July 18, 2011

Lifetime Experience/Dream Trip to Ladakh


18th July 2011



Our Dream Road Trip to Ladakh 

(Lifetime Experience)



I thank you God for giving me a chance to experience the most amazing landscapes... snow covered mountains...highest peaks.., clear flowing water, amazing natural lakes and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite.....which is yes....My thoughts can never be empty with all the pictures of the most beautiful place on the earth....Ladakh.....forever in my mind....


This time when we planned our ideal vacation…choices were many...Started from Kerela to Goa then Manali to Srinagar.....?

The plan was almost frozen for Srinagar when we started talking about “Ladakh”. Lots of debate was there starting from High altitude problems.....bad roads....landslides ....travelling safe and sound with family etc.

Since I was born & brought up in Shimla and been into in regular exercise regime I was not very nervous about high altitude problem but yes worried about Mr. Kang and Gurmehar...specially for my husband...

The hunt stared on Google and came across with lots of articles and blogs on high attitude problems and how people get trapped while going…some were really terrifying…..spent many hours on Google for many days…

Determination was strong…..and thanks to PACO being a real inspiration to encourage us to go on this dream trip.....He was the single driver who roofed 6707 kms in 17 days. He drove down from Mumbai to Leh  yet we were two drivers and just to cover much lesser......

The first thing was to decide about the SUV…thought of many options but we finally decided on the Toyota Fortuner. This holiday was more of planning….check lists were prepared starting from food stock, medicines, clothes, blankets, Jerry cans, puncture kit, air pump, torches, oxygen cylinders, Camera, laptop, car charger, flasks, disposable crockery, toiletries…and many more…

All hotel bookings were done online and thankfully we found the excellent stay at all the places except Pehalgam.

Fortuner also got a set of brand new tyres and was geared up after complete servicing…Complete file of maps and itinerary was ready with us…

Map 
Every evening I and Gurmehar used to be out with check list and finally completed most of the shopping two days before the journey… Gurmehar was so excited to see loads of cuppa noodles, cakes, chocolates and a box full of eatables… finally adjusted all eatables in a carton…Almost a week in advance before journey each night after work, the packing was on…

Clothes were packed two day before leaving on Friday night and there was a big mess all around at home…drawing room was full of eatables…dining table was also packed and two bedrooms were packed with clothes…first we started to pack our individual suitcases but then realized that on every stoppage we have to carry the entire stuff... Lastly clothes were packed in separate bags; one bag till Jispa, second was for Leh, third one was for Srinagar, Fourth one was for heavy clothing, fifth one was for undergarments and sixth one was for shoes.

The pressure and worries at workplace was very high as I was going on leave for a long 15 days unpredictable trip…My boss and my team were really nervous as they were aware that I will not be available on phone for next 15 days… Finally, after a send-off from my boss and colleagues, returned back home at 8.00 PM on Saturday night and got ready for the long journey from next day…

When I reached home…Mr. Kang and Gurmehar have already packed rest of the stuff and it was time to load the Fortuner…it took us two hours to stock the car as so many directions were changed to adjust the luggage…The boot was packed to the brim now and we decided to drop one blanket and little stuff...

Turned off lights at 12.00 at night and decided to leave Chandigarh by 8.00 in the morning...

Day-1 Chandigarh-Manali 

Travel Time-7-8 Hours.
Total Distance- 275 Kms.
Average Altitude- 6398 Feet. (1950 Meters)

Finally started from Chandigarh at 9.35 am after settling down the entire stuff… stuck in the traffic jam near Ropar for almost 45 mins. At around 1100 am had our breakfast at Sarsa Nangal at sanjha Chulha. 


