Bodhgaya- Varanasi

Patna-Bodhgaya-Varanasi

01st - 06th of October 2017

So a bunch of ladies of the family decided to go on a pilgrimage with a difference. 

We checked the hotels online, read the reviews and finally decided to go with the recommendations made by acquaintances which was a better option. We booked the taxi and the tickets and voila, we were set for our trip  about 20 days in advance.

We read about the places to visit and the known tourist attractions and prepared our itinerary. 

Day-1 Hyd-Patna-Bodhgaya

We flew into Patna (Bihar) which stood upto its reputation of being dirty and filthy to no level explainable. I did not see any footpaths, as there was only heaps garbage on either side of the roads. Our first stop was the famous Patandevi Temple (Shaktipeeth) which is on the way to Hajipur our next stop. Its is a small village through bad roads and small alleys. But we managed to reach our destination after a lot of wrong rights. 

It is important to have a right driver and a car for a long trip hence we decided to change our driver and waited at a mall in Patna for a change of driver and wasted about 2 hours (which was our designated Gaya Time). after half the day of travel and change of Taxi we reached our comfortable Bodhgaya Hotel (Hotel Bodhgaya Regency) (3hrs drive) where we stayed for 2 nights. It was pity we could not go Rajgir and (Jain Temple)

Day - 2 Bodhgaya

I was excited as Bodhgaya had been on my bucket list for a while and we first went to Gaya and saw the Vishwanath and Mangla Devi (Shaktipeeth) Temples. We did consider to go see the caves but the sun and the hike demotivated us. 

We head back to Bodhgaya and after choosing from the various restaurants which have glamourous but fake reviews online, ended up going to this nice place called Nirvana where they served us hot yummy food. We went to the Tibetan Monastery right next to the hotel and it was very peaceful and colourful. After resting for awhile we headed straight to the Mahabodhi Temple. Our hotel was in the center of the city so we just got on a tuk tuk and reached the Mahabodhi Temple. Cameras are allowed with a ticket but cell phones aren't allowed inside. The temple has a different vibe to it with the monks praying and meditating everywhere undisturbed. The back side of the temple has the Bodhi tree under which Lord Buddha attained enlightenment. The campus of the whole temple is spectacular with the open grounds and the Munchalinda Lake and the lighting of lamps room. The constant light chanting which is almost perpetual in the air transports you into a peaceful zone. It was an absolute delight for me to be there as I am a follow Buddhism. We went to the rooms where there were endless rows of lamps lit and we also lit a few lamps too. The monk sitting there spoke to us and gave us some insight over cause and effect and Wipassana which was a pleasant surprise. We again went back to find our Nirvana in food at the same restaurant which also has a very nice ambiance.  

Day- 3 Bodhgaya -  Varanasi.

WE woke upto a nice bright day and visited  The Great Buddha Statue which is in its true sense grand. We saw one more Buddhist monastery and left for Varanasi. Its a 5 hours drive and mind you there is really no proper place to take a break for refreshments. We ate some of our snacks which we had carried and tried to have tea in one of the dhaba. We reached Varanasi by late evening  and were quite tired to do anything. We stayed in Hotel Surya Kaisar Palace which was once upon a time the Palace of the  Nepal Kings in Varanasi. The main Dining area and the Swimming pool area is in the main Palace building and surrounding is the hotel rooms. The hotel is nothing short of royal and is extremely comfortable with only inconsistent food.

Day - 4 Varanasi

Most of the folks went temple hopping starting from the Kashi Vishwanath temple, and the Sankarmochan Temple, etc. etc. etc., and ofcourse the famous Banarasi saree shopping and the Ganga Aarti with Chaat refreshments in between.

Day-5 Varanasi

We went for the Abhishek darshan at 3 am at Kashi Vishwanath Temple where there were not too many people and the darshan were quite peacefully done and we got back and crashed.
As we woke up there was round 2 of shopping for food items and the famous wooden carved toys. The sweet dark Pendas are incomparable and delicious. We again shopped on the way to the Evening Ganga Aarti.  The boat man was our guide and gave us trivia on each of the ghats while we sailed in the serene and to me great surprise clean Ganges. We saw the royal palace ghats and the lovely umbrellas (Chattris) which are popular at the ghats. There are too many cows and buffaloes and dogs everywhere.  There are machines installed to clean the Ganges which seem to be doing the magic. Each Ghat has a story and each story is intriguing. Some of the most important ghats there are the Assi Ghat, Manikarnika ghat (Where the last rights are performed), Darbhanga ghat (palace ghat)., etc. The Main Ganaga Aarti happens at Dashashwamedh Ghat where Lord Ram's Father, King Dashrath had believed to perform the yagna. It was a full moon night and the view was spectacular.The Aarti is grand, the priests perform a meticulous ceremony where by they first offer prayers to all the 4 sides North, South, East and West, upon which they light the exquisite aartis (lamps) which are atleast 5-6 layered and quite tall and heavy. It for a second also resembled a well choreographed performance by well etiquette sharp men contrary to the image of shabby pot bellied priests that I had in mind. There were 13 aartis going on simultaneously and its a delightful sight. everybody present on the Ghats and on the boats are submerged in the aura of the evening and there were not less than 10,000 people or even more for obvious reasons.

Day - 6 Varanasi - Hyderabad

Our morning was free and everyone were way too tired to venture out shopping so stuck to the shop at the hotel and raided it. I decided to explore Saarnath which is about 30 mins drive from where we stayed. The temple is closed from 11am - 1:30pm rather the whole city is closed between those timings. so you need to plan accordingly. Saarnath again is similar to Bodhgaya . The temple there is grand yet simple. I went to the museum and saw the famous pillar and the ruins of the stupa. Its a stint of wonder what it could have been when it was in good shape. Ashoka had left some serious legacy behind. Soon it was time for us to end our holiday and we were at Varanasi Airport to head back to Hyderabad.

Bhutan

Bhutan 19th - 26th June 2018 (Jyoti and Namrata)

We got return tickets in April for June to fly to Bhutan, and decided on the itinery and patiently waited. Come June and we were all set.

On 19th we reached Kolkata and a friend came to see me from Gauhati and we literally painted the city red, shopping, trying signature food, Book shopping at the Oxford Book Store, had Kulhad ka chai and not to forget Mishti doi. It was everything one could do in kol in a day.

Day - 1  Kol - Paro - Thimphu

The stewards at 6:30am were in a rush to give us breakfast and take the boxes back as it was a short flight.We landed into a wonderful airport with a huge hoarding of the present King - Queen and the Prince, welcoming us.

Our chatty guide Bijoy and calm driver Sangey received us at the airport and we started our journey in our comfortable well kept Sentafe car - constants for the next 6 days.

En route Thimphu we stopped alongside the flowing river to soak our feet and buy some fresh peaches to soak up the fact that we finally made it to our holiday and welcome it. Surprisingly, it was hot and the Iphone weather report was silly stuck at rainy 10 degrees. Dont ever trust it and carry layers.

We reached Thimphu and left for sightseeing followed by lunch. We figured that food is there generally is very cheesy and spicy so had to constantly keep telling them to not make spicy food for us.  We went to all the touristy places, kept asking our guide to take us to the more non-touristy yet traditional places where we can feel the pulse of the place.

