They say if you ever go to see the Himalayas, the mountains then tend to keep calling you back. I have spent the Sunday morning looks at the pictures from our trip to the great mountains. I like to look at the hard copies of the photos as against viewing soft copies on the pad. It is not that I have anything against the use of technology, I invest in early stage tech companies as a part of my day job. But then, just call me old fashioned.
Ro and me made the trip in September 2010. Its been a while but the memories are so strong of the town of Leh , the Thiksey Monastery and the little Buddhas running around.
The drive to Nubra valley via the Kardunla pass and the mesmerising Pangong lake. We spent about 10 days there driving around along with Andus our local guide/driver.
Being in the midst of the mountains is an humbling experince. Vast expanses of cold desert, with no sign of human life. One could be this rock star person back home, but here one cannot stop from reflecting, it will dawn on you how insignificant one is in the overall scheme of things.
The people live simple yet happy lives threre holding on to the last straws of their culture under the fast approching roadroller of progress.
The most telling memory of the place is this. Ro and me were looking for the world famous Pashmina. Andus promissed to take us to this place where we were sure to get the most authentic pashmina. In the midlle of nowhere he stopped oneday, stopped the Jeep on the roadside and we went hiking to this small hamlet where there was this old lady doing her work. Brief converstaion between Andus and her, she returned with a basket of pure pashmina wool.
We did'nt need to know the language to see the shock on her face when we said we said we dont know how to make anything out of this wool. She was even more surprised when she learnt that we didnt know where we could get this done back home in the big city. The old woman was smiling and said god bless you folks as we walked back to our Jeep.
It was an amazing experience for us. It is also a Sunday morning well spent looking at these pictures. The exercise has lifted my spirits and filled my heart with joy. As I close the album I hear that call again, without doubt it is the mountains calling.... time to plan another trip to the great moutains.....
Ro and me made the trip in September 2010. Its been a while but the memories are so strong of the town of Leh , the Thiksey Monastery and the little Buddhas running around.
Being in the midst of the mountains is an humbling experince. Vast expanses of cold desert, with no sign of human life. One could be this rock star person back home, but here one cannot stop from reflecting, it will dawn on you how insignificant one is in the overall scheme of things.
The people live simple yet happy lives threre holding on to the last straws of their culture under the fast approching roadroller of progress.
The most telling memory of the place is this. Ro and me were looking for the world famous Pashmina. Andus promissed to take us to this place where we were sure to get the most authentic pashmina. In the midlle of nowhere he stopped oneday, stopped the Jeep on the roadside and we went hiking to this small hamlet where there was this old lady doing her work. Brief converstaion between Andus and her, she returned with a basket of pure pashmina wool.
We did'nt need to know the language to see the shock on her face when we said we said we dont know how to make anything out of this wool. She was even more surprised when she learnt that we didnt know where we could get this done back home in the big city. The old woman was smiling and said god bless you folks as we walked back to our Jeep.
It was an amazing experience for us. It is also a Sunday morning well spent looking at these pictures. The exercise has lifted my spirits and filled my heart with joy. As I close the album I hear that call again, without doubt it is the mountains calling.... time to plan another trip to the great moutains.....
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