Descending Tanglang La we overtook deserted army truck, after hairpin we found its driver. Frozen soldier, it seemed, dropped efforts to restart his vehicle and tried to go down by walking. He was so glad to meet us - we were the last jeep crossing Tanglang La that evening. We were densely packed in jeep, but we spared a place for him and gave him a lift till his camp.

The darkness engulfed the road when we stopped for dinner at Rumtse, the first settlement in Indus river valley. After Rupshi the highway cross the river and runs along ancient monasteries set on the craggy hills - everything was so bizarre comparing to what I met in India. Roads to lamaseries and small hamlets start through ceremonial gates, decorated by Buddhist symbols, near villages we saw weathered plastered stupas of different size and no doubt different content - from ashes of bodhisattvas to sacred rolls and artefacts. In Shey on the rock I noticed carved figures.

We arrived in Leh after midnight - streets were dimly lit or had no light at all. My whimless friends Nepalis comfortably found a place to sleep on the floor of one of the city restaurants, I decided to find a bed, but it was not easy. All hotels in the centre were either closed or had no spare room - as waken by me gatekeepers told me they were full with Bollywood people. Indian moviemakers like Ladakh scenery for romantic music scenes. I managed to find icy bed in Jurchen guesthouse. Common bath had geyser but no water - fortunately I bought pani bottle in Rumtse and got to sleep, tired and terrified by this day epic journey.  

Below – Leh street and Jami Masjid with Victory palace in the backdrop, above – view over the river Indus, airport is behind the hillock.

I forgot yesterday horrors next morning - there is no place more cheerful than Leh in the early morning. The town looks like big village, situated on gentle flat and wide slope. It was surprising for me after hill stations in Himalayas, where houses are precariously cling to precipitous crags. The downtown is rectangular Main Bazaar, roads to quiet suburbs with agricultural fields lead in every direction. In peaceful fields peasants were collecting harvest and preparing for the long winter. Majority of hotels are scattered along the Fort Rd and in Changspa suburb, but in the latter all pizzerias and travel agencies were closed till next summer, from hotels only Omasila was open. Fort Rd was still alive and I found attractive room in brand new Padma Hotel.

Top-end Leh hotels are not much different from their modest relations - family guesthouses, the difference is in less erratic water and electricity supply. Most have big glass windows - excellent for warming them in the day hours, geysers in bathrooms for hot shower and in Padma I was offered a heater - it was actually gas cylinder put in special box. It has switch and the room was warmed very quickly after half an hour when on but got cold sooner if switch was off. Places to eat I found along the Bazaar, but mostly I was taking food in rooftop cafe; in Padma or in dining room in old guesthouse. Padma owners did not change this dining room much from traditional way - from the left side it was full of brass kitchen utensils, while visitors take food from low Ladakhi tables chogtse sitting on cushions on the right. The elderly hosts but not their son, actual owner of hotel, often join the guests during the dinner, who feel as their family guests. The service is genuinely warm and sincere though not polished for expensive chains' frequent visitors. For example nephew of owner Topgyal, who usually communicates with all guests came to me with inflated bill for my food by only 3 dollars and brought with him a big Cashier book as a proof. I didn't want to see any proof, just paid the bill and wondered at his naivety. There were many foreigners in hotel and we naturally talk to each other in the morning or in the evening. I talked to 2 Holland women, William from California and 2 Italians Matteo and Nicola. The subject of our conversations was usual - reports of our trips, some ventured out for trekking, some went by jeep, quality of service in different hotels, restaurants and trekking agencies and so on.

Clockwise – Leh, scene of Buddha’s birth from Shanti stupa, Mani drum on the Fort Rd, Ladakhi beauty and Shanti stupa.

Tourism is thriving in Ladakh, it's actually became the backbone of its economy besides army contracts and subsistence agriculture. Ladakh in the past was the centre of intricate trade web of trading links, leading from Tibet and Chinese Tourkestan to Kashmir, India and Central Asia. Geopolitical rivalries after the end of British rule isolated Ladakh from its neighbours, Pakistan and India, and only in 1974 India allowed first foreign tourists to visit this region. Three decades after 1947 had not been happy time in Ladakh - people had thought only about survival, psychologically feeling like under siege. No doubt Ladakhis are grateful to India which saved them from Pakistan's and China's ambitions (so unlike the Indian North East) and Indian army massive presence (there are more Indian jawans in Ladakh than locals) generated modest income by construction, transport contracts and demand for vegetables and other necessary items of trade.