We all were excited and enjoying the drive. We again stopped for Lunch near Pandoh Dam at 3.30 pm. Today they released the water from the dam so there was a beautiful spray of water, the awesome site of sheer power of water left us spells bound.
Pandoh Dam 
On our way to Manali watched number of waterfalls and the view of River Beas always revived and invigorated us.
Way to Manali 
We had a tough time to reach hotel as there was a massive Jam due to cars waiting to enter Manali…the road from Kullu to Manali was full of potholes…it’s high time they started repairing the road before tourist season…Near Manali we stopped at petrol Pump to fill our tanks as well as Jerry Cans to carry tomorrow for the most adventurous trip to Ladakh valley… Finally Reached hotel at 8 pm and settled down a bit meanwhile met another family (Mr. & Mrs. Debashish) who were supposed to travel with us in their Ford Endeavor with two kids and a maid…

Day-2 Manali-Jispa

Travel Time-5-6 Hours.
Total Distance- 140 Kms.
Average Altitude- 10500 Feet. (3200Meters) 

Terrible morning...was just able to catch up only 3 Hours sleep as slept at 12.00 am last night and got up at 3.00 am…4.15 we were out of the Hotel but the roads were packed of cars as all tourists were going to Rohatang pass…after crossing Marhi…the traffic was slightly less but be had a long queue following us…

The road was terrible and at two patches the mud singling road caught all the cars…few cars got stuck badly and each car was taking 10 mins to cross that patch…we too had a challenge on our hands… but the car and the driver (Mr. Kang) were up to it...

It was then on to Rohtang pass which we reached at 6.45 am and it felt like we have had a full day of adventure already…
Rohtang Top 
But the day had just started. Temperature at Rohtang was 6 degrees with icy winds hitting our bones. The breakfast of Hot lip smacking Maggi and bread omelet with piping hot tea got us invigorated and ready for the long haul ahead...
Rohtang Top 
Rohtang Top 
Rohtang Top 
Rohtang Top 
Near Rohtang 
Snow Covered Mountains 
Near Rohtang 
Rohtang Pass 
After crossing the towering Rohtang Pass at 0730 hrs and after crossing Keylong, the road goes through marvelous scenic beauty, snow lines, very high mountains and glaciers. The River Chandra flowing alongside the road adds to the charm....

After Crossing Rohtang Pass 


We stopped at the Fuel station at Tandi, is the only village on Manali-Leh highway which has a petrol pump. The next petrol pump is 365 kms away in Leh...



Arrived Jispa at 1230 hrs. The Hotel IBEX Jispa was already booked for tonight and was situated on the very beautiful square on the Manali Leh Highway. While travelling to Leh this is the ideal place for overnight stay to acclimatizes your body to get used to the high attitude. Jispa is an oasis of tranquility is situated at the height of 10,890 feet and is around 140 Kms from Manali...
Hotel Ibex Jispa 
Lunch was followed by an afternoon siesta. Got up at 1700 hrs and then it was off to the river side to wash the car which had borne the brunt of slush, snow, dirt tracks as well as waterfalls...

Jispa 
Jispa 
An early dinner at 2100 hrs and its curtains on day 2...
Thought of sleeping early but slept at midnight….but excited!!!

Day- 3 (Jispa-Leh)

Travel Time-10-12 Hours.
Total Distance- 330 Kms.
Average Altitude
Sarchu- 14074 Feet. (4290 Meters) 
Average Altitude
Bara-lacha-la- 16500 Feet. (4298 meters) 
Average Altitude
Tag-lan-gla- 17582 Feet. ( 5359 Meters)
Average Altitude
Lachulungla pass- 16616 Feet ( 5030 Meters) 
Average Altitude
Leh - 11562 Feet (3524 Meters) 

The last night was again terrible for me and Gurmehar, as we were not able to sleep well…High Altitude Problems…less oxygen…thankfully hubby had a good sleep last night…

An early start at 500 hours from Jispa...

