Ladakh

One has to fly across the spectacular Great-Himalayan range to enter Leh, the capital of Ladakh, situated in the eastern part of Kashmir and home to Mahayana and Hinayana schools of Buddhism. Open to the outside world for less than three months every year and often referred to as `Little Tibet,' it has managed to retain it's raw natural beauty, tradition and culture. As I sit here `chewing' on my thoughts and typing on the keyboard, the saucer-shaped capital town of Leh must be basking in the early morning sunshine, it's rarefied mountain air charged with the smell of juniper, while lamas chant in incense-filled monasteries and prayer flags flutter in morning breeze. Silence dominates, more often than not, what I distinctly remember was the sound of footsteps.

Measuring close to 100,000 kms, the region of Ladakh is bordered by the Karokaram range of mountains in the north-west and the Great Himalayan range in the south- east. Eons ago, the highest landmass on Earth, comprising of Tibet and Ladakh was at the bottom of a vast shallow ocean, the Tethyan Sea, which separated the continent of Eurasia from the Indian subcontinent. Geophysical changes caused the oceanic shelf to rise and collide against the continental shelf, causing the formation of the Himalayas. Fossils found here are an amazing mix of sea life and tropical greenlands, with the fossil of the ichthyosaur, presumed to be a pre-historic sea animal confirming the region’s relationship with the sea.

On my next visit I decided to visit the Great Lakes of TsoMorari and TsoKar, situated at over 4500 metres in the Chumathang region, inhabited by Changpas (nomads or herdsman), yaks, pashmina sheep, ladakhi wild ass, brahminy kites, lammergier, and bar-headed geese. Altitude sickness began to slowly creep in as the air became rarer and our 4WD Jeep found the going tougher. Changpas roamed the area with their flock of sheep searching for fresh pastures and grazing land. The pashmina sheep they rear have the finest wool in the world, it's thickness measuring no more than 10 microns and whose renowned pashmina shawls woven by crafty weavers in neighbouring Srinagar can pass through a ring.

We spotted a rebo (tent made of yak hair) and stepped out to investigate. A Changpa dressed in a traditional `goncha' came out, and broke into a toothless smile. He invited us inside his smoke blackened tent for a cup of butter tea, affectionately referred to as `gur gur chai.' Overwhelmed by his offer, we refused. Simply because he would not have much to spare. He kept on smiling, our lack of language skills making it almost impossible to communicate with each other, though my now my dark complexioned face had given way to black, making me resemble a Changpa as well! The only visible difference. He had his `goncha,' I had my Levi (made-in-turkey) jeans. `Jullay,' we said and wished each other well. I've often wondered, what would happen if the Changpa arrived unannounced at my apartment, would I invite him over for a Carona or put the answering machine on?

Ladakh continued to intrigue me and I visited it yet again, to experience its Jekyll-n-Hyde type of weather, where because of the clear mountain air, the sun can sting with the ferocity of a jellyfish and the next moment when a cloud passes over, one can experience chillblains. By now I was familiar with a local travel agent and he welcomed us at the airport with a traditional scarf. I felt like I was the Prince of Gondal! We continued our wanderings and visited the last post of India - the Nubra Valley.

A lone sentry stood guard in an armed barrack at the last post. No private vehicles were allowed beyond this point, though, the army had unrestricted access on a dirt track that criss-crossed the barren plains. Further North in pristine splendour stood the world's highest battlefield - the Siachen Glacier. Only a few hours earlier I met a soldier, who was going to be transferred to this battlefield for a period of three months. I noticed the fright and fear in his eyes as he described the posting. `Not many survive,' he said. `Too harsh weather conditions, imagine fighting at 20,000 feet, where gangrene and frost-bite dominate.' I could sense the tears in his eyes as his voice began to lose momentum and the wind soon took over.

We stood staring at the row of mountains basking in the evening light. I imagined I heard gunfire, but there was none. Instead, I heard the sound of footsteps, the sound of feet stepping on gravel and loose sand. A lama was heading our way.

"CORBETT" - In search of elephants.

Every Head is a World.'

- A Cuban proverb about the uniqueness of the individual.

