DAY 7: LEH AIRPORT TO RED FORT, Delhi, India
After almost a week of Tibetan monasteries and arid Himalayan highlands, our brief Indian journey was almost coming to an end, and it was time to say goodbye to Lakadh. It was a fine morning. Tashi came to pick us up at around 6am. It was only a short ride from Ladakh Greens Hotel to Leh’s Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport. At about 3200m above sea level, the airport is India’s highest commercial airport. We waved goodbye to Tashi and entered the small highland airport. It was chaotic at the Leh Airport. The x-ray machine broke down for a bit and there were two long queues, one for men and the other women, at the security check. After a bit of the hassle, at last we were off in the Ladakhi sky. From above, Leh and its surrounding desert landscape looked spectacular. Our plane flew south, passed over the mountains south of Leh in Jammu and Kashmir and Northern Himachal Pradesh. After about 1.5 hour, we returned to Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport once more.
We stored our big backpacks at the airport, and took the airport express train out to the city. From the airport the train took about half an hour to reach New Delhi. At New Delhi, we switched to the metro and rode for two more stops until we reached the stop of Chandni Chowk. Famous for its centuries-old business as Old Delhi’s high street, Chandni Chowk is close to Red Fort, the former residence of the Mughal royalty from the 17th to 19th century. After exiting the metro station, we were immediately overwhelmed by the people, colours, odour and sounds of the street in Old Delhi. It was awfully hot at about 40 degrees, and extremely crowded. We followed a crowd of people exiting the station, tried to find our way to the Red Fort, but were soon followed by two bicycle ricksaw drivers. We asked the first driver going to the Red Fort. He tried to trick us by saying 10. We asked him once more before we got on whether he meant rupees or not. He then clarified it was 10 USD. We decided to ignore him and continued to find our way. The second driver, a young man in his early twenties, followed us and tried to convince us to get on his ricksaw by saying it was very dangerous in Old Delhi. We kept on walking aimlessly on the street thinking he would eventually give up, but he didn’t. On the hot and crowded street of Old Delhi, he followed us for over 20 minutes. At the end, we didn’t bother to find where we actually were, and jumped onto an empty tuk-tuk. The tuk-tuk driver was more than happy to take us to the Red Fort. After some sweat we finally reached the iconic Lahori Gate of the mighty Red Fort.
We had a morning flight back to Delhi. By the time we arrived at the airport, there was a long queue outside of the airport for security check.
At about 3200m above sea level, the airport is India’s highest commercial airport.
A Jet Airway plane landed on the runway. It reminds us of our landing one week ago.
View from the plane to down below.
Our plane flew south, passed over the mountains south of Leh in Jammu and Kashmir and Northern Himachal Pradesh.
From above, Leh and its surrounding desert landscape looked spectacular.
Spectacular view over the mountain view from the plane.
It was over 40 degree Celsius outside. We were overwhelmed by the heat and the crowd once we stepped out of the metro station of Chandni Chowk. Without a proper map, We found ourselves disorientated in this old city quarter. It was a great relief to have found a reliable tuk-tuk to take us to our first destination, the Red Fort. Below are some snapshots that we took along the way to the Red Fort.
After some sweat we finally reached the iconic Lahori Gate of the mighty Red Fort.
