CHAPTER 3: Ken and Cleo

Reflections at Pangong Lake

Our next destination after the monasteries of Leh, is Nubra Valley driving across KhardungLa pass, the highest motorable road in the world, that reaches an altitude of 18,380 ft. We also stop in Magnetic Hill and Sangam, where the Indus river meets Zanskar. 

The landscape constantly changes and if you are not driving and can enjoy the scenery, you are in for a real treat! The dark colors of the mountains create a beautiful contrast to the clear blue skies. All shades of brown, red, purple and grey color the peaks all around. The roads are narrow and steep with endless turns over deadly cliffs. The darkness of the mountains, rivers and valley slowly changes to lighter shades of brown as we carefully descend from the pass. Light browns, sandy colors and patches of green are now the dominant colors. Nubra Valley has it all: sand dunes with camels, green oasis where donkeys gather and rivers with colorful fish. An idillic scenery that will stay with me forever.

We stay overnight in a beautiful camp in Nubra Valley, where the house host welcomes us with delicious apples that he just picked from the trees in the garden and a warm cup of tea. My stay in Nubra is very peaceful and the next morning I wake up to the sound of the birds singing the start of a new day. I love waking up with the sun and going to bed shortly after it sets and in places like this it becomes easier to live with the rythm of nature. 

The Nubra Valley to Pangong Lake part of the journey sees us crossing Hunder Village, where we stop for lunch, Deskit Shyok Village and Durbuk for another 7 hours drive total along the most beautiful roads and scenery I have seen. 

Around lunch time we decide to stop in a small restaurant on the road. My driver seems to know the owners and sits with them to catch up, while I take a sit outside, where I can enjoy the views all around. There are only a few chairs and tables and shortly after I sit, a couple approaches me and asks me if they can take the chairs in front of me. I nod smiling. After a couple of interactions between each other, they turn towards me: “Are you traveling alone?” which seems to be the question everyone is eager to ask me. “Yes” I reply. “But I am never really alone. I meet interesting people constantly” 

Lunch with a view

And that is how I first met Ken and Cleo, a very interesting couple in their late thirties originally from Mumbai, but who are now living in London. The waiter comes by to get our orders. I go for aloo paratha, a typical Indian flat bread with spicy potatoes inside and topped with chutney, pickles and dhal and of course, a side of rice.  They opt for dosas and we all have warm ginger tea and chat our lunch away. It is amazing how many people we meet in our journey and I start to realize how the people I keep meeting during this trip, are somewhat on the same journey as I am. I reflect on this a lot while I journal and I come to the conclusion that, not only everyone we meet has something to teach us, but that we meet the people we do because they have something specific to teach us. In order to understand what is it though, we have to be attuned and connected with the deeper part of ourselves. In this case, Ken and Cleo represent this more spiritual phase of my life and my search for something more.

Cleo, just like me, recently quit her job as it didn’t resonate with her any longer and started traveling and taking time to do the things she really loves doing and that she never had he time to do when working long hours. She was the manager of a company and had a team of 100 people under her, her working hours were ridiculous and schedule hectic. 

Ken is a physicist and entrepreneur, he has a start up company where he combines his passion for meditation and spiritual practices with his knowledge of physics, science and algorythms to help others. We all share an interest in meditation, yoga and a thirst for self knowledge and exchange opinions on our practices and where we are on our spiritual journeys. Ken has been meditating for over 10 years, he was born in it in a way as his parents were also very devoted to their morning practices and prayers. Cleo started recently meditating in a more constant way, but has always practiced yoga and pranayama. “I keep telling her to get her diploma and teach so she can do what she loves and help others with it” says Ken, who seem to have a level of wisdom along with self awareness and confidence that I truly envy. I then tell them about my purpose of traveling India, about the yoga teacher training course in Rishikesh and the thirst for something more meaningful in my life, for a purpose, something I didn’t feel I had back home in the environment I was in.  “You have already distinguishing yourself form the 99% of the people who are not interested in deepening their spiritual knowledge. But it is a journey, it requires constant work, practice, devotion and self examination. If you think about where you were 6 months ago or one year ago and you are in a better place, then it means you are on the right path. And once you start walking the right path, the right people will come to you, you will not have to look for them.” So keep practicing and find what kind of practice works best for you. You are in for a beautiful ride on this journey.” These are the types fo conversations that my soul truly longs for. This is exactly why I am here, to meet people like Ken and Cleo, who will inspire me and contribute to my spiritual growth. 

After lunch, we sadly say goodbye and promise to keep in touch and see each other again perhaps the next day at Pangong Lake. 

Once I arrive at the camp, I sit outside my tent and spend the late afternoon admiring the ever changing colours of the lake. The shadows of the clouds seem to be dancing in harmony with the hills. 

When night falls, thousands of stars paint the sky in what is the most magical show nature has gifted me. And for a moment I experience  pure bliss and onennes with the Universe.