Besides going to the Museum, the Memorial, we also decided to go to the College of Art and the Paper factory where we saw their culture of learning, the traditional art and craft. We then went to the Buddha Point which was golden inside out and one of my personal fav. Post that we walked around the town and stopped by at Taj Thimphu for tea, which is done up very traditionally and right out side is the Market. The traditional architecture and artistic flare is maintained even till date and is mandatory for everyone who builds a house or a building to follow the standards.

Day - 2 Thimphu

After all the sightseeing and resting we again went back to the shops and they were quite interesting. Half the touristy things were closed due to maintenance. After that we went to the Motithang Takin Preservatory to see the national animal of Bhutan "The Takin" which has a head like a goat and body like a cow. There is a lot to walk around there and beside the Takin not much to see. So ppl with leg ache and tight on a schedule can skip it.The shopping of authentic Bhutani works were cheaper and more in variety in Thimpu. I liked Thimphu as it has a good blend of culture and monarchy run society and where the citizen actually respect and obey the law.
Places close by 5 pm or are closed due to renovation so it isn't a bad idea to figure it out before hand. 

Day - 3 Thimphu - Punakha -Wangdui

From Thimpu we left early for Punakha and on the way had a pit stop at the Punakha Memorial Chorten at Dochula Pass - which is one of the highest point. This was built in memory of the soldiers who lost their lives during the war in Bhutan. We went to the Chimi Lhankhang Monastery which is known as the fertility temple or the "Divine madmonk temple" as the story goes, the view from there is great the monastery is simple. Before which we had stopped at a family run restaurant for a quick lunch before where 3 sides of the place were glass and the view was to die for. .

We rushed to Punakha Dzong as it closes by 5:30. Its grand and nothing less than magnificent which is why the Royal weddings and the coronation happen here. The Dzong basically means the Fortress, so every Dzong is divided into, the administrative wing in the front and the monastery behind. I was yet again awestruck by its grandeur. It has multiple levels and is surrounded by mountains. I can not even begin to describe how gorgeous the main alter room is with the tall pine wood pillars gilded in gold. The statues of Lord Buddha, the Guru and the Unifier are beautifully carved and decorated like I have never seen before. The room is huge and walled with cabinets, with statues of  previous 108 head of the monks. All I wanted to do was lie down on that wooden floor and look at the colorful bright everything.

The Bhutanis style of Buddhist has everything decorated in the five colors representing the Elements.

Blue, Green, Yellow, Red and White.

The cute little lady guard had to shoo us out and we left with a heavy heart but next was a consolation. The Suspension Bridge which is 160 meters of metal, swaying to the winds over the Po Chu River and it is quite scary initially yet extremely calming once you get to the center and just adapt to the breeze  and look around  - the mountains, the valley, the river flowing below, and the wind all tune you to the natures glory inviting you to surrender yourself. It is an adventurous and an joyous feeling clubbed together. like some kind of a frenzie rapture or a light adrenaline.

From there we began our journey of a long drive to Wangdui. Wangdui is about realistically 1.5 hours drive which was casually told to be about 20 mins drive. We had a long long day and the drive isn't an easy one.

In middle of nowhere we reached Kichu Resort finally - our abode for a night. literally a night. Though the service and the resort were worth staying for a lifetime.

I have generally noticed that guides under estimate Punakha and end up giving very little time for Punakah, it is advisable to do the Dochula Pass on return in order to spend more time in Punakha Dzong which is absolutely worth it.

Day - 4 Wangdui - Thimphu -Paro

Enroute Paro we stopped at the Botanical park which is really vast to see some last batches of rhododendrons and some friendly wild sambars (Again this can be skipped too). We had lunch at Clove Bistro at Thimphu, probably our only lavish meal in Bhutan, and had their local yummy peach wine - Zumzin which we bought later to take it home. Cheap yet the yummiest wine. Once we reached Paro and settled in our resort we decided to explore the market in Paro and do some shopping. The Resort was nice but the service in Paro is very different from that of Thimphu and Punakha.

Day - 5 Paro - Tiger's Nest

Wow..... We decided to hike all the way and not take the horse half way, one way. We started from the base at 9:15 am. We hiked. hiked and hiked. Its a tough hike for the unfit ones, though with our low fitness levels we took a little over one hour to reach half way up to the cafe, where we took a break of 25-30 mins before we resumed our  tough journey to the Tiger's Nest. We were extremely lucky to have a clear nice day, not to sunny, no rains, touch wood. Once we resumed our trek the incline got steeper and we were out of breath more frequently, not that the air is thinner or anything but just the hike. The first half of the route is tougher but the so called steps aren't easy as well, as they are undefined and tall. As we see the Tiger's Nest getting closer the distance seems longer as the steps route is along the mountains and is quite tricky and strenuous. There were quite a lot of tourists hiking and kids also managed it well. Finally we reached. We felt accomplished. The guards at the monastery are  particular about people being appropriately dressed. No sleeveless, no short clothes etc.. The alter room is lovely, the statues were by far the best in Bhutan. The Tigers Nest had caught fire in 2006 and has been restored ever since. The Buddha statue is really tall and the 3D intricate design around it with the rest of the 7 forms of Buddha is lovely and with great details. There were 3 idols, Lord Buddha, the Guru and the Unifier and the present king is his descendant and the one who introduced Buddhism to Bhutan.There is another room which is known to be the wish fulfilling temple, infact the Tigers Nest is known to be the Wish fulfilling Monastery. There is one more alter room there and a tiny 3 ft passage which is considered to be the actual Tigers Nest. The myth goes on to believe that the enlightened one had 2 wives, one on Indian side and another on Tibet side and as the treachery of the demon grew unbearable the enlightened killed the demon riding on the tiger who was the Tibetian wife transformed into a tiger. After that they both meditated at the Tigers Nest and the tiny opening of 3 ft cave is where its believed, that the tiger meditated and hence the name.

There is a difference between the Bhutanese way of Buddhism and that of the Leh Ladakh style of Buddhism.

Day 6- Haa Valley

Haa Valley is about 3-4 hrs away from Paro. we started at 9:30am and the drive is not so smooth but the view makes it worth it, with every bent of the mountain. As we reached the mountain top of 3900 mtrs high, the chilly breeze carried a scent of the prayer fragrance and we were lucky to witness an intensive ceremony going on which happens once in a year or once in 2 years. It was being done for the wellness and peace of the mountain beings. The swaying bright flags all over made the lush green mountains look alive under the cloudy grey sky.

From there we descended down to the White and the Black monasteries. It is believed that a white and a black pigeon were left and wherever they landed they constructed these Monasteries. They are not very far from each other, with a distance of a 15 min hike. The White Monastery is grand and there are about 300 young monks and the alter room is done up really well too (Can avoid this). They also have a huge basket ball court. From there we went to the only restaurant in town, but as my frd wasnt feeling too well we just rested for a bit and proceed our journey back. There was a hospital for the Indian soldiers, and only found someone in the ICU to get a tablet for my frd. It was an exhausting drive and we only got back to our resort at 5:30pm.

Its pretty bad to fall sick in places like this as unless you aren't carrying medicines its difficult to find medical stores.

I went for a quick round of shopping to buy a silver bracelet with the 8 holy symbols of Buddhism carved, and other souvenir gifts for everyone back home.

