Leh- the city of monasteries.

After spending previous two days almost in the wilderness, I mean both routes to Leh, either from Manali or Srinagar- Kargil have long stretches of lonely stretches bereft of any human settlements with only a few bikes or SUVs running in between, seeing the first sign of human settlements felt little odd.  We drove through Kargil- Leh route which is less desolate than Manali- Leh route but after traveling for two days in this route the feeling of some type of belongingness to the wilderness of this place crept in us.  Yes, Leh was to be our base for the next few days but I could not say if we were absolutely delighted when reached there! For us reaching Leh meant the end of this part of the beautiful road trip.  

Our drive to Leh was as usual slow because of numerous photo breaks during the day. Hence, when we reached Leh when the naked brown mountains surrounding Leh were glistering with the golden light of setting Sun. Different shades of sun rays welcomed us. Checking in into our pre-booked hotel was fast and hassle-free. Although tiredness was not there but we could feel the lack of oxygen in the air. This happened even after we drove all the way from Srinagar and gave ourselves ample time to acclimatize by spending a full night at Kargil.

But these small hurdles were not enough to keep us inside our hotel rooms for the rest of the evening and we were out for Leh Market after quick tea at the hotel. The Leh market was bustling with tourist. August is almost the end of the season. The golden light which welcomed us little time back was fading quickly. At some distance, neon lights emanating from Shanti Stupa at a hilltop overlooking the Leh city was adding to the overall mood of the evening. The chill in the air curtailed our evening stroll and we made our ways to Lamayuru Kitchen, one of many cool places to hang out in the evening over a cup of hot butter tea.

The next morning was our first day in Leh and the day was meant for visiting local places, mostly the monasteries in and around Leh. There are many monasteries around Leh and these should not be missed as they show the lives and practices of monks living here. All rituals associated with monasteries are performed minutely here and one could get a rare glimpse of a monk’s life in these colourful monasteries.

There are many monasteries around Leh and visiting all of them in a single day is not possible and not suggested too as each of these monasteries are special and should be explored with time in hand. We can easily say Leh is the city of Monasteries.

We decided to go easy on this day also to get used to the climate of the Leh. Well, they say don’t be a Gama in the land of lama! I read this on some milestone enroute Leh. Someone in the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) might have a high degree of sense of humor. 

Any person who comes to Leh from other Indian cities situated in plains for that matter should spend at least one full day at Leh to get adjusted to the thin air here. There is no need to stay in the hotel room though. The day could be used in visiting beautiful monasteries, the Leh Palace etc in and around Leh. Bikes, cars are easily available on rent, local buses also ply between these places of interest but it is time-consuming. Although we visited these places in our vehicle I think the best way to explore Leh local is to take a bike on rent from any of the rentals at Leh.

But whatever you are doing from morning keep the evening reserved for Shanti Stupa, a dome-shaped Chorten at a hilltop at Chanspa area of Leh. I probably witnessed one of the most fascinating and colourful sunsets from Shanti Stupa.

Witnessing the hills around Leh changing colour with every passing minute, with Buddhist hymns playing on sound systems, at low decibel in the background is an experience in itself and no words can describe the feeling. There is peace even in the cacophony of numerous tourists present there. 

Seeing thousands of light sources at Leh city from Shanti Stupa after darkness makes it almost like a dreamy place, covering all flaws, dust that might be visible during the day time. Nothing better could have ended our first day at Leh.

With a day filled with peace from visits to different monasteries, we felt finally prepared to venture into the further wilderness this beautiful place had to offer.

Where to Stay– Leh has gained popularity among tourists, facilities have increased tremendously with the increase in the number of tourists. There is no shortage of hotels, homestays, hostels etc suiting all kind of budgets but it is always better to pre-book your stay during pick season (Jun- Aug). Websites like DoW is very very useful in planning everything about Leh trip.

Travel from Leh- Bike rentals are very popular, taxies on rent either fully or on sharing basis are very common here. Bus services are cheapest but have fixed timings and stop only at designated places.

Food- Do try Tibetan food, it’s fabulous. Leh has some of the best restaurants serving Tibetan foods though everything is available in local restaurants.

Precautions- These are high altitude, above the tree line Mountains. The atmosphere is rarefied hence it takes some time to acclimatize. Give yourself time to acclimatize properly. Don’t rush to anything. Apply a good suns cream to prevent heavy tanning. Drink water frequently; take small sips even if not feeling thirsty. These are pristine mountain areas of the country hence please do not litter, generate minimum waste and dispose of it properly, minimize the use of plastic.  

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