The morning was bright and beautiful and the hotel was actively sending all guests with packed breakfast (Aloo pranthas and Achar) to have a nice and safe journey ahead…Twelve hours long drive to Leh City…The road was full of excitement and picturesque sceneries were so beautiful that they were not letting anyone getting bored…
Near Zing Zing Bar 
Early Morning 
Sun Is about to raise 
Frozen Roads 
Cold 
Frozen Lake 
As we crossed Zing-zing-bar…road was covered with snow and the temperature fall down to -3 degrees…Glaciers were melting and road was also frozen at some places…this turned to be more adventurous when our other car’s tyre got flat and it was freezing cold outside….we enjoyed a cup of coffee besides a frozen lake and snow walls… 
ZingZing Bar 
Zing Zing Bar 
There was no space for two vehicles to cross….it took us one hour to change the tyre and we had a good time enjoying the freezing cold…

Flat Tyre 
It was simply beautiful…
Freezing cold Outside 
Killing sarai 
We crossed the second pass of our journey…Bara-lacha-la…with 4298 meters (16500 feet)…Finally stopped at Sarchu for tea and pee brake and to get the flat tyre repaired…but the guy failed to fix it and kept trying for one hour…but all in vain…
Sarchu 
Scary Mountains
Sarchu 
After an hour we decided to take a chance and moved on without steppny of ford endeavor… After snow roads we experienced the natural pyramids like formations…amazingly made by the winds…
Near Sarchu 
Natural Landscapes 

21 Gatta Loops 
Lachulungla 
After crossing 21 Gatta Loops...We reached Lachulungla pass (16616 ft altitude).

Another pass and without any oxygen….but adventure started again when the check engine light started flashing of Ford Endeavour…but again had no choice but to go on…our Toyota Fortuner was rocking and we all were driving in shifts...



Taglangla 
It was time to cross the second highest pass of the world. Tag-lan-gla…with 17582 ft. Altitude…..No oxygen again….and we stopped there for almost 15 mins…snow covered mountains and speedy wind was freezing…
Freezing Cold 
Clicked nonstop pics and gathered all memories in my mind as well…
Beauty 
We reached Leh at our hotel room at 7.30 pm…had hot water bath and dinner and slept tight... 

Next day 7 hours journey and another adventure to Pangong Lake awaited all of us…

Day-4 (Leh-Pangong lake)

Travel Time-6-7 Hours.


Total Distance- 150 Kms.

Average Altitude
Chang-Langla-17586 Feet (5360 Meters) 

Average Altitude
Pangong Lake-14270Feet (4350 Meters) 



As the Endeavor went to workshop for repairing we got up little late and started at 11.30 for Pangong Lake…


Pangong Tso is an endorheic lake in the Himalayas situated at a height of about 4,350 m (14,270 ft). It is 134 km long and extends from India to Tibet. 60% of the length of the lake lies in China. The lake is 5 km wide at its broadest point. All together it covers 604 sq. km. During winter the lake freezes completely, despite being saline water. 

Pangong Tso can be reached in a five-hour drive from Leh, most of it on a rough and dramatic mountain road. The road crosses the villages of Shey and Gya and traverses the Changla pass, where army sentries and a small teahouse greet visitors. Road down from Changla Pass leads through Tangste and other smaller villages, crossing river called Pagal Naala or "The Crazy Stream". The spectacular lakeside is open during the tourist season, from May to September.An Inner Line Permit is required to visit the lake as it lies on the Sino-Indian Line of Actual Control. 




Road to Pangomg 

Today again we were excited to Pass Chang-langla with 17586 ft…where it was not advisable to stop at the pass for more than 20 mins…less oxygen but we managed to have tea and Maggi at the cafeteria….toilets water was almost frozen…







There was Army medical help for people who were suffering with altitude problems…Hats off to Army the way they made roads and connected these highest passes with comfortable roads… 
Endeavour’s engine light again flashed but thank god it was all downhill now….roads was thrilling and we saw wild Jackasses on our way…
Jack Asses 
At some distance we spotted the local animals named mermet (as told by locals)…there was a snow-white goat as well who was after us for some eatables…we fed her with some cake and cookies…




We reached the Lake at around 6.00 pm…settled at our Camp site (Martsimik Camp Resort) and went to lake to enjoy the beauty created by god…
Our Tents 
The water was chilled but it was so clear and blue like ocean...

