Peaks, Parades and the Well Dressed Yak

9/19/16

     Our first night in Leh.  We went to trusty old TripAdvisor to find a place to eat.  After climbing some seriously rickety stairs we reached the rooftop restaurant we were looking for.  Perfect.  The old fort and the palace were visible in the not too far distance, dominating the mountainside overlooking the city.  As we looked to the East we saw traces of a bright light begin to appear just above the mountain.  The moon?  Indeed, the full moon began to make its majestic entrance to an already incredible scene.  What more could we want?  A beer, maybe, after a long day.  So I said to the waiter that we would like a beer first, and then we would order food after.  “Sorry sir, no alcohol on full moon days.”  Can that be?   Though it was a bummer, we got over the shock fairly quickly.  Soft drink anyone?

Moonrise Over Leh, Ladakh

     
     The ride from Sarchu to Leh was full of majestic mountain scenes.  The entire time we were never below 12,000 ft.  One of the distinctions of Leh is that the three highest road passes in the world are within a few hours drive.  On this journey we passed over the 17,582 ft Tangling La pass.  It is wondrous for sure.  Though trite in written word, one does feel as though they are on top of the world.  One struggles for breath, fights between the urge to take it all in or get the hell out of there.  The scene is as barren as the driest desert.  Almost nothing grows.  Snow covered peaks do rise above, but no snow was on the ground where we were.  That will not be the case in a couple of weeks.  

Tangling La
Ladakh, India

     As we got closer to Leh, Vijay, for the first time, seemed to be pressing it a bit.  We didn’t stop for lunch as we had always done, and several times we whizzed by sites that I thought might be interesting.  It all became clear upon our arrival in Leh.  When I asked him where he was spending the night he indicated that his boss had called him and instructed him to drive back to Manali that night.  A 14 + hour journey over roads that were clearly no picnic.  I couldn’t believe it.  

     It seems that similar problems and struggles prevail in all corners of the globe.  In this instance, I am referring to the maintenance of culture and the environment.  Today in Leh we had an extended conversation with a young man, who was Ladakhi, about the current situation in Leh.  He bemoaned the changes that are taking place.  The disregard for the cultural heritage, the problems that surround the environment and the attempts to right them.  Environmentally speaking he indicated that the Indians themselves were the worst problem.  It seems the Indian tourists have a general disregard for trash and what to do with it.  He indicated that the foreign governments, and Western tourists, have introduced a different way of thinking in this regard, and they are in the process of trying to bring change to fruition.  For those of us who live in Guatemala, this sounds all too familiar.  The beginnings are there, but it is a long educational struggle.  

     In Leh they are really trying to encourage tourism.  As always, that is a double-edged sword.  Our young man bemoaned the fact that many of the old historic buildings are getting torn down and replaced by hotels.  I asked if there were government preservation laws and he said, “yes, but no one pays any attention to them.”  Again, I don’t think this a problem unique to Leh, India.  The trend is everywhere.  Of course what has to be remembered is that countries, towns and communities need to protect their history and culture, and protect its cleanliness, as that is what draws the tourists in the first place.  

9/20/16    

     Speaking of maintaining one’s culture, as luck would have it we came to Leh during the Ladakh Festival.  It is a once a year event that highlights the culture of the different tribal regions of the district of Ladakh.  Cynthia and I didn’t know what to expect, but we were excited none-the-less.  And we were not disappointed.  As it turned out the gathering point for the beginning of the inaugural parade was not far from our hotel.  As it came into sight we discovered we had arrived none too early.  All of the groups, with their traditional clothing, were preparing for the parade.  The traditional costumes were just incredible.  

Ladakhi Wedding Attire
Silver, turquoise, coral, pearl, bone jewelry

Of course the women are what really stood out.  Cynthia and I looked at each other and almost simultaneously said “what plain Janes we Westerners are!”   Rather than try and describe the elaborate skirts, hats and jewelry, I think Cynthia’s photos offer a better summary of what we saw.   

Ladakhi Wedding Attire
Silver, turquoise, coral, pearl jewelry

     

Beautiful Ladakhi Women
Silver, turquoise, coral jewelry; sheep-hide capes

Ladakhi Woman with Traditional Dress
Silver, turquoise, coral and pearl jewelry; sheep-hide cape

     After watching the preparation for the opening parade (which included a well-dressed yak and camels), we made our way to the polo field where the opening ceremony was going to take place.  The sun was intense.  Not a cloud in the sky and 11,500 ft make for a sun that won’t let you escape it.  As we were a bit far from the festivities we decided to move in closer.  It was then we discovered that they had set up a shaded area with a sign indicating “tourist."  

Well-dressed Yak

Though it was already packed we made our way to the back and eventually got seating.  Yes!  The traditional dances and singing followed.  They were not complex dances but with the addition of the elaborate traditional dress, they were fascinating. 

Men's Wedding Attire

The live drumming and the horns added a texture that drew

one’s attention like a magnet.  Surprisingly a lot of the commentary was in English.  Again, it made it clear that there was a concerted effort to appeal to, and bring, the tourists.  One official’s speech was totally about how many hotels and restaurants there now were in Leh, and what a fabulous tourist destination it was.  Well, I can’t disagree with him, but I do question his focus.  As we left the venue Cynthia and I felt so lucky to have seen, and been a part of, this festival.  

     In the spirit of keeping our blogs a reasonable length, our adventures in and around Leh will continue soon.  Please watch for our next blog which will go live within the next day or so.