Day 1

It started with a flurry of activity on the evening of the 9^th of May at my Aunt’s house in Andheri, Mumbai. Everyone from my maternal grandmother to a few cousins came to visit as I was ready and pumped to traverse to the ‘land of the passes’ – Ladakh. After a few hours that sped by in quite a panicky hurry I was at the Mumbai Domestic Airport and boggled by the incredibly lax and crippling effects of airport bureaucracy. Took me an hour to check-in my luggage despite being ready to pay for the extra weight and them charging me an exorbitant price for it. At the end I had to leg it and just caught the flight with 10 minutes remaining for it to leave the gate.  Sat into my seat panting away and I think the passengers around me were fairly alarmed by the sight but all’s well that ends well.

Was in Delhi within an hour and realized I had five hours to kill which went by achingly slow but I whiled away the time in an incredibly large and empty airport (I landed at 1 am) by conversing with the staff and security presence who were incredibly courteous and kind enough to entertain me with some interesting conversations about their life and inquiring about mine. I remember one elderly lady was quite perplexed I was volunteering to teach as opposed to getting paid for it. I told her, ‘’Being able to see Ladakh is payment enough’’, and boy was I proved right the moment the flight took off from Delhi. In about half an hour we were above the clouds and it felt like gliding through the heavens and soon enough the gentler hills of the Himalayas were already below us, and they were a sight to see! But as we progressed further north, the sights just got more majestic as the lower gentle hills gave way to the imposing and steep mountains – the snow glistening in the summer sun. Each peak was even more spectacular than the last and I kind of went on a camera-clicking frenzy so much so that I couldn't even finish the breakfast meal I’d been served which was quite honestly - delicious! The surreal feeling of clouds below me and the Himalayas further down was quite moving. I felt a massive gush of humility at these awesome sights as if venturing into the abode of the ‘devas’ – the ancient gods of India with their mountain palaces passing by below.

The landing was not short of just awe-inspiring as the plane maneuvered through the mountains that circled the valley in which Leh is cradled. The wonderful little rivers that later form the mighty Indus – from which India takes its name – were meandering through the picturesque town and the little villages that dotted its outskirts. I immediately spotted ‘Spituk’ with its peculiar red monastery atop the little hill a little distance away from Leh where I shall be teaching. I fell in love with it the moment I saw it from above beside a little stream that flowed between islands of green that surrounded the little village.

After a smooth landing the army officer sitting beside me enthusiastically pointed out the IL-76 that lay parked at the Air Force Base and that mammoth military cargo plane too seemed tiny in the backdrop of the mighty Himalaya and Karakoram ranges. Again, as the seat belt seat light was switched off, for once I didn't immediately get up to get my bag-pack but instead went on another mini-picture taking spree. Finally got down and it was pretty warm for two degrees Celsius s that powerful mountain sun was beating down pretty hard and I being the clutz that I am I forgot to take my shades out of the check-in baggage and so my eyes took a while to get adjusted to the brightness. I ventured out into the Leh Airport Terminal, collected my luggage and set out to find my way to Spituk. As expected, I saw two monks the moment I stepped out with a sign saying ‘’Abhijeet from Canada’’ and I was greeted with a warm ‘’Julay’’ from both of them when I told them I am indeed ‘’Abhijeet from Canada’’ but at the moment ‘’Abhijeet from Mumbai via Delhi’’. The monks ‘’Gindun’’ and ‘’Lobzang’’ then drove me back to Spituk and this time I didn’t take the camera out. Just mental snap-shots of the views I was encountering were registered and it was a lot to take in as the panoramic view all around me just took me captive! Some mountains were topped with glacial flows and others were barren and brown sentinels. At their base some had little woods and forests whilst others again were brown and barren.

After a 10-15 minute drive I finally reached the picturesque little village of Spituk. The monastery lies perched atop a hill, that looked much smaller from the plane but its sheer size can only be appreciated at close hand. The village lies nestled in a green and fertile delta of the Indus and I was dropped off at the host’s house that I shall stay with for the next 3 months. It consists of an incredibly caring and jovial grandma (Ibi is grandma in Ladakhi/Bothi) her son and his wife and their 3 daughters (2 of whom are studying in Chandigarh and one of whom (her name’s Amo) works here in Leh). The welcome was nothing short of incredibly gratifying and they made me feel at home from the moment they uttered the first ‘’Julay!’’

I sat in the cozy little living room that had the scent of the countryside. Outside I could hear the bellows of the cows and the little stray dog barking away. Donkeys were trudging along towards the fields as I was told later that ploughing-season had just begun and ducks were flying towards the river, quacking away. There was a pleasant breeze wafting through the open window which was welcome in contrast to the bright sun.

The house is incredibly large and robust and has a charm of its own especially when you see the backdrop of the lovely snow-clad mountains. I shall describe it in further detail in the later installments.

I was given a cup of hot, sweet tea and then I was shown to my room. It has a personality of its own. A lovely azure blue carpet that shimmers in the noon sun. A comfortable bed with 3 thick blankets to keep me warm in the chilly evenings and nights. And a strong closet and wardrobe to house my clothes and other essentials. But the best part is the view. I drew open the curtains and let the air in through the open windows and was met with a majestic sight of a little field with canals running through it. There was nothing planted yet but you could see that it was freshly ploughed. Another rustic and charming little house stood at the edge of it and I could hear but not see the gush of the river ambling by.

I certainly realize how lucky I am. And with that I slept my day away as it’s the best way to tackle altitude sickness that I wasn't feeling at all except for a few times when I had to inhale a little extra hard. Other than that, I slept like a baby till Ibi came to wake me up for dinner. I had noticed it had gotten chilly again and so I pulled up some socks on my feet and a thin jacket as I made my way down to the living room. I was served piping hot vegetables and a dry paneer sabzi on top of some wonderfully smelling rice. The warm food, and warm company made up for the chilly night breeze that was whoozing away against the shut windows and doors. I thanked them for a lovely dinner and made my way up once more after a little chat. I tucked myself in and began reading a book titled ‘’The Immortals of Meluha’’ that I had purchased at the Delhi Airport in the illumination of the flashlight as there was no power that night.

I slowly dozed off to sleep and dreamed wonderful Himalayan dreams.