Day 7-Paro - kol - Hyd

we quickly saw the Paro Dzong which was a smaller version of the Punakha Dzong but no less elaborate in terms of it intricate design and art. The view from the Dzong alter room and outside is of the valley and is lovely. WE went to the museum which showcases an video of the festivals in 21 towns of Bhutan dedicated to each avatar of Lord Buddha and has their masks. Everywhere you look around Bhutan is picturesque and is nothing less than a postcard view. 

From there we head to the Airport. And that was the end of out glorious mountain trip.

We head back home with lots of fond memories to cherish.

Nawabi Lucknow!!!

Nawabi Lucknow - 24-26th March 2018

Since a few months Lucknow was lurking around on my bucket list and I kept exploring its credibility. I had been to Lucknow as a child, a couple of times and was hosted by the Governor as he was family and escorted around by the ADC.

As children, we dont tend to see the prodigy of the glorious major things and disregard it until we grow up and begin to value the dexterity of even the minor things in life.  I am one of those fortunate ones who can re-live my childhood with replacing the mindlessness to mindfulness and imbibe the paralipsis of the facades. 

Some good frds in Lucknow suggested an hotel that I would like and planned the evenings together. 

I chose a long weekend and an early flight, so there I was for almost 3 full days. 

Day -1

I reached my hotel early in the morning - Lebua, Lucknow. My check inn was only at 2pm but they were kind enough to hand over the room to me at 9:30 am. As I reached the hotel, I was warmly welcomed and was awestruck by the well maintained heritage luxury property. The White structure was brightened with the blue and beige flooring, bright chandeliers, colourful cut glass walls and windows, and not to forget the bright bloomed flowered gardens and the quintessential antique curios. Initially when I landed I wasn't sure how I'd kill time before the touristy things opened for the day but time flew as I drowned in the antiquities of the hotel.

After a sumptuos breakfast at the hotel and reminding myself that there is more to Lucknow than Lebua, I got in my car and was off to start ticking off the list of places to visit. My fascination with Museums took me to the museum, which was a walk into the zoo and rather lame, however the only thing interesting there is the way they have displayed the Egyptian Mummy. From there I went to the Residency, Chattar Manzil and the Picture gallery. By noon I was quite disappointed and roasted in the heat so decided to visit the La Martiniere school before giving up for the day. The School was worth summing it all up. Its a beauty of another level, the campus is wide spread and the main building is a visually and an architecturally a grand treat.  Its spectacular eclectic entrance has a sense of  medieval royal feel. The high ceilings, the intricate frescos and carvings on them and the walls, the rich wooden doors with embellished knobs, the detailed carved metal floor grids, the animal skins on the walls, the frames, and so on and on, I can go on. I climbed up the narrow winding concrete steps leading to the boys dorm, without disturbing them I peeped through the metal grilled doors and the ceilings there too were enchanting with similar intricate patterns and they all had cots with blue velvet spreads with the school emblem which reminded me of Hogwarts.

The library there is not to miss in the lower floor. Their main hall is probably in true terms their Hall of Fame with exquisite intricate pattern centered with a chandelier on the light green ceiling and the outer hall with blue ceiling which is equally detailed. 

As you walk out you see the lions statues on the roof top and the scene reminded me of Rome.They have some very nice vintage cars parked in the compound next to the horse stables with a few finely bred horses. It indeed wud be a matter of pride to be a part of a school such as this and I wudnt mind going back to school here. 

After being enthralled by that I head off to have lunch at Moti Mahal which has good reviews for veg food , where my frd also joined me. Food was alright and I decided to shop some famous Lucknowi Chikkan as the popular boutique Ada was right next door and had AC, so managed to buy for everyone back home until my frd dragged me out saving me from going bankrupt. One can shop in Hazratgunj and Ameenabad markets as well.  The well known Universal Book Store was there and I did manage to get a book which I dint find in any other bookstore, considering the heat we decided to go back to the hotel and relax. The GM - Ms. Sunanina Sharma, insisted I try their Veg flavorsome kababs which indeed had an delightful aroma to it and were delicious too. so much for a vegetarian.

From the old Nawabi Lucknow by the day we were heading off to a swanky Cyber Heights in the evening - to a lounge, Scott and a Barrel. The crowd there was like any big metro but the goodness was the familiarity the crowd had. My local frds their hosted us and we had a great evening. 

Day 2

We decided to take it easy and relax through the morning and left only in the scorching hours for sight seeing- starting with breakfast at the poppular Sharmaji ki Chai - which is famous for  - Chai, bun maska and Samoso (Tea, bread and home made butter) and headed off to the old city and the landmark Bara Imambara but alas there was some event so couldn't go, however went around in the tanga (horse cart) to  the grand Rumi Darwaza, Choto Imambara, Jamma Masjid and the Bowli - stepwell there. We got food from Dastarkhan for my meat loving frd and head back to the hotel and chilled, The hotel pool was serene.  My frds had informed me about this event and Sunanina from the hotel was kind enough to organise an invite for us. The scorching afternoons turned to pleasant evenings. It was the finale' of the annual Wajid Ali Shah Festival,  where they performed YAMUNA- Dariya prem ka - Directed by Muzzafar Ali, held at the Dilkhush Palace Gardens - where they had a traditional shehnai performance at the entrance and the actually performance was choreographed and executed marvelously, I think I was lucky...I wanted to see the Bada Imambara and the Rumi Darwaze by the night all lit up and it was a sight from where we requested our uber guy to let us takeaway some authentic Awadhi/Lucknawi food (Chicken Biryani and Kababs and Basket Chaat) for dinner n he was so humble to let us by saying " aap hamare mehmaan ho" (U r our guests). We had some chilled wine at their lit up rooftop bar Seraca with a lovely view of the dome right ahead of us and the stars above us. Would otherwise be perfect for an romantic evening or a party for 50. Later we moved to the portico closer to our rooms where the hotel staff had set a table with dinner that we had got. The hotel is designed in such a way that every room has an area outside where they have placed some rot iron garden furniture.  

Day 3 

It was our last day and a Monday, so work calls poured in and only allowed us to go to the Bara Immambara by 11am by when the sun was already blaring. However the magnificent structure distracted us. Once we got in we were quite captivated. It was built in 1784 by Nawab Asaf-ud -daula. The entrance of it itself makes you feel like you are walking into an palace with 2 humongous  arches with exquisite work on different levels separated by a well kept garden. The main facade has high ceilings with elaborate patterns on the dome, running parapets and chandeliers, looking at which, strained our necks. We followed listening to our guide narrating the enchanting history of the Palace. We found the magic of this palace was in the corridors we could hear even the whispers clearly from one end to another - deewaron ke bhi kaan hoten hai... The guide asked us to stand at one end of the parapet balcony of the the Bara Imambara and lit a match stick which we heard clearly - the magic.. From there we went to the Bhoolbhulaiya - the magical maze  - without a guide one is sure to get lost in the twisted different levels of the palace where again the whispers are audible from anywhere to anywhere. This lead to the vast airy terrace.

Next is the Bowli (Well) which is just outside the main building of the Bada Imambara and is lovely, its similar to the wells in Gujrat. Again  the well is of 4 floors and its pretty complicated to reach to the floors above and  below.

There is science to it. from the top floor with the right placement of the windows one could see the person standing at the entrance and when an enemy, back in the day stood at the entrance the soldiers shot arrows from here straight targeting the enemy. It was said that the key to a the shahi khazana (Royal treasure) was thrown  into this well, which probably flowed into the Gomti river. After all this history and walking around in the sun we were so done.