Pangong Tso 
Pangong Tso 
To experience more beauty we went off road towards the other side of lake and saw the full moon as it rose in front of us…it was spell binding and awesome…
Pangong 
As it was getting dark and time to go back to Camp site…the adventure started again when the Endeavour got stuck in the Sand and when we tried toeing it….unfortunately (Mr. Debashish) fixed the brake fluid pipe instead of toeing point and the pipe burst…
We left the car at Lake and came in Fortuner…some settled in boot….the only help in the valley was Army…they will get the car towed in the morning and get it repaired…
Three Idiots Point 
Had a nice evening at Camp site and slept tucked in cozy quilts…The temperature was quite low and winds were blowing madly… 
camp 
Day-5 (Pangong –Leh)

I had a nice sleep but this time Mr.kang was nor really slept well….got up late coz there was no choice as Endeavour was still yet to come from Army workshop…Again started at 11.00 after terrible breakfast with tasteless aloo pranthas and half cooked omelets…we catch up with yak ride on lake and moved on…
camp Site 
Morning Colours of Pangong
The way back was same and reached Leh hotel at 6.00 pm...

Day-6 (Leh -Nubra Velley/Turtuk)



Travel Time-8-9Hours.


Total Distance to Nubra- 126 Kms.

Total Distance to Turtuk- 210 Kms.

Average Altitude
Khardung-la-18380 Feet (5603 Meters) 

Average Altitude
Nubra-14270Feet (4350 Meters) 

Average Altitude
Turtuk-11500 Feet (3505 Meters) 
The other family decided to not to go to Nubra as their car was still not ok so we decided to moved on but got little late and started at 10.00 am from Leh…
Today we passed the highest pass named Khardung-la, highest motor able road on the world -with the highest altitude of 18380 saw some kids fainting due to less oxygen and high altitude…..but on the flip side there were some gentlemen wearing dhotis also…it was fun having black tea while enjoying the snowfall...
kardungla 
There was hardly any road for next 50 kms…bad roads…
How silly I was as I thought Nubra is valley of flowers but it was all sand dunes and stone landscapes crated just to fall down on roads…

After 6 hours drive we reached the place where a famous monastery (Diksit village) is placed. Had nice butter chicken and roti in Lunch and within half an hour’s drive we reached Hundar where we saw double humped Bactrian camels and took a ride on them on white sands for half an hour….good experience but not worth for 6 hours drive…


Nubra 
Nubra
As suggested by PACO...we booked our Camp at Turtuk so we has to move on and on for another 3 hours…deserted roads and can’t see any animal and human for almost 100 kms…but yes Army…
Road to Turtuk
After crossing so many dangerous bridges where I just thought to go back but we crossed almost 7 of them…
Roads to Turtuk
Roads to Turtuk 



Milestone to Pakistan 
Reached Turtuk at 6.30 pm after driving almost 8.30 hours…the camp site (Turtuk Holiday Camp) was great but not worth 8.30 hours drive… if you are planning to stay here for 3-4 days than its worth. We were very happy with the place and hospitality…enough of oxygen and greenery due to trees and had a great dinner and sleep as well…
Turtuk
Turtuk
Day 7 ( Turtuk-Leh)

Planned to leave the camp site at 08.00 am...But decided to go and have a look at the old Turtuk village...
Turtuk
Turtuk is a remote village beyond Nubra Valley, Ladakh, situated on the ‘Line of Control’ bordering Pakistan and Tibet. The village was exceptionally beautiful with lush green meadows, quaint houses and pretty children. To top it up, the weather gods were also kind that day with a light drizzle upon us as we took the guided tour through the historical place. Wish we could have stayed there longer!!!!!



Finally started our Journey back to Leh at 0930 hrs…Hubby was not feeling well today as he was not happy with the road condition of Nubra and his stomach was in knots…given the road conditions,he was really sick of driving between North Pullu to South Pullu . The road was such that even I gave up driving on that road…

Just as we started the ascent to Khardung-la, the road had been closed by the BRO for clearing up the landslides from yesterday’s snowfall. Managed to get a 45 minute breather. Tried to take a cat nap, which was itself a challenge due to lack of oxygen...

