The Travel Connection

Ladakh had been one of my dream destinations for as long as I can remember. Among the many emotions it offered me,  the long drives along the ever changing landscape captured my attention. No wonder it is a favorite destination among the bikers. Nothing like winding through nature and being part of it. The morning sun peeping through the mountain tops makes you want to jump off you bed irrespective of the sickness and start the day all colorful.   Believe that the  road had been laid just for me!  It is the path to get me closer to my destination after a bright start to my morning and all I have to do is take off from there. Me , myself and the road, teasing with glimpses of far away lands and dreams. The meandering melting snow , the green pastures , the yellow mustard field in middle of nowhere only heightens the experience. May this drive never end! The expanse of the blue sky only leads you closer to heaven. What is it about lada...

Om mani padme hum - Though i have heard this chant many a times at home , I had to Google the meaning as i sat down to write this blog. Why are some of us restricted by money and time that we don't sit down and reflect the memorable moments during the journey. Maybe recollecting it later and writing about it is a good way to relive the emotions and the moments. So i guess i am doing the right thing. In between the different pit stop , we spent a tranquil dawn at Thiksey monastery which is about 19kms from leh. The pre dawn wake up call was to be part of monastery's morning prayers . The drive through the Indus valley plains as the sun was peeping out was enough to drive the slumberness away. As we approached the monastery the size became apparent. The architecture with its vibrant colors became one with its surroundings. Why don't the modern buildings give us the same feeling. The stepped architecture came hand in hand with steps, lots of steps. You think you rea...

Though ladakh had been my dream destination, the fact that I would be white water rafting on zanskar made it even better. Now I had  tried my hand in rafting along the kali river and it only made hunger for a higher grade. The guide proclaimed that at a few stretches we would hit grade 3 and the mermaid in me was jumping with joy.  Unlike Kali river where the dress code included sarees, we were given body suits. The temperature on the day we went rafting was about 6 degrees and it was considered a good day to be rafting! After changing into our suit , we were taken along the Zanskar river for 14 kms drive to somewhere on the road to Chilling. I wonder why Zanskar is so brown. Is it because the brown minerals are bleeding into the river? Surrounded by mountains in multiple shades of brown, it all became one only to be framed by the vibrant blue of the sky. We had embarked on a brown water rafting and I couldn't wait! The drive seemed too long as I wanted to be pa...

After the heavenly pilgrimage to Pangong lake,  other locations  in Ladakh have to fight for their place. Nubra valley comes close to giving it a good fight for two reasons. The first reason being that one has to cross khardung La pass at 18,379ft to get to nubra valley. The claim of highest motor able road has been disputed but hey that didn't stop us from taking pictures next to a board proclaiming the same.  The second reason is a personal one and most might not agree with it. Well it is the bird life of nubra valley. The first is a well known fact but the second came as a surprise. I wish I had known before. I would have skipped the sand dunes and the double hump camel ride and spent more time walking around this oasis. The place we called home for the night was Nubra organic retreat. A quaint little place surrounded by  vegetable and fruit garden and soothing sound of flowing streams all across the prop...

They say it is the journey and not the destination. I ask why can't it be both the journey and destination.  So did I find the real me on this journey? Did I have a conversation with God?  Did I have life changing moment? What if I say all I added was  unforgettable one to repertoire of memories to look back on. Is that good enough? Blue - Wonder why it is associated with everything cold and men! One needs to spend a day along Pangong lake to understand the versatility of blue. Just to make it interesting, the creator has surrounded the blue with stark brown mountains and sprinkling of brown headed gulls. Can a place be more alive! The short drive along the lake is not enough to take in the sights. If you have the energy at 14,270 ft, then I would suggest one repeat a few more trips along the shore. Though the shore is 130 kms long and I would not suggest venturing the entire length unless you and chini are bhai bhai or bhai behen as the c...