Backpacking solo across Ladakh

Tripoto
2nd Oct 2014
Photo of Backpacking solo across Ladakh 1/22 by Anali Baruah
Construction workers mending roads in the cold.
Photo of Backpacking solo across Ladakh 2/22 by Anali Baruah
Photo of Backpacking solo across Ladakh 3/22 by Anali Baruah
View from the Leh Palace.
Photo of Backpacking solo across Ladakh 4/22 by Anali Baruah
Leh Palace
Photo of Backpacking solo across Ladakh 5/22 by Anali Baruah
Nubra Valley.
Photo of Backpacking solo across Ladakh 6/22 by Anali Baruah
Photo of Backpacking solo across Ladakh 7/22 by Anali Baruah
With the barren land of Nubra Valley.
Photo of Backpacking solo across Ladakh 8/22 by Anali Baruah
Hemis Monastery.
Photo of Backpacking solo across Ladakh 9/22 by Anali Baruah
Keylong, Himachal Pradhesh.
Photo of Backpacking solo across Ladakh 10/22 by Anali Baruah
View of Keylong from Kardang village.
Photo of Backpacking solo across Ladakh 11/22 by Anali Baruah
Photo of Backpacking solo across Ladakh 12/22 by Anali Baruah
Photo of Backpacking solo across Ladakh 13/22 by Anali Baruah
Photo of Backpacking solo across Ladakh 14/22 by Anali Baruah
Women rest while the sun sets in Kardang village.
Photo of Backpacking solo across Ladakh 15/22 by Anali Baruah
Photo of Backpacking solo across Ladakh 16/22 by Anali Baruah
Kardang Village, near Keylong.
Photo of Backpacking solo across Ladakh 17/22 by Anali Baruah
Hemis Gompa, outskirts of Leh
Photo of Backpacking solo across Ladakh 18/22 by Anali Baruah
Thiksey Monastery
Photo of Backpacking solo across Ladakh 19/22 by Anali Baruah
A monk poses for a photo in Thiksey Gompa.
Photo of Backpacking solo across Ladakh 20/22 by Anali Baruah
Crossing the famous Khardungla Pass
Photo of Backpacking solo across Ladakh 21/22 by Anali Baruah
Diskit Gompa, one of the oldest monasteries inNubra
Photo of Backpacking solo across Ladakh 22/22 by Anali Baruah
My first trial and error capture of the Milky Way.

Solo Backpacking across Ladakh as an Indian Female:

It is almost imperative for a twenty something woman, and an Indian at that, to step out of that protective wing of her family and neighborhood above her. It would be unfair to put the entire blame on the society in question, because you have to admit, this is so deep rooted a custom that we have accepted it - voluntarily or subconsciously.

Just a few months ago at Leh, while I sat eating chicken momos for dinner at my guesthouse, a Bengali lady approached me and we got into a conversation. She was astounded not at how ‘daring’ I was to take a 3 day long roadtrip from Delhi (well, damn I was) but how my parents allowed me. How they even let me do something crazy like going to some place that is not my hometown all alone. She went on about how she wanted to go to Manali from Delhi for a week, but her parents and note, husband wouldn’t let her. Let you?! It’s your life! But that is me, being insensitive. Not everybody has cool parents like me.

Know one thing - once an Indian female, you’ll always under 'care’ and observation. There are rules and regulations and lines that should not be crossed and yada yada yada. But now I’d be talking about a subject that is so cliche, nobody pays attention to it anymore. The point is to step out of it, without breaking or insulting personal bonds and I’m speaking in the Indian context only. You, as a reader, should also understand that WE - both of us - belong to that tiny fraction of minority in India that has access to Internet, to other traditions and customs outside of our society, the ability to analyse the pros and cons of differing ideals and to acknowledge, if not welcome, change. Mindsets are, after all, not altered overnight. 

In the end, travelling should mean nothing but exploring the different environments that are around you, to see how different people live in this huge huge diverse world. There is so much to see, so much to do and so much to learn out of these experiences. Call it pretentious soul searching if you must, but in the end you have to admit, it is a BLOODY HUGE DEAL for an Indian woman especially if you’re travelling around alone. If you have done it successful, you know the exact feeling I’m talking about. 

Photo of Keylong, Himachal Pradesh, India by Anali Baruah
Photo of Keylong, Himachal Pradesh, India by Anali Baruah
Photo of Keylong, Himachal Pradesh, India by Anali Baruah
Photo of Keylong, Himachal Pradesh, India by Anali Baruah
Photo of Keylong, Himachal Pradesh, India by Anali Baruah
Photo of Keylong, Himachal Pradesh, India by Anali Baruah
Photo of Keylong, Himachal Pradesh, India by Anali Baruah
Photo of Keylong, Himachal Pradesh, India by Anali Baruah
Photo of Leh, Ladakh by Anali Baruah
Photo of Leh, Ladakh by Anali Baruah
Photo of Leh, Ladakh by Anali Baruah
Photo of Leh, Ladakh by Anali Baruah
Photo of Leh, Ladakh by Anali Baruah
Photo of Nubra Valley, Hunder by Anali Baruah
Photo of Nubra Valley, Hunder by Anali Baruah
Photo of Nubra Valley, Hunder by Anali Baruah
Photo of Hemis Gompa, Hemis by Anali Baruah
Photo of Hemis Gompa, Hemis by Anali Baruah
Photo of Thiksey Gompa, Leh Manali Highway, Thiksey by Anali Baruah
Photo of Thiksey Gompa, Leh Manali Highway, Thiksey by Anali Baruah
Photo of Leh Manali Highway, Lower keylong village, Keylong, Himachal Pradesh, India by Anali Baruah
Photo of Leh Manali Highway, Lower keylong village, Keylong, Himachal Pradesh, India by Anali Baruah
Photo of Leh Palace, Leh by Anali Baruah
Photo of Leh Palace, Leh by Anali Baruah
Photo of Diskit Gompa, Diskit by Anali Baruah