Flight of a little bird: Indian Terrains trips

Showing posts with label Indian Terrains trips. Show all posts

Monday, January 9, 2017

Pangong Lake - A Gorgeous Wonder!

The journey was no less than the destination...

It is an amazingly beautiful drive of around 6hrs from Leh on a dramatic mountain terrain via Karu and Sekti village.

We started early morning with Tenzing, an experienced and cheerful driver from Leh. We drove through the vast barren landscapes with small villages and some greenery appearing every now and then. This was followed by the barren mountains of interesting shades of blue, grey and purple. They soon started to get white with snow and was fully snow covered as we approached The Chang La (17,590 ft.), world's third highest pass. We took a break to have hot meal of maggi and bread omelette at then-highest cafe of the world. Now the highest cafe is at Khardung La.
As the day progressed water on the roads started increasing. Glad we were to have listened to our driver and started early morning.

Travel Tip - One need to hire cab from Leh as taxis from outside Leh are not allowed to ply on this road. Start from Leh as early as possible. Water on roads will keep increasing as day advances.

The view of the road that we came driving on from Chang La

It is always good to start as early as possible from Leh

The drive was more or less smooth except for a few places near the pass. There are many interesting road signs from BRO that make the journey even more enjoyable. Below are a few of them that fascinated me:

"Be gentle on my curves."

"Don't be a gamma in the land of Lama"

"Darling I want you but not so fast"

"Feel the curves, do not test them"

"Mountains are pleasure only if you drive with leisure"

"Love the neighbor but not while driving"

A little farther on the road we met these cute little creatures called Marmots. They came out of their burrows as we were passing by. They did not seem to be shy at all. Rather they seemed curious and playful. It was fun playing with them and clicking them.

A curious Marmot spotted on the way to Pangong approaching the camera

The Gorgeous Pangong Tso...
While we were still in the awe of meeting marmots, we saw a hint of brilliant blue in the barren brown terrains. I could not believe my eyes. The whole tiredness and the cold disappeared and we were filled with a joy, excitement and anticipation of what is in store. The moment is still engraved on my mind. It was surreal to see almost every shade of blue in sparkling water in these barren lands.

Brilliant hues of blue in the barren brown terrain - the first view of Pangong lake

This was undoubtedly one of the most beautiful creations of nature that I had ever seen. The sight of unending expanse of deep blue water and the spectacular Changchenmo range in the backdrop.

This beautiful Himalayan lake Pangong Tso (Tibetan for "high grassland lake") is situated at a height of about 14,270 ft and is 134 km long. It extends from India to China and around one-third of the lake lies in China. The lake is 5 km wide at its broadest point.

Pangong is one of the largest brackish water lakes of Asia

The fascinating fact about Pangong Lake is that it has saline water and even then the water freezes. There is no aquatic life but some migratory birds can be spotted. It was a visual delight to watch the gulls and ducks play over the beautiful lake

Brown headed Gulls at Pangong

The first place we crossed was the army camp at Lukung. From here till Spangmik, the road was merely stone filled dirt track. Spangmik is the last village till where foreigners can go with an inner line permit.

Spending night with the locals at the height of 14,270 ft. ...
The village has merely 5-6 houses of which 2 provide the facility of home-stay. We chose to stay in one of them rather than at the camps nearby; One, because in a remote place like this I want to contribute to the economy of the place and second, I love to experience the local life and interact with locals.

Me with my hosts in the neatly organised kitchen of our home-stay at Spagmik

The evening was spent in the kitchen-cum-common room chatting and having endless cups of tea. There was a biker who had come from Bangalore and was exploring Himalayas from past one month on his bike. I still remember his adventure tales that inspired me to do Leh-Khardung La on bike.
The hot dal-chawal and ladakhi rotis with vegetables tasted heavenly delicious in the chilling cold of Ladakh. We were provided with a cozy room with wooden flooring covered with carpets and wooden roof. The bedding was warm and comfortable. And the hospitality of the hosts made it even better.

