In the morning we got up quite early as we had to go to bed last night earlier than usual because of limited power supply. Most of the places in Ladakh get power from diesel generators and it is given for a limited period. Usually it is 7 to 10 in the night. Morning was bright with crystal clear blue sky.

We took a stroll towards the river to enjoy the view. The river here is quite flat and slow because of a very wide sandy bed. Alongside the river we saw many vegetable gardens. There were also long stretches of barren land full of thorny bushes. Urgain told me these were the bushes known as sea buckthorn which were the source of the famous Leh Berry juice. We plucked some berries from the bushes but these tasted sour and even bitter. The Leh Berry juice is now available everywhere in different flavours. It is supposed to have anti-aging properties. If properly cultivated and processed, it could be a great source of income for the local people.

After breakfast, we started for Panamik, the place of the hot springs. The road is straight along the river and passes a number of villages. We also saw the Tourism Hut at Tiger which was in an unfinished state. The location is in a nallah. They could have chosen a better site. With all the state projects one usually comes across the same story. No one sincerely looks after both the execution and the subsequent maintenance. The private sector has set up wonderful properties in different parts of Ladakh. Ladakhis have proved very enterprising in this regard.

The hot springs at Panamik did not appear to be as dramatic as I had thought these would be. There were some spots on the riverside and some up on the hill. The sulphur smell was everywhere and the mountainside where the water was coming down had turned yellow. Tourism department had constructed a hut and directed a hot stream through it. This had put huge deposits of sulphur inside the hut. The spot could be developed into an important destination if the facilities had been planned properly. I had seen a similar site in UAE where they made a beautiful complex round similar hot water sulphur springs. There are separate enclosures for men and women. There are change rooms and people can take dip in the waters in a number of small pools. There is a beautiful cafeteria. I fail to understand why we cannot build similar facilities? Probably, because we want everything to be done by the government. If a private entrepreneur is handed over the spot, he can create a fantastic destination out of it! We also saw a large number of soldiers washing themselves and their clothes in the hot water streams. They had been returning from Siachin Glacier. This is the route to the Glacier which has become the highest battlefield in the world. The longest glacier outside of poles has been turned into a polluted battle field. Men are fighting for snow, ice, and rocks. This fight which is totally senseless is draining both countries of men and material. This also has been the route for the ancient caravans going to Yarqand across the Karakoram pass. In earlier times, in addition to traders, pilgrims to Makkah also used to take this route for their journey to the holy place. General Sinha, the former Governor of J & K, once told me that in 1949, the army had recovered a number of dead bodies of Yarqandis buried in snow below the Karakoram pass. They had been returning from a pilgrimage and had been buried in a blizzard. Recently, there has been some talk of opening Siachin glacier for foreign tourists. There was also once some loud thinking about converting this place into a “Peace Park” for adventure lovers!

After spending sometime in Panamik, we returned in the afternoon for a meeting with the Rinpoche of Samsthaling Monastery. He had invited me for a cup of tea. The lamas of the monastery had heard that the tourism department was assisting the development of various pilgrim spots. There was news circulating among all the religious institutions that the aid given was substantial and could be utilised by these for upgrading various facilities. We were received by the head lama in traditional style. He garlanded me and Urgain with special Khataks. This is a silken muffler taken to represent a floral garland in this land where flowers are rare and precious. We were shown round various chambers of the monastery and then offered a cup of tea. The head lama requested that we should help him improving the Parikarma of the Monastery and also help in putting up various civic facilities for the use of tourists. We promised him that we will prepare a proposal on the basis of their requirements and get it sanctioned as a centrally sponsored scheme. The lamas were very thankful to us for listening to their problems and promising some remedy.

In the evening, we went to see a cultural programme being organised by locals for some foreign tourists. Nubra valley was getting very popular with tourists especially because of its being on the ancient trade route. The trek through sand dunes, the Bactrian camel safari, and even rafting were getting popular. Some people had even tried ATVs (All Terrain Vehicles) here. The most interesting part was the popularity of local paying guest houses. This has offered tourists a taste of the local life. They can understand people better by staying with them. The concept has been lauded by the UNESCO also. During the first trip I had touched only the periphery of Nubra valley. The entire area would need weeks to explore. It was more or less a flying visit! Next morning we drove back to Leh. On our return we took pack lunch with us and stopped short of Khardongla to have it on a campsite near the road. Leh with its bustling bazaar seemed to be a very modern town on return. Nubra was a journey beyond the Himalaya!

(To be concluded…)