Article and photos: The Thang
I landed in Leh as dusk was setting in. Somewhere, the last rays of the day were fading away and the snow-capped peaks were hidden in the twilight.
According to the plan, we will stay in Leh for more than a week. From here, we will have journeys to explore famous places, about the beautiful wonders but also extremely difficult.
Waking up after a restless night's sleep, unable to adapt to the altitude, everything became more pleasant when the sun rose, spreading its rays over the white snow peaks. Carrying my camera, I caught a car, and after a few more tiring climbs, I arrived at Leh Palace, the ancient glorious palace, built in the 16th century, now only an exhibition space, displaying what is possible and suggesting the past through the imagination of visitors. Leh Palace is located in a very beautiful location, from here you can have a panoramic view of the surroundings, seeing the whole of Leh at the foot of the white snow peaks under the dawn. The majestic scene becomes even more magical when the patches of sunlight penetrate the clouds, creating patches of light and dark. At that time, Leh seemed to be covered with a multi-colored carpet of Kashmir.
The mornings in Leh are beautiful. I wandered through the streets and then through the alleys. You can walk all over Leh in just a few hours. The sun brings warmth and paints the already colorful houses with alternating shades of light and dark. The women and children of Leh are lovely, basking in the sun on the flower-filled porches. Outside, the men gathered in the market, lining up for work. The stalls began to open and display their wares. Leh became lively and bustling with laughter.
Leh is the busiest city in the Ladakh region. The ancient streets are full of tourist services and professional company offices. Hotels, restaurants, and cafes in Leh are very diverse in types and quantity. The cuisine is therefore also very rich with many delicious dishes. Visitors can fully enjoy dishes with rich flavors of Indian, Chinese or European dishes. Souvenir stalls are everywhere in Leh, from support areas, exhibitions to street shops, buying gifts for friends and relatives is probably the most interesting thing to do here, when beautiful items are abundant and extremely cheap.
We stayed at a small hotel, a two-story wooden house with a large garden, in which there were several apple and apricot trees laden with delicious fruit. The owners were a very friendly and lovely family, like so many other gentle and hospitable people of Ladakh. We picked apples and apricots every day, the most delicious fruit we had ever tasted.
The Buddhist imprint in Leh is clear and distinctive. According to legend and culture, Ladakh is one of the best places to experience Tibetan Buddhist culture outside of Lhasa. I saw prayer wheels everywhere in Leh, and people here always pray while circling them clockwise. Ladakh is a land of giant monasteries, with a history of formation and existence from hundreds to thousands of years, carrying within them historical marks and mysterious legends.
I went to Alchi Monastery, Thiksey and had the opportunity to see other monasteries on the mountain tops or hidden somewhere on the horizon. Alchi Monastery is attractive because of its sculptures and murals dating back more than a thousand years, they are extremely beautiful and contain hidden historical, artistic and sculptural values. Thiksey attracts visitors with its spacious appearance, unique architecture and high location on the mountain top, overlooking the immense valley. I came to Thiksey in the afternoon sunlight, the light and dark walls intertwined, making this sacred place extremely charming.
The surrounding landscape at the foot of the Himalayas gradually faded into the shadow of the mountain range that stretched across the valley, the purple-blue gradually engulfing everything in darkness. We returned to the hotel, preparing for the final, most magnificent and arduous journey, which was the journey to explore Tso Moriri Lake and conquer Khardung La Pass.
More information:
+ From Vietnam, you can fly to India (Dehli) by airlines such as Thai Airways, Jet Airways (transit in Bangkok). Then connect to Leh by Jet Airways or Indian Airlines. You should book tickets early, especially during peak seasons. However, if possible, go to Leh by road from Srinagar, because Leh – Srinagar Highway is one of the most beautiful roads in the world that you should not miss.
+ You need to get used to and adapt to the thin air because Leh is at an altitude of 3,500 m and this is quite a low point in Ladakh. Even going uphill will make you feel tired easily. Just move slowly and drink plenty of water. Taxis are quite suitable for longer journeys outside the city.
+ The shopping principle that locals advise when bargaining is 1/5. That is, the price is 1/5 of the value given by the seller. However, this depends on your experience.
