"It feels like life is flying against the wind, in the direction of my dreams and where the soul finds tranquillity. With every new view that these golden mountains offer, it seems to rejuvenate me. In a blink of an eye, all my sorrows appear nothing as compared to the life I have been given. There’s a magical golden light being showered upon the streets of Leh, and there’s a moment of zest being showered upon me. In moments like these, I feel infinite."
Yes, that is how I define Leh. It’s not just a tourist place but a pilgrimage for anyone who loves to travel with no set agenda, someone who does not like to stay in classy hotels and follow a tourist guide.
When I got on the plane, I had no idea what an amazing flight it would be. From the window seat of an aeroplane, Leh is nothing but just a pile of sand with thick layers of salt over it. However, you are not allowed to click pictures from the aeroplane due to government regulations. When you land at Leh, you explore it as a beautiful amalgamation of whites, browns, and blues. Usually, on day one, you are advised to take rest no matter how ecstatic you are. The reason is Acclimatization. Leh, Ladakh is situated at an altitude higher than 10,000 feet. Therefore, visitors may suffer from dizziness, headache, shortage of oxygen and acute mountain sickness. So, to prevent such health issues, they are advised to take rest and acclimatize.
The best mode of travelling is to rent a bike for visiting nearby places like the Hall of Fame. It was built by the Indian Army to honour the martyrdom of soldiers who lost their lives in the Kargil War. Leh is also famous for the confluence of the two main rivers - Zanskar and Indus. The Sangam delivers an iconic view as two different coloured rivers merge.
One of the most prominent places to visit is Magnet Hill. The Hill is a Cyclops Hill that creates an optical illusion of a hill. The hill road is a downhill road. Objects and cars on the hill road may appear to roll uphill in defiance of gravity when they are, in fact, rolling downhill. The villagers believe that there once existed a street that drove individuals to paradise. The individuals who properly merited were pulled to the way specifically while the individuals who didn’t merit would never make it there.
If you are someone who loves road trips, Khardungla Pass is just for you. Khardungla Pass, Nubra Valley and Pangong Tso are three gems of Leh. Khardungla Pass is the world’s highest motor-able pass with an elevation of 5,359 m. The road trip is scary, to say the least, as the road is narrow and has high chances of landslides. However, when you reach the peak, you are often welcomed by a delicious bowl of Maggi and hot coffee. The real adventure has just begun. Our next stop is a place that is perfect for stargazing. Nubra Valley is a paradise that gives a traveller myriad of opportunities to discover nature. The best way to explore the night sky is through camping. Nubra Valley is also famous for its double-humped camel ride. Nature has its ways of making a distinction between the same species to suit the climate. According to the Research, the one-hump camel evolved out of the double-hump, with the extra hump disappearing due to evolutionary adaptation for hot-desert conditions. Nubra is also a few hours away from a very prominent place, Kargil. It is the second largest town in Ladakh which saw infiltration by the Pakistani forces in 1999 leading to the Kargil War.
Remember Chatur saying out loud, “Jahapana Tussi Great Ho, Tofu Kabool Karo” at the end of the movie 3 Idiots? Yes, that beautiful scenery is for real, and it exists in India. It takes seven hours to reach Pangong Tso, which is a place that can be found in every traveller’s bucket list. On the way, you encounter little Himalayan Marmots playing around, and they’ll certainly melt your hearts. Seven hours is indeed a very long road trip, but the scenic view that the trip has to offer is more engaging. While you are awestruck by the view, Pangong Tso subtly appears as a blue spot from a distance. The colour of the lake changes constantly, from blue to red to green and is one of the highest altitude lakes in the world that is filled with saline water. However, due to its proximity to the Sino Indian Border, the lake is heavily guarded by the Army. Pangong Tso is beyond everyone’s imagination and certainly offers a breathtaking view. While returning back to the Leh District, you come across the school where the movie 3 Idiots was shot. The lake and the school are actually miles apart from one another.
So, Leh is not just any other place on Earth but heaven itself. When you are in Leh, travelling is not at all about the destination or the places you visit, but rather about the scenic beauty that the journey has to offer. It makes you explore the beauty of the Himalayan mountains and its people. Life in Leh has flourished over the years, and it just surprises any outsider, how can life flourish in such a rugged yet beautiful environment? The answer lies in the enchanting Himalayan mountains that turns every speechless human into a storyteller.
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