Living on the Edge -Pangong -Leh part IV

Posted on June 21, 2015 by Jhilmil

An Excursion to Pangong:

PANGONG TSO lake , a synonym of pristine ,exquisite ,magnificent nature! & yes ,this is the last scene where 3 Idiots was shot. Getting curious?? Read on..

This day started as early as 6am to start off for Pangong & have a magnificent time there.

A bit of history:

Situated at approx. 4250mts ,far away in the barren terrain of Ladhak ,this gorgeous lake spread across 134 kms ,60% of which lies in China(Basically Tibet ,but the region is controlled by Chinese) & rest 40% in India. It falls under the Army & require special approvals to access the same (An Inner Line Permit is required to visit the lake as it lies on the Sino-Indian Line of Actual Control)

Travel from Leh to Pangong :

Approx. 155-160 Kms from Leh , it took us some 5 hours to reach Pangong lake via Changla Pass.

The scintillating route is something which keeps you binding & fall in love with this place even before reaching.

So the route took as –

Leh –Karu (45 Kms) ,this is the easiest Leh Manali stretch which makes your car run with great road maintenance

Karu –Chang La(35Kms) – Initially the roads are good but once Changla peak is touched which again gives you a cold chill in itself , slowly the roads begin to deteriorate. Hault at CHangla is a must to enjoy the chill waves & have some play in the snow spreaded across. At 17800 ft ,it is the 2^nd highest pass & you can have a very warn handshake & pic with the saviours of our Nation…Our very own Army:) .On the top ,there is a Changla Baba temple with a little story & a cabin to protect oneself from the shrill of weather & enjoy some hot black tea & momo’s!!

Salute!

Chang La -Tanskey (58Kms) – Next few Kms are a real adventure with dreaded roads in a very difficult terrain ,but the serene natural beauty is damn sure make you forget the tough time.. Although a rough patch ,but the amazing changing views & all shades of nature in a single stretch makes you feel stunned. Grasslands with little wild flowers in the mid ,rivulet flowing near to it ,huge rocky mountains on left & snowy caped in right? Isn’t it a miraculous place to be at? Horses running down the grasses just adds to the beauty of the passage. We did stop & took break for 15-20 minutes to capture these enticing scenes & imprison them in our eyes & minds for ever:)

What a beauty!!

Chang -La:)

Tangste (Tanskey) has few hotels & is a good place for a lunch stoppage!

Tanskey –Pangong Tso (32 Kms) – The similar views continue in this passage ,with sometimes water streams in the mid of the roads making a good splash & awakening you for a gala time . A mini crystal blue lake appears some 5-7 kms before the actual origin of Pangong ,which made a picnic spot for us.. Locating numerous fishes ,portraying the beauty & having Sandwiches made our 30-40 minutes fantastic one.

Hurray..New Found Picnic Spot!

And yes in this stretch ,you will find numerous “Marmot” running here & there..Do keep an open eye to locate these beautiful creatures:) . You could also locate Ibex & beautiful horses post Chang La.

Cutie Pie!!

hawnnnnn..

The air soars with freshness ,smiles crops ups widening slowly as some pristine ,huge ,very huge lake starts to appear .Simply breathtaking panorama ,every sight wants to be clasped ,embraced ..Such is the power of this location! The banks house Military camp & few Eco –huts as well. Drive on the rocky terrain until you reach close enough to the lake & appraise the tranquillity.

Here comes Pangong:

One of the brackish lakes in Asia ,the very first glimpse of this pristine Bluish –greenish lake made me fall in Love with itJ Winters leave this lake completely frozen ,despite it being completely saline lake(have even heard of few camps which allow walking on it& can be a superb adventure ,do browse if you wanna try something like this) . Sunrays coming amidst the mountains make the water change its shades so often that you feel magical here. Just don’t do anything ,sit & play on the beach ,walk in the lake near to shores , gaze at the beautiful birds as Brahmani Ducks ,Brown –headed gulls ,Black –necked cranes (if you are lucky enough to spot the specie) ,capture every scene ,as these few hours will make the best & an unforgettable moment for a lifetime. Due to salinity ,there is not much aquatic life or Fishes here except crustaceans.

Scintillating View

You’ll never feel to go back to camp site or hotel or even the town you came from ..Such is the binding property of this paradise, serenity which allows you to feel bliss, forgetting all behind! It was this location which prompted me to visit at least once a year & it has been twice that I have been here in past 2 years!

Migratory Bird!!

Important :

There is no eatery close to it ,so better carry your eatables /food along
Best time to visit is May -September
Better get your car/Bike tanks full as there are no pumps after Karu

By evening we had to bid adieu to this lake & happily returned back to the hotel.

