Saturday and Sunday, July 23rd and 24th, 2022 - 8,000 Miles and An Eternity From Home - Alchi, Ladakh

The distance between Florida and Ladakh is 7,942 miles, but in fact, I believe I have travelled two centuries in time!

Wheat Harvest, Alchi

I start with this photo, even though it isn't the greatest, as it shows the four white cars in the background that have brought me to Alchi. I joined up with the group as planned. We are eight photographers, with our tour leader, Nathan Horton, two local guides and four drivers.

The people in the foreground are harvesting the wheat crop early in the morning.

Wheat Harvest Alchi

In this photo, you can clearly see the areas that have been harvested already and you can also see the beautiful setting in which they work in the summer.

Gleaning the Wheat Field, Alchi

Before I left home, I read a couple of books about Ladakh. One was 'A Journey in Ladakh' by Andrew Harvey. The other was 'Ancient Futures' by Helen Norberg-Hodges. From them I learned that nothing is wasted in Ladakh. What a delight it was to arrive, and see the evidence of that right before my eyes! Not only is the wheat harvested by hand, but the field is then totally cleaned to provide additional fodder for the animals in the winter.

Gleaning the Wheat Field, Alchi

Most of those who were harvesting, were seated. This younger woman was working on her feet. I immediately thought it was as good as a yoga lesson as a way to start the day.

Phone Break During Gleaning, Alchi

Note, however, that she did take a phone break.

The Wheat is Bundled, Alchi

After being harvested, the wheat is then carried across the field and put into bundles.......

Carrying the Harvest to the Village - Alchi

....... which are then carried out of the field. While we only saw men carrying them on this day, we have seen women carrying very heavy-looking loads, too. The straps that are used to create the carrier, are used for many other loads - it seems a very versatile system.

Wheat Stored in the Village, Alchi

Some of the wheat might be sold, no doubt some might be ground into flour, but would need to be winnowed first........

Winnowing the Wheat, Alchi

  .......and it's easier to carry the grain separate from the wheat! (Although you can bet that chaff gets used! LOL!) I came upon this winnowing party while wandering on my own - the family appears to be having a nice cup of tea, while Dad does the job of separating the chaff from the grain. I had also read in my books, hat the Ladakhi's have more leisure time than we do, even though their life looks tough. This photo suggests work and leisure might be often combined. I thought it a lovely sight - I just wish I had felt braver on my own to walk closer for a better photo.

A Useful Roof, Alchi

It seems that the roofs of the houses are vital for drying things, so it is likely that the wheat may be stored on a roof before being stashed in the attic space for the long winter. The example above appears to be drying grass, or some other crop. They have about a three month growing season, so it is a busy time for them to be sure they have the provisions for the winter.

The Fields of Alchi Village

Obviously life is hard, but to me, this looks like a view worth getting up for every day! Away from the rivers, the land is very dry. This town only had 932 people living in it in 2011. These were not the only fields, but there did not appear to be enormous arable space. 

Irrigation Channels, Alchi

The water is spread through irrigation channels and diverted from one field to another as needed. The paddle looking things you see there, are inserted into the gate to determine the direction of the water flow.

The Harvest is Ready, in Alchi

I don't think the combine harvesters leave behind such a lovely sight. No doubt, it has been like this for millennia.

A Happy Recipient of the Harvest

Not only do the humans benefit from their labors without outside help, the animals that provide other necessities, also benefit.

Mud Bricks Drying in a Field, Alchi

A lot of the rocks have a high clay content, which makes perfect mud. In Ladakh, not even the mud is wasted - it is pressed into bricks, which are then used to build their homes.

A Newer Home in Alchi

How nice would it be, if you want a new home, to press some mud, dry it off, assemble it into walls with more mud as cement, then add stucco and whitewash! It takes a lot of work, usually neighbors help, but you don't have to take out a mortgage. During the long winter there is time to do the lovely carvings that decorate the window frames. Because there is not much precipitation, the roofs do not need to have a pitch, thus providing a wonderful space away from larger critters for storing and drying.

Cow Dung Being Dried for Fuel, Alchi

I hope you're starting to believe me when I say nothing is wasted in Ladakh. You will probably tire of hearing it! Of course, in a place that has few trees, wood for cooking and winter heat is very scarce and unsustainable. As occurs in many other places around the world, dung is dried for that fuel source. It apparently is harmful to people's health. I have seen gas canisters being carried, so it is possible this is another fuel being used now and I have read of efforts to utilize solar power to resolve this issue - passive solar for heating the house and other systems for cooking.

Apricots Drying on a Roof

 Apricots are an important crop in Ladakh, and the season is just beginning to boom. The trees are laden, people sell them from the roadside and they are dried whole on roofs. They don't end like up the tender dried apricots we get - the pit is in them and they are very hard. But if you let them sit in your mouth a while they present a nice snack.

Mother and her Son Filter Apricot Seeds From the Waterway

I promise this will be my last 'nothing is wasted in Ladakh' story for the day! I came across this mother and her son. She was gathering orange-looking water in her container from a pipe and he had a big colander. The bucket by his knee was where he put whatever they were finding. I stopped to ask what they were doing. They said they collect the apricot seeds, which drop on the ground from the trees - they don't manage to harvest them all (Uh, oh, does that blow my waste theory?). When they have filtered out the pits, they crack them and use the kernels to press for oil, which is used for cooking, medicinal, cosmetic and religious purposes. I was impressed at their effort.

The Alchi Kitchen

In addition to having a monastery that is over 1,000 years old, this little town of around 1,000 people has another claim to fame. It has a restaurant, The Alchi Kitchen, that won a National Award which was presented by the Prime Minster of India. I suspect that cooking is not done over a dung fire!

Nilza Wangmo, Owner of The Alchi Kitchen

Our group ate there - it was very good, the best we've had so far. The owner explained the menu options for us. You can see the photo of her presentation from the Prime Minister to the left of her head. Here is a link to her story. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nilza_Wangmo. 

'Namaste', symbol at Local Market

Although this area so far has been dominated by Buddhism. I leave you with the Hindu mantra 'Namaste' because I found this lovely red symbol for it at the market. The other characters on the tree are Naga Kanya, an elemental nymph who is associated with good fortune and abundance. She holds a conch shell in her hand, in case you were wondering! And so, with this I now say Namaste until next time.