Domchot at Likir Monastery or Likir Gompa, with monks singing all day long, Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmnir, India
On our third day in Leh, the city was buzzing and eventually came to a standstill. The Dalai Lama is coming! Everybody was running down to the big roundabout near the petrol station – this is where the convoy had to pass through on the way from the airport to the Dalai Lama’s retreat Buddha Garden. Continue Reading →
Thikse Monastery or Thikse Gompa, Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmnir, India
Despite Our initial plan was to take it easy the first two days in Leh and get our bodies used to the 3.500 meters. But we simply could not resist. We rented a semi-automatic 125cc motorbike (Gilles has some experience with those) and off we went to see the monasteries around Leh. Another plan that failed was to leave so early that we would be able to attend the Puja (religious ceremony) at Thiksey Monastery at 06:00 am. By the time we reached Thiksey the ceremony was almost over and the steep climb up to the monastery added another question mark to this undertaking. Most discouraging though were the busses on the small parking lot. This meant quite a crowd visiting the Puja and the last thing we wanted in our photos were tourists taking photos of monks. So we decided to move on. Continue Reading →
Man selling pruning knifes in the market of Leh, Ladakh, India
Friends had recommended the Oriental Hotel, which was a 20 minute walk from the center, at the very end of Changspar Road, the touristic epicenter of Leh. Luckily, they had room for us. And what a room! On the top floor with a view that was worth every of the 1.800 Rupees / 24 Euro! We were so happy to be there… To be away from the center of Leh was a priority. This place – jam-packed with honking cars, hotels, guesthouses, tour operators, souvenir shops, restaurants offering Chinese – Indian – Italian – Israeli – Korean cuisine and zillions of tourists milling in-between – was simply too much! Continue Reading →
