Trip into Leh

Hello and greetings from 3,500 meters!

I just landed here in Leh yesterday after a very trying 12 hour bus journey in the very last bench seat. My journey placed me smack dab in the middle of some of the most breath taking scenery I have seen in my life and probably will ever see. Mountains of spectacular color jut up to great heights and the bleakness of high desert pulled at my innermost fears and fascinations. Up down, bumps here and there large enough to send me flying toward the ceiling of the public bus. This particular route from Minali to Keylong to Leh took me over the second highest road in the entire world. I think around 17,500+ feet high. Something inside me has shifted and I will never view nature in the same way again. Leh is a valley alive only due to various canals and a small river. Green trees give way to a totally barren land and peaks of mountains stretching up toward the sky.

From an ancient castle set into a mountainside I got an amazing 360 degree view of this impervious landscape. The mountains seem to laugh at the impermanence of life and stand very majestically and unwaveringly in their place. The castle was made back in the 17th century and is currently being repaired to serve as a monastery. We were allowed a small glimpse into a room of sacred objects lit only by the last remaining light of the day filtering in through windows high in the ceiling. Every molecule of air was dank, drenched with age and secrecy. I could hardly wrap my mind around what I was experiencing. Elaborate statues hide in shadows and masks of fright that conjure thoughts of Halloween hang on pillars. Tibetan books from the 16th century fill out a large shelf about 20ft by 8ft. I was overwhelmed by the feelings this room brought out in me. Such a strange fear and uneasiness gripped my soul and our aloof tour guide, a monk of 11 years did not help with his strange behavior and no English. He smiled at us totally accepting and unaffected by the mystical gravity of this small chamber. I must admit I was caught totally off guard when I made my way to a position behind the figures where I was almost sure a wall should be. A force of great power and secrecy lives here and it was a segment of time I shall not soon forget.