16-17/Jun-2007 Tu meri Leh Leh

On a lazy Wednesday mid-June afternoon, five lazy minds decided to go to the city of Leh in the region of Ladakh for a weekend of adventure. Leh is one of those places in India which most of us have heard of, but which rarely figures on an actual travel itinerary. Here's a pop quiz to prove this point - in which state does Leh fall in? Blink Blink? Well, this is what lends a touch of mystery, an exotic aura to Leh - exactly what pulled us to this place in the first place.
Leh is an hours flight from Delhi. Indian Airlines, Jet Airways and Air Deccan are the only carriers that fly to Leh. When we booked tickets on Jet, we were put on the wait list, so we were not really sure whether we would be going. Even if the tickets would have got confirmed, we were still not sure whether we would be able to finish work in time to get out. In fact, we weren't even sure whether all five of us would be able to make it. Tarun had travelled to Bangalore and did not have tickets to get back to Delhi. Only a mad scramble could get him to Delhi - a scramble that had him proceed towards the airport without confirmed tickets, then get caught in traffic right outside the airport, reach the Jet counter just half an hour before take off and snatch a lucky last ticket of another passenger who had not turned up until then. It was vitally important that we had Tarun with us, because none of us had any warm clothing in Delhi and Tarun was our savior coming with 5 jackets.
After working through the night, the five lazy minds - Tarun, Sundesh, Vijay, Srikanth and yours truly - made our way to the Delhi airport. We each wanted a window seat to enjoy the view. Well, I did get one, but the window was so far ahead, I almost had to stand up to get a good view of the outside. The first mountains to present themselves were quite barren. (We were later to learn that the Leh-Ladakh region is referred to as cold desert). As we got closer to Leh, the texture of mountains changed from having steaks of snow to patches of snow to whole mountain tops capped with snow. Just watching the mountains gave an idea of how the temperature must be falling outside. I could already feel chills run down my spine. The final landing into Leh was spectacular. The mountains below, which looked very conquerable from up above, suddenly decided to show their might and rose up on both sides of craft. But the craft too had some tricks in store. From being a rigid jumbo jet 747-400 in the skies, it turned into a nimble bird deftly manoeuvring between the mountains. Reminded me of one of those English movies in which the fighter jets of U.S. Airforce would twist and turn between the skyscrapers of New York city trying to stay out of the clutches of Godzilla. After a few minutes, nature decided to stop testing the man made machine, and the mighty mountains gave way to the plateau of Leh.
At 11000 feet, I am inclined to think that Leh's Kushok Bakula Rinpoche airport is among the highest in the world. The temperature was a cool 13C. The airport retains a traditional look, with wooden pillars and bright colors on the columns. While flying out of Ladakh, I also found that the only toilets available at the airport were "Ladakhi" toilets. As to how these toilets differ from "Indian" toilets and "Western" toilets - well, I'll leave this bit for you to discover when you visit Leh. There is a tourist information office right next to the conveyor belt, where a very helpful officer gave us maps of Leh and the Ladakh region. She also showed us standard taxi rates to various places of interest and recommended the Rainbow ***** Guest House for stay. An information board next to this office read that at heights of above 3000 meters, oxygen levels fall. Since Leh is at 11000 feet or 3500 meters, it was necessary to rest for at least 36 hours to get "acclimatized" before undertaking any significant activity. Of course, we laughed off this advisory. We were travellers from the city who had come to visit Leh for 48 hours - if we rest for 36 hours and sleep for the remaining 12 hours, we would be left with exactly 0 hours to see places.
We took a taxi to the guest house for 150 rupees from the pre-paid taxi counter. Our driver was called Sonam (Mobile No. - 9419815306). That reminds me - outside mobiles do not work in the region even if the mobile is on roaming. We later found out that this was a security measure - so that meant no one in the world could contact us on the cell phones. We reached the guest house which is in an area called ********. The charges were 500 rupees a day per room for a couple, and 150 rupees a day for an extra bed - no TV in the room (thank you). This area has many other guest houses, all with similar rates - so advance reservations do not seem necessary. Nabir*****, the guest house owner, asked us to strictly not bathe and to take rest until at least 2:00 in the afternoon. We were reluctant to do this, since we had only 48 hours in Leh, but he insisted that we follow his advice. And so we did, not the least because we had not slept the whole of the previous night. But before sleeping, we ensured that a "DC permit" would be arranged for. This permit is necessary to visit many places around Leh and is issued free of cost for Indian nationals. It takes around 3-4 hours to have the permit issued, so giving this work to an agent is a good idea. In our case, Nabir ***** himself worked at the DC office, so he assured us that the work would be done while we sleep. But sleep itself would not come that easy. The effects of being at high altitude started to catch up. First, the heart started to pound with a greater force, struggling to do the very function that it is designed for. Each heart beat was labored. Then, my head started to spin. Actually, "spinning" doesn't adequately describe the sensation. It is a combination of general headache, a feeling of dizziness and constant discomfort. I had to take deep breaths very consciously - breathing was no longer a reflex activity. All in all, every little vital activity that we so take for granted acquired a whole new reality.
After lunch at the guest house, we booked a cab for around 750 rupees for a half day tour around Leh. The first stop was Shanti Stupa which is on a hill. The next stop was Tsemo Monastry. This place gives a good bird's eye view of Leh and its surroundings. Here, Vijay wanted to click a photo without his cap, so he threw his cap for me to catch. But his cap got caught in the wind instead which carried it away. The third stop as the Ancient Palace. A few of us trekked down from Tsemo Monastry to the Palace, and the rest reached the Palace in the cab. It took around the same time for both parties to reach the Palace, but of course trekking was so much fun. The palace doesn't really seem like a "Palace" from the inside. It seems half built, dark and abandoned. We had a ball of a time exploring the hidden alleys and making our way to the top of the palace. The fourth and final stop was Sindhu Darshan (see photo). Sindhu is a river originating from the belly of the Himalayas, so of course the water was very cold. The best I could manage was to put one feet in the flowing water. Later that evening, we went to the market which is just 500 meters or so from the guest house area. This accessibility is another reason why I would recommend staying in these guest houses. I loved this market. It has many eating places, many shops that showcase traditional wares including carpets, and a lot of PCOs.
Recommendation 1 - Drop Shanti Stupa if you have been to a stupa before. Add Thikse Monastry to your itenary instead.
After spending a sleepless night, we "got up*" at around 5:00 in the morning. (*Technically this usage is incorrect since you can "got up" only if you have slept). A pre-arranged Toyota Qualis came to pick us up at 6:00. The destination - Pangong Lake (cost Rs. 4600). From what the driver said, this lake is actually a land locked sea, some 150 kms from Leh. 30% of this lake is in India, the remaining 70% in China. The route to this lake is via Chang La pass (see photo), which means we had to first ascent to 17800 feet and then make out way down to 10000 feet. En route this lake, we witnessed some amazing landscapes and fresh snow fall. As the car gained height, I began to lose my life. It was getting colder by the minute, breathing was becoming even more difficult, the brain was growing numb from lack of oxygen - I was afraid I would pass out. Well, that did not happen, but I did puke 4 times. By the time we reached the lake at noon, I was so discolored (see photo), I could hardly enjoy the serene beauty. Neither the crystal clear salty water, nor the increased density of oxygen could revive me. We started back to Leh at around 2:00 pm. The journey back was relatively quicker - by around 6:00, we were back to Leh. The roads are maintained by BRO -Border Roads Organization and they have some funny quotes all along the route - "If you drive like hell, you will get there","If you are married, divorce speed","Be soft on my curves","Better Mr. Late than Late Mr." :-)
Recommendation 2 - Make sure you are adequately acclimatized before going to the lake. You cannot enjoy the beauty around you if you do not feel beautiful from within. And you cannot feel beautiful from within if you are not fit. Also, be very well protected for sub-zero temperatures you will encounter at Chang La pass. A pair of gloves, woolen cap, a non porous jacket on top of a sweater and good shoes is very well advised. If you are interested in camping, there is an option of overnight camping in a nearby village.

