leh away
it's finally over; all the sitting and waiting and sitting some more. i could really care less if i were to never sit in an airplane again, however, the days of cramped quarters and upright positioning were well worth it to arrive here, in ladakh.
ladakh...the name alone has held me spellbound for years. you'd never know it is one of the more remote inhabited places on this planet, what with daily jets from delhi, helicopters flying overhead, belching diesel trucks, buses, rattling scooters and motorcyles. this is india, after all...complete with sacred cows, packs of ratty dogs, battered donkeys and more.
and, yet, a short walk out of the main market and into the rural farming areas and the peace and spriritual energy is abundant. the buddhist influence is everywhere...stupas, gompas, prayer wheels, monks and nuns strolling the streets.
i have been here a few days now, slowly acclimatizing to the thin air at 3,500 metres, the thick fumes in the market place, and the constant, happy greeting of "julay." i am staying in a guest house away from the sights and sounds of the busy centre. so far, my daily routine has been as follows: after a breakfast of banana pancakes, ladakhi bread with butter and apricot jam, and a thermos full of chai, i walk through the narrow streets to the main village. finding a bakery is essential; getting a piece of lemon cake or a chocolate croissant to go with the requisite chai top up is part of the daily plan. dinner is usually with the other guests back in my current home, then an early sleep to get enough rest to do it again the next day.
i could fill in the gaps of all the little details and moments of splendour, yet i am unable to express these small miracles in words at the moment. i do want to share one story...today, i visited an oracle. she told me that i have had good karma due to my past lives, that i will continue to be happy, that my path is to maintain having faith in the spiritual aspects of my life, and that travel is very good for me! i was instructed to purchase a prayer flag, visit with a local monk who will say a prayer in my name, then take this flag to a mountain top. i am excited to follow through with these instructions!
i plan on renting a royal enfield (500 c.c single cylinder motorcyle) for a day or two to visit the other villages and gompas in the area. stay tuned, dear friends.
ladakh...the name alone has held me spellbound for years. you'd never know it is one of the more remote inhabited places on this planet, what with daily jets from delhi, helicopters flying overhead, belching diesel trucks, buses, rattling scooters and motorcyles. this is india, after all...complete with sacred cows, packs of ratty dogs, battered donkeys and more.
and, yet, a short walk out of the main market and into the rural farming areas and the peace and spriritual energy is abundant. the buddhist influence is everywhere...stupas, gompas, prayer wheels, monks and nuns strolling the streets.
i have been here a few days now, slowly acclimatizing to the thin air at 3,500 metres, the thick fumes in the market place, and the constant, happy greeting of "julay." i am staying in a guest house away from the sights and sounds of the busy centre. so far, my daily routine has been as follows: after a breakfast of banana pancakes, ladakhi bread with butter and apricot jam, and a thermos full of chai, i walk through the narrow streets to the main village. finding a bakery is essential; getting a piece of lemon cake or a chocolate croissant to go with the requisite chai top up is part of the daily plan. dinner is usually with the other guests back in my current home, then an early sleep to get enough rest to do it again the next day.
i could fill in the gaps of all the little details and moments of splendour, yet i am unable to express these small miracles in words at the moment. i do want to share one story...today, i visited an oracle. she told me that i have had good karma due to my past lives, that i will continue to be happy, that my path is to maintain having faith in the spiritual aspects of my life, and that travel is very good for me! i was instructed to purchase a prayer flag, visit with a local monk who will say a prayer in my name, then take this flag to a mountain top. i am excited to follow through with these instructions!
i plan on renting a royal enfield (500 c.c single cylinder motorcyle) for a day or two to visit the other villages and gompas in the area. stay tuned, dear friends.
posted by roy at 9/14/2006 05:50:00 am
3 Comments:
Thanks for the update, Roy! I sounds like a magical place. The idea of hopping on a Royal Enfield 500 and touring around sounds wonderful! Take care, and looking forward to your next entry!
Love from Nigel, Bev, Geoff, and Jeremy!
Julay!
I can feel the peacefulness. Sounds like a lovely way to spend some days..especially the bakery part :-}
Enjoy your journey with your flag to the mountain top ..as if you needed a reason to go to one Good Karma Boy.
Having fun bombing around on the bike (what took you so long to rent one?)
Glad you made it there trouble free - seems as though your adventure is off to a good start.
Be well, be happy, be at peace (I think that's what the buddist's say)
Namaste,
Carol
Lovely Blog Roy,
Keep up the wandering, searching, immersing, loving and wonderful fun. I love imagining you there!
E
(Beware of the sweets, you might get addicted and then get fat!)
Post a Comment
<< Home