Inside Story - Tso Moriri and its legends

Here is my inside story mutilated by the hindu today...I would recommend that you dont read it in the papers, but  here

If you ever meet a  group of tourists, travelers, backpackers and photographers who have just returned from Ladakh, try asking them the question � � So which lake did you like  - Pangong Tso or Tso Moriri ? � You would have probably touched upon one of the most high voltage debates ever. As decibels level rise , you realize that that these two high altitude lakes in Ladakh  have loyal fan clubs .

I visited Tso Moriri towards the last leg of my Ladakh tour after camping a night out at Pangong Tso. I was so overwhelmed by the raving reviews from friends that I decided to leave Leh rather early in the day . It started raining just as we left. .Following the Indus and her course upstream, this was my first brush with the rains in the mountains and suddenly, the Ladakh that I knew - the cold, dry desert was transformed into a green plateau.

We  were in Changthang plateau , high up above 14000 feet, in the land of the nomadic Chungpas, who brave these harsh terrains, moving settlements , finding temporary shelters, travelling around with their yaks and goats, extracting salt from lakes and exchanging salt and pashmina wool for food . Their settlements were scattered around the pastures ; we saw a few yaks and goats grazing, while a few boys looked on. 

Dorjee ,my driver spoke to a few of them who offered to show us around the rebo or the tents made of yak skin. They would probably leave when the summer ends and follow their age old trails, trying to sustain their lives and livelihoods.

However Dorjee said that some of them are now living in permanent structures, and their lifestyles have changed.  �They even have bank accounts madam, � he exclaimed as we reached Korzok at 15000 feet near Tsomoriri. A remote village with about fifty houses and a 300 year old monastery, I caught it amidst the flurry of the tourist season. The monastery was getting ready for its festival as a few lamas were practicing their cham dance without masks or costumes though. Dorjee explained that the festival largely interpreted the victory of good over evil and the establishment of Buddhism in Ladakh. The legend goes back to the 9th century when a Buddhist monk killed king Lang dar ma who tried to uproot Buddhism in the region.

Dorjee was in a mood for more legends. But the lake was calling. Locals revered it as a sacred gift of the living planet. The azure waters sparkled liked a sea of emerald as the colours shifted from an indigo blue to sea green . The mountains formed a formidable backdrop, as the peaks  glistened with a coat of ice and snow.  

The waters seemed placid , but they had a tragic tale to tell. A young girl from Korzok , Tsomo was herding her yaks ,when one of them ran into the lake . Tsomo rushed towards the lake, yelling � Ri Ri Ri �calling out to the yak. But as she stepped on to the ice, the waters swallowed both of them .

A sudden sand storm blew over us as we stood on the banks of the lake ,listening to the folklore. Dorjee threw a few pebbles into the lake as we watched the circles of ripples . The sun was setting and the temperature suddenly dropped and it well below 0*C . Dorjee laughed as we quivered in our jackets , � This is summer madam, but wait for a couple of months, it will be - 30 *C . .� I walked to our tent and flapped the covers down . 

Months later, as I reminisce my Ladakh diary  , here is my verdict on the lakes . Personally I feel that they are incomparable and yes,  Tsomoriri is beautiful but my favourite will always be Pangong Tso .


Coming up soon - the experience of camping at Pangong Tso 

Skywatch - the cliff from Uluwatu temple in Bali

Pura Luhur Uluwatu or the Uluwatu temple in Bali is located right on top of a cliff and offers one of the most spectacular views of the sea and sky.

To see more beautiful skies around the world, visit Skywatch 

Inside Story - Meet Dorjee

This post is my entry for Indiblogger's  Expedia - Around the World Contest

I met Dorjee in a crowded market street in Leh.. A thin and wiry man with a weather beaten face, Dorjee seemed rather restless as he had a terse conversation with his boss and my guide, Tundup. We had just then landed in Leh and had stopped to discuss our ten day itinerary . �Dorjee will be with you from tomorrow for the whole trip, your driver and guide ,�said Tundup by way of introduction . He just nodded to us and left while Tundup escorted us to our guest house.

The sun shone right through the mountains , gently nudging us as I woke up to realize that Dorjee was already waiting for us, walking around restlessly. He was like any typical tourist driver who went about dropping us like a courier boy from one monastery to another. Tundup advised us �not to treat him like a taxi driver� but Dorjee seemed indifferent to all the conversation and chai that we offered him .

The only thing that seemed to excite him were Bollywood songs from Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin, Aashiqui and Saajan . It was like chalk and cheese � the music he played and the mood we were in . The Indus flowed out of the barren landscape leaving us in awe , as we went ahead with the monastery circuit.

Finally Dorjee decided to have some conversation with us . He warned us not to linger too long in Kardungala as we crossed the pass at 18380 feet enroute to Nubra valley. He then told us stories of how it had been closed due to heavy snow fall a few weeks ago and several tourists were trapped enroute .

But he eventually warmed up to us when we decided to camp out at Pangong Tso with another cook in tow.  Dorjee was very excited. He started playing romantic Ladakhi songs and started grinning sheepishly as he translated the corny lines to us. He told us about his family back home in Zanskar and the baby his wife is expecting. He was to visit them later in winter when the tourist season ends here.

The weather changed like Dorjee�s mood. The sun gave way to rains and it became a wee bit cold too. Dorjee stopped in the middle of the mountains and we had our breakfast � hot steamy momos, prepared by our cook. He took us to see the marmots and was very excited to see the black necked cranes.  We reached Pangong and Dorjee was the first to get off the jeep and set up the tents. He was agile, filled with insatiable energy and a never say die attitude.

Our driver had  become a travel companion. But we saw the real Dorjee � the man who packed a punch in his wiry frame,  a tough and strong man who would brave anything .

It happenned on the fag end of our Ladakh trip when we were returning to Leh via Tso kar .We had just entered the Taglang la pass at 17,500 feet when it started to snow. While I started taking photographs , Dorjee frowned. Coming from a man who would throw caution to the winds, the frown meant trouble. He urged us to get into the jeep and we barely crossed the pass when the snow storm started. Dorjee spied a truck on the opposite end struggling its way.

 We stopped and so did the truck. A bus with the local police force arrived behind us They walked around and threw up their hands .The snow filled up the roads steadily as more vehicles piled up on either side. It slowly became an hour and then many hours.  Dorjee shrugged when we asked him our chances. He said nonchalantly either the truck had to be thrown into the valley or we would have to wait and it could be days if the storm did not subside .  But we sensed the worry in his voice. Suddenly he lost patience.

He stepped out into the storm amidst our protests. Then I saw him through my binoculars, there was our man in  a cap, wearing a  thin navy blue jacket and ordinary shoes removing the snow from the road with his own hands.  Some foreigners joined him and they picked up a crude instrument. We offered to join him, but he told us to head back to the jeep.  Many hours later the road was cleared by Dorjee and a troop of men, while the police and other tourists sat in the jeeps and watched . � Happens all the time, but you are my responsibility, � he said, dusting the snow from his jacket as he got into the jeep.

However Dorjee did not just save the day - he just displayed what a Ladakhi spirit is.." madam, all of us locals..we fought in the kargil war..do you know that ..? was his parting shot as we drive down hill.

This story was published in my column, Inside Story in Metro Plus