We ordered some lunch and relaxed at the hotel until it was time for us to leave for the airport. Our checkout would have been around 1pm but Sunanina was kind enough to offer us to stay back until 5ish. 

Its true when they talk about the Lucknawi way of life - the adab and the tehzeeb along with the warmth they have is altogether different. In short Lucknow was a great experience and if one has additional 2 days they must try visiting the Dudhwa National Park. 

                                     http://www.lebua.com/lebua-lucknow  Lebua Lucknow

The La Martinieres

Bada Immambara and Rumi Darwaza 

Majestic Madhya Pradesh

 Little bit of Madhya Pradesh

20th- 24th March 2017.  My friend and me  

I seek to Explore and new destinations cross unexpected heavens on the way- with shooting stars and hidden paradise. Hyd-Delhi-Jhansi-Orccha-Khajuraho-Panna-Orccha-Jhansi-Delhi-Hyd. Its the kinda circle I chose to complete this time!!! Every time I travel I learn and unlearn. The world has so much more enchanting drama to dwell in human dramas.

Day-0 Hyd -> Delhi - I started my trip by getting to Delhi from Hyd and managed to scoop time to go to the Delhi Arts n Crafts museum which was lovely. Called it an early night as my frd n I had an 6 am Shatabdi to catch to Jhansi the next morning.

Day 1 Delhi -> Jhansi -> Orccha - We got on the Shatabdi to Jhansi in 5 hrs with a little delay. As we reached Jhansi station we were warmly welcomed by The Bundelkhand Resort Manager and he took us directly to the Jhansi Fort which was grand. The guide told us stories of the Fort and how Rani Lakshmi Bai fought bravely and gave us details of the fort and its hidden glories. WE were time traveling. We walked all over the Fort and hearing the stories gave me goosebumps and a thought crossed by that - Today we talk about Feminism and all but in that era, India had a woman who was bravest king and warrior ever. From there we were en route to Bundelkhand Resort - Orccha where we rested for awhile and were offered to be served with our tea n snacks by the riverside, which was nuthing less then perfect and peaceful. After being promised to have the same next day we agreed to go do some sight seeing and started with the Chattris, which are quite a treat to the eyes. From there we went to the Ram Raja Temple and got to know the story of its origin. We went to the Orccha Fort for the Sound and Light show and while waiting took a quick round of the Sheesh Mahal Hotel which is a part of the Fort campus itself, The Sound and light show is really nice and you sit under the star studded night and hear the story - all probabilities like me you may spot a shooting star too. After that we went back to the hotel where we were served with the Uthentic food and again to my surprise i loved the brinjal dish which is thr speciality. Trips teach you so much.

Day- 2 Orccha - We got ready and after a scrumptious breakfast head off for sightseeing. I was awestruck when I saw the Jehangir Mahal which is a part of the Orccha Fort. The Orccha Fort has the Jhangir Mahal, The King's palace and the Sheesh Mahal Hotel. The frescos are marvelous, they depict the Dashavataar, the floral Turkish carpet designs, the gods, and goddesses. Its totally a mavel. I wonder why they are not as popular as other palaces and forts as its glorious. From there we went to the Lakshmi Narayan Temple which used to be a Lakshmi Temple but some time back the idol was stolen and found in a bad state. since then its just a tourist attraction. The temple is a beauty. The whole structure is in the shape of an Owl. The entrance being the head and the 2 sides being the wings and the tail behind. The structure is ornamented and decorated in intricate carved patterns and the side structures give a view of the wings with detailing. No picture of it from the ground would do justice to the well thought off and executed structure, only and ariel view of the structure might do some justice i guess. The interiors of the temple are beautifully decorated with so much drama with the ceilings frescoed and the famous part is the huge animal which is carrying 7 elephants. The hotel head came with some refreshments which pumped us for some more history and sightseeing. After the city tour we decided to call it a day and go back to the hotel for a late lunch and avoid the heat. We were looking forward to our evening tea by the Betwa River and i climbed some rocks and took a moment for myself to surrender and just be there. While we were having our dinner at the Resort, we were told that the owner of the resort was there and would like to meet us, He is the present king of Orccha and was also my friend's uncle. He's immensely knowledgeable and was very humble.

Day - 3 Orccha -> Khajuraho - After our breakfast with the King who recommended and put in a word to a restaurant owner in Khajuraho, we started our 4 hours road trip to Khajuraho. The German bakery there was run earlier by a German couple who were frds of the king and now their grandson runs it. Its bang opposite the khajuraho temple and serves amazing food. Its menu is a blend of some lip smacking continental and Indian food. We had lunch there and went back to the hotel to beat the heat and rest. We went for the tour of the temples and again went for coffee and snack to the German bakery and went to see the Sound and Light show post that. The sound and light show at Khajuraho is one of the best with Amitabh Bachchan, Rahul Bose and various other prominent figure's voices. We were advised to go to the Pandav falls and the Tree House next day. We were staying that night at Taj Chandela at Khajuraho and it was alright. We barely spent the time to enjoy the hotel.

Day - 3 Khajuraho-> Panna-> Orccha-> Jhansi-> Delhi - As recommended we decided to venture out to Panna - The Panna Nation Tiger Reserve is 1 hour away from Khajuraho but be prepared for a rough ride. As we reached there at the entry we got a guide with us who took us down to the Pandav Falls and as we were descending down the flight of steps - man, I was just amazed at its beauty. The lake was in lovely shades of blue and green with water so pure that we could see the fish in it. The waterfalls were bleak but it was the summer effect. The Water comes from the earth and not any of the rivers. It was believed that the Pandavas were hiding here for a while during their exile. Even today there are caves restored and there is this one window from which you get a view of the lake which is just breathtaking and makes the whole trip so worth every journey. Its every essence and passion of the word of pristine, its so effortlessly glorious from every angle that one just needs to look around. The little red moths flying around the rocks and the surface of the lake add to the complete color scheme with the blue skies above, the lush green trees, the gray rocks and the green hues in blue waters was unimaginably pristine. Its a bit of a walk and one can walk into the caves, if not for anything just for the perfect view from the window from within of the falls outside. There is a small temple on the upper deck of the Pandavas which one can go from behind the falls. It was heartwrenching for me to leave that place as it seemed too peaceful to leave. From there we went to the Ken TreeHouse which is about 15-20 mins drive inside the Panna Forest Reserve itself. It is run by a humble couple. The Tree House has beautifully done up the room with a touch of modern and nature friendly decor. They upper deck of the tree house has an outdoor seating and A/c seating area overlooking the lake. We were told that when a few years back the floods hit them the whole place was wrecked, so much so that some of their belongings were found about 4-5 kms away. They have re-built the place amazingly and the nature is left in a natural way yet extremely luxurious.It was time for us to head back to Orcha and the drive was tiring. There is a decent place on the way to refresh and get some snacks. Upon reaching Orcha We had our Tea with the owners of the Bundelkhand Riverside Resort and in no time it was time for us to leave for the station. With an Extremely long an eventful day we reached back Delhi by mid-night.After this trip I realised how glorious Madhaya Pradesh truly is and hence propose to travelers exploring this side of India must start from Gwalior, Datia, Jhansi, Orccha, Khajuraho, Panna, Bhopal, Indore Ujjain. Plus whatever more you would like to see.

Unexpected Orccha Palace

Kashmiri Kahwa !!!

