Julley!
Hello from Ladakh! we’re in a mountain desert at an altitude of over 11000 ft, and I’ve never missed Kerala more.
Life is tough here and it makes you appreciate the simple things we take for granted at sea level. There’s been no phone or internet connection for a week, The wind chill is torturous at times and the thin mountain air can make simple tasks like breathing seem strenuous, but thankfully everyone finds a smile as soon as they see you and it gives you courage to face the weather together.
Some observations:
“Summer of 69”
I don’t know how popular Bryan Adams is in the west these days but he could sell out a concert in Leh easily. We’ve heard every hit from his catalog from ‘summer of 69’ to ‘cloud no 9’ playing in Ladakh. Seems to be part of a larger scale 90s revival effort across cafes and cars that also includes the likes of vengaboys and many other chart toppers from earlier years. Classic!
“Going Handsfree”
I’m not sure if it’s the altitude or the cold that affects the physics here, but no toilet seat has managed to stay up once lifted, so those of us who pee standing up will need to use both hands to avoid accidents.
“Urbanisation”
Those arriving from Bombay might find that Leh city seems to be run by the same people who manage Mumbai’s BMC, this can be observed in the narrow broken roads, frequent traffic jams, lack of parking spaces and endless construction that blows dust everywhere. A dust mask is a necessity here if you plan to stay long in Leh.
“As the locals say....”
Local mis-pronounciations can be tricky and Kritika is especially succeptible to repeating them. Ailum tree[Elm] and ceebuk-thoran [seabuck-thorne] are two of my favourite local things she’s been caught repeating without realising she’s echoing the local mis-pronounciation.
“Layer Cake”
They say you should ‘dress in layers’ here. It’s supposed to help you quickly shed or add layers to deal with the changing climate. Unfortunately some tourists have taken this to mean that you should layer up everything you’ve brought with you all at once, a situation I like to call layer cake. You can see them exiting their bus waddling like penguins under the weight of every warm piece of clothing they own, worn all at once.
At the other end of the clothing spectrum are the daredevils, in shorts and sleeveless tees and gujju grannies in nothing more than a sari and a sweater, somehow surviving and enjoying the cold, Kudos to these brave souls.
“The Roads”
There are many unmarked points along the way to stop and observe the natural beauty but you will find most tourists huddled at the designated scenic points, filing out of tempo traveler vans and creating traffic jams to take selfies with road signs. Skip forward 5 mins and you can enjoy the same view without the crowds.
“If married, divorce speed”
Road signs in Ladakh are especially unique. They provide altitude information and warnings against speeding on the dangerous roads while also serving as an outlet for creative poetry by the border roads organization. You will find many hilarious and memorable ones on display along the way.
Some choice ones:
“Be Soft on my Curves”.
“BRO drive don’t fly”
“Three enemies of road, liquor, speed and overload”
“Road is hilly, don’t be silly”
“Reduce speed, avoid skiid”
“Don’t be Gama in land of Llama”
Then there are also some conflicting road signs, we found “better late than never” right next to “who dares wins”. After having crossed some of the passes, I would suggest you follow the former rather than the latter.
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I’d like to thank Kritika Batra for bringing me here and opening my eyes to a lovely place and lovely people. At first I hated the cold but I’ve come to learn that when your only thought is warmth and survival it makes you feel alive and you can feel every breath enter and exit your body as you struggle to breathe, it brings your mind and attention back to the present moment and time freezes still. It’s amazing!
We’re off to Kashmir in a few days and I’m looking forward to meeting many friends and sending you guys another update from life on the road.
Julley!!