Later that evening, we were ate (and drank) at Ibex restaurant. After coming back to the guest house, we were making plans for the Khardung La pass - the highest motorable road in the world at 18200 feet. This is only about 40 kms from Leh, so you can be back within 4 hours. Sundesh and Vijay were all for visiting this pass. Tarun was travelling back to Delhi the following day due to family commitments. Srikant said that he would go to the pass only if he got up in time. And I was dead against going - the reasoning being that this pass couldn't be really that different from Chang La pass. Finally, we took the advice of Shakil, our travel advisor, and decided against going (considering the precarious health condition). So the next morning, all of us checked out of the guest house and checked into the flight. We got a glimpse of Dino Morea at the airport - and I noted with glee that he looked equally sick. In the flight, the glamorous mountains posed well for many photographs. I think I saw the Mount Everest, but can never be sure about that. Finally back in Delhi, there could have been no bunch more relieved than the five of us - normal density of oxygen at last!
Recommendation 3 - Butter Tea is known to be a specialty of the region. We never got a chance to try this (because we did not know about its existence), but I can imagine it would be something that a visitor would not want to miss.
Summary of Contacts:
Rainbow Guest House - *************Shakil Ahmed: He arranged the cabs and permit for us. Phone - 9419372717.
Dreamland Restaurant, Fort Road, Leh. Phone - 251077. We ate here on the first night. The place is average in terms of food quality.
Ibex Bar and Restaurant - The only bar that we found in the market area. Food is good.
Ladakh Taxi Operator Co-operative Ltd: Since the taxis have a Co-Operative, charges are standard. Phone - HO:252723 BO:253039.

