Leh, Here we come (Day 1)

After a few hours rest in a hotel that we checked into in Delhi, we left at 3 am the next morning to the airport to catch the 5.45 am flight by SpiceJet to Leh. The journey from Delhi to Leh was a little over an hour. We were tired from the previous night and were trying to catch some sleep during the journey but were woken up to the sounds of some fellow passengers peeking through their windows and trying to get a glimpse of what we later realized - The Mighty Himalayas. What we saw when we looked down was something indescribable – the beautiful and majestic snow clad mountains right beneath us. It was a magnificent sight to see. 

The landing in Leh among the mountains were awesome and scary at the same time. One could feel the mountains up so close giving goosebumps while landing.

As we came out of the airport, we could feel the freshness in the air that we inhaled. Of course, the altitude difference between Delhi and Leh was beginning to set in.  

As part of our itinerary and as per the guidelines for visitors travelling to Leh, the first day is to be taken at leisure to get acclimatised to the higher altitude. Leh is at 11,800 ft above sea level (While I did see these details in all itineraries, little did I realize how important it was, to rest the body to acclimatize).

As we checked into our hotel, tucked away in a small by-lane from the Fort Road, Leh, we were welcomed with a steaming cup of ‘Kahwa’ (Kashmiri chai). It is believed that Kahwa helps to relieve anxiety and stress and to alleviate probable health issues due to high altitude. 

By the time we checked into our rooms, we were in a dazed state due to lack of sleep the previous night. It is suggested not to sleep during the day soon after ascending to let the body acclimatize, but we couldn’t keep ourselves awake and finally ended up with dull headaches and dizziness when we woke up for lunch.

As we stepped out of our rooms for lunch, there was a very soft music on repeat that chanted ‘Om Mani Padme Hum’ in the hallway. The music was so calming to the mind and body. I felt as though I could just keep listening to that soft chant throughout my life – there was something captivating about it – the softness and the calmness in the music, the stillness of the snow clad mountains for as far as we could see while the music reverberated in the background, the quietness of the location with no sound of automobiles to distract, the absolute stillness of life as I could see in front of my eyes, is something that cannot be penned but only experienced. After lunch we decided to relax the rest of the day. As a precaution we took ‘Diamox’, the medicine that is suggested to alleviate altitude sickness. In the evening, a bowl of hot Maggi gave us some energy for a stroll to the Fort Road. Whichever side we turned we were presented with the view of magnificent snow clad mountains.

Back in the hotel, we were greeted by Paljor, the person who was assigned to drive us to various places for the duration of our stay in Ladakh. He was a soft calm Ladakhi, hailing from Diskit, Nubra Valley. He mentioned that we could start off with local sightseeing from the next day. 

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Ready, Set, Go

Salute to the Army! (Day 2)

Khardungla and Nubra Valley (Day 3)

Panamik and Samstanling Monastery (Day 4)

Pangong Tso, Tso Beautiful (Day 5)

Hemis Tsechu and Thiksey Monastery (Day 6)

The Palace and the Market (Day 7)

Julley, Leh (Day 8)