We reached Hunder in One and a half hours and stopped at khardunga village for Lunch…Ladakh restaurants are full of experienced cooks from all part of county…some were from Nepal, Goa, Hyderabad and this one was from West Bengal…had nice lunch…

Finally, managed to reach the hotel at around 1700 hrs and were really tired…thought of buying some souvenirs and gifts for family therefore went to the Leh market…packing was due for next day and today was our last day at Leh city…The experience was amazing but in 7 days the travelling hours were too much and had started taking a toll on everyone…One suggestion to anyone planning the trip is that you must take a day off in-between which we missed.

Next day was supposed to be a long stretch. Planned to reach Drass by the day end, which meant another early start. Slept well at around 2300 hours.

Day-8 (Leh-Drass-Sonmarg)

Travel Time-10-12Hours.

Total Distance- 440 Kms.


Average Altitude- 


Zojila-Pass- 11575 Feet (3528 Meters) 
Average Altitude- 



Sonmarg- 9186 feet (2800 Meters) 


We left the hotel at 0630 hrs with packed breakfast. Our target was to be reach Sonmarg today…but as suggested by Paco that the road closes for traffic at 1600 hrs at Drass so we were left with no option but to plan for a night halt at Drass…lets see how it will go off… Initially the road was beautiful...

Road from Leh- Srinagar 
About a 45 mins drive from Leh, is Patthar Sahib Gurudwara. We stopped there for 15 mins. We took blessings of Waheguru and had a cup of tea offered by army. This Gurudwara is all managed by army...

Pathhar Sahib Gurudwara

The distance from Leh to Drass was just 284 Kms. But it takes you around 7 hours to reach Drass...
Mr. Kang was tired and handed over the car to me after crossing Khaltse. He went to the back seat to take a nap. Now my co driver was Gurmehar and we were amazed to see the condition of NH1…..ghastly roads…I started missing Manali to Leh road which was anytime better than this highway… 
130 kms from Leh, we crossed Fotula; at 13479ft, it is the highest point on the Srinagar – Leh highway but never stopped there. 

 
I drove till Kargil and hubby darling was up by now…it was Lunch time and had excellent lunch at Jammu Dhaba after crossing Kargil town (yummy Rajma and rice). Drass was just 52 odd kms and Sonmarg was just 116 Kms...


Near kargil
We were just wondering why can’t we reach Sonmarg tonight?

Thanks to the Sardar ji, (truck driver) and Dhaba guys who suggested us to go on since Army let small vehicles to go ahead... 
We reached Drass at around 1600 hrs and decided to go on…We wanted to reach Sonmarg at one stretch rather than staying at grimy hotel in Drass and next day wake up early morning and start at 0400 hrs. Drass is famous for being the second-most coldest inhabited place on earth; on 9th January of 1995, the temperature here had dipped to -60 degrees Celsius...
Gurmehar was very excited to see the Army convoys. He was very happy counting. We had to cross a convoy of nearly 150 vehicles...
Army convoys.
We were very glad and feeling much fresh to see so many trees and Greenery around. It was early evening and beautiful outside…




About two hours of driving, we reached ZojiLa Pass…

Zoji La is a high mountain pass in India, located on the Indian National Highway 1 between Srinagar and Leh in the western section of the Himalayan mountain range. Zoji La is 9 km from Sonmarg and provides a vital link between Ladakh and Kashmir. It runs at an elevation of approximately 3,528 metres (11,575 ft), and is the second highest pass after Fotu La on the Srinagar-Leh National Highway. It is often closed during winter, though the Border Roads Organization (BRO) is working to extend traffic to most parts of the year. The Beacon Force unit of the BRO is responsible for clearing and maintenance of the road during winter. 




During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947, Zoji La was seized by Pakistani raiders in 1948 in their campaign to capture Ladakh. 





Till now trucks from the Srinager side had started. It was all downhill for us but gosh uphill for heavy trucks and passing two vehicles were just impossible. We went down for 100 mts and realized we are stuck badly as the line of 200 trucks coming up was visible... 




