My trip to Ladakh, India


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AReality

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Jun 9, 2003
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**** UPDATED ****
More photos added at the end of the thread...



Here are some photos from my trip to Ladakh, India last week.



#1 - The Namgyal Tsemo Gompa above the town of Leh, Ladakh.
ladakh01.jpg




#2 - The Namgyal Tsemo Gompa seen through prayer flags.
ladakh02.jpg




#3 - A Ladakhi woman prays at the Buddhist Chokhang Vihara located in the centre of Leh.
ladakh03.jpg




#4 - A Ladakhi woman prays at the Buddhist Chokhang Vihara located in the centre of Leh.
ladakh04.jpg




#5 - A lama puts on a mask before performing at the Hemis Festival at Hemis Monastery.
ladakh05.jpg



More photos from the festival to come...


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you went with oeyvind?
 

The first photo is wonderful. Fantastic lighting.
Seems like Ladakh has been flooded with clubsnappers in recent weeks. ;p
How long were you guys there for?
Have been reading of recent violence around Srinagar. The tourism industry there must be quite badly affected?
 

The first photo is wonderful. Fantastic lighting.
Seems like Ladakh has been flooded with clubsnappers in recent weeks. ;p
How long were you guys there for?
Have been reading of recent violence around Srinagar. The tourism industry there must be quite badly affected?
Was in Leh and around the area for about 9 days, and 4 days in Srinagar.

Tourism in Srinagar is down by 99% due to the recent violence. An IED went off about 15km from where we were staying the day before we left. 10 soldiers were killed instantly.

I still don't recommend anyone to go coz it's a cheater's paradise, much more ruthless than SLS. "A Kashmiri is your friend only if he has nothing to sell you."


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oh dear, you're not kidding?...:eek:
Is it really that dangerous?
I'm headed there in august for 17 days.

Trekking and Photography trip.
 

oh dear, you're not kidding?...:eek:
Is it really that dangerous?
I'm headed there in august for 17 days.

Trekking and Photography trip.

kashmir is a time bomb at any time. always watch the news and make changes to your plan. there is always zanskar, ladakh, punjab and himachal pradesh nearby if things happened. 17 days is good enough to go anywhere... if u go manali in himachal pradesh, go to stay at apple view guesthouse. if you go ladakh, we like the chulichan nunnery the most at rizong. hunder valley is good only if the weather allows. and thiksey monastery is very beautiful.
 

yup, i'm flying from delhi to srinagar, onto kargil then to ladakh.
Oh,..thanks for the tips!..will definitely check it out when we're there.
 

Was in Leh and around the area for about 9 days, and 4 days in Srinagar.

Tourism in Srinagar is down by 99% due to the recent violence. An IED went off about 15km from where we were staying the day before we left. 10 soldiers were killed instantly.

I still don't recommend anyone to go coz it's a cheater's paradise, much more ruthless than SLS. "A Kashmiri is your friend only if he has nothing to sell you."


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so you did the road trip from leh to srinagar by bus? was the route relatively safe? kashmir is really a place that cannot predict...when we were there last mth, felt quite safe....to think just one month later, the place so unsafe.
 

oh dear, you're not kidding?...:eek:
Is it really that dangerous?
I'm headed there in august for 17 days.

Trekking and Photography trip.

Yesterday, a tourist and a local just got blown up in Gulmarg, a tourist location near Srinagar.


yup, i'm flying from delhi to srinagar, onto kargil then to ladakh.
Oh,..thanks for the tips!..will definitely check it out when we're there.

Everything in Srinagar has a price. If they don't quote u a price when they provide u the service, they will charge you for it later. Always ask how much it cost 1st before accepting a bar of soap from your houseboat, a change of bed sheet, etc.

If u need more info can PM me. I'll reply when I get back to SG next day.


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so you did the road trip from leh to srinagar by bus? was the route relatively safe? kashmir is really a place that cannot predict...when we were there last mth, felt quite safe....to think just one month later, the place so unsafe.
Hired a private jeep from Leh to Srinagar over 2 days.
The route is safe, but the roads are a little scary.

At 1 point we were delayed 2 hours coz of an army convoy of 50 vehicles and an overloaded goods truck that did not have enough power to negotiate the steep mountain slopes.:confused:


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I did the same route juz 1 mth back too. Was lucky that during my stay in Srinagar & Amritsar it was all peaceful & quiet... Cos when I came back & check the news, I realise almost all the places / highways I pass by (Srinagar-Jammu-Amritsar) got some sort of protest & unrest due to different issues, all happening juz a few days before I arrive or 1 day after I left... My frens say all the gods there protected me... Haha.

I was in Gulmarg too. Damn crowded with alot of domestic tourist. Lucky nvr kena any bomb... ;p

ALWAYS CHECK THE INTERNET OR TV OR PAPERS FOR LATEST NEWS when u're there. It's quite unpredictable. But w/o all those stupid things, Srinagar is quite ok. I didn't really get conned or disturbed by anyone there (I find those in Agra much worse). Houseboats better to approach the Houseboat Association instead of those touting on the streets.
 

#6 - A lama puts on a mask before performing at the Hemis Festival at Hemis Monastery.
ladakh06.jpg



#7 - Musicians getting ready.
ladakh07.jpg



#8 - And the dance begins.
ladakh08.jpg



#9 - It is a slow dance, one step at a time.
ladakh09.jpg



#10 - Concentration.
ladakh10.jpg




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#11 - The "chaam" dance.
ladakh11.jpg




#12 -
ladakh12.jpg




#13 - Lamas react to the performances.
ladakh13.jpg




#14 - A lama touches his nose with the tip of his tongue as he poses for photograph.
ladakh14.jpg




#15 - Inside these masks are friendly Lamas.
ladakh15.jpg




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A few days since I updated this thread. Took over 3000 photos, still in the process of geotagging and editing the pics.

I'll continue with some passport photos...


#16 - A Ladakhi girl poses for a photo at the Buddhist Chokhang Vihara located in the centre of Leh.
ladakh16.jpg



#17 - Her mum joins in the fun too.
ladakh17.jpg



#18 - A gemologist with a Ph.D. He sells gems from Kashmir region, also hand and string puppets.
ladakh18.jpg



#19 - A monk poses for a photo in the town of Tangse, 55km east of Leh.
ladakh19.jpg



#20 - A novice lama plays with a balloon at the Rizong Tsultim Nyiotkhil School, located below Rizong Gompa, 50km west of Leh.
ladakh20.jpg




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#21 - Star trails over the town of Lamayuru, about 127km west of Leh.
ladakh21.jpg



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