23/Mar/2007 Bhim'tal se tal mila'!

There are many options for a weekend getaway when you are in Delhi. Vaibhav and I choose to go to Bhimtal, some 23 kms from the more famous tourist attraction of Nainital. The idea was to go to a location which was not choc-a-bloc with other tourists. And the choice was spot-on.

Bhimtal is a part of the Kumaon region ( famous for its lakes and mountains, snow and adventure sports) in the state of Uttaranchal. We took the overnight Ranikhet Express from Delhi to Kathgodam, which is the closest railway station to Bhimtal and Nainital. The station had recently been renovated and looked quite quaint. From here, you can hire a private taxi to Bhimtal for between 200 to 300 rupees depending on how hard you bargain. We choose to go in a shared taxi (Rs. 50 per head) that was going to Ranikhet. 45 minutes and 15 kms of winding ghat roads, beautiful scenery and dangerous turns later, we were at the "Nature's Retreat" (http://www.nature-retreat.com/). This retreat is built on the face of a mountain and is the first structure as you enter Bhimtal. The place is theme based - with an emphasis on experiencing the 'satvik' lifestyle. Our room was called "Marichaye" and was very tastefully decorated with a large attached rest room. Step outside the room and we had an unobstructed view of the mountains from the large verandah. The staff was ever so courteous - no hard sell, no push towards making any choices, only suggestions. All of this at 1200 rupees per couple per night - we just completely, absolutely loved this place ... one that we would definitely recommend to all.

Day 1 - We walked down to Lake Bhimtal which is around 700 meters from the resort. There were hardly any visitors at that point since the tourist season is 15-Apr until around 15-Jul. The lake has a small island in the middle where an aquarium was under construction. After having lunch, we got into a local jeep taxi that transported us a couple of kilometers to the Museum of Folk Culture. We were shown around this museum by none other than the founder himself - Dr. Yashpal - who would have been be around 70 years old. He said that he did not accept any donations and had built and was maintaining the museum all by himself, including everything from sweeping the floors to painting the walls. He explained about how he had collected the artifacts, showed us his paintings and answered all of our questions with great enthusiasm. Truly inspirational meeting a man like Dr. Mathpal. We bought prints of some of his paintings, including the one seen here, in which a tribal woman is painting tribal art on a wall. We ended the day with a row-boat ride in the serene Bhimtal lake. Standard charges are 100 rupees for half an hour and 150 rupees for an hour.

Day 2 - Close to Bhimtal are Naukuchiatal and Sat-tal. We decided to go to Naukuchiatal, which is the largest lake in the region. A local jeep taxi got us to the destination at 8 rupees per head. Again, not many tourists at that time of the year. This lake supposedly has 9 corners, which is why it is called 'Nau'-'kuchiya'-tal. There are a variety of boat rides available, including the shikara, paddle boat, row boat. We choose a two-seater paddle boat which had a rental of 60 rupees per hour. When we were right in the middle of this peaceful ride, there was a call from ICICI bank offering a credit card. Grrrr! For a trekking enthusiast, the only choice to make is which mountain you would prefer to blaze your trail.

We came back to the resort, bade our goodbyes to the staff and caught the evening bus to Kathgodam railway station. A bus is a better option than a car - for one, it is more stable on the turning roads. Also, the bus has a better height which gets you a much better view of the beautiful valleys. And at a cost of only 20 rupees, no better way of contributing your bit to anti-global warming. We reached Delhi the next morning at around 4:00 am.

18/Mar/2007 Wah Taj!

What better way of chugging from Delhi towards "the Taj" than the Taj Express! Well, actually there is a certain Shatabdi Express that covers the distance shorter while, but this train was completely booked by the time Ramya, Imran and I decided do "the Taj". At under 200 rupees for a three hour journey in first class of Taj Express, I would any day vote this as a better option than taking a bus or hiring a taxi. We reached Agra at 10:10. Right outside the train station, there is a government run counter for pre-paid tourist taxi. We got a spacious trusted Ambassador for the whole day at 950 rupees. On the itinerary was the palace in Fatehpur Sikri, the Red Fort and of course the Taj. (A possibility is to include Mathura - the birth place of Lord Krishna - and Brindavan on the itinerary, but then this requires a two day trip. Plus for those who are not very interested in worshiping at temples, I would say that if you give these two cities a slip, you would not be missing anything).

