Enjoy the Journey as much as the Destination : Part 2 of Ladakh series

Tripoto
22nd May 2015
Photo of Enjoy the Journey as much as the Destination : Part 2 of Ladakh series by Diya Tilara

After exploring in & around Leh, we then started our journey towards Khardung La Pass. It is the gateway to the Shyok & Nubra Valley. Few kms before reaching Khardung La there was alot of snow accumulated on both sides of the roads. So, all of us decided to get out of our vehicles & have fun. Throwing snowballs at each other and sliding down those snow clad mountains was fun. After an hour or so we had to be reminded that we had to go to Nubra as well which would take alot of time, as much as we did not want to leave from there, we were excited to experience the cold desert. We then headed to Khardung La. We were enjoying the snow clad mountain view until there came a point where the white colour of the snow was started sparkling in our eyes which was kind of irritating, but then the snowfall started and all our complains vanished. The weather at Khardung La was so freezing cold that we could not even bare to be out of our jeeps for more than 5 minutes, clicking picture near the sign board for next to impossible for me. There were alot of people around it already so I did not want to contribute to the crowd, I stood there and admired the snow capped mountains. It is highly advisable to carry an oxygen cylinder with you, if not then there are defence check post at about every 1-2 kms, you can go and get some oxygen from there. Do not travel with an assumption that I don't have asthama or any other breathing problem so I won't need it. Just get it whenever you feel even a slight bit uncomfortable. There were a lot of biking groups at Khardung La who seemed very proud of themselves that they biked all the way up there, it was indeed beautiful. We were there for about 10 to 15 minutes ( inside the jeep for the most part) and then continued our journey towards Nubra Valley.  Drive from Khardungla to Nubra was awesome & the landscape kept changing with almost every turn we took on those mountains. For once there were snow capped mountains, then there were bare mountains with streams flowing, then alot of greenery, even yaks crossing our road. We were all so mesmerized and excited to see what more landscapes this place has to offer. As we were nearing the Nubra Valley, there was light sandstorms coming our way but we thought it was just the way of the desert of welcoming us :) It seemed like nature was showing us all its elements at the same place. Gone were the grass & snow, as far as we could see ahead of us there were ever shifting sand dunes. We finally reached our hotel in Hunder.

Photo of Khardungla Pass, Khardung La Road, Leh by Diya Tilara
Photo of Khardungla Pass, Khardung La Road, Leh by Diya Tilara
Photo of Khardungla Pass, Khardung La Road, Leh by Diya Tilara

We got all fresh & had some lunch, after that we went out for stroll in and around the hotel. In the evening we went to the most awaited cold desert. Where there is desert there has to be camels, irrespective of the opposite climates. The camels in cold desert of Nubra were double humped camels. The scenic view of the valley was truly beautiful. We were amazed to see the snow, the sand, the stream, the grass and bushes, the trees everything together. Oh! The varied landscape of Nubra. We were just sitting there for hours together, taking in the air and admiring the beauty. After a while it started getting dark and we had to head back to out hotel. All of us chilled at the hotel, had dinner and slept off as we had a long day of returning back to Leh the next day. It is very important to maintain our sleep schedule while travelling here, if one is sleep deprived there are high chances of that person getting dizzy during the drives from one place to another. Which is not a very pleasant state to be at when you are travelling to such beautiful place where you cannot miss the beautiful landscapes. We so wanted to stay back but could not, so to make up for that we once again went to the desert in the morning, just to bid it a goodbye.  While our way back to Leh, we stopped by a river bank. We all just sat there silent for a while looking all amazed and mesmerized and had a feeling that we will miss it after we're back in Mumbai. The roads there were so clean and beautiful, we just did not want to leave for the city, but eventually had to.

Photo of Nubra Valley, Hunder by Diya Tilara
Photo of Nubra Valley, Hunder by Diya Tilara
Photo of Nubra Valley, Hunder by Diya Tilara