`Man and the higher animals, especially the primates, have some few instincts in common. All have the same senses, intuitions, and sensations, similar passions, affections and emotions, even the complex ones such as jealousy, suspicion, emulation, gratitude and magnanimity;.... Charles Darwin, The Descent of Man `What happens to beasts will happen to man. All things are connected. If the great beasts are gone, man will surely die of a great loneliness of spirit.

-Chief Seattle of the Nez Perce, 1884.

 

"You see, the lantana bushes destroy the forest, that's why, ever so often they need to be cut down." Our forest guide Negi was at his awesome best, describing in detail the flora and fauna inside the Corbett National Park. A few months earlier a friend of mine was fascinated watching an elephant amble across the crowded streets of Mumbai. Six months later we were inside a wildflife park in North India, on the lookout for elephants in the wilderness of untamed forests.

Lying cosily and snug in the foothills of the Himalayas and named after the famous author and hunter turned conservationist, Jim Corbett; this wildlife park is one of the finest habitats of the Asian Elephant and tiger, besides having an impressive variety of flora, that includes Elephant grass, sal, khair (Acacia catechu), tendu (Diospyros tomentosa), canabis and sain (Terminalia tomentosa). Over 100 species of trees, 60 species of shrubs, 2 species of bamboos and over 30 species of climbers crowd the 520 sq. km. tract of forest with the winding Ramganga river acting as it's faithful companion.

It was early afternoon, the forest silent as we drove on unpaved roads in an open air jeep, with the wind gently brushing past our faces. All around, the forest began to unfold; here, a dense overgrowth of shrubs; there, a crowd of sal and bamboo; in the distance; elephant grass, while on the horizon it was irregularly-shaped mountain peaks reaching for the skies. The fresh forest and mountain air was beginning to intoxicate our senses.

I began asking Negi strange questions. "Do elephants talk?" Negi wasn't amused. Being specifically trained for his job, which is more of a rarity than a regularity in many wildlife parks, Negi proved to be an exception and stood out, like his pencil-thin moustache and his light eyes. "Elephants are known to communicate among herds for distances in the range of 20 kilometres using low-frequency calls that cannot be picked by the human ear," he replied. "Besides, elephants have immense intelligence and never forget until they die." A bit like humans, I thought. "Unlike other animals, the brains expand during their lifetime, thereby giving them a natural ability to learn, all the time." A bit unlike humans, I wearily concluded.

Negi's commentary was interrupted as we spotted the remains of a barking deer. Probably hunted down in the early hours of the morning by a famished tiger. Negi closely examined the pugmarks and concluded, that those marks belonged to a tigress. Somewhere in the distance she would be having her afternoon siesta, lying either in the rocky ravines or hidden in elephant grass. With 80 tigers roaming inside this wildlife park, the chances of tracking rest at about 10%. There is a greater chance of being spotted than spotting one. We moved on, Negi was more intent on speaking about elephants. The dense forest growth soon gave way to an open grassland, while the river snaked it's way through the plains. We spotted a lone tusker, quite unusual among elephants, as it's common for them to move in herds. Negi explained that periodically elephants suffered from a perplexing condition called `musth,' something which was associated with sexual maturity and desire and resulted in imbalanced mood behaviour.

During this period, they excrete a sticky substance from their temporal glands and are best left alone. From a distance the tusker looked in perfect composure. On closer inspection, he would be competing for Mr. Imperfect. We moved along.

"How do locals respond to wildlife conservation and poaching?" Negi replied, "the locals that live on the periphery of the forest are being asked to make contributions to wildlife preservation by becoming guides, more tourist friendly and discouraging attempts at poaching by turning down offers of killing wildlife, since it's the locals who possess immense knowledge about the forests and not the poachers, who generally provide only ammunition and money."

Sambhar gamboled in the running waters, oblivious of the dangers of the wild cats, while high above on a solitary branch, the crested serpent eagle surveyed the earth below for unsuspecting prey. The solitary King Vulture glided in open skies; at eye level, robins, bulbuls, drongos, woodpeckers and flycatchers could be heard and spotted along. With over 500 species of birds, we couldn't be grudged for sighting at least 100, though, we hadn't still managed to spot an elephant herd. The shadows began to lengthen with the sun commencing it's downward descent, casting a slanting orange glow and painting the forest, now awash with colors with crimson and gold. Negi continued his tidbits, like the one about elephants loving salt, to the number of toes on it's front and hind feet.