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Other posts on 2016 Ladkadh & Delhi:
Introduction – LADAKH – The Land of High Passes, India
Day 1.1 – ENROUTE TO LEH, Ladakh
Day 1.2 – WALK TO MAIN BAZAAR, Leh, Ladakh
Day 1.3 – LEH PALACE, Leh, Ladakh
Day 1.4 – HOTEL LADAKH GREENS, Leh, Ladakh
Day 2.1 – NAMGYAL TSEMO GOMPA, Leh, Ladakh
Day 2.2 – LALA’S CAFE AND TIBETAN CUISINE, Leh, Ladakh
Day 2.3 – SPITUK GOMPA, Leh, Ladakh
Day 3.1 – MONASTERIES OF THE INDUS VALLEY DAY ONE, Ladakh (with map)
Day 3.2 – THIKSEY GOMPA, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 3.3 – CHEMREY & TAKTHOK GOMPA, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 3.4 – HEMIS & STAKNA GOMPA, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 3.5 – MATHO GOMPA & SHEY PALACE, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 4.1 – ON THE ROAD WEST OF LEH, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 4.2 – LAMAYURU GOMPA, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 4.3 – ALCHI & LIKIR GOMPA, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 4.4 – FORT ROAD IN THE EVENING, Leh, Ladakh
Day 5.1 – SHORT HIKE NEAR PHYANG, Ladakh
Day 5.2 – PHYANG VILLAGE, Ladakh
Day 5.3 – NOMADIC WOOLLEN MILLS & BON APPETIT, Leh, Ladakh
Day 6.1 – ZINGCHEN GORGE, Ladakh
Day 6.2 – SHANTI STUPA, Leh, Ladakh
Day 7.1 – LEH AIRPORT TO RED FORT, Delhi
Day 7.2 – RED FORT, Delhi
Day 7.3 – JAMA MASJID, Delhi
Day 7.4 – FAREWELL OLD DELHI, Delhi
Day 7.5 – UNITED COFFEE HOUSE, New Delhi
DAY 6: SHANTI STUPA, Leh, Ladakh, India
We told Tashi to dropped us off at the town centre of Leh where we mailed out a pile of postcards to families and friends. Then we decided to spend the last bit of our last day in Ladakh at a high point. We took a taxi up to Shanti Stupa, one of the most popular lookout over Leh. Built by Japanese Buddhists as part of the Peace Pagoda Mission in 1991 and enshrined by the 14th Dalai Lama, Shanti Stupa remains an important monument to promote world peace. Atop a mountain over Leh, Shanti Stupa is also a great spot to enjoy the nearby scenery, and is particularly popular around the time of sunrise or sunset.
We looped around the monument once. Then we stopped by the railing, took out our tripod and did a time-lapse video of Leh under the changing afternoon light. The stupa was popular among local visitors, offering us plenty of people watching while we patiently waited for the camera for over an hour. Standing under the perfectly blue sky over Leh, we witnessed the shadow of the mountain slowly blanketed over the city, green poplar trees row by row disappeared in the darkness, and distant mountains turned from golden to earth brown and then to blueish grey. We silently say goodbye to the ancient town of Leh, to the mighty Stok Kangri Mountain at the horizon, to the monastic spirit of Ladakh, and to the boundless arid mountains of Northern India. An early morning flight the next day would take us back to the bustling Indian capital Delhi, where we would have another day of exploration before flying home.
The Shanti Stupa under the warm afternoon sun. Most visitors preferred to stay in the shade.
The Stok Mountain Range at a distance.
The view of Leh was dominated by the poplar trees.
The shadow of the mountain gradually expanded over the town.
The back of Leh Palace was fully swamped in the afternoon sun.
The arid landscape around Leh looked drier than ever under the afternoon sun.
The steps leading down from Shanti Stupa to Changspa Road into the town centre.
The sun almost disappeared behind the mountain and Shanti Stupa.
Visitors were still enjoying the late afternoon scenery of the Indus Valley and Stok Mountains despite evening was gradually creeping in.
Locals enjoying the view of Leh, with the white washed walls of Namgyal Tsemo Gompa stood out at the background.
Shanti Stupa was completely in shade by the time we were done with the time-lapse photography.
We circled the stupa for a second time before we left.
By the time we left, much of Leh was blanketed in mountain’s shadow.
We slowly walked down the steps to the town below.
At the end of the stepped path, Changspa Road would lead us back to the centre of Leh, where we would have our last meal of Tibetan cuisine for the trip.
