Ladakh Chronicles

Nestled among the majestic trans Himalayas lies the magical region of Ladakh. I hadn't even heard of it till about 3 years ago. Many Indians, I know for sure have still never heard of it. This land of high passes, I learned, is home to an ancient energy and civilization with known beginnings in the Neolithic times. A land preserved by virtue of its sheer inaccessibility.

Virtually cut off from the rest of the so called civilized world for most part of the year, it is one of the most pure environments one can ever find. I had no idea what this place would be like. I had only heard about and seen it in pictures from fellow travelers and the internet. It looked absolutely breathtaking in the pictures. So when I ended up in Manali, a month and a half into my journey to find a new way of life, I knew I had to find a way to see this place for myself. I was traveling with a group of 4 young German boys on their first visit to India, at the time. Our paths crossed somewhere on the journey in the awesome toy train, between Kalka and Simla. It all began with a cigarette. Actually with me asking for a lighter to light up. As always I began speaking with them and we all connected and decided to travel together. We hung out a Simla for a few days and then traveled to Manali and stayed there for a couple of days. The amazing company and the lighter load on my pocket was surely welcome. Just like me, the boys had only heard of Ladakh and were contemplating going there as well. The mystical land of Ladakh already had its grip on my wandering mind and I asked them to join me. Since they were on a tight budget too, I told them I would try my best to find the cheapest way to get us there. I was glad I wasn't alone and in any case in a country with the 2nd largest population in the world one never really is. A couple of days of visits to the bus stands, travel agents, internet cafes and meeting other travelers either going to or returning from Leh helped me finally chalk out our plan of action.

The cheapest possible way for us to get up to Ladakh was by road and of course by public transport. The 2 day road journey from Manali to Leh I had heard was one of the most demanding, yet fulfilling and rewarding in the world, from many a traveler. Having backpacked for a while then, the unspoken rules of nomadicity and wanderlust were indelibly etched in my mind. The very first rule being "Carry No Burden of Expectations". I had none what so ever as always, and I wasn't disappointed one bit. Even if I did have any expectations the journey would by far exceed them all. My mind couldn't even remotely have fathomed what I was about to witness and feel over the course on the next 2 days. Traveling by an old rickety local bus was just the beginning. Traveling on a road that in many places is just about as broad as the bus, maybe with a few inches to spare, across a variety of terrain and a drastic rise and fall in altitude, now that's a whole different ball game. (to be continued.........)