My mind raced back to the earlier occasions when I had spotted elephants in the wild at Madhumalai, Bandipur and Nagorhole National Parks in South India, herds that strode along crushing obstacles that came along their path. We watched from a distance in wonder and regaled at the marvels of Nature. Then there were the harvest festivals I had attended at the City Palace in Mysore, where on an auspicious day, I watched a huge procession of caparisoned elephants bedecked in jewellery and color.

This spectacle lasted for a few hours but left timeless memories. All of a sudden I asked Negi, whether elephants `bury' their dead ones? He said, "Yes, they do. Because they understand loss and mourn as well."

Light began to fade, the same could be said about the color on our faces. We craned our necks in all directions, looking for the elusive pachyderms. Negi had fallen silent, in fact the entire forest seemed to have retreated as well. All of a sudden, over a distance of over of a 1000 metres, I detected some movement. Against the backdrop of the dark impenetrable forest, it was impossible to tell. We stood and stared for what seemed like eternity, before we decided, yes it was indeed elephants. One couldn't mistake the slow deliberate movement of the group with different shapes and sizes, bodies donned the color of mud, instead of the customary black we are so used to seeing. We sped along.

Minutes later we found ourselves face to face with the herd, a large matriarchal group of about twenty, with oldest well in it's sixties, while the youngest was probably a year old, constantly getting lost among the pillar of legs, trunks and tusks. They foraged on grass and leaves and twigs and branches and continued the elephant procession, unmindful of our presence.

Led by a female in front and tuskers at the rear end, the group moved in two's and three's occasionally colliding with each other. We stared like curious schoolchildren on an outdoor picnic, vaguely trying to reconstruct the story of the elephant and six blind men. `Should an elephant attack you, spit at the end of his trunk,' someone once said. Leave alone spitting, I wondered whether I'd be able to open my mouth. Sure-footed, the group began it's retreat from the open grassland into the safe confines of the forest, from where we heard twigs being crushed and branches being broken, the occasional trumpet and swishing of trunks. It meant curtains for us as well, the `drama' of the pachyderms having lasted for a good wholesome ten minutes.

The species Elephas Maximus and me, what's the common thread that brings us together? Them, always showing up like duty-bound postmen and me behaving like a lover on his first unconfirmed date! Am I part of the herd as well? Search me. Perhaps Negi may have an answer.

The Taj Mahal, Where Time Stops.....

It's early morning in Agra, home to one of the seven great wonders of the Modern World- The Taj Mahal. And it's sometime in the middle of August, the thunder clouds have all but swallowed the sun. The air is damp and moist, the rain clouds will soon burst, and we need to hurry. In the middle of this confusion, some onlookers decide to stone a stray dog. Makes me wonder who is stray! Almost unexpectedly a herd of buffaloes cross our path. I am with a group of tourists who've come from the Basque region of Pampalona in the north of Spain. Javier, the leader has a look of disbelief on his face. Aracelli winces, Maria simply laughs, while Fermin decides to capture it all on film.

We are at the entrance of one of the most widely photographed monuments- the Taj Mahal- a monument built to enshrine the body of Shah Jehan’s favourite wife-Mumtaz who died while giving birth to his fourteenth child in 1631. Grief stricken, he decided to built this marvelous monument in white marble in her memory. Architects and labourers were hired from all over, the marble was shipped from Makrana in Rajasthan, precious stones and gems were imported from the Asia and Europe, this painstaking exercise took all of twenty years and twenty thousand workers before being completed in 1653 A.D.

We go past detectors and security guards, modern day gadgetry designed to keep terrorists at bay. Our guide, a wizened old man with a flowing beard starts narrating his gospel truth version about how, where, when and why this earth shaking monument was built, I choose not to listen. Soon we are at the main gates, the Taj Mahal is only a footstep away. The sun still doesn't show up. The Taj Mahal does.

Tagore described the Taj as `a tear on the face of eternity.' First time visitors react no differently, most exhibiting a look of disbelief, followed by long moments of studied silence. It's almost as if Father Time has stopped ticking and all stands still, putting paid to the saying, time and tide waits for no one. At the Taj it seems like it does. Our guide nudges us to move. Past the symmetrical gardens laid out in Charbagh style (four parts), they represent water, milk, wine and honey. Dividing it into four parts are running streams of water. We move to the main quadrangle.

