Ladakh Part II- Hundar and Nubra Valleys

On the road to Hundar Valley

Getting most anywhere in Ladakh requires long and treacherous drives. Permits need to be secured for each regionas there are military check points along the way. Thankfully our hotel and driver took care of all the details. Still, the drives were CRAZY!

The "road"

Our driver was amazing. He said he does this trip twice a week all year long. Ever watch "Ice Truckers"? This pass was featured in one of the episodes.  It was harrowing enough in June, let alone in January!

Khardung Pass: 18,380 ft

It was a loooong  drive to the pass, with twists and turns and wrecks of trucks and buses over the cliffsides.  Our driver suggested we all get out and have a cup of tea. I barely made it to the tea house and back. Cristi went to to use the "ice toilet" and chose a snowy hole instead. I read a sign that said there is an annual running marathon over the pass each year!  Although Khardung Pass is promoted as the highest passable road in the world, new GPS systems have actually found another pass that is slightly higher. Still, this elevation is the same as Base Camp for Mt. Everest.

No helmets!



 

Hundar Valley

Someone once said, "The fun is in the journey". In this case, the journey was well worth the ride. The Hundar Valley is a peaceful green valley at the end of the road. The China/Tibetan border is close by. Until 2010, Hundar was as far as most people could travel. Now the road has opened another 20km but we were unable to go any further beause of permits. We were plenty happy to stay put and enjoy this serene valley.

Diskit Gompa

This monastery was my favorite. It stands atop a hill overlooking the Shayok River in the town of Diskit. Inside the prayer hall are fierce proctector deity masks, only taken out once a year for a special festival.

Maittreya Buddha

This Buddha was completed in 2010. It faces down the Shyok River towards Pakistan. It has three functions; to protect Diskit Village, prevent further war with Pakistan, and to promote world peace. I found it to be a most mezmerizing place to gaze.


Monk explaining the construction of the Buddha to our driver


 

Our abode

Tent stays are quite popular when traveling in India. They even have attached flush toilets and showers heated by the sun. Inside were pink calico quilts and walls. All meals included.Very comfy!



Sand Dunes

One of the reasons that we wanted to come to Hundar was because of the sand dune desert and Bactrian camels. Brilliant find.

Nice do!

 

Bactrian camels have two humps and are a rarer species. They have a tolerance for cold, drought and high altitudes. They were used for caravaning along the Silk Road. Today there are only about 800 in the wild and are listed as critically endangered.

Our camel guide

Of course we had to do the touristy thing and take a ride through the sand dunes. We hired this guide, who led our camels the entire way. If he let go of them they immediately flopped on their knees and would try to roll us off.  I was rather hoping for more of a mini-trek, but after only one hour my thighs and butt were screaming.

Woman heading home

The village of Hundar is lovely. We walked many stone paths leading to luschious organic gardens where the whole family and neighbors worked together. One of my amazements was the intricate and well-planned irrigation systems. The field stone fences and homes were storybook-like.

Local boy climbing a fence

"Juley" is the greeting for hello, goodbye and thank you in Ladakhi. Everyone greets you with "juley" and with great grins.

Meditation caves and stupas



From our tent site we could see the ruins of what appeared to be the Hundar Gompa. These meditation caves and stupas lined the hillside. Were they still being used?

 

On our last evening in Hundar we walked through the village again and one particular stony path beckoned us. It was getting near dusk, but we decided to go for it. It was the best surprise of our trip.

 

 



Etched stones

All along the path we came upon thousands of intricately etched stones with prayers and mantras engraved. Who carved the stones and why are they so strategically placed? As we walked further up the path we came to stone huts and meticulous trails heading up the mountain. Suddenly we noticed one hut with electricity. Did monks still live here?

Heading up the path

As it was getting dark, we made the decision reluctantly to head back to our tent. As we passed one of the old stone huts, an elderly monk came out. He made a gesture that we were unclear about, then noticed he was holding up a giant skeleton key. Quickly we realized that he was inviting us into the temple.

Monk with key to the ancient temple



We were truly in awe of this gift. The monk led us through a new construction site, then bent way down to open a narrow door that led to a prayer hall with oil lamps burning. It took a few seconds before our eyes focused and we saw the magnificent huge staue of Chamba. I was so touched by his generosity, that tears welled up. Outside we took photos and then I asked him how long he had lived at this gompa. He quickly said, "My whole life."It does not appear as if the monastery is currently functioning, except for a handful of monks who live and caretake the ruins and temple. Few people spoke English in the village so we never got much info.

Copper prayer wheel

All throughout the village there were magnificent prayer wheels that we could hear all day long, as the bells rang as they were turned. I especially liked this simple copper one.

 

We were truly sorry that we had not booked one or two more nights in Hundar just to take in the serenity of the valley and its people. The next day we visited Nubra Valley on the other side of the river. It was also lovely, but not nearly as peaceful as Hundar. Then the long windy drive back to Leh!