Last day@Ladhak:

Last day was a complete relaxation & a self-drive/walk mode for us .Never wishing to return back ,but this trip had come to an end ,but yes we vowed to love this place for life time & pledged to begin a living at some point of life to have the complete harmony amidst tranquillity of Ladhak!

GOOD BYE!! Miss u

To check out my “Nubra Diary” click on – https://jhilmilbhansali.wordpress.com/2015/06/21/tranquil-zenith-leh-part-i/
Let’s also have brief on Leh City ,read on – https://jhilmilbhansali.wordpress.com/2015/06/21/city-roamer-leh-part-iii/
Curious about Diskit ,Samstanling Monasteries ?Read on at –https://jhilmilbhansali.wordpress.com/2015/06/21/meeting-with-serenity-nubra-leh-part-ii/

City roamer :: Leh PART III

Posted on June 21, 2015 by Jhilmil

PART III :A Day for Local Sightseeing:

Leh encompasses lot many tourist attractions & monasteries few of which are absolutely astounding & with rich cultural heritage.

Shanti Stupa:
White for Peace!

White huge dome designated for world peace as the name signifies ,with lovely life stories of Lord Buddha surrounding it. It is also known as Peace Pillar & was inaugurated by Dalai Lama in 1985. Covered with snow capped mountains & surrounded by traditional villages ,this place is a must watch & demands stay for mental peace.
Hall of Fame :
WOW place!

A beautiful museum , maintained by the Army ,built in the memory of soldiers who lost their lives during Indo –Pak wars ,Kargil Wars .This museum is absolutely scintillating & one of the halls play an AV depicting the war ,which is something worth seeing & give a feel what a soldier does for his country .So much sacrifice ,in such harsh conditions ,but patriotism is what you’ll feel once again & it is sure to dampen one’s eyes.This museum also encompasses the war artifacts ,so many missiles & other weapons ,various medals & lot many more things to offer.
Leh Palace :
!!!

Although this palace has been ruined & restoration was going when we visited ,nothing much to offer ,just you can get a great look of the valley from the roof of this 9 storey palace .Also some of the floor had numerous paintings to have a glance at.
Magnetic Hill:
Defying Gravity

🙂

Engine Off. Still vehicle moving up on a steep mountain?? Can’t imagine na? Try on Magnetic hill/gravity Hill located on Leh –Kargil –Srinagar highway, one side flat sand bed surrounded by huge mountains, Indus River on the south of it. Not just picturesque, it is a place where scientific logic is defies, although research on the same will give many stories, but none of it is certified & correct to be written off.
Gurudwara Patthar Sahib :
Pray Pray!

A holy place where Guru Gobind Singh ji had meditated for a long time ,but a lovely & vry peaceful religious place to be…&yes with a very interesting story of “Pathar” kept for display which is said to have an imprint of the body of Guru Nanak & footprint of the demon who tried to kill him .
Confluence of the Indus and Zanskar Rivers : A scenic view at Nimu ,where Greenish Indus originating from great Himalayan ranges meets bluish River Zanskar originating from Zanskar Ranges .Nothing much to do ,but this confluence provides ample scope for a great photography .Also All India Rafting expeditions also happen in Indus valley.

Lovely Confluence!!

We had less time &reached the spot by 5 in the evening as a result of which Rafting could not be a part of Itinerary ,but guys do plan rafting in icy cold Zanskar for an added adventure.

Alchi Monastery :Had heard of huge almond & apple trees at Alchi village & this couldn’t stop us from visiting a little village of Alchi having this old & very famous Alchi monastery as well. This monastery was built as old as in the 10^th century .Having amazing wall paintings of detailed Buddhism & Kings who reigned during that era can be quite distinguishing & captivating. With gigantic Buddha statue in the centre & some brilliant wood carvings ,this monastery is a worth for history lovers. Outside the monastery lies a lovely garden with peach & apple trees ,worth enjoying plucking few:)

Apricots:)

Returning back in late evening ,this day passed out in a cool & composed manner ,while waiting for the next day which was scheduled for “Pangong” –The most awaited day of the trip!

Curious about Diskit ,Samstanling Monasteries ?Read on at https://jhilmilbhansali.wordpress.com/2015/06/21/meeting-with-serenity-nubra-leh-part-ii/

Meeting with Serenity ::NUBRA ::Leh PART II

Posted on June 21, 2015 by Jhilmil

PART II : NUBRA To LEH via Diskit Monastery

A lovely cloudy morning welcomed us again, drizzling all through the greens of our cottage & we enjoying on the “sleep nets” tied across the trees, relaxing lazily in the morning drizzles. No work, no responsibility, only gazing at the mesmerizing nature was the work left to us;) .After having han interesting breakfast at the cottage of yummy aloo parantha’s ,sipping hot elaichi tea sitting amidst the trees gave a great encounter of the tranquillity. Post breakfast we had to head back to Leh via monastery visit as Diskit & Samstanling!

