We went to Leh for 9 days and kept the second last day which is the 7th day of our trip to visit the most popular and scenic lake of Leh that is the Pangong Tso Lake. I think it has become famous due to the climax scene of the movie ' 3 Idiots '. There is also a very interesting fact about this lake that only one third of the lake is in India and the rest is Tibet. Due to this, boating is strictly prohibited in the lake. The line of control here passes through the lake making it a delicate area. Only the defence boat is used for patrolling here. We are required to reach Pangong by crossing Chang La Pass. It is freezing cold at the Pass but the views from there are worth watching. Getting there takes going through alot of bone rattling roads which is all worth it after reaching this beautiful lake.
Unlike most lakes which are only visited for boating, Pangong has alot more than just that. We found horses grazing by the lake and birds enjoying in the lake. The water of the lake was so cold despite us visiting it in summers. We were staying in the tents there. It was a whole different experience camping by the Pangong Lake! There was a huge tent set up where they served food. We enjoyed the evening by the lake then had a bowl of maggi with tea. We absolutely loved star grazing there as we could see much huge stars compared to what we normally see in the cities. The temperature had fallen drastically at night so we all snuggled into our tents, chatted for a bit and then went to sleep. At around 3 am we were woken up by the noise made by people staying in the other tents. We find out that it was snowing and everybody was enjoying it to the fullest. We woke up early in the morning to take a walk by the lakeside. We had breakfast then we headed to the famous ' 3 Idiots spot ' as it is referred to. That spot was indeed mesmerizing! The white clouds seemed like they were floating in the blue sky, the snow capped mountains behind the bare mountains and their reflection in the lake was one of the clearest and the best reflections I had ever seen. We clicked a bunch of pictures there and literally did not want to leave from there, it was that beautiful! As we know all good things come to an end, we left from there for our hotel. Before actually leaving Pangong we were shown different containers which we were confused about their use near the lake. Then we were told that they were used by the soldiers on duty, it was their house on duty. Our respect for soldiers and all armed forces increased alot, they actually struggle and suffer alot in order to keep our country and us safe.
