There’s a very simple reason I had to take a break from posting on my blog for the past few weeks – “No internet connection.” There are some places where WiFi moves at the pace of a snail and with frustration you have no option but to disconnect yourself from the outside world and enjoy the present moment. How I got to this place, well, keep on reading and you will find out soon.
So, few weeks ago, the heat wave, pollution and family drama in Mumbai was just too much for me, so I decided to venture somewhere in India. After googling, asking friends and reading so many trip suggestions, the scenic beauty and harsh climate of Ladakh seemed to be calling my name. I was debating whether I should go to Dharamsala and take a 10 day silent meditation course but I was not ready to do another intense learning after one month of intense yoga training. So, I settled on Ladakh in-spite of my parents not being happy that I was going to such a cold environment and, secondly, they wanted me to stay longer with them.
My friend Silvana, who I had met at the Yoga Teacher Training in Goa, connected me with her travel agent, Rigzin of Summit Adventures, in Ladakh. I booked my flights and informed Rigzin that I would like to prepare the itinerary once I get there. I wanted to just get there and figure out how I feel before I commit to anything which has its pros and cons. Pro being that I get to customize my trip and con being that it would cost me more. Since I didn’t have much time to plan this trip, I was ok with paying a bit more. I had 8 full days to relax, explore, connect with nature and mingle with the locals.
All I had known about Ladakh is that it’s heaven on earth and the land of high passes, in fact more than 20. Of all the months, I had chosen to go now when it is super cold, where temperatures can range from 5 degree celsius to -10 degree celsius depending on the cities I was planning to explore in Ladakh. Also, it is situated at the highest altitude, and can range from 9,000 to 18,000 feet above sea level. I had not given much thought to the weather or high altitude sickness, because I was just too excited to be going somewhere I can decompress and get some clarity about where I was heading in life.
Having lived in Chicago, I kinda knew what I would need for harsh winter climate and I am so glad I took the following items during this trip:
Wind breaker winter jacket, couple of sweaters, warm leggings, wool socks, woolen hat, waterproof snow hiking boots, scarves, lip balm, sunscreen, UV sunglasses, snacks, Elephant balm, Almond oil, Doterra On Guard essential oil, moisturizing cream, hot water thermos, shampoo, body wash, hair gel, cotton balls, medication – diamox for AMS (Altitude Mountain Sickness), NyQuil for cold and cough, and Excedrin for headaches.
Things I wished I should have packed -shower sandals, bathrobe, hair dryer, electric blanket, medication for travel diarrhea.
I started doing cardio every morning to prepare myself for surviving in the high altitude when the oxygen level will be so low. To be honest, that was not enough because I was out of breath even if I climbed few steps.
I woke up at 3:30am for my 6am flight. Took the Uber and got there by 4:30am. All seemed to be sailing smoothly. I checked in my luggage at the GoAir check in counter, got my tickets and then whizzed through security. As I was in the washroom, I got a call from the
GoAir ticket agent that the bag scanners had found a powerbank in my luggage and that I had to come back to the gate. Since I had already cleared the security, they will have to send someone to escort me. I waited there 15-20 mins until the agent finally arrived and escorted me out of the security area after completing some paperwork.
The main reason I had bought the powerbank was due to electricity issues in small villages, and my rationale for not carrying the powerbank on me was that it might not be allowed so I kept it in the checked in luggage. After this debacle, I did some research and did find out that the airlines want you to carry the powerbank with you because if the battery exploded or caught fire, it is much easier to take care of the issue.
When I got back to the check in counter, another representative escorted me to the baggage screening area. To get there, we had to go through couple of security lines and manual entries had to be made on log my entry and exit. I was designated the code “Level 4.”
I finally arrived at the baggage screening area, they brought my luggage and asked me to remove the powerbank. I had to sign some documents and they stamped the “cleared” stamp on my boarding pass. It was 5:15am, so I had only 15 mins left before the doors of the flight would be closed. I headed towards the security check-in lines again which was on the different level. The situation at the security check-in was worse now. There were nearly hundreds of people waiting in lines. I wished the airline representative could have help me but he left me to figure it out for myself. I ignored all the other passengers waiting in lines and went directly to the front of the line. Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do so you don’t miss the flight. I was the last passenger and then the door closed behind me.
The flight left on time and we arrived in Delhi after being in the air for 2.5 hours. I was supposed to change flights in Delhi to go to Leh but the Captain announced that any passengers heading to Leh can stay on the same flight. This was the first for me, inspite of having been on more than 400 flights over the years. Watching the cleaning crew of 9, completely clean the entire flight in 10 mins was an interesting experience.
The passengers from Delhi to Leh started boarding. Most of them were Leh locals or those heading to work there, since flying was the only way to get to Leh because of road closures due to snow. Luckily I was able to get the window seat and as we were getting close to Leh, watching the landscape from high above was simply mesmerizing – snow cladded mountains. I wondered – which idiot in the world would want to risk their life and trek to the top of the mountain. But humans are known to embrace adversity for the sheer thrill of being able to tell or, should I say, shout at the top of their lungs that “I did it.”
On the other hand, I would prefer to hire a private car or helicopter to take me there. Just saying 😉
I arrived to Leh and my driver was waiting to take me to the hotel. I was in awe as we drove through the scenic mountains all around me. Yes, this is what I was looking forward to. I was greeted by Mr. Rigzin and his wife at the hotel. They served me fresh mint tea and cookies. We discussed what I wanted to experience part of this trip – meet the nomads and local artisans, spend time in nature, and visit the monasteries. Based on my wish, we prepared the itinerary. I wanted to explore Leh but was told that my first day has to be just eat, sleep and take the medicine Diamox, so my body can get acclimated to the high altitude. That’s what I ended up doing because the moment I started walking the steps to my room on the second floor, I realized how hard it was to breathe. Luckily, my bed was super comfy and, as I lay there, I could admire the beautiful view of the snow capped mountains from the window.
After the sun set, it was time to head for dinner and, as I opened the door, I was welcomed by the frigid cold wind. O’boy, this is what freezing cold Ladak evenings are made of! I had expected a heater in my room but that was not the case and hot water was only available in the morning for 2 hours. This was a rude awakening. I bundled myself and went to bed but was hard to sleep because the cold wind would freeze my nose and I had a hard time breathing. I tried to do “Bhramari,” the humming breathing technique I had learned in my yoga training to go to sleep but nope that didn’t help either. And on top of that, one the lights started flickering all night inspite of the switch been turned off. May be the room was possessed or the Universe wanted me to learn some lesson. Who knows, because I could hardly feel my frozen balls.
This was my wonderful first night in Ladakh. As Buddha would say, “Every morning we are born again.” Hmmm, we shall see..
