Sikkim’s original inhabitants, the Lepchas, call their land Nyemael , “Paradise.” Though one of the legendary “bayul” or Shangri-la valleys that refer to a handful of remote valleys of the Himalayas was said to be only behind the mighty Kanchenjunga, rather than implying the entire former Kingdom, Sikkim, now the 22nd state of India, has […]
Sikkim, once an independent Himalayan kingdom Read More »
AT THE CAMP SITE At 4:30 I walked over to the house, actually a two story concrete box. An opening had been left for a window, but the glass had not yet shown up and the floor was hard packed dirt. Numgal was sitting on a jute sack surrounded by his kitchen and Dorje was
Trekking in Ladakh – Part 7 Read More »
I was dressed and ready to go when Numgal knocked on my door at 7:00, bringing me a bowl of hot water and a pot of tea. Room service cannot get much better than this. When I entered the cook tent, Dorje ushered me to my same table. Numgal had prepared fried eggs, complete with
Ladakh Story by Alexandra: Trekking in Ladakh – Part 6 Read More »
When I met with the tour director, I questioned him about Numgal, who had been assigned to be my trekking guide. I was assured he was very experienced and that I would enjoy his company. This was welcomed news but the detail I had not foreseen was the trek would be vegetarian. We would have
Ladakh by Alexandra: Trekking in Ladakh – Part 5 Read More »
After lunch, I decided to walk into town. When I opened the metal gate, decorated with the Buddhist eight spoked wheel, (one of the eight auspicious Buddhist signs representing the wheel of law, the dharma, the way to enlightenment announced by Buddha in this first sermon), the villa’s otherwise adorable puppy began barking. I do
Ladakh by Alexandra: Still at Leisure in Leh – Part 4 Read More »
My tour program described day one as a “day at leisure“, during which time I was expected to acclimate to the 10,000 feet altitude. If I was interested in speeding up this process, I was advised not to exert myself and to do nothing more strenuous than consuming large quantities of water. Since I had
Ladakh tour by Alexandra: At Leisure at the Deskit Guest House in Leh – Part 3 Read More »
Reaching at Delhi When I landed in Delhi, I was informed that my arrival had been well planned because a record breaking heat wave, hovering for days at 114 degrees, had just broken. Yes, I guess I was a lucky traveler to arrive when the temperature had just cooled off to a humid 95 degrees.
Ladakh travel story by Alexandra: Arrival in Delhi and Flight to Leh, India – Part 2 Read More »
With the smell of curry in the air and the sound of samosas frying, my thoughts have returned to India. Planning for Ladakh trip In early June 2007, I traveled in Ladakh, a mountainous state in northwest India. Even though India is primarily a Hindu country and the last remnants of Buddhism were sent packing
Ladakh tour story by alexandra – Part 1 Read More »
Many first time vistors to India crave to visit the legedary Taj Mahal and do so often as only a daytrip from New Delhi, ariving there at midday when sun is high and the grandeur of this remarkable site is diminished. It’s a shame as Taj must been seen at least twice, once in the
Taj Mahal & Fatehpur Sikri, Must See Gateway to Magic Rajasthan Read More »
Ladakh is known as the Little Tibet. It is a cultural satellite of Tibet that is part of India and is in fact one of India’s most remote regions. Located in extreme northwestern corner of India, it lies in the rain shadow of the High Himalaya. Receiving only fraction of monsoonal rains but found in
Ladakh House Style in Little Tibet of India Read More »
