I am back from the land of no phones and internet access, mountains of Laddakh. This is a beautiful and wonderous place, northern most parrt of India on which China (like it did on Tibbet before taking it over), and to some extent Pakistan, have had their eyes for a lonmg time. It is a truely wonderous place, with temperatures of down to minus 40-70C in winters. How Indian soldiers survive and manage to fight in that land is beyond me! But they do a wonderful job. If anyone is going there, visit to the Army Museum in the capitol Leigh is a must. They are sich wonderful, kind and patriotic people :-).

Well, on may way back, still sitting in the airpost lounge!

have a safe journey home :-)

Steve

Hi Mamta, that must be a wonderful experience. Did you visit other places in India?

Hi Ma

Can't wait to hear all about it.

x

I want to go to India!

This is Laddakh; http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=ladakh&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=Sed&pwst=1&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&prmd=ivnsm&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=CFciTu-2HonRhAfnmditAw&ved=0CHkQsAQ&biw=1600&bih=715 and http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=ladakh+lakes&hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&biw=1600&bih=715&prmd=ivns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=XVkiTuzpHouxhQe-y5CgAw&ved=0CFIQsAQ

They are not my pictures, but give you a good idea of its breathtaking beauty. It is very cold in winter, up to -40-70C, with most passes and roads closed, so can be visited only in summer. I took a few pictures only, will eventually post them on flickr or something. It is the border of India with China and Pakistan, which has been under attack from both, from time to time unfortunately. So there is a heavy army presence. But you see the army here at its best, benevolent, warm, friendly, looking after the locals (who are truly gentle and honest people), and tourists and visitors during summer, always eager to help. They help to maintain difficult passes and roads open, build new roads, bridges washed away every spring/summer and so on. On high mountain passes, they serve hot and sweet masala tea (they told me how to) visitors for a nominal charge. When we went to the highest pass (over 19,000ft), we had sweet, black tea, with masala and ginger. This is a place for reasonably fit people, because you do feel breathless (we did) at higher camps. Walking much is difficult, but young people can go on wonderful trekking/camping trips. Sun burns, so protection is essential. Last year, Laddakh suffered a calamity, called locally as 'Baadal Phatna' or Cloud Burst, when they had unimaginable, heavy rain for a few hours, literally clouds dropping down from sky, causing heavy floods, mud slides, damage and deaths. Army is helping to build all that up with Indian government.