* * *
Other posts on 2016 Ladkadh & Delhi:
Introduction – LADAKH – The Land of High Passes, India
Day 1.1 – ENROUTE TO LEH, Ladakh
Day 1.2 – WALK TO MAIN BAZAAR, Leh, Ladakh
Day 1.3 – LEH PALACE, Leh, Ladakh
Day 1.4 – HOTEL LADAKH GREENS, Leh, Ladakh
Day 2.1 – NAMGYAL TSEMO GOMPA, Leh, Ladakh
Day 2.2 – LALA’S CAFE AND TIBETAN CUISINE, Leh, Ladakh
Day 2.3 – SPITUK GOMPA, Leh, Ladakh
Day 3.1 – MONASTERIES OF THE INDUS VALLEY DAY ONE, Ladakh (with map)
Day 3.2 – THIKSEY GOMPA, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 3.3 – CHEMREY & TAKTHOK GOMPA, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 3.4 – HEMIS & STAKNA GOMPA, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 3.5 – MATHO GOMPA & SHEY PALACE, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 4.1 – ON THE ROAD WEST OF LEH, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 4.2 – LAMAYURU GOMPA, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 4.3 – ALCHI & LIKIR GOMPA, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 4.4 – FORT ROAD IN THE EVENING, Leh, Ladakh
Day 5.1 – SHORT HIKE NEAR PHYANG, Ladakh
Day 5.2 – PHYANG VILLAGE, Ladakh
Day 5.3 – NOMADIC WOOLLEN MILLS & BON APPETIT, Leh, Ladakh
Day 6.1 – ZINGCHEN GORGE, Ladakh
Day 6.2 – SHANTI STUPA, Leh, Ladakh
Day 7.1 – LEH AIRPORT TO RED FORT, Delhi
Day 7.2 – RED FORT, Delhi
Day 7.3 – JAMA MASJID, Delhi
Day 7.4 – FAREWELL OLD DELHI, Delhi
Day 7.5 – UNITED COFFEE HOUSE, New Delhi
DAY 5: NOMADIC WOOLLEN MILLS & BON APPETIT, Leh, Ladakh, India
In the main bazaar of Leh, there were many stores selling pashmina goods but we were told that most of them were imported from China. We wanted to find a store which sold genuine Ladakh pashmina so we went online to do some research until we found Nomadic Woollen Mills. Different than other textile and souvenir stores that we found in town, the interior decor of Nomadic Woollen Mills was minimal and contemporary. At the time of our visit, they were setting up a workshop right next to the retail store. We met Nawang, the founder of Nomadic Woollen Mills at the store. After some leisure chat with Nawang, we were glad to learn more about the story of the store and the making of the Ladakh pashmina. With a selection of hand woven and machine-made products from the region, Nomadic Woollen Mills may easily win the hearts of pashmina lovers who come to Ladakh to look for the traditional Kashmir woolen shawls.
Another great found of the day was Bon Appetit, a French restaurant and lounge recommended by our guidebooks. The restaurant was hidden away in a lane south of the busy main street of Changspa Road. We sat at a table in the patio under the setting sun. With a view to the surrounding mountains, the warm fire from the outdoor torches brought great ambience for the evening. The restaurant’s menu was simple but we appreciate their dedication to using local and fresh ingredients. We started with a bottle of local beer and Kashmir apple juice, then came the comforting savory herb chicken and chicken kabob.
Nomadic Woollen Mills was located on the first floor of a building with a window display facing the main bazaar.
The interior decor of Nomadic Woollen Mills was simple and modern.
The store has a selection of both hand-woven and machine-made products.
We were invited to visit the little workshop right next to the retail store.
The traditional weaving machine on display.
The outdoor patio of Bon Appetit.
View from the patio of Bon Appetit.
We spent a great evening at the patio of Bon Appetit.
Indian beer Kingfisher and Kashmir apple juice.
Chicken with herbs.
Chicken kabob.
As the night fell, the torches lit up the patio.
The clay oven for tandoori chicken at the open kitchen.