The home-stay at village Spagmik

One can also stay in the camps on the shores of the lake. The camps are made of canvas and the floors are covered with jute carpet to provide warmth. Each camp has an attached bathroom with cold running water. Thick blankets and a hot water bag is provided for warmth.
On the way back we visited Shay and Thiksey monasteries.

This was undoubtedly one of my best journeys so far. Have already visited Pangong thrice and every time it seems more beautiful.

P.S.- Pictures are clicked while on a road trip Himalayan Voyage with INDIAN TERRAINS in June 2012 and July 2014

Kinnaur in Pictures

Majestic snow-clad mountains, gorgeous green valleys, meandering rivers, small villages with rich culture, orchards and vineyards… that’s what define Kinnaur - one of the most beautiful valleys of Himachal Pradesh. Located in the Northeast of Himachal Pradesh, Kinnaur valley is around 235 Kms from capital city Shimla. There are three high mountains ranges - Zanskar, Greater Himalayas and Dhauladhar in the district enclosing valleys of Sutlej, Spiti, Baspa and their tributaries.

The trail that can be followed to explore Kinnaur is Delhi – Shimla – Rampur - Sangla – Chitkul – Kalpa and minimum 6 - 7 days would be required to explore the area.

On the way from Simla to Sangla via Rampur. The road cut on the rocky hills is an engineering feat

Himalayan Griffon on the way to Sangla

SANGLA

This is a beautiful valley located in the greater Himalayan range at an altitude of around of 2,696 Mtrs (8,900 ft). It is surrounded by forested slopes and the Baspa River flows into it. The area is rich in apple orchards, apricot, Wall-nut and Cedar trees.
There are many options to stay including budget hotels and camps.

Sangla Valley on the banks of River Baspa

A sweet lady from village Karchham in Sangla Valley

Fields of the pink coloured ogla, a small flower seed grown specifically in the Baspa Valley add to its beauty

CHITKUL

Chitkul, small village with population not more than 500 is situated at an altitude of 3,450 Mtrs (11,320 ft) on the foot hills at the bank of River Baspa. It is the last inhabited village in Sangla Valley on the old Hindustan Tibet road.

Chitkul produces one of best quality potatoes and peas in India

Traditional wooden house in Chitkul, the last Indian village on Kinnaur side with an elevation of 3,450 m (11,320 ft)

The Kingyupa Temple, Chitkul

Snow covered peaks at early morning as seen from Chitkul

KALPA

Kalpa is a small town in the Sutlej river valley located at an elevation of 2,960 m (9,710 ft) and is famous for its apple orchards. The local inhabitants follow a mix of Hinduism and Buddhism, and many temples are dedicated to both Hindu and Buddhist gods and goddesses. We get a breathtakingly beautiful view of Kinner Kailash peak from here.

Kalpa is a small town in Sutlej river valley, Kinnaur

At the monasteray in Kalpa. Kalpa is a good mix of Hindu and Buddhist culture

Beautiful wooden entry gate of a temple in Kalpa

In case you want to explore it with professionals check the plan here

Spiti Sojourn - A Memorable Journey Through Himalayan Villages

High rocky hills kissing the sky, muddy water stream cutting furiously through the hills and small villages popping-up their beautiful face every now and then. On this road trip to surreal Spiti from Delhi I succumbed to the magic of the Himalayas. Driving on those rough terrains through mighty Himalayas at days and looking at the innumerable stars at pitch dark nights has made for some of the best experiences of my life and has left me wondering about my tiny existence in this whole gamut of Universe. The beauty of these gigantic mountains, the immensity of the lands on which they look down, the simplicity of the people living here all worked on my mind like a spell.

