a barren land longs for a drop of water. As we were staying in a budget Guest house we could not find Wi-Fi service. The news broke out about Dipa Karmakar making wonders in Olympics made our day . It was 10 A.M we started for sightseeing. We had planned to visit Sangam, the confluence of Zanskar and Indus and finally making into the Lower Indus. Sangam is 30 KM from Leh. Our plan was to visit Sangam first and on the way back to visit Magnetic Hill ,pathar sahib and all.But it was the stunning picturesque landscape of MAGNETIC HILL which made up spell bound to have a stop and click photos of life. Magnetic hill literally attracts the vehicle towards it and us as well.

Stoped there for 30 Mins and headed to Sangam.  Indus adventure Society is located at Sangam which arrange short medium and  long range rafting. Since nobody except me have an experience in rafting, all made an impromptu plan to have white water rafting of 14 Km. As they say it as white water but it was not a white water rafting. We headed for the point where the rafting started in our own vehicle.E veryone was quite excited about this except a few having little bit of fear.Anyway everybody geared up for the show of their life to have rafting for first time.They provided swim suit which we changed there on the roof of the office of the INDUS HIMALAYAN EXPLORER.It was too hot inside but the excitement which dominated all the odds. All were looking smart with the black and blue swimsuit with the black oar and blue helmet. we 7 wer looking like a team with red life jackets going for a Kill.

We requested Mr. Kadir to click photographs wherever possible on the 14 KM track and he was happy to help us. Finally we gathered near the raft for a formal training session with other people as well.We were surprised by the energy of the people came from rafting as one group was having old men and women. Anyways after formal session we chosed our white raft along with our guide. The guide was experience young man who again gave us training on the raft. He was having a head camera and offered us to click our pics and videos for 1500 bucks. We were convinced and our rafting started with a high five with our black oars. Mr. Kadir left no stone unturned in clicking our photographs in my Nikon D3300.We were surprised with the responce of Mr Kadir who took our pics at 6 to 7 points along the 14 KM stretch. The expedition began with all our excitement in our white raft along with couple of other rafts.Soon the fear of the people fade away with the flow of Zanskar.The river was not quite and not violent as well. A few places along the stretch was having some really good bumps and rest is quite. The first 8 KM was quite exciting and the rest 6 was not turbulent.We dived into the river and our guide took some stunning pictures .Overall it was a great rafting experience .

We did our lunch in the indus adventure society where we had booked the tickets for the rafting.Food was managable .Lot of foreigners were drying themselves in the sun and moreover seen completely nude ladies changing in the open.Whooaa....We headed back to SPITUK MONASTERY situated on the top of a hillock.amd climbed a number of steps draining out our energy.Importantly it was having a monastery along with the deity of Maa Kali under the same roof.

Soon my battery drained out and Moto X Play came into the rescue.The pics if not excellent but will be memorable wen we will see some years down the memory lane of our lives.We  descended and visited the HALL OF FAME.

It is a meuseum depicting the bravery of Indian Army vigour and their quest over the enemies over the years. Everyone got goosebumps at the display of valor of Indian Army. I found a souvenir shop in the hall of fame .I brought a brass Buddha statue for my sweetheart. It was small but hope she will like it as she is a strong believer of Buddhism. It was 5.30 PM and the sun showing its valor. Has been the place in East India the Sun might have been into its den. But it is Leh ,one of the highest city in India. The sun sets at 7PM..Soon we headed towards the LEH PALACE

.It seemed like a palace of a poor King. It was looking like a thatched building rather a palace. The view from the top was breathtaking. Like any other city one cannot find tall buildings but it will look like the city made of stones and quarries.I was feeling enervated and hardly my body permitting to take more steps. Me and my other friend who was equally tired sat in front of the Palace.

I went to the first floor then came back as i was tired. It was 7.30 and the Sun was preparing to hide. Since our itinerary for next three days was jam packed we thought of visiting SHANTI STUPA the same day.

Every blog describes its beauty and missing it would not complete out Ladakh Trip. The time was 8 and we were in the Monastery .One cannot describe the beauty of Shanti stupa unless one see it live. More importantly the picturesque sight of the Leh city in night was astounding, beautiful, wonderful and my adjectives will fall short to describe the view. Tired tired tired and next day the real, tiring and adventure leh trip was scheduled to began. It was late and we were tired and hungry. Mr. Kadir dropped us in hotel and we freshened up and went to Market to arrange for bullets and dinner. It was our hunger that dominated our search for bullets. We had our dinner in PUNJABI TADKA restaurant and called Mr. Basheer to arrange bullets which he agreed. We brought some t shirts from market before our dinner and went back to hotel.  It was a beautiful and tiring day. Mesmerized by the beauty of the outskirts of Leh.Though the city was not as beautiful as we vicariously imagined few days back but the people and the culture which made us delighted . More importantly there was no mobile network which gave us a soulful feeling like a free bird without any worry.

It was 11 PM we reached our guest house to call it a day to have ample rest to travel on the most toughest and highest road in the world.