Day 4 in Ladakh ~ from Nubra Valley to TurTuk to Hunder and back.
The warm rays of the sun in the morning was a nice treat in the otherwise freezing cold room. I woke up and sat in the sun to warm my body and get it ready for my morning yoga routine.
Thankfully, there was hot water for shower. Hallelujah!!! I felt like a new person, all clean, warm and fresh. Had a light breakfast before heading over to TurTuk.
The 3 hour drive through the desert, colorful mountains, bridges, rivers and villages was a feast to the eyes.
Along the way, we met yak herders who were taking the yaks to the coldest part of the mountains since Yaks can’t survive in warm weather.
The ride over different mountainous terrain just kept me occupied with its beauty. In fact, driving over the longest wooden bridge where only one car can go at a time over the bridge was unnerving and fascinating at the same time. You could hear the wooden beams making the thumping tik-tok noise as the car drove over the bridge. After we passed on the other side of the bridge, we decided to take a break, so I could enjoy the beautiful view from the bridge and mingle with the tourists from Thailand. Plus a great time to capture those insta worthy shots.
Finally, we arrived near the village of TurTuk. My driver inquired if I wanted to hike the mountain which would lead me to the village in an hour. I opted to hike and explore nature. We agreed on meeting at the main bridge in town. As I started walking up the mountain trail, I immediately realized that It would not be easy as I thought because of low oxygen. I took my own sweet time without being too hard on myself. As I reached to the top, I was pleasantly greeted by the apricot and cherry blossom farms. I walked through the farmlands and then came across a wood worker busy in his craftsmanship. I passed through a school where the kids were playing outside. The little girls had a headscarf 🧕and the moment they saw me, they tried to hide their face but the boys were happy to show off their soccer skills.
A narrow passageway led me to the village, and the houses were tiny with doors small enough for a hobbit to walk in comfortably. Felt like this town was stuck in time. There was something beautiful of this village which I can’t explain in words. I later learned that this village being on the border with Pakistan was only open for tourists to visit in 2010. May be that’s the reason it was very ancient looking. I did feel grateful for all that I’ve in my life as well as was able to appreciate the simple and humble life of the villagers.
I was lost couple of times finding my way to the main bridge but the locals were super nice to help me out and I got to talk with them about their day to day life.
Met my driver near the bridge, had lunch and then he directed me to the museum aka the summer palace.
Met the Prince, who is more like a pauper now, lives in the Palace Museum. Was very fascinating to meet him and hear about the history of his ancestors. Due to India’s partition, he ended up with the summer house in India whereas his cousin ended up the palace in Pakistan.
After the adventure of TurTuk, we drove back to the Nubra Valley and on the way stopped at Hunder, known for its sand dunes and double hunchback woolly camels. I really enjoyed my time with the adorable camels before heading back to the hotel.