Journey to the Spiti Valley - a desert mountain valley located high in the Himalayan Mountains in north-east Himachal Pradesh, India, is the most beautiful drive I’ve done so far. It isn’t a very smooth drive – bumpy roads, no petrol pumps for hundreds of kilometers, low oxygen levels due the high altitude – but it surely is worth all the effort. Quaint old monasteries, prayer flags fluttering in the wind and monks in their ochre robes, add to the mystic charm of Spiti. The scenic mountain villages perched on mountain crests, pristine rivers, the vast landscapes and harsh conditions are all a part of the package that constitute this adventurous Himalayan Journey.

It has been said that everyone who visits Spiti begins a new life. Spiti plays an interesting, very different hand, luring you to its untouched surreal beauty and offering an introduction to the simpler ways of life… I can never forget my interaction with locals at Ribba and Giu. There are some extraordinary stories too - of 500 years old mystical mummy that was discovered some 25 years back by an excavation team, of painted caves where monks stayed some hundred years ago... and many more. Many-a-times I wished that this trip to Himalayas would never end, that I never come back to the city.

Experience Kinnauri Culture at Kalpa
Driving along the picturesque Hindustan-Tibet road which is cut in rock and goes along the Sutlej River we reached Kalpa. Our tired souls got elated looking at an impressive view of the Kinnaur Kailash ranges that includes Kinnaur Kailash (6349m) and Jorkanden (6473m) peaks. Kalpa, at 2,960 m elevation is a beautiful town famous for production of high quality apples and Chilgozas (Pine nuts). It’s interesting to see how Hinduism and Buddhism have undergone a religious mixing here, along with some indigenous shamanistic practices. It was clearly evident in the architecture of Narayan-Nagini temple and Hu-Bu-Lan-Kar Monastery. Walking along the narrow lanes of this village we got a good glimpse of Kinnauri culture. Kinner houses are made of wood and have storerooms for keeping dried fruits and separate wooden storage structures called kathar for grains.

We woke up to a mesmerizing morning in the lap of Himalayas. It seemed the mighty peaks were guarding this silent sleepy village and now when day is breaking its changing colors seem to be signaling the villagers to wake up. As the bright day gradually took over the dark night snow covered mysterious hills changed its colors from black to grey to silver to white to golden. We couldn't take our eyes off the spectacular view as the golden rays of rising sun touched the snow peaks.

Taste local brew at Ribba
Well known for its grape vineyards, plum orchards and the local brews made from local variety of grapes called Rokh Dakhan in local dialect, Ribba is a picturesque village travelers hardly know about. We were fortunate to have found Dharam Kumar Negi who took us around the wonderful trails through the fruit orchards to visit Kasuraj ji and Ribba Temple where Hindu gods and Buddhist deities are worshiped side by side. He took us to his house as well for tasting Angoori. He was quite reluctant in selling as they want to stock it for those 6 months when the whole village is covered with deep snow and cut off from the whole world.

In contrast to the romanticism at Kalpa, the stretch from Ribba to Nako was harsh. There were huge Rocky Mountains staring at us, no habitation for miles and the tough terrain seemed to be shouting to remain alert every moment. Passing through Khab which is hardly 13 km from Shipki La border Tibet, we reached Nako, situated in Hangrang Valley.

On the way to Nako

Nako - Village that hasn’t changed from ages
Passing through Khab which is hardly 13 km from Tibet border we reached Nako, situated in Hangrang Valley. It lies in the sensitive restricted zone along the border and therefore requires an Inner Line Permit to travel through. Walk around the small village absorbing the traditional atmosphere and architecture, it looks like the village hasn’t changed from ages. The existence of lake formed out of the masses of snow above adds to the beauty to this tiny village. From behind the lake you can walk uphill towards chortens. It is an ideal place to get an amazing view of this tiny village.

Sun seemed to be in happy mood and chose to treat our eyes with a breathtakingly beautiful view. Its golden rays touched snow kissed silver peaks one by one turning them golden. And what pleasure it was to witness gradual conversion of this beautiful evening into a gorgeous starry night!

