• Nature's Wonders - Places

    River Rafting @ Indus

    August 4, 2011 - By 

    We woke up on day five of our Himalayan safari brimming with excitement. Rafting on the Indus was the highlight of the day. Sadly, our last day in Leh, too. We had been following the course of Indus and just got to dip our feet in the river on the way from Srinagar to Kargil. Rafting started at Indus, about a few kilometers outside Leh; the destination being the confluence of Indus and Zanskar, which we had viewed from top on the way to Leh from Uley Topko. We were greeted in the raft by the raft guide by splashing…

  • Places

    Pangong Lake

    July 18, 2011 - By 

    The descent from Chang La reveals a stark landscape that brings awe and fear. Snow-clad mountains again turn dry and arid. The sandy river bed reminds of a desert. The long, winding roads are often breached by the brooks formed by melting snow. Camps of Changpa nomads are seen on the slopes. These nomads rear yak, sheep, goats and horses. Yak milk (rather nak milk, the correct name for the female ones) is used to make cheese and the goats are sheared for the prized cashmere wool. On the way to the Lake, at Darbuk, is a memorial to Indian…