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Today we had spectacular views and, for the most part, well maintained tarmac roads. This area is a high altitude desert, just like when I was in Tibet. Either we are well and truly above the treeline here or it's because of low rainfall but there are no trees or grass, just occasional weeds. It's an amazing landscape because you see all the dirt and rocks that are usually covered by vegetation, and there is a lot of variation. It's easiest to see it in the pictures. Probably the most convincing vista was at Lamayuru monastery, 60km from Wakha. This is in a slow moving little village filling a bit of the river valley. The road hairpins down from the top to the bottom of the valley, past the monastery, which is still high enough to afford excellent panoramic views. From the rooftop I could see the to the east in the direction of Leh a cluster of small, white hills. They were quite distinct from the surrounding orange/brown hills. I wondered if they were chalk. All tourists in this part of the world become amateur geologists I think!
In terms of the monastery itself its nothing special, although see it if you've never seen a Buddhist one before. It had the standard murals of angry demons on the courtyard walls, then after removing one's shoes you can see all the trinkets and a wall of scrolls on the right inside. Again I was reminded of the places I saw in Tibet, although this one thankfully was not filled with the rank odour of yak butter candles. In fact, it had no smell at all except from us grubby travelers ; -)
One cool thing that happened here was most of us bought small strings of prayer flags to hang between our mirrors. I also wove a feather I'd found on top of the monastery into one of the flags, making my bike therefore the specialest of all.
A little further back we hit the highest point on the NH1D between Srinegar and Leh, a 4108m high pass. I was happy my bike performed without issue even at this altitude. I don't know if the mechanic has adjusted it to run I guess leaner to let more air through (has anyone read that awful book 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance'? He describes having to do something like this there). I haven't felt any altitude sickness yet either, must be due to the gradual pace of increasing elevation. Quite different than what a taxi driver in Srinegar described, of getting to Leh in a day and suffering nose bleeds because his body couldn't keep up with the change. He said he dies this trip about twice a week. Fair bit of variety then in his job, given he also does tourist site seeing around town. If it weren't for the nosebleeds I'd be interested in a job like that. Reminds me of the Mt Fuji climb leader I met who does four ascents a week. Probably doesn't pay a lot but who cares, you're climbing Japan's highest mountain 4 times a week and chatting with lots of people from overseas. Same deal with the Srinegar taxi driver.
Another place we stopped at was Khaltse army transit camp, the mid point between Kargil and Leh. Convoys stop there for lunch. We even got to see a Mi17 chopper landing here! Unfortunately J the pilot was not with us because he was going slow with the others, then rode past when we were already in the camp and he couldn't see our bikes so didn't stop. Anyway, we had a nice lunch here in the comparatively swanky officers' meals detachment. The toilets were labeled King and Queen instead of the usual! I got to pepper a leuightenant with some questions. That's the first rank one achieves out of officer college. He is second in command of a 140 man artillery company. The soldiers set up the guns and he decides what they're aimed at and also does the ranging calcs. He was a very confident, good natured young man who didn't mind at all talking with a civilian like me. One fib he did tell was about the outcome of the 1962(?) border war between China and India, the former soundly victorious according to Manoj. The leuightenant, however, said it ended in a cease fire and UN adjuticated treaty.
After lunch we had a very pleasurable ride on excellent quality roads in to Leh. The Kiwis are great riders, hitting the hairpins with confidence and being able to trust the lean angles much more than me. I stayed at the back of them stopping for photos occasionally, one could easily spend twice as long in this place and still have more to see next time round. Manoj said he had friends who ride up here every year and I can see why.
Another thing he said at the end of today (I've had to share a room with him throughout the trip) is that he's never lead this ride before. The reason is the ride leader pulled out 5 days before the start! The leader's brother was injured in a 4x4 racing crash and had no one to look after him. So that's why Manoj doesn't sometimes know where he's going, lacks the charisma of a tour leader and has the air of someone who is something other than in command. Manoj is the business owner and usually comes in the backup vehicle if at all. I felt a bit sorry for him, it's almost like now we need to look after him, especially given the crashes he's had, although the first 2 were nothing serious. Then again, he should never have started this type of ride in the position of leader with such a lack of experience. He should have told us by email what the situation was when he found out, so people could cancel if they wanted to, or at least have the right expectations of him. He should also have offered a discount, given that a significant attraction of the ride advertisement was experienced leadership. So really, he's getting what he deserves and he needs to tell everyone else or he will continue to be treated with at best bemusement and at worst disrespect by the group.
To end on a positive note, rumour has it that the Dalai Lama is coming to Leh tomorrow morning!! This is a chance to score major tourist points.
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