Fatehpur Sikri, the Mughal Capital of India, is around 45 kms from Agra station, around 1 hour drive. It has a beautiful and very well preserved fort built using red stones in the 16th century and a sprawling mosque complex that houses "Jama Masjid". Legend has it that the great Mughal king Akbar had come to this place to seek the blessings of Salim Chisti since Akbar was without a heir since a long while. When blessed with a son Salim - later to known as Jehagir or Sharjahan - Akbar built this new capital as a mark of his gratitude. The famous "Buland Darwaza" (see photo) located in the mosque campus was built in 1573 to mark the victory of Akbar over the king of Khandesh. (Gujarat).

On reaching this historical site, the first thing I did was to fight with a rest room attendent who was asking for 2 rupees for using the toilets. All I asked him was where were the charges displayed - one argument led to another and the whole thing ended up in a little shouting match. I sure felt very refreshed which surely helps if you have had to get up at 4:30 am. I did on reaching the place was There are quite a few guides who tried to stop the taxi on its way to the fort, but we initially decided not to opt for one guide. For the record, the guides are very affordable, around 100 rupees to show you around the fort and another 20 rupees for a guide who would show you the mosque.

Next stop - the Red Fort at Agra, which is just 2.5 kms from the Taj. This fort is huge, much bigger than the Red Fort in Delhi. In fact, the Mughals referred to the Red Fort in Delhi as "Laal Haveli", meaning the red bungalow. Again we did not take a guide, but I think that this fort definitely calls for a guided tour. Ah! Did I mention that we spotted the world famous Indian graffiti on one of the doors of this fort (see photo). Other than this, the fort was spotless - very clean and very well maintained.

A major photo op is the courtyard of the fort which offers a clear sight of the Taj. In fact, it is said that when Sharjahan was building the Taj, he monitored the progress of the monument from this very spot. In more contemporary times though, you are likely to see me at this courtyard (evidence: inset photo - with the black arrow pointing to the Taj) .

We could have spent much more time at the Red Fort, but then the great Taj was beckoning us. So we grudgingly bade our good byes to the Red Fort and made our way to the Taj. The Taj holds the "kabar" or the burial site of Mumtaz, the deeply loved wife of Sharjahan. One thing I must say - however awesome Fatehpur Sikhri and the Red Fort were, you just couldn't be prepared enough for the magnificence of the Taj. This is where I must stop writing, because the Taj is something that neither its builder, nor any poet, nor a scholar can describe. It is something that can only be felt. And poorly captured in a few pictures:

31/Mar/2007 Talakadu Jaladhama

It is said that after you have had the worst, anything else that happens can only be for the better.

After a quick wink of no more than 4 hours, Vaibhav and I got up at 5:00 in the morning on Saturday, 31st March. All of this to make it in time to the Oracle office from where we are to board a bus to Talakadu Jaladhama resort (http://www.jaladhama.net/). After an hour of loitering outside the office, we were finally on our way in a 21-seater mini bus with 6 seats still vacant. Breakfast came an hour later at Kamat's Lokaruchi (loka = world, ruchi = taste). At 60 rupees for unlimited breakfast, this place is amazing value for money. There are a couple of ducks and a bunch of monkeys roaming around the hotel for added entertainment. Some 3 hours and 125 kms later, the only entity separating us from the resort was a couple of hundred meters stretch of the backwaters of Cauvery. A boat from the resort was ready to pick and transport us to the "Jaladhama" (which literally translates to the Water-Island).

Welcome to another world, which is at complete peace with itself. Smiling staff, dense bamboo shoots and a lush green carpet of grass along with a welcome drink for starters. At Rs. 750 per person for a day outing, which includes lunch, swimming pool, boating, volleyball, basketball, cricket, football, badminton and a lot of hammocks and swings hanging from branches of trees, there is hardly anything more you could ask for. Add to this a boat ride to a waterfall so crisp and refreshing, your soul would start to sing like a bird. No wonder the tag line of this resort is "The only place to celebrate holiday resort with bird". Errr ... okay, but what exactly does that tag line mean?! :-)

The fun continued on the ride back home with Francisco Chinese Whispers (don't ask me what this game is about), dinner at Kamat's Lokaruchi and a little bit of sleep. We were back home by 12:00 mid night, thoroughly refreshed and thoroughly tired.