* * *
Other posts on 2016 Ladkadh & Delhi:
Introduction – LADAKH – The Land of High Passes, India
Day 1.1 – ENROUTE TO LEH, Ladakh
Day 1.2 – WALK TO MAIN BAZAAR, Leh, Ladakh
Day 1.3 – LEH PALACE, Leh, Ladakh
Day 1.4 – HOTEL LADAKH GREENS, Leh, Ladakh
Day 2.1 – NAMGYAL TSEMO GOMPA, Leh, Ladakh
Day 2.2 – LALA’S CAFE AND TIBETAN CUISINE, Leh, Ladakh
Day 2.3 – SPITUK GOMPA, Leh, Ladakh
Day 3.1 – MONASTERIES OF THE INDUS VALLEY DAY ONE, Ladakh (with map)
Day 3.2 – THIKSEY GOMPA, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 3.3 – CHEMREY & TAKTHOK GOMPA, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 3.4 – HEMIS & STAKNA GOMPA, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 3.5 – MATHO GOMPA & SHEY PALACE, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 4.1 – ON THE ROAD WEST OF LEH, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 4.2 – LAMAYURU GOMPA, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 4.3 – ALCHI & LIKIR GOMPA, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 4.4 – FORT ROAD IN THE EVENING, Leh, Ladakh
Day 5.1 – SHORT HIKE NEAR PHYANG, Ladakh
Day 5.2 – PHYANG VILLAGE, Ladakh
Day 5.3 – NOMADIC WOOLLEN MILLS & BON APPETIT, Leh, Ladakh
Day 6.1 – ZINGCHEN GORGE, Ladakh
Day 6.2 – SHANTI STUPA, Leh, Ladakh
Day 7.1 – LEH AIRPORT TO RED FORT, Delhi
Day 7.2 – RED FORT, Delhi
Day 7.3 – JAMA MASJID, Delhi
Day 7.4 – FAREWELL OLD DELHI, Delhi
Day 7.5 – UNITED COFFEE HOUSE, New Delhi
DAY 4: FORT ROAD IN THE EVENING, Leh, Ladakh, India
Fort Road and Changspa Road are the two main thoroughfares in Central Leh where travelers can easily find places of accommodations, restaurants and souvenir shops. For years, Changspa has long been the hub for backpackers, hippy visitors and motorcyclists. Fort Road, on the other hand, is a busy dusty road lined with newly built hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops. During our stay in Leh, Fort Road was the only access route to the city centre from our hotel. After a long day monastery visit, we would pick a restaurant at Fort Road to end the day. Tibetan Kitchen was the restaurant that we returned to after a pleasant lunch experience. At the restaurant, we had a chance to taste the complex local cuisine, which has diverse influences from Tibet, different regions of India, and even China. The best thing of all was to wash down the dishes with sips of refreshing apple juice produced from the orchards in Kashmir.
After two days of monastery hopping, we were supposed to go for a two-day trip to the Nubra Valley over the Khardung La Pass (5600m) at the other side from Leh. However, as we returned to Ladakh Greens Hotel after the long day of Lamayuru, Alchi and Likir then we realized that we had to change our travel plan at the last minute.
A meal of Tibetan dishes at Tibetan Kitchen.
A bottle of apple juice made with Kashmir apples.
The dusty Fort Road with Namgyal Tsemo Gompa on the hills at the background.
Souvenir shops along Fort Road.
Motorcycles and SUV were commonly seen on the dusty Fort Road.
Shops opened till late along Fort Road.
A few open spaces along Fort Road were used as market for Tibetan handicrafts.
Every night we stayed in Leh, we had to walk for 20 minutes on the bumpy Fort Road, including a section without any street lamps.
Beyond the last few souvenir shops, Fort Road would be in complete darkness unless a SUV or motorcycle drove by with their lights on.
