Leaving Kashmir

So with everyone fasting things got a bit quieter in Srinagar and with the end of my volunteer time with HELP finished I decided to head up a few days early to Zanskar to receive teaching for His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Zanskar is north and east of Srinagar, a two day ride in a jeep on some very very bumpy unpaved roads. I shared the jeep to Kargil with four foreign tourists; two couples, both from Europe who were going to Zanskar for the hiking. This was the most foreigners I had talked to in 2 months. I was happy to be travelling with them and of course assumed they knew, or were going to attend the teachings, but they had no idea. To my surprise they were not so happy about the Dalai Lama being in Zanskar because for them the crowds of people attending the teaching would spoil their anticipated quiet experience in the Himalayas. Oh well, each to their own.

One the way we passed by Sonmarg where all the Hindu Amarnath Pilgrims have been headed to for their pilgrimage. Lucky for us the pilgrimage was in its last few days so the traffic was not blocked. The mountain pass at Sonmarg is hair raising, the unpaved, often single track road winds up a very steep mountain. If it is raining the road can was away in parts but that day was sunny and dry. Thank you! Also lucky for us there was only one army convoy coming back downhill from the border with China and the Line of Control with Pakistan. Those army trucks take up the whole road and can often be up to 50 trucks at a time so the wait can take over 1 hour at times but again we were lucky, only a 10 minute wait. 

Once in Kargil, I did share a jeep with one couple and a lone traveler to Panikari, a tiny village on the route to Padam where the teaching will be held. I was a beautiful drive into the valley and away from traffic, the constant army presence of Kashmir valley. Found a great wee guesthouse and only 350 rupees ($7) for bed dinner and breakfast was the first quiet night in months with no 4am call to prayer and no Hindu pilgrim drum beats at 3am. Fantastic!

Next day another shared jeep ride with 8 others; 2 nuns and a monk form Dharamsala, a man and wife from Ladhak, an Indian workman, a local guy and a Muslim guy. We had a great driver and only stopped twice during the 9 hour drive, once for lunch and once to eat fresh yak curd from a group of nomads. One the way we saw wild horses and donkeys, two wolves and many Himalayan marmots or groundhogs. The treeless mountains scenery was amazing; huge snow peaks, glaciers, rugged mountains, blue sky, rushing rivers and pastures filled with yaks. The houses are in the Tibetan style one story homes made of mud brick and wood with tiny window and whitewashed. The roofs of which are used to dry and store yak dung. Every time we passed through a village the kids would wave and run after the jeep shouting to us for rupees, chocolate or “one pen.”  I just love this type of landscape with vast skys, quiet and ant night you feel as if you can touch the stars.