Nako Village

Further on the trail was Tabo, famous for the ancient monastic complex that preserves some of the ancient paintings and stucco images that date back to 11th century. We roamed around the complex trying to absorb the serenity of the place. Prayer flags fluttering in the wind and glowing jovial faces of kids, youth and old alike, we felt as if we have reached some different world altogether where people knew no sorrow. Smile was a part and parcel of everyone’s appearance. On the cliff-face above the complex were a series of caves that at some point were the dwellings of monks. Traces of painting can be seen in these caves as well.

Kaza - The Largest Township in the Valley

Located at an altitude of 4000mt. on the left bank of Spiti River, Kaza is the largest township in the area.

Kye monastery is one of the main training centers for Lamas in the region. There were narrow corridors, low rooms, dark passages, difficult staircases and small doors that lead to prayer rooms in the monastery. Standing on the roof top of Kye monastery I couldn’t stop myself from wondering how life is so different here. Far from the complexities of city life, living in this quietude is a distant dream for most of us.

Ke Monastery

Next day we explored the villages of Langza, Hikkim and Komic. We posted a letter from the world’s highest post office at Hikkim (4440m), found some sea fossils while strolling around Langza, and interacted with some ambitious kids at Komic, world’s highest motorablevillage (4500m).

Hikkim Village

Driving through some magnificent landscapes we reached Kunzum pass. The road beyond that to the Chandratal Lake was bad. It was a demanding drive on bumpy road. But the mere sight of Chandratal was a reward enough for all the hard work - serene surroundings, still blue water and clear reflection of snow covered peaks. We set our tents on the vast meadows on the bank of the lake. Sitting by the lake looking at the reflection of the snow covered peaks early in the morning made me bow to the beauty of nature.

Chandratal

Our tired city souls were now fully rejuvenated to start our journey back.

Reasons why I visit Pushkar time and again

Here are a few of the things that bring people to Pushkar:
Spirituality - Holy Lake, the only Brahma Temple and many other temples;
The local life - cheerful people dressed in vibrant dresses;
Nature's marvels - mesmerizing sunrise and gorgeous sunset;
Food and shopping - cafes overlooking the lake serving delicious food and the variety of silver jewelry and traditional clothes to shop;
Music and dance - Bhopa musicians playing Ravanhatha and kalbelia ladies performing dance...

For me... Its the mystic yet relaxed air of this place that I come here time and again. Pushkar is my favorite getaway during winters if I am not heading to the Himalayas.

Fragrance of Dhoop and incense sticks mixed with fragrance of roses welcomes you here. Walk through the maze of narrow lanes to reach the hotel. Warm simple people will greet you with full heart. After relaxing you can decide on weather you want to spend time by the side of the lake listening to someone playing guitar or you want to hike up to Savitri temple and watch the golden sun dipping down the horizon while some Rajasthani bhopa plays ravanhatha (a traditional musical instrument).

Hema enjoying sunrise at Gayatri Devi temple

Head back to the market and relax on some roof top cafes with wide range of menu. Have local cuisine or try lafa and falafal or some of the best mud oven baked pizzas.

Wake up to the sound of ringing bells. Opening your eyes to this spiritual atmosphere is one thing I love about Pushkar. There is a range of breakfast options to chose from... kachori, kadi pakora, bedmi puri subji or if you want it light go for some awesome bakery product. Whatever you chose end it with rich sugary malpua.

Malpua in making

Life has a very slow pace here. Spend hours just sitting by the side of lake listening to the stories of sadhus or at a juice corner interacting with some backpackers. Walk around the lanes to find best silver jewelry and traditional clothes. You can pick the fabric and a design, give it to the tailor in the same shop and go get some lunch. Have a nap and your dress is ready. Stroll around the colorful bazar to flaunt your new dress, have your favorite cake with a cup of coffee and go to the desert to enjoy a camel ride with some soulful Rajasthan music.

Pushkar is a shopper's paradise

If you have time hire a bike and explore the outskirts of Pushkar. Cheerful locals, ancient temples and the greeny around will surprise you.