* * *
Other posts on 2016 Ladkadh & Delhi:
Introduction – LADAKH – The Land of High Passes, India
Day 1.1 – ENROUTE TO LEH, Ladakh
Day 1.2 – WALK TO MAIN BAZAAR, Leh, Ladakh
Day 1.3 – LEH PALACE, Leh, Ladakh
Day 1.4 – HOTEL LADAKH GREENS, Leh, Ladakh
Day 2.1 – NAMGYAL TSEMO GOMPA, Leh, Ladakh
Day 2.2 – LALA’S CAFE AND TIBETAN CUISINE, Leh, Ladakh
Day 2.3 – SPITUK GOMPA, Leh, Ladakh
Day 3.1 – MONASTERIES OF THE INDUS VALLEY DAY ONE, Ladakh (with map)
Day 3.2 – THIKSEY GOMPA, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 3.3 – CHEMREY & TAKTHOK GOMPA, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 3.4 – HEMIS & STAKNA GOMPA, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 3.5 – MATHO GOMPA & SHEY PALACE, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 4.1 – ON THE ROAD WEST OF LEH, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 4.2 – LAMAYURU GOMPA, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 4.3 – ALCHI & LIKIR GOMPA, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 4.4 – FORT ROAD IN THE EVENING, Leh, Ladakh
Day 5.1 – SHORT HIKE NEAR PHYANG, Ladakh
Day 5.2 – PHYANG VILLAGE, Ladakh
Day 5.3 – NOMADIC WOOLLEN MILLS & BON APPETIT, Leh, Ladakh
Day 6.1 – ZINGCHEN GORGE, Ladakh
Day 6.2 – SHANTI STUPA, Leh, Ladakh
Day 7.1 – LEH AIRPORT TO RED FORT, Delhi
Day 7.2 – RED FORT, Delhi
Day 7.3 – JAMA MASJID, Delhi
Day 7.4 – FAREWELL OLD DELHI, Delhi
Day 7.5 – UNITED COFFEE HOUSE, New Delhi
DAY 2: SPITUK GOMPA, Leh, Ladakh, India
After lunch at Tibetan Kitchen, we decided to do a short excursion to a nearby monastery. At the taxi stand near the bazaar, we hired a taxi driver to do the 15-minute drive to Spituk Gompa just right by the airport. Founded in the late 14th century, Spituk Gompa (literally translates as Exemplary Monastery) is a small lamasery belonged to the Yellow Hat sect under the order of Tsongkhapa. Erected atop a hill by the end of airport runway, Spituk Gompa offered us another lookout of the magnificent scenery of the Indus River Valley and the city of Leh. Upon arrival, we were greeted by posters with quotes by the 14th Dalai Lama and a few dogs lying on the entry path in the shade of the gateway.
After the entry route of prayer wheels, we walked up a series of winding steps to the central courtyard where festivals and events were usually held. The focal point of the courtyard was the gilt-roofed pavilion tower, and a main prayer hall in which a yellow-hatted statue of Tsongkhapa could be found. Active in late 14th century and early 15th century, Tsongkhapa was a well known Tibetan Buddhist teacher who founded the Gelug School of Buddhism (also known as the Yellow Hat Sect).
Accessed via a flight of steps, at the top of the monastery mount stood a few stone carvings and Palden Lamo Temple, a small shrine dedicated to a group of Hindu deities. The hill wasn’t really high, but it was still an effort for us to climb the stairs as our body was still acclimatizing to the high altitude. The shrine was quite popular among domestic visitors who came from all over India. Photography was not allowed inside the shrine. We stayed for a few minutes looking at the wall paintings, religious statues, and praying worshipers.
Rising above the airport runway was the hill of Spituk Gompa.
Outdoor cafe with magnificent views at the monastery entrance.
Main gateway of Spituk Gompa.
Dogs lying in the shade of the entry gateway.
Large prayer wheel near the main entrance.
Closeup of large prayer wheel.
White wash walls, wooden windows, and colourful awning are common at a Tibetan lamasery.
Above the main courtyard stood the gilded roof pavilion tower.
Unfortunately some of the halls were locked.
Wall painting of one of the four Buddhist guardians.