At the entrance to the dome, Chaudhuri our remarkable guide now takes out his torch and lights a spot which he asks us to examine, it's here that I see an inlay form of architecture also known as `pietra-durra' in which precious were inlaid to form perfect patterns of flowers and other intricate designs. The mausoleum of Mumtaz lies down below not in the middle but at the end of the rectangle. There are Islamic inscriptions from fourteen chapters of the Quran, with ninety-nine names adorning the tomb of Mumtaz.

The sun has finally managed to make a dent through the clouds, I make out the distinct outline of the Agra Fort in the distance, it's from a prison room inside this impressive fort that the man who envisioned and built the Taj, the Grand Emperor Shah Jehan spent his last days. Imprisoned by his own son, the Emperor had one dream unfulfilled, that of erecting the Black Taj on the other side of the river Yamuna.

Years later I am again at the Taj Mahal, and enjoy an unobstructed picture perfect right angle view of this magnificent monument from the Amar Vilas Palace, a boutique property at a handshaking distance from the Taj. The overpowering mesmerizing effect remains the same. Like it was the first time.

One dream remains unfulfilled though- that of seeing the Taj on a moonlit night...

Leh &; Ladakh - 'July 2010'

8 Nights 9 Days.

 Also known as ‘ Little Tibet,’ Ladakh has cultural & religious influences drawn from Tibet, Mainland India & Central Asia. Roughly 80% of the population comprises of Buddhists who are largely tolerant & non interfering. Prayer flags & prayer wheels greet visitors to most villages, while high above hills, huge ‘gomphas’ act as watchtowers. Ladakh has much to offer, be it watching a game of Polo in Leh Town, or the sight of the Moravian church built in 1855, the striking view of both the Zanskar & Indus rivers from the Thikse Monastery, or the strike of Brahmini Ducks on the Tso Morari Lake. The silence inside the incense filled monasteries or the cascading river-raft ride on the river Indus. Ladakh offers natural beauty on one of the highest plateaus in the world.

Your Tour Escourt

Join Hector D’Souza on a fascinating tour of Leh & Ladakh. Hector is the founder and president of L’orient Travels. He has been traveling from a young age and has visited over 200 places in India. His Travels have been documented and featured in various leading news publications such as, The Times of India, Hindustan Times, Bombay Times, Dreamscapes Canada etc. He has lived in America and spent considerable amount of time traveling in Europe.

Hector is fluent in English, Hindi; speaks German and Spanish. A fitness freak, he is a qualified Ashtanga Yoga teacher from the Yoga Sanctuary in Toronto. He is presently a guest lecturer with the Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai.

L’Orient Travels has been featured for its expertise on Indian Tourism in various news publications including, TTG, Singapore; Travel News Asia, Hong Kong, Travel Impact Newswire, Thailand and Travel Biz Monitor, Mumbai.

LADAKH

DAY 1 LEH - Depart Delhi for Leh. Arrive Leh Transfer to Hotel. Visit the Leh Palace- The nine-storeyed building with typical Tibetan architecture has sloping buttresses and projecting wooden balconies. In pitiful shambles today, the building is dark and has gaping holes in the floors. Be sure to carry a torch before venturing in. The palace has a small Museum spread over several rooms connected with narrow passages. A collection of old thangka paintings and royal arms are displayed here, Sankar Gompa- Home to twenty lamas, the monastery is surrounded by a high mud wall and several chortens (memorials). A central courtyard is surrounded by monks’ quarters and at the top of the main building is the house of the Kushak. The residence is marked out by a golden spire and the dharma chakra with two deer flanking it. The main prayer hall or Du-khang is reached by a flight of steps, Shey Monastery - The Palace sits on a ridge below the fort. A victory stupa crowned with a gold spire is a significant feature. The gompa houses a 15-metre high blue-haired Buddha. The shrine is maintained and attended by monks from the Hemis Monastery. The copper and brass status is richly decorated with precious stones. Paintings of bodhisattvas and protector deities surround the statue. Dinner and overnight at hotel.