Beauty!

So, here we reach Diskit Monastry: We visited Leh , Diskit Gompa in the month of July & we were amazed by the incredible magnificence of nature lying in this region.

Diskit Monastery is situated in Nubra Valley, on top of a hill (close to 60-70 stairs), above the plains of river flowing close by from the huge rocky mountains (which can be heard gushing through the mountains) while climbing the hill for monastery.

It is the oldest and largest Buddhist monastery (termed as gompa’s in Leh) & encompasses the statue of “Maitreya” Buddha in the prayer hall, a huge drum and several images of fierce guardian deities. Just opposite to the Buddha prayer hall, is another part of monastery, having huge statue of “Maa Durga” which is said to be worshiped only once a year.

Near Diskit monastery is a massive scintillating, 32 mt. Buddha Statue termed as “Future Buddha”& can be seen overhead the hill. View from this place gives heavenly peace & ensure that we fall in love with the nature once again!

Future Buddha!!

Also ,Route to Nubra Valley gives you the most stupendous enjoyable & chilling feel ,while crossing “Khardung La” (18379 ft) &It can be acclaimed that this place is the heavenly abode & not to be missed in lifetime. En-route, we were lucky enough when God showered Snowflakes on us..For some 4-5 kms we experience light snow flakes, so pleasant, a complete merriment!!

SnowFlakes:) Yooo

Samstanling Monastery, located in one of the remotest villages ,Summor Village ,is a place amidst a picturesque valley. Home to some 50-60 Monks ,it’s a calm ,serene place , close to which flows waterfall & a stream from huge mountains in the back .Also un-crowded ,this place especially amidst waterfall gives you a gala time to chill out in the stream.

A travel of 5 hours brought us back to Leh, & after having yummy Lafa’s & Almond cakes at the local restraunt, we proceeded for the most awaited visit to Leh Market .With an amazing collection of art ,stones ,Leh Bazaar is an optimum place for antique lover with lots of souvenirs & some fabulous art available . Relaxed ,returned at our lovely stay to enjoy a fulfilling mean in the evening.

Lafa..You made my day!

You would love to read of “My precious Pangong” ,click on –https://jhilmilbhansali.wordpress.com/2015/06/21/living-on-the-edge-pangong-leh-part-iv/
To check out my “Nubra Diary” click on – https://jhilmilbhansali.wordpress.com/2015/06/21/tranquil-zenith-leh-part-i/
Let’s also have brief on Leh City ,read on- https://jhilmilbhansali.wordpress.com/2015/06/21/city-roamer-leh-part-iii/

Tranquil Lansdowne!! My Travel diary with my KID

Posted on May 3, 2015 by Jhilmil

Travel Brief :

Location –Lansdowne (Pauri district of Uttarakhand ,45 Kms of Kotdwar)
Best Duration – Feb end –May ,September –November ,rains set in during July
How to go about – About 250 Kms from Delhi ,one can opt for private car/Train (Delhi –Kotdwar)
Major Attractions : Tip n Top ,Bhulla Tal ,Garhwal museum ,St. Mary’s Church ,Tarkeshwar Mahadev temple

It had been approx. 6 months of going through the preeminent & simultaneously the most rigorous phase in life of any woman…Yes, I’m talking about Motherhood..A fascinating beginning, a significant optimism, a sparkling smile, is what this word ushers our lives with!

First time experience had to be adventurous, with bounty of new surprises day by day ,some snatching the leisure time ,compelling us to work more hard ,& some bringing a sense of joy & contentment within! But ,amongst all this ,I had waited that as soon as my kid turns 6m ,Me ,a “traveloholic” person would begin my travel diary again(after a break of approx.a year) & yes I had been frantically googling for a leisure trip nearby to Delhi.

Many places in Uttarakhand shortlisted, few rejected keeping in mind sudden changes of temperature for the 6m old, some rejected for long distances..A frenzied me…24 hours of hunt zeroed out the little pristine hill station of “Lansdowne”, a weekend Garhwali destination to rejuvenate & chill out!

Gusto set in me!!Well it was a well deserved break!! Bags packed & we (along with our travel friends) boarded our train direct to the Kotdwar, a perfect ride with kids enjoying their first train journey with ample eagerness! Gush of winds blowing past our faces , Little drizzling ,fragrance of wet trees @Kotdwar while climbing own the train itself enthralled me & I dreamt of a perfect 3 day weekend!

