Thursday, July 21st and Friday, July 22nd - Leh, Ladakh, First Impressions

 Seven years ago, I had enjoyed a journey to Bhutan, the last of the Himalayan Kingdoms that has survived as a monarchy. I was so entranced by that visit and my exposure to the artistry and spirit of Tibetan Buddhism, that I have wanted to return and visit some of the other kingdoms, even though they no longer exists as such. 

Map of the Region

Moving from east to west, their fates have been varied. Arunchal is disputed territory between China and India, Bhutan became a Westminster style democracy in 2007, Sikkim became an Indian state in 1975, Nepal became a Federal Democratic Republic after tumultuous events in 2008, an has strong Maoist representation and Ladakh became part of India after partition in 1947. Until 2019, it was part of the Jammu and Kashmir Autonomous Region, but is now recognized as it's own state. There were a  number of smaller kingdoms, but it's complicated! The culture of all of these regions was heavily influenced by the form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet, and we know the sad history of Tibet's invasion by the Chinese in the 1950's.

Indira Ghandi International Airport, New Delhi at 4 am

So, I was reminded that the word travel derives from the Old French word 'travail', as I stood in this line to get documents checked before I could even enter the airport. The word travail means "Bodily or mental labor or toil, especially of a painful or oppressive nature; exertion; trouble; hardship; suffering" and I was definitely feeling it about now!

(Note that the gentleman in front of me demonstrated how to wear a mask with a turban - I could see it would be a problem as the ears are nicely tucked away and regular masks would not have enough elastic to go over the turban.)

First signs of the land as we approach Leh

Ladakh is on the northern side of the Himalaya mountains, so it is a rain shadow and human life exists only by virtue of runoff from the glaciers in the mountains. You can see here how parched the mountains are - the habitation follows the green river courses that you see.

Leh, comes into sight

Leh is the capital of Ladakh, in the upper Valley of the Indus River. It is 11,550 feet high, which led me into another experience of 'travail' in adjusting to the altitude.

Lobby of Hotel Ananda, Ladakh

Needless to say I was very happy to arrive at the hotel and thrilled that they let me check in immediately, even though it was barely 10 am. I know some of you are saying' What the hell is she doing, going to such a remote place on her own?' Well I agree, it is a bit crazy, but in reality, I had signed up for a photography tour and decided to get up here several days early to allow myself to adjust. I'm glad I did. Even with a medication to help offset the effects of altitude, I was puffing and panting even coming up one flight of stairs and had on and off headaches throughout the first day. The ability to rest and drink lots of water gave my body a chance to acclimate, so by day two, I have felt pretty good. The body is an amazing organism.

Main Market, Leh

But you know I can't sit in a hotel ALL the time, so I ventured out both days and did my wandering. As you see from the photo above, there is a main market that is a pedestrian mall, which is lovely. The abundance of prayer flags is a delight! With the dry hills in the background, it almost felt like Utah, only the architecture is quite different.

Side Alley

There are lovely side alleys - just my cup of tea.

The Sign Said 'Welcome to Old Town Market'

So of course, when I saw the sign saying 'Welcome to Old Town Market, I was immediately drawn.....

Hand dying Sari Fabric.

....and was rewarded to find this gentlemen dying sari fabric.

He was selling hats

I loved this wall, with its prayer flags, little black windows and door with the little pleated awnings that flap in the wind. I understand they are regarded as being auspicious and bring in wealth and prosperity. The man told me the building is some hundreds of years old. I had no difficulty believing that! The collection of hats and the jeans the man was wearing stood out vividly as anachronisms.

The man was chasing the cow away

I think the cow/calf had got itself into some vegetables that a man was selling, as there was a green leafy vegetable on the ground that he was cleaning up. This other man was shooing the cow away. I think the cow was getting the message, but no doubt will be back for more, either here or somewhere else. I have seen a number of different cows wandering around. I expect they're a bit of a hazard on the road.

Leh Palace

The town is dominated by the Leh Palace, which can be seen from many different places. It is hard to finds views that are are not marred by wires. It was built in 1600 and was lived in by Ladakhi royals until they abandoned it in the mid-1900's. It has apparently deteriorated and little of the interior décor survives. There are efforts to preserve it, I understand.

Scary Looking Electrical Set-Up

As is so often the case with developing countries, the infrastructure for managing wires is not sophisticated. Wires run all over the place and seem disorganized. So to give it credit, this place has nothing over Thailand in this department, by I was somewhat shocked at the proximity to the world at large that was evident in this set-up. It is some type of junction box, maybe, but the only thing separating dogs, children and the ignorant from it were just two wires that could easily be crossed.

Red Maitreya Temple

Higher up on the hill from the palace is a Buddhist temple, called Red Maitreya Temple, which dates back to the 1400's. Part of it was rebuilt in the 1950's due to water damage. There is a recently created statue of Buddha associated with it, but it appears to be closed to visitors at present.

Stupas on the Hillside

There were also many stupa on the hillside below the temple. I could find no information on the internet about them.

The Other Side of Leh Palace

Walking up behind the palace was quite a different experience. The streets were lined with lovely tall trees, which leant a cool and calming air to the area. However, walking can be treacherous with no established footpaths, cars, motorbikes, cows, dogs and often a deep drainage gutter on one or both sides. Cars seem to be driven by horn blowing - it is very frequent, but probably wise in the narrow streets.

This House had Many Asses in the Yard

It felt more like being out in the country, which I appreciated. Although the town is very busy, it does not feel rushed and hectic. People are about their business and storekeepers are happy to engage with prospective customers as they pass by.

New Windows Being Installed

There is a lot of new construction being done, but so far all I've seen so far has been with traditional Ladakhi skills. No skyscrapers here. I love the woodwork that is used in windows here. They are wood frames and often have elaborate carvings. This wall still need paint/whitewash, but I thought the window frames were beautiful.

An Old Door

There's much more old stuff around though, and I fell in love with this door!

Jama Masjid Imamiya Mosque

There are a number of mosques in town, too. Muslims make up 14% of the population in Leh, but is higher in other parts of Ladakh. Ladakh has been part of the silk road for centuries and Ladakh was also part of the Jammu and Kashmir autonomous region until 2019 when all three were given statehood. Both Jammu and Kashmir ae dominated by Muslims. They lived peacefully with the Ladakhis for many years, but according to Helen Norberg-Hodge, a Ladakhi historian of sorts, things went awry with he onset of globalization impacting the area and there have been ethnic conflicts.

Vegetable in Leh Main Market

 It was a delight to see women out selling their vegetables as I finally made my way home. The woman on the left is brandishing that very large vegetable with great pride - I don't even recognize it!

You notice he shawls in the window behind you. This place is a shawl and jewelry lovers dream and a shoppers nightmare. There are so many stores selling the most divine shawls - mostly from Kashmir, but also local pashmina, that are to die for. And so far I must have seen at least 100 stores selling them. For someone who likes to shop around for a bargain, it might be too much even for me!

Apricot Sellers

This area is also famous for it's apricots and I feared I was too early for the season. So I was thrilled to see these ladies selling them. After I got their photos, I bought half a dozen for my snack!

As usual, there's so much more to tell. But this gets us started on this new adventure. I join the photography group tomorrow morning and we are heading out to some remote areas. It's possible there'll either be no time, or no internet, so you might not hear from me routinely. We'll see!