There was no way going back also…and going further was so awful….the first time in the entire trip the tingling sensation was there in our tummy. Thanks to a couple of Bikers who suggested us a detour on the other side of the mountain which was only for vehicles going down…but turning from that point was scary…trucks were coming up in their full motion and breaking their motion was unfeasible... 

Zojila Pass 
Hats off to Mr. Kang’s driving…I could never even think in my dreams to drive on that stretch….the timing for taking turn was just perfect…and we were right above that dreadful road packed with trucks….Rain added the extra adventure to the drive and the road we were driving on was just good enough for a single vehicle to pass...

Zojila Pass 
I had never ever got so scared in my life…on my left hand side was a valley plunging down thousands of feet…but on the other hand the evening and scenery was beautiful…I was damn scared but still was clicking the pictures as well… 
View of Sonmarg 
Suddenly, the most beautiful Rainbow we have ever seen formed right in front of us….and it wasn’t one…two rainbows going down in the hill was mind-blowing…by now we were settled with the road and requested Mr. kang to stop the car for few minutes to capture the Rainbow in my camera……we went out and realized how beautiful it was… 

Rainbows 
We reached Sonmarg at 1730 hrs and thought about the trucks passing at Zojia Pass…even the thought was awful…

Our Campsite (Paradise Camps) was situated few kms. before Sonmarg…deluxe tents were cozy and comfortable with hot water facility…enjoyed the evening next to bonfire. Outstanding hospitality was offered with mouth watering dinner…we relished mutton after many days...hot water bottles were already tucked in our quilts and we slept like logs…


Day-9 (Sonmarg-Srinagar)


Travel Time-2 Hours.


Total Distance- 79 Kms.

Average Altitude
Srinagar-17586 Feet (5360 Meters) 


Sonmarg was a picture of Tranquility in the morning…got up fresh at around 0900 hrs…had a nice hot water bath and some amazing food for breakfast…explored the nearby river side and spent some time lazing around at the Camp…Finally got an opportunity to get the car washed and started towards Srinagar at 1300 hrs...
Sonmarg is simply beautiful and known as the 'Meadow of Gold', Sonmarg is set amidst a valley of flowers and lakes, natural beauty and snow clad peaks. The exotic flora of the region is nurtured by the Sindh River. Sonmarg is also one of the base camps for Amarnath Yatra...

As we crossed Sonmarg city I remembered visiting Naldera (Shimla) in my childhood. Ditto…

Mr. Kang was still not felling well and went to the backseat…this was my turn to overtake Army convoys and I did a good job till Srinagar...
Gurmehar had a great time being my co driver, cameraman and witness for the same…
Reached at our Houseboat at Nagine Lake (Butterfly Houseboat) Srinagar at around 1400 hrs and just crashed on the beautiful peacock shaped bed…
Butterfly Houseboat 
Mr. Kang was really unwell…our medicine kit helped to solve problems….but by now Gurmehar and I also started feeling unwell…I think all the rich food in Sonmarg really did us in…
Butterfly Houseboat 
The Houseboat attendant really wanted to take us to a lot of places but with a churning stomach we just settled for a one hour Shikara ride at 1900 hrs. Unlike Dal Lake…Nagine Lake was much refined, classy and a lot more peaceful….Shikara ride was really good and we got to pick up some knick knacks for everyone back home while enjoying the shikara ride... 
Nagine Lake- Srinagar 
Gurmehar tried his hand at rowing the Shikara and was looking as handsome at it as Shashi Kapoor in the old movies...
Tummy was upset but we were not ready to miss Kabbabs prepared for dinner along with rich mutton…amazing food and early night… 

Day-10 (Srinagar- Pehalgam)



Travel Time-2-3Hours.


Total Distance- 100Kms.

Average Altitude-8989 Feet (2740 Meters) 


The morning was terrible for me as my tummy was really-really upset with cramps….same with Gurmehar and Mr. Kang…I was remembering last night’s kebabs’ we relished in dinner. Had a round of medicines and left the houseboat at around 1100 hrs after having bread and butter in breakfast. 