DAY 2 LEH - After breakfast, Visit the Spituk Monastery Towering over a conical, the 3-chapel monastery dates back to the 11th century, when it was founded century by Od-de, the elder brother of Lha Lama Changchub Od. He was the one to introduce a monastic community here. When a translator, Rinchen Zangpo, came to this place, he said that an exemplary religious community would develop there. This statement led to the naming of the monastery as Spituk, meaning Exemplary., Stok Palace The Stok Palace is located on a glacial deposit of pebbles and overlooks fields of barley grown on terraces on the mountains. Standing four storeys tall, the Stok Palace was the official residence of the royal family of Ladakh and was constructed in 1814 by Ladakh's last ruler & Matho Monastery. Matho is the only gompa of Ladakh that belongs to the Saskya order of Tibetan Buddhism. The oracle of the monastery is a priest, who resides in the monastery itself. Also situated near the monastery, are a number of sacred shrines, of which one is dedicated to the guardian deities. Matho Monastery of Leh Ladakh hosts the Matho Nagrang Festival, on an annual basis. Dinner & overnight at hotel.

DAY 3 LEH - After breakfast, depart for Phey, to experience a 4hr rafting ride on river Indus. And enjoy the ride at Nimu village. Return back to hotel by jeep. Afternoon free. Dinner and overnight at hotel.

DAY 4 TSO MORARI - After breakfast, drive to Tso Morari lake via Chumathang, enroute you will possibly meet Changpa shepherds, of the Tibetan origin. Tso Morari lake is approximately 40km long, with an average width of six to seven km situated at an approximate height of 4500 mts in the district of Rupshu, south-east of leh, it is flanked by the Trans- Himalayan range and the Great Himalyas. One can see bar-headed geese and Brahminy ducks breeding in hundreds on the little islands in the Tso- Morari. Dinner and overnight in tented camps.

DAY 5 TSOKAR - After breakfast, depart to Tsokar lake - formed by melting of ice masses left behind by the retreating glaciers, is stunning cobalt blue in colour. During winter, the surface of the lake becomes frozen and it is possible for animals and human beings to walk over it. . Tsokar to the west of Tso Morari lake are much smaller lakes. Dinner and overnight in tents at Tsokar.

DAY 6 TSOKAR LEH - After breakfast, depart Tsokar for Leh via the Tanglang-la pass- regarded as the second highest mountain pass in Ladakh, is located in between the snow clad mountains of the great Himalayas perched at a height of about 5325 mts it lies in Leh district of Jammu and Kashmir. Arrive Leh late afternoon. Dinner and overnight at hotel.

DAY 7 LAMAYARU - After breakfast, drive to Lamayaru monastery. The dry lake bed has undulating mud structure that looked like lions, the hill took the name Sengge Syang (Lion Hill). Lamayaru is known for these ‘moonscapes’, which have an uncanny resemblance to the surface of the moon. Return back to Uley Topko camps for overnight stay in tented accommodation at camping grounds. Dinner and overnight at Uley Tops.

DAY 8 LEH - After breakfast, a short trek to Ri-dzong monastery, the only place in Ladakh where monastic discipline is followed in its orthodox form. After lunch, drive back to Leh via Alchi, one of the oldest monasteries in Ladakh. Alchi has an Indian style of architecture and décor, and the only remnant of Indian Buddhism in Ladakh. Dinner and overnight at hotel in Leh.

DAY 9 DELHI - After breakfast, depart Leh for Delhi by Kingfisher Red 3342 at 0810 hrs, arrive Delhi at 0925 hrs and transfer to international airport for onward journey.

TOUR ENDS

Tour Includes:

All travel and sightseeing in a/c Toyota Qualis/ Scorpio Jeeps.

Accommodation on twin sharing basis with all meals.

Sightseeing as per program

Entrance fees to monuments

Accommodation in comfortable tents when camping.
All taxes and entry fees

Services of a professional guide

Tour Cost Does not Include:

Expenses of a personal nature

Hotel accommodation in Delhi if staying overnight.

Any item not specifically mentioned as `included’ in program

Hotels:

Leh: Lotus Hotel or Similar.

Tsokar: Tented Accommodation or Similar.

Tsomorari: Tented accommodation or Similar.

Lamayaru: Uley Topko camps