 Srinagar Shikaara

7th- 13th June 2017.  Mom, Dad, Andy & Me. 

Its marvelous how roses are wild flowers and walnuts and cherries are junk food,

Apples and safron are effortlessly natural,

while its easy to confuse the sky with the snow capped ranges.

They call it the Indian Venice, but I'd now call that the Italian Srinagar.

People are amicable though the constant breaking news is unavoidable,

Men men everywhere dint see the Kashmiri beauties anywhere.

The nature has set its boundary walls as the grand mountains ranges of the Himalayas,

but guess the extreme cold hit the people inside out.

The fury of nature with hail storms and snow falls is definitely not enough

as the armed men promise to protect you from a danger of another kind.

Silent violence louder than the streams build up to explosive noises.

The borders being questionable yet ingenious to say that the place is incomparable.

A few days ago my brother randomly suggested we do a family trip to Srinagar where mom always wanted to go. We hadn't traveled together  in a few years so the thought was quite welcoming. My parents had only a month ago cancelled there Srinagar trip with their friends due to the instability. I started my research on places and situations in Srinagar, only to find heavenly pictures and disturbing news. However going further we booked the flight tickets and since then, every day questioned our sanity to dare visit Kashmir considering all the disturbing news in Srinagar every day. A few friends in Srinagar confirmed our safety and we finally took off. I had booked the hotels and the car for all the 7 days which was a strike as it was just a day before and I wasn't sure of the places since they weren't clear on the web. We checked the weather and packed 1 good jacket as it dint seem too cold, little did we know!!!

Day 1 Hyd -Srinagar 7th June - Wednesday

So, there we were, ready to fly off. I had butterflies in  my stomach about the arrangements and literally kept my fingers crossed. We flew to Srinagar with  2 hrs lay over in Delhi. Our driver for the next 7 days received us at Srinagar Airport. We were a bit skeptical with the house stay and made a frantic call to the agent for change of hotels and they were quite annoyed but maintained their calm and suggested that we first see the place. On reaching the house we were instantly in love with it, as the gorgeous lavender flavoured garden full of flowers and cherries smiled welcomed us to the royal mansion across the Dal Lake, which is 5 mins away from the Lalit Mahal and on the main Boulevard road of Dal Lake. The Almond Villa about a 100 years old, spread across over 50 acres, with 7 grand suits with spectacular view and decor in each room and a massive underground well kept dungeon (where the movie Hyder was shot).  We soon left for the boat ride on the Dal Lake, I must say its quite a fun experience to go boating there in the Shikaara. There were people on boats who made us jump onto their boat and get dressed in their traditional wear and clicked instant pictures with the mountains on the backdrop, all this in middle of the Dal Lake. The houseboats are exquisite with the intricate wooden carvings and lavish interiors. We stopped at various little shops and bought curios and had maggi n kahwa. After traveling around Srinagar I realized what you save for later doesn't happened, hence if you like something you might as well pick it up, rather than not getting it at all. My bro left his glares in one of the shops so he got a bonus shikaara ride and voila he found it at 1 of the shops and the honest shopkeeper waited to return them to its owner. Tourism is their main source of income which lasts only 6 months and is at a all time low at the moment since last 2 years due to the disturbance. We were tired and found this veg place called Nathus without too much efforts, its not too fancy but they serve great veg fresh food and broad smile and extra butter. Just besides that there is a store called Shaw and Shaw where we bought some artifacts and shawls etc. from. I saw a shawl which was soft as foam and woven with 2 different colors on either sides. I made a mental note to pick something like it up on return.
We retired for the day, to our wonderful Almond Villa and decided to head off to  Sonmarg the next morning.

Day 2 Srinagar - Sonmarg : 8th June - Thursday.
Andy went for a jog around the property to Dal Lake and towards the Shankaracharya Temple and said it was lovely. We head off to Sonmarg which was a good drive of about 80 kms and took about 2 hours. From the base of Sonmarg we hired another car and driver for Rs.6000/- and also got boots. It took us 2 hours with a lot of military traffic, we crossed the longest convey of the army drive by to reach the 0 Degrees Point. As the name suggests its always 0 degrees there. There are a lot of guys waiting to be your guides, photographers and people dying to pull up on the steep hill to sledge you down or take you for a short skiing round. My bro tried skiing  and must say not just to flatter him but truly reminded me of a scene from James bond movie. Time just flies, we topped it up ourselves with some, (now becoming a customary) Maggie and Kawah. egg and bread to go on side. you got to be a bit careful and sharp as there are a lot of vendors waiting to just plunge to feed you, photograph you and somewhere cheat you a bit too..
The drive back was bit tougher as it had started to drizzle and our cabbie was constantly conscious of a landslide or stone falls. We reached the base and freshened up at a place that one at that point can acknowledge as a restaurant and headed back to Srinagar. A scrumptious delightful meal at the Lalit and we were charged to pack up for the next day. Now, it being a friday next day we were told that there would be a Strike which is more commonly also known as a Curfew and were strongly recommended to leave as early as possible from Srinagar to avoid any possibility of stone pelting and unpleasant situation.      

Day 3 Srinagar -  Pahalgam  : 9th June - Friday 
We bid our good byes to the house and the managers only little did we knew then that we would be back shortly. We left a little before 10 am and there was a sense of violent silence in the air. With the army men at various junctions and the city pretty much shut down, it definitely screamed  danger. On the way we had to stop by at a shop called Khan's Dry fruits where we purchased a lot of dry fruits. They grow Kesar (Saffron), walnuts, almonds and various berries. Right behind the shop he had constructed 2 bungalows and had a lovely organic little kitchen garden, ofcourse he sold everything of it including Poppy seeds, walnuts, garlic, kashmiri beans, and a few vegetables. He also had a few cows. It was nice to step into a local's house like that and know how they lived. They were extremely warm and offered us unlimited kawah and was kind enough to courier all our buys. We left from there as our driver did warn us of some tension building up in certain areas on the way to Pehelgam. We insisted to go via the route of apple orchards and yes, there were armed men everywhere, roof tops to streets, and a quite a few junctions locals were mobbing up on the streets. Our driver Manzoor bhai drove us by tactfully and directly stopped at the apple orchards where we did a little local shopping along with a few apples for the next few days and spotted some foxes. Our next stop was at the Rafting point.  Anand & I both did rafting while mom and dad waited for us. It was fun. The water  was ice cold and the rapids were good to give us the feel of it. We were drenched and luckily it being a sunny day it dint take us long to dry up. This place was less than 30 mins from our  hotel in Pahalgam. Hotel Heevan was on the banks of River Lidder flowing by and under the shades of the tall mountains stretched out ahead. We had to cross a bridge to get the hotel each time from where we parked the car. The river flowing in a rush from under, had a eternal music for us. There are a few spectacular view points around to go on a horse - one of them being the Switzerland view point. We walked around the little town while my bro got on a horse and set of on his little adventure. We got back and relaxed at the hotel enjoying the complete choreography of nature with the drizzle, river flowing with furious rapids building up, snow capped mountains untouched by anything, and we could do nothing else but just admire all this from our little yet marvelous french windows. While it started pouring my bro reached only to narrate, as to how a tree was hit by a lighting about 50 mtrs away from him and the horse galloped taking him away in shock. His horse riding skills finally were put to use. It was an enchanting full moon night. We headed off for dinner at Hotel Pine and Peak which is a relatively a new hotel than the one we were staying at and was quite well done up too. The food was average and we did take a tour of the hotel only to be happy to stay in Heevan as the view in Pine and Peak as the name suggested was of Pine trees on most of the sides and a lovely huge golf course on the other, both the hotels were run by the same group of hotels - Adah. We did play around with the thought of wrapping up the next day of sightseeing soon and heading back to Srinagar as some of the locals suggested a temple as a must visit near Srinagar on the way to Sonmarg. The hotel people were kind enough to entertain our thought and transfer our one night at Srinagar Hotel Heevan. We saw the news and found out about the disturbance happening in Kashmir and were considering ourselves lucky to be dodging those area in the morning.