Closeup of the gilded-roof.
Candle holders by a window sill.
Closeup of a window shade.
Stairs going up to a series of lama rooms and small prayer halls.
Wash basin with a decent view.
Stair going up to Palden Lamo Temple.
Entrance of the Palden Lamo Temple, a small shrine of Hindu deities.
Last look of Spituk Gompa from the parking lot before heading back to Leh.
* * *
Other posts on 2016 Ladkadh & Delhi:
Introduction – LADAKH – The Land of High Passes, India
Day 1.1 – ENROUTE TO LEH, Ladakh
Day 1.2 – WALK TO MAIN BAZAAR, Leh, Ladakh
Day 1.3 – LEH PALACE, Leh, Ladakh
Day 1.4 – HOTEL LADAKH GREENS, Leh, Ladakh
Day 2.1 – NAMGYAL TSEMO GOMPA, Leh, Ladakh
Day 2.2 – LALA’S CAFE AND TIBETAN CUISINE, Leh, Ladakh
Day 2.3 – SPITUK GOMPA, Leh, Ladakh
Day 3.1 – MONASTERIES OF THE INDUS VALLEY DAY ONE, Ladakh (with map)
Day 3.2 – THIKSEY GOMPA, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 3.3 – CHEMREY & TAKTHOK GOMPA, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 3.4 – HEMIS & STAKNA GOMPA, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 3.5 – MATHO GOMPA & SHEY PALACE, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 4.1 – ON THE ROAD WEST OF LEH, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 4.2 – LAMAYURU GOMPA, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 4.3 – ALCHI & LIKIR GOMPA, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 4.4 – FORT ROAD IN THE EVENING, Leh, Ladakh
Day 5.1 – SHORT HIKE NEAR PHYANG, Ladakh
Day 5.2 – PHYANG VILLAGE, Ladakh
Day 5.3 – NOMADIC WOOLLEN MILLS & BON APPETIT, Leh, Ladakh
Day 6.1 – ZINGCHEN GORGE, Ladakh
Day 6.2 – SHANTI STUPA, Leh, Ladakh
Day 7.1 – LEH AIRPORT TO RED FORT, Delhi
Day 7.2 – RED FORT, Delhi
Day 7.3 – JAMA MASJID, Delhi
Day 7.4 – FAREWELL OLD DELHI, Delhi
Day 7.5 – UNITED COFFEE HOUSE, New Delhi
DAY 2: LALA’S CAFE AND TIBETAN CUISINE, Leh, Ladakh, India
After Namgyal Tsemo Gompa, the taxi dropped us off at the main bazaar. From there, we walked into an alleyway next to the mosque Jama Masjid which led us to another part of the old city. At a street corner we saw a two-story house with an interesting facade. The sign “Lala’s cafe” was hung above the entrance. We walked up the wood stairs to the second floor where the cafe was located. It was hot, dusty and dry outside but inside the cafe it was nice and cool. We sat down at a cushioned area, ordered two cups of tea and checked out the postcards and handcrafts on display. We were the only visitors in the cafe until another couple came in and joined our table. They were Sunny and Ann, an Indian and Taiwanese couple who came to Ladakh for trekking. We four had a pleasant chat. An hour easily passed before we decided to move on for our day. Outside the cafe, we took a few pictures of the small but interesting cafe building, which was once the old Sankar Monastery Labrang saved from demolition back in 2006. Despite the heat, the street outside Lala’s Cafe was full of neighborhood life: barber shop, tailor shop, cloth dyeing shop, eateries, and of course souvenir shops as well as Buddhist stupas.
Off the busy Fort Road in a small alleyway there was a popular restaurant called Tibetan Kitchen. Recommended by Sophia, fellow traveler that we met the day before at Gesmo Restaurant, we were keen to try out some authentic local food at Tibetan Kitchen. Because of the noontime heat, instead of tables at the entrance courtyard we chose a table inside the restaurant close to a painting of Lhasa’s Potala Palace. The staff were friendly, especially the owner who spoke perfect English with the British ascent. He suggested us to try the bottom fried lamb momos and hot Tibetan soup. It was a delightful and tasty meal.