Hire a bike to explore surroundings

To reach this mystic land of Pushkar either take an overnight sleeper bus or a Shatabdi till Ajmer and then a bus or a taxi that will take not more than a hr to reach Pushkar. I find it the most easily approachable weekend getaway from Delhi.

Want to explore Pushkar with experts... Join PULSATING PUSHKAR this October

5 MUST-DOs on a trip to SPITI

Journey to SPITI is amazingly beautiful but a tough one. High rocky hills kissing the sky, muddy water streams cutting furiously through the hills and small villages popping-up their beautiful face every now and then. All this has a price to pay - bumpy ride, road blocks, no petrol pumps for kilometers and low oxygen levels. But if you are a true traveller you will enjoy every moment of the journey... "Journey is Destination" after-all.

Journey through treacherous roads

Based on my travel experiences, here are some MUSTs on this trip:

1. MUST SCHEDULE AROUND -

Lafarcha Fair, Kaza

Try and plan your trip around local festivals. There is no better way to experience their culture than to be a part of the festivities. Below is the calendar of fair and festivals in the region:

Month	Place	Fair/Festival Name
Jan/Feb	Pattan Valley	Khogla
Jan/Feb	Lahaul Valley	Halda
Febuary	Lahaul	Fagli
Febuary	Bhaga Valley (Lahaul)	Gothsi (Gochi)
June/July	Shashur, Kardang, Gemur, Kyi Gompas in Lahal & Spiti	Tsheshu Fair
August	Kaza (Spiti)	Ladarcha Fair
August	Udaipur (Lahaul)	Pauri Fair
August	Keylong (Lahaul)	Tribal Fair

2. MUST STAY -
Stay at home-stays in villages like Langza and Kibber. This will give you an opportunity to support the locals and also to understand and feel the culture of the place. The home-stay will be a basic accommodation but hospitality is not about sterile environments, but welcoming ones. Home made traditional meals will be accompanied by great conversations and you will find out and learn about not only places but also people.

You can comfortably chose to stay in Kaza (that have all the facilities and comforts) and do day trips to these villages but if you have made an effort to do this treacherous journey and reach these remote villages, as an aware citizen and a good human being you must live with them for a night to understand the life of high Himalayas and support the poor villagers in whatever possible way. The villagers have high self respect and will not accept any charity unless you take their services.

3. MUST DO -

Post a letter/ post-card from the highest post office of the world, HIKKIM, elevation: 4440mt.;

Posting a letter from
the highest post office of the world

World's highest post office

Take a small walk around LANGZA, you might stumble upon some sea fossils;

Picking up fossils while walking around Langza

Do stay overnight at Dhankar - the clear sky and countless starts will amaze you. And do trek to Dhankar lake... Its an easy trek of 2hrs worth doing.

Trek to Dhankar lake, monastery and village in the background

4. MUST VISIT:

Dhankar monastery dramatically located on a cliff overlooking the confluence of Spiti and Pin Rivers.

The ancient paintings and stucco images that date back to the 11th century at TABO. You are not allowed to click those paintings.

In TABO caves

World's highest village COMIC

World's Highest Village Comic

5. MUST DRINK -

Ghur-ghur tea - It's salted tea with butter in it. Locals believe that you don't feel thirsty frequently if you drink this.
Also don't miss masala tea that monks serve generously to visitors of KEE Monastery.
Local wine made from apple and apricot. It's not easily available but if you have good PR skills and have made friends with locals, you might be lucky to be offered some.
The mountain water we get in those high hills is in its purest form. Make it a habit not to buy mineral water when in Himalayas.

Since it's a tough journey I would suggest to plan it with experts and make the best of your experience. I suggest doing it with INDIAN TERRAINS, they have an itinerary that covers it all.

HAPPY TRAVELLING!

FAMILIAR STRANGERS

In this genaration of solo-traveling, I feel proud to have travelled with Familiar strangers. I like to travel with strangers who connect to me for their love for travel and exploration. And in course of our journey, we not only explore the place but also make friends with some lovely people. FAMILIAR STRANGERS is what I call them.

