Life in Leh

Once I regained my strength, I took to the streets to explore all the nooks and crannies of this mountain town. I remembered the little short cuts through the ancient cobble stone paths, visited a few of my fave spots where you could get the best MoMo's (Ladakhi dumplings) and chai and met up with a few of the characters that I had met on my last visit. The hustle and bustle can be a little overwhelming ... big trucks spewing black exhaust, motorcycles weaving in and out of traffic, horns honking, Ladakhi women carrying incredibly large loads on their small yet sturdy frames, Kashmiri men urging you into their shops to sell their wares, children begging in the streets and the holy cow wandering the open sewers in search of discarded food morsels.

I visited a few of the surrounding monasteries and listened to the chants of the monks. The beauty of the deities within the temples were overwhelming ... a 20 foot carved sculpture of Buddha captivated my senses.

And back to Shanti Stupa; a temple that was built for the visit of the Dalai Lama located just on the edge of town. Up, up and up many steps. I felt quite the accomplishment making it to the top for the first time after numerous winded stops. The view is incredible ... a craggy mountain scape fills out the backdrop as monks silently circle the Stupa three times. I will try to come to this special place as often as I can ...