--People often ask me why do I travel ? Travelling is such a painful affair. From Planning to execution. you save money for months and then in few days your hard earned green piece of paper will be gone, just like smoke in the air. People tell all kinda alternatives that what could have been possible with all that money and time. Pictures are available all over the internet and they don't forget to tell you the risk involved; especially if you are trekking or biking. They will try their best to scare you with all the stories which they might have heard somewhere. And I like it all. I like to hear their stories, their concern, their suggestions, their depriving comments and questions.
Even I myself ask the same question to me whenever I travel,"why do I travel". Answer is always the same:
Travelling is not as materialistic as people present it to be. It can not be. It is an art; In which a feeling ignites in deepest part of your conscious and spread by the means of passion through out your body. You feel restlessness, you feel burning inside. And no matter what you do, it does not abate until you give that feeling a shape. Like a musician which gives it a shape by his instrument, A actor which gives it a shape by his acting and a traveler gives it a shape by travelling: By meeting new people, by seeing new places, by helping a stranger, by satiating your stomach with unknown food, by loving the nature, by knowing about the world and most of all by knowing about his self.
Every time I travel I get to discover something new about myself. Every time I travel I get a chance to be happy. Every time I travel I get a chance to be me. You can not understand this world if you do not understand yourself. I get to explore myself by exploring world.
Ladakh is a destinations which is not only about nature, Buddhism, adventure, bike riding, camping and high passes but it is also about spiritual elevation. Ladakh tests your physical limits as well as psychological. The best thing about this place is that once you have been there you will never again be you who left for this journey. By starting journey to Ladakh, you starts a journey which never ends. It might end as per your itinerary but it never ends in your heart. Peace full monasteries, tranquility of nature, innocent faces, honest people, solitary rides, beauty of lakes, serenity of roads and a word 'Julley' are some of many things which will keep haunting you for the rest of your life. You will miss these, most of all you will miss yourself at Ladakh.
There is no best place to stay, every one has his own story to tell and each one is amazing. We stayed at very odd places like Zingral near Chang la and Khardung after Khardung La, Pang near sarchu and Sumdo before Tso miriri. These places are generally not recommended for staying but we had hell of an experience Which can not be described in words. We only stayed at two places as per our pre trip itinerary and those are Srinagar and Manali. Rest were improvised as per the need.
My suggestion is that if you are planning than don't spend too much time in planning, go and explore. There are awesome moments waiting for you. Keep your itinerary as flexible as possible. DO NOT FEED THE WILD ANIMALS, DO NOT LITTER, ALWAYS DISPOSE YOUR GARBAGE IN DUSTBIN, DO NOT DISRESPECT THE LOCAL CULTURE, OBEY THE RULES AT LAKES AND MONASTERIES.
I UNDERSTAND THAT CLEANING IS NOT YOUR JOB BUT KEEPING IT CLEAN IS SURELY YOUR RESPONSIBILITY.