Day 4 Pahalgam - Srinagar  : 10th June - Saturday 
 Next day morning we did read in the news papers how there was stone pelting and a lot of distress in a few parts of Srinagar of which, a few we did pass by. We again hired another taxi as alsoin Pahalgam like Sonmarg we had to hire the local cab. It was nothing less then picturesque as we were reaching Aru Valley, but we couldn't go trekking as it had started to pour. We did some little shopping from the shops there and head off to Chandanwari. This is one of the points of entry for the upcoming Amaranth Yatra, and hence all the preparations had started from hoisting tents to men carving steps in the glaciers. This is the gate to Amarnath from where people either trek or go on a horse for the 32 Kms. We hired shoes and jackets from the base and yet again mom and dad waited for us while we went up trekking. The glaciers r massive and the trek is tough. We went about 2 kms to the point where the waterfalls from Sheshnag pond is seen and beyond that point it wasn't yet allowed. Its nothing less than heaven. We did a lot of monkeying around climbing on rocks in middle of the falls and lots of photography displaying our modeling and clicking talent. Little did we know mom dad had begin to trek up and they met us closer to gates and it was a pleasant surprise. Once we reached to the base, we settled accounts with the guide, photographer and the shoe and jackets guys. We were told that the guides get turns once in 3 days and how all of them have to wait for their turns. We topped yet another lovely trek with a round of Maggie and kawha. Its amazing how these guys even at such high altitudes and with such heavy physical activities manage to do Rozas (Muslim fast during Ramzaan time for 30 days where they can only eat from 7pm to 4 am). Our cabbie and mom dad were annoyed waiting for us to head back. The cabbie insisted that we go to Betaab valley which we were gonna skip, also because it was his home town and it was time for his prayers. We reached the valley and realised we would have missed it had we skipped it. There was a little bridge over the river flowing by with the snow capped mountains high above and clear blue skies. It was a moment to imbibe and just forget the world. I took a deep breath and said if there was heaven it would be here.  There were a few movies shot around Pahalgam. We reached the hotel at around 5 pm and quickly packed up to head off to Srinagar. We asked our driver to break his fast at the mosque that we passed by and he was quite prompt. We reached our hotel and it was quite comfortable and it was Sheraton Heevan here. The location of it was on the other side of the Dal Lake. We had scheduled to see the Moghul Gardens the next day before heading to the temple as it was quite close by. The hotel staff was kind enough to served some hot food to us inspite of it being almost time to close their kitchen

Day 5 Srinagar - Kheer Bhavani - Gulmarg : 11th June - Sunday 

We started our day lazily, as my bro was yet another adventure of his which started with a simple morning jog around the Dal Lake and the Durgah and ended to be a auto ride which took his around various short cuts to various wrong hotels before he reached the right one. Meanwhile we went to the Moghul Gardens and it was literally flowery and full of fountains. The water was clear and the  frescos on ceilings of each chateaus were intricately painted with kashmiri designs. The history of the place is marvelous and undoubtedly Jahangir and Akbar were allured by the enchanting valleys of Kashmir. Only about 50% of the flowers were bloomed as the main blooming season was March April. We were tad bit late. Nevertheless we enjoyed our walk and it was a nice sunny day. We went back to the hotel rested for a bit, had a quick lunch and left for Kheer Bhavani Temple at Tulmull, which was on the opposite side, i.e. on the way to Sonmarg, resulting in taking us longer than usual to reach Gulmar. Mom was a bit under the weather and I had a mad cold. The temple was rather mystic.  Swami Vivekananda and many enlightened people have meditated there. The idols of Lord Shiva and Lordess Parvathi are seated in middle of a pond like structure which is in a shape of Shivaling from an aerial view. The greenery around is pious and has a sense of tranquility.

From there we hit the road to Gulmar. The roads mostly are straight and nice. Just as we reach Gulmarg there is a winding ghat road of 30-40 mins, We were just warned to be careful as the nature had decided to take a sudden flip and there was a hail storm. As we reached the hotel it was still raining and there was fresh little snow on the floor. Our hotel - Hotel Highland Park was gorgeous but its a walk from the entrance to the cottages. We reached the hotel and settled in and ordered some Kahwa and snacks. The rooms had a wonderful decor and it was done up in an eclectic way with bright pop up light green fine finished doors and the decor complementing it with painting to go with it and each room was done up tastefully. It had a fire place the old fashion way and the stewards were kind to keep a check on it. It is the oldest and the nicest hotels in the valley and must say its got a heavenly view. Every room had one glass wall with a view of the snow capped mountains and the back window view of the valleys. The luxury of being pampered  in an absolute natural set up with snow capped mountains surrounding you is nutting short of heaven. We decided to go for dinner at Khyber which is one of the best properties. The Hotel is nothing short of a castle in the mountains and alot of movie shootings happen there. It opens up in the pine tree views with just a tiny bit of a mountain view from 1 room. But its the best place to be when its snow covered as one side of the hotel is a steep end of the valley and that is usually snow covered. The hotel shouts luxury and needless to say that the service, staff and the L'occinate Spa and ya ofcourse the food are excellent.

Day 6 Gulmarg - Srinagar : 12th June - Monday 
We got ready early and head of for our appointment of the Gulmarg Gondola  Cable Car ride which is the world's second highest operation cable car going up to 14000 ft, to the First and the second level of the mountains. Our tickets were arranged and mom dad also came upto the second level where there is a lot of snow covered on the mountains and is similar to the trek of Pahalgam. We trekked quite a bit , to be precise almost to the point we could see the border and lost track of time. We were so kicked about the fact there was full signal up at 14000 ft that we went live on FB only to get d 1st comment from mom that it was time to descend down back to ground level from up above the top of the world. Once we reach the base we decided to ride the ATV's and take a tour of Gulmarg before reaching the hotel. We reached back to Srinagar by evening and did some shopping as it was our last evening there. Unfortunately we couldn't be more greedy as if not we would have bought all the lovely art and crafts. We had an invite fro dinner at the CPRF camp by the SP of CPRF and it was a reality check. Hats off to them for living a life dedicated to the citizens of the nation especially to those who r thankless. They treated us with utmost warmth and some home cooked food We finally left their quarters by mid night and rushed back to our good old Almond Villa to pack up as we had an early morning plan of visiting the Shankaracharya Temple before we caught our flight.  