I get awestruck to look back and realize how many different familiar strangers I have made friends with in these couple of years.

An ever-excited old retired scientist who never want to be called old, has lost his life partner when he needed her the most and now travels to steal some lively moments with co-travelers; a young loving couple who’s full of love and appreciation for each other and is traveling to understand life from each other’s perspective; a middle aged strong single lady who is self-dependent and living her life on her own terms for whom traveling is a part of life; an ambitious young man who draws inspiration from “himself-some-years-from-now” and is traveling as he finds a sense of accomplishment by ticking it off his must-visit list; a young chirpy independent girl who has perfectly learnt to hide her sorrow behind her smile and for whom travel is a good way of understanding herself a little more; an old adorable married couple who wants to explore together the maximum while they can. And stranger is the fact that I can relate to each one of them. Some remind me of my loneliness, some of my urge to be independent, some of my romantic self and some of my hunger to live life to the fullest. I wonder how similar we all are… going through similar emotions, sentiments and passion to live life in a best possible way in given conditions. We just need to connect and travel gives me that opportunity.

Thank you all familiar strangers… I’ve learnt many lessons of life through you.

KEEP TRAVELLING AND LIVING!

A Magic Moment at Dhankar

We had already visited many monasteries in the region while on our Spiti sojourn and I expected something similar at Dhankar as well. But I was totally taken aback by the beauty of this place. The monastery is dramatically located on a cliff overlooking the confluence of Spiti and Pin Rivers.

Dhankar Monastery dramatically located on a cliff

On the other side of the mountain lies Dhankar lake. A well defined steep trail of 5kms will take you there. It is something not to be missed. There are some spots on this trek from where you will get spectacular views of Dhankar. It took us around an hour and a half to reach the lake. Sun was about to set when we reached the place. It was a dark and cloudy day.

Dhankar Lake

I was taken aback by the magic that happened as soon as we were about to leave. I still have a clear picture of that magic moment in my mind - Dark sky with black clouds... cool breeze coming from north... that time of the day when slowly darkness takes over the day and suddenly when we were about to leave the place magic happened... Golden light trickling from behind the clouds lit up the lake turning it from dark grey to deep blue with golden spread all over the place... as if some fairy has waived her magic wand!

A dash of gold!

Wish Nature's magic could be captured as is!

The Road Ends Here!

We were looking for the Kingyupa Temple in the village Chitkul when we met this middle aged well built pahari guy. He was intrigued to see two strangers roaming around in the lanes of this small village of population not more than 500. It was he who approached us.

Chitkul - The last inhabited village of India

Just a 5minutes talk with the man and we were climbing the wooden stairs of his house. "Watch your head" he said while directing us to low lit room of his house all made of wood. There were just three rooms in the house - one that he directed us to, it had a loom in it with lots of wool spread on the floor, second where his wife was sitting with his daughter and mother and the third where we were standing now... kind of corridor connecting the other two rooms.

On talking more to the guy we learnt that he is the person who runs well known "Hindustan ka akhiri dhaba". I knew Chitkul only by this shop before I came here... Had seen a few pics of some bikers group. The road abruptly ends at his dhaba. Thats the end of India. Chitkul is on the foot hills and across these hills is Tibet. Looking at the crowd that is attracted to this small village now, he wants to convert his small dhaba into a hotel and a nice restaurant for travelers.

With Om Prakash and family

A little more time talking to him and his whole family joined us. On asking his wife described how the loom works. She was making a shawl for an upcoming marriage in the village. Now I was curious to know how they dress in marriages. They took no time in taking the whole costume out and dressing me in it. More than me, they were excited

The Kinnauri women dress in Dohru which comprises of Chhalni, Gachi (waist belt), Pattu (shawl), Topi (cap) and men wear Suthan, Choba, Gachi and Topi.