So easy to reach Lansdowne from Kotdwar, frequent 8-10 seaters available which drop to the destined hotel..Well, we had intentionally got a resort booked which was some 20 Kms before Lansdowne main city..S.B. Mount Resort —A perfect resort –

Giving a sense of Freshness & tranquillity
A sense of adventure by trekking on the hills opposite to it
A sense of closeness to nature ,with the rivulet flowing across it
An opportunity for Bird watching & might be lucky if some deer’s say Hi in the mornings due to its vicinity to Jim Corbett!!

We reached our resort by 4pm, with hunger pangs reckoning our body systems…Within 5 minutes, we requested resort manager to arrange lunch tables for us..Wow, that seemed absolutely pleasant, table in lawn, stream flowing across, & we pouncing on nearly home-made food..Paneer lababdaar ,mix veg.,daal makhani ,raita ,kheer ,salad…& hot fulka’s..In just 5 minutes I felt myself so vivid, so overwhelmed being in vicinity to the nature. A stomach full lunch demands some rest …but don’t forget our 6 months old kids were with us..So had to make them take a nap for at least & hour which gave us also the chance to relax..

Weather was pleasant, drizzling had stopped, stomach was tight, all this called for a trek right ahead on the hillock opposite to the resort..But the question…KIDS?? C’mmon, for adventure loving parents, kids might have got those genes right at the birth.So, we decided to take them along with us..Harsh , narrow ,insignificant path throughout the trek..Didn’t knew where it would lead to…few steps & then anxiety of kids gripping us…but yes we did it…we reached the top ,which was a big plane ,with a spectacular scene of the surroundings !!Wow, it gave us a great sense of accomplishment! With sun-setting in the scene cannot be described..We just stayed & captured the beauty in our lenses for next 30-35 minutes..As the night was beginning to fall, we decided to climb down & reach back for a tempting Dinner .Day 1 passed chatting across the tables, mostly around these naughty boys, their tantrums & plan for next 2 days 🙂

Day2:

It had to be special, very special, with clouds engulfing all night & experiencing good rains .Morning was stunning…Little sunshine peeking from the huge trees & drizzling simultaneously made a merry morning! Soon drizzling stopped & we decided to welcome dawn by having coffee besides the river stream, puling our chairs across it..So serene, so calm, it had been ages I had experienced this serenity (before this my last trip was to China, which didn’t got me into calm mode ;))

A rejuvenating hour …shook…wake up…my kid was wailing in search of me 😉 Yes, it was his breakfast time too & my coffee time was over !So an hour of cajoling & pampering, we all got ready to head towards Lansdowne..Well the manager had suggested..Book a cab for an easy ride…but we don’t understand easiness ;)Well, we planned to opt for local bus & have its ride..God, such an entertaining ride was it…Kids almost slept & we enjoying local music, with those sharp & steep twists & turns reached main town of Lansdowne..Well, it’s a pretty small town & requires just a day to enjoy the tourist places & rest dedicate all time to admire the beauty it entails within itself.

We covered 5 places in a span of 8-9 hours, although a bit hectic yet delightful…

With a day full of bliss, calmness, we returned back to our hotel by 8 in the night only to find an amazing night hosted with DJ & dance floor ready for us to rock with the nature!
A break of 30 minutes to stretch out & then we rocked the dance floor with other groups as well..That was absolutely astonishing & a memorable experience to make our lil kido dance in our arms .With no mood to stop ,rather bon fire in the midst of windy night elevated our moods & for next 2 hours there was no looking back from the dance floor (yes ,we took breaks to pacify ,feed kids ) ,but that was the perfect ending of the day ..Seeing hot gulab jamuns at the other end of the table, mouth watered us & finally we planned to break from the dance floor & grab the sumptuous hot dinner & yummy delicacies of halwa & Jamun’s
What a sparkling day it was!
Day 3:
Well Lansdowne has nothing more than this, but we had our train in after noon, so had a great chance to experience another captivating morning!
This morning gave me a chance to watch beautiful birds, although drizzling post 8 narrowed down my search, but still I was pleasantly surprised & glad to follow those colourful birds to capture them .

A relaxed breakfast made our start ecstatic & we decided to climb down into the stream to have some delightfully brilliant pic before returning back to the hustle bustle city of Delhi!
Very short but a blissful trip, a must visit place to experience serenity!!!

Do’s & don’t with kids as small as 6 months –
1. Plan a short trip of 2-3 days only as it does not hamper your kid’s routine
2. Try to make journey as comfortable as it can be ;Train is one of the most comfortable mode & kids too enjoy it
3. Check out the weather on Hill stations & do take along an extra inner wear for kids
4. Don’t plan travel/sightseeing at a stretch, take tours of some 4-5 hours & then break for relaxation with kids.
5. Prefer not to take kids on twisty routes as we took from Lansdowne to Tarkeshwar as kids are prone to motion sickness on those routes & vomit out frequently, also they become cranky on those routes.
6. Do take Gripe Water/Bonisan to avoid constipation to kids