This was the last leg of our trip...can't believe it came upon us so soon!! But then no regrets, this was indeed an HIMALAYAN GRIND! The drives were taking a toll on our backs...we surely had to get fitter if we had to go on like this for another week!! The route was in the same direction as our trip to Pangong except after the place where we stopped for breakfast we had to take a right! Everywhere we stopped for breakfast or lunch we'd be surrounded by dogs- rabies is endemic in Ladakh. So it would be better to avoid getting any closer to these strays!
On our way to Chumathang we chanced upon a student who wanted a ride with us! It was so much fun talking to him, schools are apparently closed from November to March. In other months they were taught everything from sciences to Math. They also had lessons on tennis, cricket and volleyball!!
We dropped him off just before we reached Chumathang- another place where we could see hot springs. I didn't head out myself, but AJ went and took some pics so I knew what I had missed! :) I took some pics from the car unable to get out in this unbearable heat!
Soon we realized this was th elast place where we'd get some food. So despite a late breakfast we all had a quick lunch. The Lamying restaurant served up some pretty decent white rice with dal and subzi. Our friend Girish had apparently missed out on some fun the last time he'd traveled with TAG due to High Altitude Sickness. So this time around he was back with a vengeance..when we all stopped at the hot springs he walked on !! But because of this he missed out on the lunch!! We packed some for him, but I knew that without his favorite 'curds' there ws no way he was having this lunch!! We soon picked him from a bridge ahead.
We drove along the river this entire drive to Tso Moriri! It was a divin drive..the landscape kept changing and some of what we saw was mind boggling!
The colors of the mountains varied from orange to white to purple (a bed of flowers suddenly to yellow!!
ANd then we'd chance upon some lush green pastures- it almost looked like a painting....in fact so many times I had dismissed paintings such as these saying "see how improbable they are!!""
Here we found a Yak family- 2 adults and 2 juveniles peacefully grazing in the meadows!! Such lovely creatures these! Till I saw them I always thought Yaks are only Black in color!! Turns out that is not true!!
We went on through the winding roads up the mountains, thru roads that didn't exist to reach the peaks only to realize that a storm was brewing! This was the first instance that we had extreme weather!! High up at these altitudes even natures fury looks beautiful! A small lake that precedes Tsomoriri looked amazing as it bathed in the sleet rains!!
The place is so vast that though we could see the storm we were not in it yet! Another half hour of driving brought us to Tsomoriri- a high altitude lake set amidst the snow capped mountains! The proximity of the mountains and the storm that was raging made the whole setting seem all the more majestic and alive!! If Pangong had seemed pristine, Tsomoriri seemed to heave in the heavens!! I caught my breath, was I dead and was this heaven???? Lush green meadows flanked the lake, straight away we spotted some brahminy ducks and bar headed geese! But the sleet was pelting away at us and we couldn't get any shots! Hopefully Giri had go some in the vehicle ahead of us! The rocky roads ran dangerously close to the lake but the beautiful turquoise waters kept our attention arrested.
We had booked ourselves into camps and to be honest I was extremely nervous about staying in the tents given this weather. The locals threatened that temperatures would go sub zero in the night!! We checked out some guest houses that were still being constructed, however the group was very enthusiastic about staying in the tents!! Giri n Roopa were open to just me an AJ staying in the guest house if we wanted to..but then this being the last leg of the trip we decided to go stay with the rest of the gang in the tents!! I was a lil disappointed to miss out on the fantastic view that the guest house had!! But as AJ said this was probably a trip where we spent more time with the group rather than with a view. I am so grateful to have married someone as sane as AJ when it comes to these things, otherwise I'd have let this small thing ruin my trip am sure!!
The camps turned out to be surprisingly nice. We put our bags there and headed out for a walk by the lake. The drivers were really nasty, first they fought with us and then agreed to take us till the lake. They dropped us there and unceremoniously came back without picking us up. We walked back to the camp...I think they were expecting a little tip...The time we spent at the lake was very precious, I thoroughly enjoyed how close to nature I felt at this time!! This was the best place of all in our trip...again such a shame we spent only one night here...have to come back for more!! The birding opportunities made AJ think likewise :D
So in the night, despite the cold I got to sleep very well... I think once I make up my mind to curl up and sleep nothing can really stop me!! :D <People who have traveled with me in the past will surely vouch for that!> Dinner was good and another game of Mafia and Dumb Charades did the rounds. AJ stayed up for some star gazing...I was too tired so I slept off! Thus ended our last but one day of the trip!
We drove along the river this entire drive to Tso Moriri! It was a divin drive..the landscape kept changing and some of what we saw was mind boggling!
The camps turned out to be surprisingly nice. We put our bags there and headed out for a walk by the lake. The drivers were really nasty, first they fought with us and then agreed to take us till the lake. They dropped us there and unceremoniously came back without picking us up. We walked back to the camp...I think they were expecting a little tip...The time we spent at the lake was very precious, I thoroughly enjoyed how close to nature I felt at this time!! This was the best place of all in our trip...again such a shame we spent only one night here...have to come back for more!! The birding opportunities made AJ think likewise :D
So in the night, despite the cold I got to sleep very well... I think once I make up my mind to curl up and sleep nothing can really stop me!! :D <People who have traveled with me in the past will surely vouch for that!> Dinner was good and another game of Mafia and Dumb Charades did the rounds. AJ stayed up for some star gazing...I was too tired so I slept off! Thus ended our last but one day of the trip!