The sun was strong at late morning, prompting us to seek for shelter at Lala’s Cafe.
Lala’s Cafe is located right below the Leh Palace.
The interior decor of Lala’s cafe was simple but comfortable. Customers could choose to either sit at the cushioned areas on the second floor or the rooftop.
Lala’s Cafe was once the old Sankar Monastery Labrang but saved from demolition back in 2006. It stood alone at a street corner when the adjacent buildings had been demolished.
Beside Lala’s Cafe erected a few stupas.
A local tailor was busy with sewing.
Peeking into the window of a barber shop.
A man dying fabric in front of his shop.
A snapshot of a passerby walking along the alleyway near Lala’s Cafe.
Tibetan Kitchen was not far from Gesmo Restaurant, where we met the Spanish traveler Sophia the day before.
At Tibetan Kitchen, we sat near a painting of Lhasa’s Potala Palace.
The interior of Tibetan Kitchen was decorated with photos of Tibetan landscapes and the Dali Lama, Tibetan flag and Oriental lanterns.
Tibetan soup thukpa with wontons.
Bottom fried momo (dumplings) served with chili sauce.
* * *
Other posts on 2016 Ladkadh & Delhi:
Introduction – LADAKH – The Land of High Passes, India
Day 1.1 – ENROUTE TO LEH, Ladakh
Day 1.2 – WALK TO MAIN BAZAAR, Leh, Ladakh
Day 1.3 – LEH PALACE, Leh, Ladakh
Day 1.4 – HOTEL LADAKH GREENS, Leh, Ladakh
Day 2.1 – NAMGYAL TSEMO GOMPA, Leh, Ladakh
Day 2.2 – LALA’S CAFE AND TIBETAN CUISINE, Leh, Ladakh
Day 2.3 – SPITUK GOMPA, Leh, Ladakh
Day 3.1 – MONASTERIES OF THE INDUS VALLEY DAY ONE, Ladakh (with map)
Day 3.2 – THIKSEY GOMPA, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 3.3 – CHEMREY & TAKTHOK GOMPA, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 3.4 – HEMIS & STAKNA GOMPA, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 3.5 – MATHO GOMPA & SHEY PALACE, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 4.1 – ON THE ROAD WEST OF LEH, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 4.2 – LAMAYURU GOMPA, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 4.3 – ALCHI & LIKIR GOMPA, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 4.4 – FORT ROAD IN THE EVENING, Leh, Ladakh
Day 5.1 – SHORT HIKE NEAR PHYANG, Ladakh
Day 5.2 – PHYANG VILLAGE, Ladakh
Day 5.3 – NOMADIC WOOLLEN MILLS & BON APPETIT, Leh, Ladakh
Day 6.1 – ZINGCHEN GORGE, Ladakh
Day 6.2 – SHANTI STUPA, Leh, Ladakh
Day 7.1 – LEH AIRPORT TO RED FORT, Delhi
Day 7.2 – RED FORT, Delhi
Day 7.3 – JAMA MASJID, Delhi
Day 7.4 – FAREWELL OLD DELHI, Delhi
Day 7.5 – UNITED COFFEE HOUSE, New Delhi
DAY 2: NAMGYAL TSEMO GOMPA, Leh, Ladakh, India
After a good sleep through the night, the next morning we started the day at somewhere high again. Perched above the Leh Palace, the small Namgyal Tsemo Gompa (lamasery) offered us a slightly higher perspective of the city than the lookout at Leh Palace, and our first encounter of Tibetan Buddhism. Too lazy to walk up, we hired a taxi to take us there. It was a fine morning and hardly anyone was around at the lamasery except us. Although the staff was not around, we were lucky to find that the door of the main hall was kept unlocked.
