Mine and Lalits thoughts captured at the end of the day from the Journal.
26th Jun (Sunday)
- The trip starts 35 days of vacation.. off to Delhi-Manali-Leh
27th Jun (Monday)
- Trains in India have not changed in the last 10-15 years
- There continues to be a severe lack of waste management everywhere & on trains
- "People Will leave things. As is where is" - improve the system and people will respect it ?
28th Jun (Tuesday)
- The stations need to improve, Okla station "the entry was full of much"
- Shatabdi (Delhi to Kalka) - "Excellent, Euro Class". Time and money efficient.
- Pahadgunj 'Heard of it many times, First time there'. A pretty filthy street.
- "Are we living in an Oasis in Bangalore ?"
29th Jun (Wednesday)
- Shimla and Mr. Bindra the 'Photo wala' who still uses 'Burmese Paper'
- Alfa restaurant with the excellent food and views from the windows (both Front and Back)
- The Kalka Shimla Heritage train journey. Good views but the speed sucks.
30th Jun (Thursday)
- In Manali now. The walk after Vashist Temple. The falls and smoking point next to the stream and Korean restaurant.
- Lunch and Beyond at Evergreen Cafe.(old manali)
- The score (Good and the bad wait) & Tashi Topgyal.
1st July (Friday)
- First good coffee of the trip (Amigoes German bakery + Honey nut). A good spanish breakfast with spinach omlette.
- Peed on the way to Rohtang and ate Bhutta. Rani Nala bad roads.
- Mika and Asha. The dutch women.
- Night halt at open tent (lalits stargazing between 2-3am)
2nd July (Saturday)
- Baralacha La - the first views of a glacial filled valley from here and being at the end point of the Chandartal-Baralachala Trek.
- Start of the rivers from Glaciers to streams to rivulets to a river (making of the Indus)
- Tanglang La was the Roof of the hills around us. The first Head ache are felt here, acclimatization begins ?
- Worlds highest transit camp
- Claudi and the the Tirunelveli female
3rd Jul (Sunday)
-'Summer Kitchen' Lunch
- Nangso guest house , a quite and peaceful place.
- Candle light at Leh Cafe
- Discovery of a friendly cafe "Desert Rain" in Nausher Market. The best cafe in Leh (for me)
4th July (Monday)
- Bike ride to Thiksey and the sunset ride beyond the airport
- Thiksey monastery was great and peaceful. Bhudhism , 6 stages of life and the view of the green and dry divide all across Ladakh /Leh.
- Winter gear purchase as a bargain. 'North Face' jackets and shoes + Sleeping bag
- Dinner at 'Tibetan Kitchen' with Pankaj 'Surgeon', Prisellia , Mika + Asha. Best fired Momos here.
5th July (Tuesday)
- Ride to pangang so lake. And 'Soni' the pashminas.
- The wet cowboy cap and its final burial in a trash can (good lake side breeze)
- Sunset views and the walk beyond the flags including the photography walk.
- Midnight hospital run and the tail of an unknown mountain creature. Yeti ? Snow Leopard? Lost dog?
6th July (Wednesday)
- Oldest Theater in Leh. End of the search for 'Koflach' shoes (Siachen shoes) , quality vs cost vs utility vs bragging rights.
- Dinner of Wheat bread, Jam & Cheese.'Tang Party' organized by Pearl.
7th July (Thursday)
- Rafting in Zanskar.from Scorpoche to Nemo (confluence of Zanskar and Indus). Lalit replacing the 'expert' Pearl at the front.
- Jumping into the water. Thermal shock in the freezing balls and hands.
- Wonderful outdoor home cooked meal at 'Wimbeldon Guest house'. Rajma, palak, alu n chawal.
- Meeting 'Samara' and 'Patricia' the spanish girls. Organizing the Nubra trip.
8th July (Friday)
- Topless bums at Khardungla. A bet for a bottle. Still to come by.
- Hot springs from the Rock face, the dam building and Rock Climbing. How water shower in the bath.
- Double humped camels, Pearl the water baby in the stream and me and pearl as the 'Camel Rider'
- Hungry Lalit gorging on the biryani and loosing it in parts over the night.
- Nice trip with Particia and Samara
9th Jul (Saturday)
- Good breakfast at 'Summer Harvest'
- Leh palace and views
- Patch up tea with Stanzin.
- Farewell dinner for Pankaj, Priscilla, Asha and Mika. Again bumping into spanish girls with Matt.
- Buying the North face pants.
10th July (Sunday)
- Mask Festival in Hemis. With the violent and abusing firangs (European and Italian) White bearded 'dadiyal' jumping around for pics and the trigger happy 'Thai' with the huge cameras.
- Red Masked dancer posing away including the shoes and hands.
- Watermelon, fried rice and chole bhature lunch.
- Riverside nap and relaxation.
- Our stuck car and the clevevr Sardarji helping with the science of removing it.
Leh (Overall)
- Consistently bad toilets
- Ginger Lemon Honey Tea discovered
- Very poor waste management in India
- A bullet ride to Thinksey
- Meeting a lot of interesting travelers.
- thoughts recorded. Signing off.