In spite of being unwell we decided to explore Srinagar. We went to Famous Mugal Gardens and Chashmashahi. Both places were full of tourists due to summer vacations...
Chashmashahi- Srinagar
Started for Pehalgam at around 1300 hours. Our hotel was already booked and some of our relatives would be joining us there...
The drive was very beautiful…reached the hotel at around 1500 hours...
The hotel was nice and it was built around the fast flowing Lidder river. There was a nice garden and the good place to relax with hammocks and garden chairs set all across the beautiful garden engulfed in the aroma of wild roses and poppies...

We sat there the entire afternoon, had quick bites of sandwiches and tea. Gurmehar wanted to play Cricket and we were carrying the kit along so we all started playing. Meanwhile the relatives also reached and Gurmehar’s chachas also joined him. We kept playing till it got dark...
Though both Pehalgam and Sonmarg have their own charm, but we found Sonmarg to be a more enchanting place. Too much commercialism has had a huge impact on the natural beauty of both the places, but I guess Sonmarg has been able to handle the change more effectively than Pahalgam. The added rush due to the impending amaranth yatra made the traffic snarls remind one of rush hour in any metro... 

Evening was spent nicely untill our hotel guy refused to serve dinner and informed us at around 2000 hours. We had a big fight with him and he finally agreed to serve dinner as per our instructions.

Today was the last day of our trip and tomorrow we would be heading back home…we recollected all the memories and slept early... 

Next day is going to be a long day…we would be covering around 600 add kms in one shot…

Day-11 (Pehalgam-Chandigarh)

Travel Time-12-14 Hours.

Total Distance- 591Kms.


The drive today would get us back home through Jawahar tunnel. We started early at 0630 hours and this time there were three cars on our way back…while going back I had glimpse of Pehalgam and it was nice…

After driving for almost four hours. We stopped for breakfast (Aloo Pranthas and Chai). The traffic on the route was extremely bad with narrow curves and overtaking the local buses were a terrible task.

We stopped at the Titanic View Point, around six Kilometers from Jawahar Tunnel. It was a nice view from there but we could not stop there for a long time as others cars in the convoy overtook us…


First we decided to go from Jammu and have lunch at Hari Niwas Palace. The mutton and Dum Aloo dishes of the palace are amazing as we gad tried earlier but it would have meant extra 2 Hours drive so we dropped the idea and went through Sambal…On the way we bought fresh sweets (Patisa)for the family…we stopped for lunch and the food was very good since we were around 14 people the food was getting polished off very very fast… 

After crossing Patahnkot the realization struck that we had entered the real world with flat roads, normal highway traffic and mountains turned into flat plains with lush fields full of paddy all around…the thoughts of the entire trip invoked very much in mind…the roads of Nubra, Pangkong and Zojila were so much of adventure… 

The thoughts were altering with tomorrow’s activities, work, and sadness of sending Gurmehar…few days left for Gurmehar to go back to Mayo. 

Our talkative Chacha Ji (Surlekh Singh) made the journey interesting and after tea break we reached Chandigarh at 2230 hours. It was a long journey of 14 hours and hubby darling was very tired. He was the single driver for today’s journey…picked up food from MacDonald’s and Gurmehar took hold of the TV after so many days…

Home Sweet Home…

We slept tight with the Memories…memory is the dairy that we all carry with us…we do not remember days-we remember moments…
Looking forward for many more such memorable trips…

Next is Lahul Spiti…June 2012..are you up to it???

6 comments:

  1. Awesome Blog. While reading the blog, I felt, as I was in the driver's seat myself. Very inspiring and uplifting.

    Feel like taking a trip someday myself.

    Thanks Vaneeta

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  2. Thanks Sir and you must visit Ladakh...its an awesome place...

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  3. Amazing. Just loved the blog. Reminded me of my trip to Leh Ladakh. Felt i went again and came back with you guys. Loved it. Very beautiful pics...

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  6. Thanks Charan...i remember your trip as well and since than i was planning to go...just that this trip was well planned and had lots of fun..u wont believe for the family such trips are so important..no mobiles..no TV...u just cut out with the entire world...its amazing...my next trip is to Kaza..spiti..sangla..started planning already...u can join in...:)

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