Ladakh Memoirs - Chapter 2

As I tugged into the layers of blankets and quilts covering me, the morning brightness touched my face and I felt a numbing pain run down my knee at the thought of the trek that lay ahead. At first I said, “No, I won’t come” but the very thought of staying back in the guest house and missing all the fun was a bigger pain and I readied myself for the most adventurous trek I have ever had. Leh is situated at a height of about 13,500 feet above sea level which means thinner atmosphere and as we walked through the mountainous terrain, the cold breeze hit at our face and threatened to freeze the lungs as we breathed.

As we walked on and on, the roads grew rougher and more difficult. But above everything, the beauty that lay around us became more charming and pleasant to the eyes. Wherever the eyes took us, there were mountains and from whichever direction the breeze blew, it was colder and more menacing than the previous one.

Walking through the road that had been taken a million times before wouldn’t have been such fun as it was when we walked through the road less taken or may be road not taken. The beautiful Shanti Stupa beckoned us to set foot on its holy grounds and we started climbing the hill to reach the tip of it, i.e. Shanti Stupa. Hardly, had we walked for fifteen minutes than we started puffing. We realized that the hill was a bit too steep and there were too many loose pebbles. But when we turned to see if it was possible to return and then take the road most taken, we were daunted by the mere sight of the distance we had already covered and so our journey ahead began – huffing and puffing, sitting down at whatever big rock came our way, having a drought, removing our sweaters and then putting it on again, falling and rising again, standing like a statue in one place when pebbles would start rolling down carrying us with them, trying to help each other but then finding oneself in a still tighter spot.

Somehow, with a lot of help from our trekking guide, we reached the Stupa and we were appalled by its breathtaking serenity and reposeful ambience. We felt thankful that we were off-season tourists because the place wouldn’t have been too quiet and just for us. After a short stay in the lap of the stupa, we resumed our trek, again tumbling and getting strengthened.

It was a long trek and I am so glad that I was amongst the three (Me, Arun and Karthikeyan) who actually completed the trek. Because, if I hadn’t I would have missed so many beautiful things. We passed by differently sized chortans and the huge gallery like place where the local festivals are organized. We passed by a stream and through the fields. We walked through narrow passage ways between rocky hills and believe me, it was terrific. And it was tiring too.

By the time, we were done with the trek and we were back on the metalled road walking back to ALIMJAN, we were hoping desperately to get a lift back to the guest house. The entire landscape was deserted and so we trudged along our tired feet and bodies. However, after a long while, we got a lift and we drove up to Gezmo for a hot cuppa. And that was the end of the trek... finally.

Ladakh Memoirs - Chapter 1

Never before had I experienced that kind of thrill at looking at the clouds take so many forms. The clouds were like the minds’ eye taking up the form of huge snow-capped mountains or endless stretches of the desert and whatever you could imagine. I know it was all due to the three month wait that seemed never-ending for the trip to Ladakh. Even Taj Mahal did not appear beautiful enough when it stood on the way to the pristine mountains and eye-catching landscapes of Ladakh. The wait at the Indira Gandhi International Airport felt so restless and the tug that the snow gave at the heart felt so strong that I could not even feel the tiredness due to over 24 hours of journey from Chennai to New Delhi and the half day stay at the scorching heat of Agra. And then it was me, my window seat in the Airbus and my thoughts about the one week stay at Ladakh. For the first time, it gave me the feeling that I was flying away from all worries and cares of this world and no one could stop me. It felt like I belonged to the fantasy world and reality was alien to me. And when the snow-capped summits came into view, the thrill overflowed. If the eye were a camera, it would keep clicking because the next view was always better and more beautiful than the previous one. I sat there too scared even to blink my eye lest I missed something special, something unique and believe it or not I don’t regret the tautness I felt because the relief at finally landing and setting foot at the Ladakh soil was a reward in itself.

The moment I came out of the plane, I was welcomed by a strong gust of cold breeze and serenity all around. The silence felt like a melody and the sun felt balmy on the face. It was slightly daunting at first but slowly it felt good to be away from the normal daily life and I just knew I would love the stay.

We were escorted to the Alim Jaan Guest house, a cosy and homely place with a spectacular view of the mountains through the windows and nice people to attend to us. Just a look at the place and I knew it would be our haven for the rest of the week and we would long for its warmth after each day’s adventure. For the first time, after we boarded the Tamilnadu Express on the 2^nd of April, I felt I am home and the advice to take rest for the rest of the day by our tour guide was the most welcome one. At first I thought that the excitement and the thrill of having reached Ladakh after three months wait won’t let me sleep but I was mistaken because no sooner did my head hit the pillow than I drifted into a dreamless, soothing sojourn into the world of nihility.

Evening had a pleasant surprise awaiting us when we realized that we would require more warm clothing as temperatures plummeted to -6° Celsius. We thought of exploring the small town of Leh and went shopping for gloves, scarves and sweaters. However, our shopping got extended to a sightseeing venture as we climbed the Leh Palace. Tired and fatigued by the uphill climb we took a short repose at Gezmo Restaurant. As I write the account of my stay in Ladakh, I feel it would be unfair if I don’t speak about Gezmo. It was a quiet and small place run by a couple of teenage boys and most of the times we found it empty. It was the ideal place to relax with the most amazing hot cup of Cafe Latté and different varieties of cookies and cakes. If you happen to visit the restaurant in the evening, you get an additional bonus of listening to Backstreet Boys. Gezmo became the most sought after coffee stop while we were in Ladakh.

Love is illiterate...

Someone wrote on the door of the heart


“Please, do not enter.””

Love came smiling and said,

“Sorry, I am illiterate.”

It entered into the most hardened of hearts

Smiled sweetly and said, “I love you”.

It was shouted down with a string of abuses

Yet it kept smiling and said,

“Wow, I never heard any of these before. But surely, it seems you love me so much.

I just used three words and you kept going on and on.”

Irritated and flushed red, the hardened heart managed a smile and said,

“It’s not love. I was abusing you.”

Love became excited and jumping up and down said something one could never imagine,

“So you are blushing now and smiling back and say it isn’t love.”

Fuming with rage, the hardened heart caught hold of love.

But before it could say anything, Love chirped in,

“O’ so now you are holding me and I know you’ll never let me go.”