Day 7 Srinagar - Hyderabad: 13th June - Tuesday
Inspite of being super tired we had an early start with a visit to the Shankaracharya Temple where the SP of CPRF accompanied us an it was much easier for us to get through in good time.The road from the main road is a winding 15 mins drive up the hill and from where the cars are parked its another 250 steps to the temple. Dad felt accomplished to have made it to the top and back as the steps to the temple r quite steep and almost never ending. Its amazing how in 200BC they built this Lord Shiva Temple at the height of 1000ft.  Its got a mixed history, with having stints of Persian, Jewish, Sikhism, Buddhisim and finally dominated by Hinduism. The view is worth the work out of climbing the steps. Its a bird eye view of complete Srinagar from every angle and the SP showed us the various camps of army and CPRF areas along with few of the points from where terrorists had attacked. Its the world's most distinguished kind of irony I feel considering how glorious the place is and how much of it goes in safe guarding it with armed men and ammunition from disasters. We drove back to the Villa and I couldnt resist taking a video tour of the place without doing any justice to the place. We left for the airport feeling shopping deprived yet happy to have explored yet another glorious part of India. The airport is about 40 mins from Dal Lake side and the traffic wasn't too bad.
Unlike Leh airport there is quite a lot of checking at the Srinagar Airport and it is advisable to reach an hour an a half or 2 hours before your flight. There is scanning at the entry point of the airport before we get to the entrance of the airport gates. and then again inside and your hand luggage is literally emptied so travel light and again you gotta identify your baggage only then it goes with u.
Its a good thing but then it can be quite annoying. To add to it we did indulge a bit last minute at the airport souvenir shops.
And in no time with heavy hearts and bags we were flying above the mountains away from them back to the mundane city lives totally into a different set up without any similarity of life there, literally north to south. :)
One more heavenly place explored, encountered one more way of living and my belief grows stronger that I am just a little spec in the grand beautiful world with a need to discover more of it. 

Juley @ LEH

LEH TRIP

Day - 1 - 18-06-16  -  Delhi-Leh (11500Ft)

Acclimatized - Hotel Glacier View- So we were in Leh, land bound by two of the world's mightiest mountain ranges, the Great Himalaya and the Karakoram, it lies athwart two others, the Ladakh range and the Zanskar range. Ladakh is also known as the land of passes. That was the knowledge for the starters.

Our Hotel Glacier View was lovely and the view from the window was spectacular, with directly over looking the Leh Palace.

We decided to explore and get some Leh local food and found a place called Summer Harvest and had the traditional Thupka. We went back to the hotel to rest, again by the coffee time we stepped out to the place around the corner called Hidden North Cafe and dint have much just Lemon cake, Yak Cheese, chocolate donut, cinnamon roll, which were all yummy. There was a cultural folk dance show organized in the hotel which was lovely, the ladies wore very bright colored ethnic wear and the men wore their traditional wear too and the ladies danced very elegantly and gracefully whereas the dance by the men was more in the lines of the war hence they danced with props such as swords and other weapons. The dances signified the celebration of climates and animals such as the home coming of the rare birds and harvests etc. 

Day - 2 - 19-02-16

Next morning we felt better and went out for sightseeing. First we went to the White Shanti Stupa from where the view is spectacular, later went to the Sankar Gompa where the Buddhist monks till day live, it has some very old art and construction. After lunch at Chengspa road and missing the driver the  shopped at the local Tibetan flee market and bought some local blue famous torquise stone and coral and flags and the prayer wheels and the chimes. We managed  to find our driver and went to the Palace - Now the Leh Palace is on the Mountain with a temple on a higher Mountain next to it which is the view from one hotel. The Leh Palace has in total 9 Floors on a mountain usually people end up going upto the 2nd floor, between the 2^nd and 3^rd floor has a beautiful shrine and 3rd floor has a balcony overlooking the 2nd floor terrace and has a birds view of the full city.

Not used to the altitude any little physical activity is tiring. We rested for a while in our hotel and left the hotel for our evening snack again at Hidden North Cafe and treated ourselves to some yummy treats, then we proceeded to the market where we did some more local shopping and explored some more places. We stopped by at this famous German Bakery called the Gezmo and got Lafa (v/nv) packed for  dinner. The sweet treats were really sweet.

Day - 3 - 20-6-16  

Leh - Alchi - Ule Ethenic resort - we packed our original bags and left them at Leh and took a small bag for an overnight stay at Alchi. We started by 9:30am and reached the rafting point at 11:00am where we did raft in the Zanskar river which confluences with the Indus river. The rivers were calm and so were we. The view was breath taking with the soft blue sky above with the rough brown mountains surrounding us and we floating by in the cementish zanskar river, which was an palate of one of God's scribbles of art.

The river is of a muddy colour but as we jumped in the river during our rafting the water was clean unlike the suggestive colour. 

Rafting per head costs Rs. 1450/- per head and they provide us with the body suit, helmet, life jacket and shoes. We got done by 2:00pm and stopped at the first place to have lunch, it was a new home run place where the lady of the house made fresh momos from scratch in front of us and served us with lovely home grown chamomile tea and the famous sweet Sattu (Sattu is a kind of local flour which they mix with frsh home made butter and serve as a thick batter). Our driver was eating with us too and the owner of the restaurant refused to charge him saying they dont charge their family. That day being a full moon day i.e poornima days it was festival time and they don't have non veg anywhere in Leh. 

After our scrumptious lunch we walked around in the monastery which was a cluster of monasteries within and was spread over a big campus. One of the rooms was fascinating as the Lord Buddha idol was atleast 40' feet high. The other room had the famous buddhist art work of a mandala which they had done during the festival time, last year and preserved it in a glass table top. The other room had a famous statue of the buddha which had a face on all 4 sides - North, South East West. 

The Alchi monastery is wonderful and time just flew by. We headed off to our resort in Alchi which was a natural wonder. Every cottage/room was designed in a way, where every cottage had 3 walls of glass and you could see the sky, mountains and the river flowing below. 

Day - 4   21-06-16

The morning was eventful thanks to me, as in the process of unlocking my friend’s room door I snapped the key and the rescue operation became a crisis operation. It was fun though, and what was better was what followed - the breakfast, where they served crepes and pancakes with nutella. The hotel staff was warm and their breakfast was the best. It was time for us to hit the road to Leh and we reached in good time for lunch and reached our hotel - Glacier View and rested for awhile.

 We had to meet Blanka (Wippassi - Nature Lover etc.,) at 5pm at german bakery which was walkable from our hotel. She told us her fascinating stories and we were pretty struck with the thoughts even after. 

Post that we went shopping and our friends treated themselves with some hot and fresh road side popular kababs rolled in a roti, and sources told me they were delicious..

I bought some Tanka Paintings and we stopped by at a place called World Cafe for dinner which was quite known for its wood oven fresh pizza. 

We packed up and hit the bed as we had to leave the following morning for Nubra Valley.

Day - 5  22-06-16

By 8am we started our journey to Nubra Valley and within the first 30 mins we reached the first check post where we had to file 2 forms and get the permits and further ahead there was a 2^nd check point. It would have been a lovely sight with the stream passing by and a small little cafeteria along side it. However, what we had was a stream flowing by and a lot of men taking a leak along side it, with a lot of chips packets and empty plastic bottles thrown around. What humans add value to a glorifying place such as this is disgusting.

Once we hit the rough road everything was heavenly considering the view. As we ascended amidst the snow capped mountain ranges after a good 2 hours drive we reached the highest motorable point – The Khardungla Pass- where we could not stay for more than 20 mins due to the thin air. It was over crowded and polluted at every level – right from the air as the generator vent was right on our faces and there was litter everywhere. If not the air the pollution would kill us. We finally managed to take the ceremonial picture in front of the road stand stating Khardungla Pass, which is quite a task considering the crowd. There is a very cute cafeteria which serves hot tea and maggi and some snacks. The shrine and the flags fascinated me and I was quite thrilled with the white snow covered accessible mountain in the background with the colourful bright flags with the bikes parked in front of them. The ladies washroom was used as a trash can, guess people there dint think women might need a washroom.