Founded in the 15th century, Namgyal Tsemo Gompa was two hundred years older than the Leh Palace. Featuring beautiful paintings in the interior, inside the main hall stood a 3-storey tall Maitreya Buddha (Buddha of the Future) painted in gold. In another worship hall decorated with ancient wall paintings, we saw a number of statues and offering tables. Many statues had their faces concealed under colourful cloths. Their faces would be covered until the next major ceremonies took place.
Above Namgyal Tsemo Gompa stood Tsemo (Victory) Fort, a monumental whitewashed building overlooking Leh. We climbed the stair up only to find that the fort was locked. Three young tourists were sitting on the stair, chatting about traveling and their onward journey to the Nubra Valley. After exchanging some causal greetings with them, we slowing headed back down to the entrance parking lot.
High up on the rocky hills, the red bricked Namgyal Tsemo Gompa (lower left) and the white washed Tsemo Fort are visible from almost anywhere in Leh.
We thought we were the only visitors at the lamasery when we arrived.
The entrance terrace offered a wonderful panoramic view of Leh.
Beyond the city stood another well-known lookout at Shanti Stupa (white monument at the centre of the photo).
Distant view of Leh and the Stok Mountains.
Inside one of the main halls were vivid wall paintings depicting Buddhist stories.
The face of the 8m Maitreya Buddha was covered in gold.
Entrance to the second worship hall.
Without recent restoration or repaint, the wall murals at the second main hall looked more ancient.
Offering tables and statues at the second worship hall.
The white Tsemo Fort above the lamasery.
The green Indus River valley was always visible.
Leh and the background Stok Mountains.
Prayer flags at Tsemo Fort.
Our friendly driver and his taxi. This kind of hired vehicle is suitable to go around Leh and nearby monasteries. For further destinations that involve extended traveling on mountain roads, 4×4 vehicles will be a more sensible choice.
Taxi heading back down to the city of Leh.
* * *
Other posts on 2016 Ladkadh & Delhi:
Introduction – LADAKH – The Land of High Passes, India
Day 1.1 – ENROUTE TO LEH, Ladakh
Day 1.2 – WALK TO MAIN BAZAAR, Leh, Ladakh
Day 1.3 – LEH PALACE, Leh, Ladakh
Day 1.4 – HOTEL LADAKH GREENS, Leh, Ladakh
Day 2.1 – NAMGYAL TSEMO GOMPA, Leh, Ladakh
Day 2.2 – LALA’S CAFE AND TIBETAN CUISINE, Leh, Ladakh
Day 2.3 – SPITUK GOMPA, Leh, Ladakh
Day 3.1 – MONASTERIES OF THE INDUS VALLEY DAY ONE, Ladakh (with map)
Day 3.2 – THIKSEY GOMPA, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 3.3 – CHEMREY & TAKTHOK GOMPA, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 3.4 – HEMIS & STAKNA GOMPA, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 3.5 – MATHO GOMPA & SHEY PALACE, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 4.1 – ON THE ROAD WEST OF LEH, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 4.2 – LAMAYURU GOMPA, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 4.3 – ALCHI & LIKIR GOMPA, Indus Valley, Ladakh
Day 4.4 – FORT ROAD IN THE EVENING, Leh, Ladakh
Day 5.1 – SHORT HIKE NEAR PHYANG, Ladakh
Day 5.2 – PHYANG VILLAGE, Ladakh
Day 5.3 – NOMADIC WOOLLEN MILLS & BON APPETIT, Leh, Ladakh
Day 6.1 – ZINGCHEN GORGE, Ladakh
Day 6.2 – SHANTI STUPA, Leh, Ladakh
Day 7.1 – LEH AIRPORT TO RED FORT, Delhi
Day 7.2 – RED FORT, Delhi
Day 7.3 – JAMA MASJID, Delhi
Day 7.4 – FAREWELL OLD DELHI, Delhi
Day 7.5 – UNITED COFFEE HOUSE, New Delhi
Blue Lapis Road 