CHAPTER 1: Ladakh

Sitting on the plane that will take me from Delhi to Leh, I start thinking of the wonderful adventures ahead of me and I am eager to arrive. As I don’t have too much time before the start of my yoga teacher training course in Rishikesh, I had decided to fly to Leh, even if it was not recommended due to the altitude. 

The best and most scenic way to reach Leh from Delhi is driving via Manali road, passing through Karnal, Mandi, Manali, Jispa, Sarchu and Tanglang La a 1244 km journey through some of the most beautiful, yet challenging roads of India. Stopping for at least a couple of days before reaching the highest parts of the journey, allows your body to slowly adjust to the altitude, that reaches 17585 feet above sea level at Tanglang La (claimed to be the second highest motorable road in India)

Gompa at KhardungLa Pass

I remember reading a lot of blogs and other material about Ladakh before my trip and listening to many stories of other people who had been and I particularly recall the description of some explorers, who rented those classic vintage bullets bikes and rode them for days through the different passes and cities. They would describe the experience as one of the most memorable of their lives and this made me long for the same kind of experience. The more I read, the more I fantasized about venturing on these iconic, endless roads cutting through scenic passes, surrounded by plateaus of vastity. 

Ladakh Valley

Fantasizing and visualizing your trip before it actually happens, I believe, is such an important part of the traveling experience, just like it is admiring pictures of dishes of a restaurants you cannot wait to try. There is something about the appreciation for the anticipation of what is going to come that I find immensely enjoyable and that, in my opinion, enriches the whole experience. On this occasion, for lack of time, my fantasies on two wheels remained as such and I opted for the quickest way there. 

After 1 hr and half of flight, I reached Leh airport, probably one of the smallest airports I have ever seen, with only two luggage carousels. As I exit the airport, I find my driver on the main road, who welcomes me with the most genuine smile and instantly makes me feel right at home. I will be spending the next 10 days with him driving around Ladakh and the first impression I have of him, puts me at ease and really sets the tone for the remaining of our journey together. I hope I had the same impact on him.

Coming from Delhi, the first thing I notice is the calm, quiet and peaceful attitude of the Ladakhi people here, which contrast the colorful personalities of Indians. They seem to value and respect silence, whether on the roads (I have not heard a single car honking!) or during human interactions. 

They speak in a calm and quite tone and they truly take their time searching for the words they are going to say. Another great characteristic of the way they talk is that there is no filling in the silence with empty words, something we tent to do quite often in western cultures. Italians do it with curse words, Americans do it with slang words and fillers, words that are not necessary and do not convey or add any meaning to the conversation. I come to realize there are no such words in their vocabulary at all. Language tells so much about a culture and I feel very aligned to this beautiful culture already. They value pauses in between words and their rythm is a slow melody that reminds me of the Buddhist mantras (Om Mani Padma Om). 

Silence becomes very comfortable right away and I quickly adjust to this delicate rythm that I will find myself following, not only when I speak, but also when I walk and breath. Sloooow, loooong breaths. (like Swami Ji used to say while teaching us the Anapana technique, during our meditation class in Rishikesh)

The streets as well, are nothing like the noisy chaotic traffic jams of Delhi, where nobody is really following any rules (apart from the honking rule!) but everyone seems to know what everybody else will do and trust each other in a dance of intricate tetris of cars, perfectly flowing in organized chaos. 

No, the roads of Leh are ruled by respect and organized peace.

Ladakh Roads

Have you ever seen a country that has street signs with thoughtful sentences that rhyme, to bring awareness to the driver? 

Here are some pearls of wisdom you will find while driving through Ladakh:

Don’t be a Gama in the land of Lama 

Lower your gear, curve is near 

East or West, safe driving is best 

This tells a lot about a culture. Very thoughtful, creative, compassionate and mindful. Obviously the fact majority of the area is Buddhist has a lot to do with this awareness and you really breath this delicate consciousness in the air. I am deeply taken away and already feel in love with this unique place.

Murals in Hemis Monastery

 After arriving at the hotel and dropping off my back pack, I immediately venture out. 
I like to feel each place when I first arrive and I sense this town calls for a slow walk. 
I decide to go back towards the school I noticed while driving from the airport to the hotel. As I walk and breath in slowly, I recall the words of Tichh Nhat Hanh in his book “The Miracle of Mindfulness” where he describes how everything we do should be done with our full attention towards this task, whether it’s eating, speaking, walking or breathing. A concept that seems so simple and yet it is so difficult as it requires great concentration and attention. How mindful are we when we eat? Are we really paying attention to every bite we take without letting our minds drift away? Or are we eating while thinking about what we will have to do in the afternoon? Being Mindful and being fully present in the now, without shifting our attention to what will come next, allows us to fully enjoy the very thing we are doing and it enhances the whole experience. So I commit to be fully present and focus on my walking, trying to coordinate each step with my breath. As I find myself enjoying the process, I walk past a group of sleepy dogs all lined up on the side of the street, living perfectly in tune with the rhythm of Ladakh and I smile at the coherence and perfection of the Universe.

Sleepy dogs outside the school

After about 15 minutes of mindful walking, I reach the cricket field next to the University, where two teams are playing and group of friends watching the game. This scene has somewhat of a familiar feeling and I decide to stop and watch the game myself. The sun, heat and the altitude are also making it harder and harder to breath while I walk, for as slow as my pace is and resting for a while seems like a wonderful idea.

I pick a spot on the left side of the field not too far from a family probably cheering their son. Sitting on the benches, I feel as I am part of this town already. 
I am not familiar with the rules of cricket ( I have never even fully understood baseball and lived in the  States for 8 years!) but I enjoy the atmosphere of it all.. the agility in which the players move on the field, how they communicate with each other, the cheering (still modest and in low tone) of their friends from the benches and the scenery all around.
The majesty of the mountains surrounding the cricket field are the perfect frame to this beautiful painting. I take a deep breath in and feel a sense of gratitude for being able to participate in this moment, with these familiar strangers.

Cricket Game at Ladakh University

The sun is rising high in the sky and it is getting extremely warm. I  suddenly realize it is 1 pm, I have no hat, and being that is September in north east India, this doesn’t seem to be the smartest thing to do at the beginning of my trip, so I decide to go back to the hotel and rest for a while before my guided tour of the city as scheduled in my program.