We once again hit the rough road to proceed to Nubra Valley and reached by 2pm. Our resort was a wonderful and they welcomed us warmly and the lunch was simple yet satisfying and we felt rejuvenated after the lunch and some rest. Once we got back we headed to Hodur Sandunes where we sat on the rare short double humped camels and there was a little calf which followed us through very cutely. The Diskit area is the town center and the 32feet high statue of Maitreya Buddha is there and is maintained by the Diskit Monastry. It’s a tall bright statue and its amazing how beautiful the bright colors appear with the white on the background along with the Shyok river. After this we headed back to our beautiful luxurious resort, where there was wi-fi which we never used, a hammock tied between 2 trees which I swayed on and a terrace awaited us with a sky full of stars just until they shied away to the glorious rising full moon. It was the next night of the full moon and it was as radiant as the previous night. We just sipped on our local brewed barley with yeast, fermented drink called the “The Chang”- its tangy and sharp but the amazing chocolate soufflé, which was the dessert of the day on the menu evened it out. It was just perfect. Life was marvelous and I am lucky.

Day 6- 23-06-16

Next morning we woke up in extremely comfortable rooms amidst the snowcapped mountains and short greens outside our glassed walls. It was unreal, the serenity and purity was over whelming, why do u need walls when the snowcapped mountain are the boundary walls and why do need locks when the Sun and the moon are guarding over you. The resort was designed in such a wonderful way that even the washrooms had a spectacular view. Nubra Valley treated us well and we were just too sad to leave though the idea of going to Pangong lake pepped us up on the way.

We headed back to Leh but we could have gone directly to Pangong Lake, about half way to Leh there is a diversion which goes to Pangong, however our trip was planned to be a bit relaxed. We visited the Thiksey Monastery where the wall paintings were just brilliant.. I sat there for some time as the Buddha statue is beautiful and was extremely peaceful, it just demanded for a meditative moment.

By this time Leh being our center point, we had started to feel like locals in Leh, my frds had their favorite kabebs and I am sure to have picked more souviniers. We had our favourites which surely included the small restaurant on the corner “Hidden North Café” which served our fav ginger lemon honey tea and a lot of good stuff.

Day 7 – 24-06-16

We started our journey packing our warmest jackets which we dint use all through the trip and prepared for the last and the roughest drive of our journey. Our driver punctual and we loaded our bags, a pack of mineral water and ourselves in the car and hit the road. Our first point was the Magnetic Point where we halted for abit just to experience the reverse gear on the first gears and moved ahead on reverse gears. It was funny, like one of those elliptical movements. We saw a lot of bikers going uphill without any effort and roads are rough but it was eventful. A little ahead and we saw marmouts ( A cuter version of mangoose and they were very friendly animals), we stopped by to pet them and they were so smart to come to us in expectation of some cookies, though the boards says not to feed them. They are now a rare species and are just found around this area. As we moved ahead the road become rougher and more scenic. We spotted wild horsed which have been around this area for as long as the locals can remember. Its amazing to know how these animals have settled here in such less numbers just like the humans and are able to cope up with living for generations adapting to the rough nature and weather. The road was tough and finally we crossed one bridge and got on to a turning which has a small belt of places to eat and there are paid toilets which were totally worth it although the food was not that great but its still food at that height. The river flows along side the area and its refreshing to dip your feet. There is also a police station there with a very good looking cop there.

We finally reached Pangong Lake after 7-8 hours of a body tearing drive but the blues on the sky and the pangong lake all at once rejuvenated us and made it all worth it. It was just breath taking and spectacular. We were awestruck in the womb of Leh Ladaakh. Here we technically got downgraded in order to get an upgrade as we got tents closer to the lake coast from the once a bit further away. The moment we reached there, we just dumped our stuff in our respective tents and hit the coast. Needless to say water was freezing cold it had a lot of rocks and just as we settled ourselves there was a sudden rush of horses which galloped away and it was such a movie moment, I thought things like this only happened in movies. We were told that the china border was up ahead and the guide guided us with all the history but we were lost in the magic of valley.

They made us some hot snacks and then they served us dinner which was all decent and made from the glacier water :/ . They informed us that the lights (Generator) would be off by 7:30pm and just the dinning tent would have lights until 8pm and we had dinner and a friend of mine wasn’t quite feeling well. She ate a whole lot of tablets and dint feel right until 10 and then we decided to give her some oxygen from the cans we had brought.

The night there was one of the best nights I have ever spent. It was dark once all the tent lights were switched off. The stars twinkled like nowhere else and the lake reflected it with the mountains helping the light effects. It was not just pristine it was heaven, I stayed awake outside my tent in the cold dark night looking up at the sky in hope of sighting a shooting star and hurray, I did. Was a high point for a star gazer like me and needless to say one of the most amazing view. The moon calmly rose from behind the mountains over powering the tiny stars and ruled the sky. The whole night with the snow capped mountains, almost a full moon rising and the reflection of it in the pristine Pangong Lake was a moment to understand that the world is beautiful in its natural form. The motivation to go on with my quest of plotting shooting stars in unexplored territories just became stronger. The Moon rose high and the night was getting chilly and hence making me go back and get cozy in my tent bed.

Day 8 – 28-06-16

We woke up to the blue skies mountains and the blue pangong. We had hot puri bhaaji for breakfast which was made fresh in the glacier water and we gobbled it up happily. We got ready and headed off to the commonly known spot as “3 Idiots” place. The drive was rough and gave us the feel of the 4 wheel offloading drives. The white sand and the blue waters with the mountains reflecting its grand self upside down, made the world look perfect even in the topsy turvy still reflection. The canopy had lots of colorful flags tied around the pillars and it just looked too cute. The black rot iron canopy on the white sand with the Pangong blue lake along it and mountains standing tall with blue skies above with the bright colourful prayer flags and ofcourse me in the canopy was surreal. White is Bright I thought.

We sadly departed and headed towards Leh. The drive shook us up inside out but went on. It was sad to see that the roads were being laid by the workers and they asked for food and we gave them all we had but it was sad. The roads are closed half the year and by march - april as they open the military starts to re stock their resources for the year by having there trucks re-stocked from Shrinagar. I was told that in all of Leh there was no match box from February to April 2016.

On our way back to Leh we stopped at the famous Hemis Monastery which is the wealthiest monastery in Ladakh belonging to the Red Sect - it is here each summer that plays are held and Ladakhis from all parts of the country visit Hemis, its grand and there were works going on to prepare for the kumbh mela which was scheduled about 15 days from then. We visited the army museum and did manage to see the other local attractions in Leh.

Its amazing how they survive. They are happy to have apricots, yak milk and cheese and stay through until summer. Upon reaching back to Leh we had no energy to do much and just crashed realizing the body aches.  We had an early morning flight to Delhi so just packed and crashed.

Day 9 - 29-06-2016

End of another marvelous trip and flight back to Delhi. The Leh airport is small and the security is just not too sharp. The scanning and all is just formality. But what a place. It’s a must visit while you can survive the strain and if you love nature…