It is time to board the flight to Leh and begin my 9th journey to Ladakh, a place I have come to love and respect. For it teaches you a lot, a lot about others and a lot about yourself and the world around you and how you react to it all.
For almost the entire last week, I have been sick. And I haven’t yet recovered. There are thoughts going on in my head, that this might be a precursor to another bronchitis attack, yet, the journey must go on.
To top it all, the past couple of days have been absolutely crazy and jam packed. Things have gone wrong and plans have gone awry.
A travel partner had to cancel due to a family emergency, leaving just Mansi and me for the trip.
I couldn’t go to Chandani Chowk get the 50mm lens repaired, 60D sensor cleaned and buy the film processing powder for Otsal.
Last minute repairs were needed at home to make the last day extremely hectic, leaving me with not enough time to even get a hair cut!
Yet, the packing was done before time.
I guess I had to do that, in order to make sure I had enough time left to deal with household chores, which needed immediate attention.
Waking up after less than an hour of sleep, then giving finishing touches to the packing and work at hand.
Waiting impatiently for an Uber, stuck en route due to a flat tyre and then, delay at check-in counter due to Mansi.
All in all, I am tired and yet, extremely excited, as I am about to begin another journey to Ladakh, with just a week in hand and heart full of hope and desire to once again get immersed in the beauty of Ladakh…
7 Comments
Liked your way of packing!
And you’re missing the bottle of After Shave Lotion… Hehehe! 😀
Hahaha that is one thing I still have to get in a manageable pack.
All the best, Yogesh! Very nice list of stuff to be arried, almost similar to what I carry. Of course, I carry many more tablets, as required for an old man!
Thank you sir 🙂
Yogesh, I completely agree with your assessment that bringing far flung areas into the tourist mainstream is a way to counter our aggressive neighbours. I’ve been thinking about this for a long time now and I believe you’re the best person for this. It’s time we bring Daulat Beg Oldie and Karakoram Pass into the circuit. You should try getting permission for it from the Home and Defence Ministry and organize a trip to the place.
Yogesh, I hope your Leh trip is going well. I am planning a motorcycle trip from Amritsar through Srinagar to Leh at the end of September. I planned to stop over in Kargil between Srinagar and Leh. I have a U.S. passport and am an OCI card holder. My question is where would I need to pick up a Ladakh Protected Area Permit? Could I pick one up in Srinagar or could it be picked up in Kargil itself? Thanks. Enjoy your site and forums a lot.
You will need Protected Area Permit and it is available in Leh. Though a travel agent should be able to procure it and fax it to you.