In order to have a better idea of Leh I made a trip to glistening white Shanti stupa, built in 1985 by Japanese Buddhist organization. The path to stupa begins at the end of Changspa. On the top there is small shrine where I talked a bit with its keeper Lobsang. The views from stupa over Leh and Himalayan mountains are excellent. Imposing Victory palace, a smaller replica of Potala in Lhasa, was actually built some decades earlier but was abandoned after defeat in 1840s at the hands of Zorawar Singh, a hindu commander of Jammu army. There are plans for its restoration for purely tourist reasons. Above the palace there is Namgyal Tsemo gompa, it is famous for murals with mundane scenes, including drinking of pots with chang, local barley beer, but it's too dark inside - useless visit if one has no torch and I had not.

Clockwise – my room in Padma hotel, fields around the hotel, view of Leh palace from rooftop café, Stok gompa near airport early morning, I and Namgyal with his wife in their restaurant Peace on Main Bazaar, street scene in Leh.

Having arrived to Ladakh I naturally started search for my elightened friend Sanal from Kalmykia who just returned to India after circling sacred mountain Kailash in Tibet but to no avail. Nobody seemed to know his whereabouts. On the third day, I recovered from high altitude sickness and went to Choglamsar, Tibetan refugee settlement on the road to Tiksey. There were few monasteries but I was particularly interested in Karma Kagyu gompa, which belongs to my lineage. Lama secretary Thapka, my friend, was absent - he's gone to Leh to buy butter for making statues and mandalas. Monks were busy in preparations for Mahakali puja, little boys were studying Tibetan language in classroom. Mahakali is wrathful deity guardian from Buddhist iconography, Tibetans call him simply gon-po, a guardian, comparing his work with relentless time. I was ushered in to khenpo, the main teacher of lamasery. I presented him a khata, ceremonial scarf, khenpo ordered tea. He said Sanal was here but left due to start of winter - he had not good clothes. After meeting khenpo I was left to himself and devoted my time in looking around and checking how monks live. Their life is harsh, monastery has no elementary facilities, no drainage or water supply system - monks simply wash themselves in nearby stream. They cannot dream of heating system - lama Thapka, who returned from Leh, said they live seminomadic life warming themselfes by fire in the middle of rooms. Notwithstanding my financial constraints I presented him my small donation of several thousands rupees - I don't think it made much difference but lamasery needs any help. Thapka lama was grateful, offered me stay as long as I wish in his monastery but I decided to go back in Leh to find what Nepalis cooks are doing.

Clockwise – Choglamsar Tibetan gompa, I with khenpo, children in the classroom, Dalai lama residence, and two fotos – preparations for Mahakali puja.

They were difficult to find - from Peace restaurant they relocated not telling where. Owner of Peace, Namgyal, brother of Choglamsar lama, just that summer opened his restaurant, it's located to the south of Main Bazaar. Restaurant has attractive Tibetan design, wide menu and local videomusic. Ladakhi and Tibetan pop culture seemed to me continuation of cultures of their respective countries. Ladakhi singers are modernly dressed, offering hearts and hands to beauties in salwaar kameez (traditional Punjabi women dress), all with animated gestures. Tibetan stars are more restrained, wearing traditional folksy costumes and singing Chinese style songs in the backdrop of mountain landscapes or endless fields.  
Namgyal helped me to arrange taxi for sightseeing, asking his friend taxist Lhawang Tshering and next days I spent visiting Buddhist gompas along the Indus river valley. Gompas are built in breathtaking places as layfolk start their pilgrimage with contemplation of gompa's location - on precipitous cliff rising over the plain as Stakna gompa on ridge, approaching river as Shey or under sheer perpendicular slop as Hemis. Materials used for construction are local - abundant stones, sundried bricks (plastered white) and wood (usually carved or with geometric design) for windows and doors. The human eyes, used to himalayan wide spaces and mountain snow peaks reminding about eternity, need something extraordinary in interiour decoration to appeal for admiration and awe. The vast Buddhist iconography, incorporating a number of local spirits, benevolent and wrathful, mostly from pre-Buddhist Bon or shamanic cults, provided lavish material for temple artists and they painted walls with Oriental grandeur and filigree worthy of miniatures,  their frescoes are kept in memory for long. Looking at simple white square buildings it's difficult to imagine what artistic treasures they hide inside.

The first gompa after Choglamsar is in Shey. It was main capital of Ladakh for centuries, even after chogyal Sengge Namgyal built the Victory palace in Leh the royal family considered Shey as their very much home. According to tradition Shey was founded by descendants of legendary hero Kesar from Ling, that's why in Shey stupas-chortens are everywhere. Besides 12-m copper gilt statue of Buddha Shakyamuni the thing of interest is carved 5 Buddhas in meditation poses right above the main highway. When we were in Shey we met Zanskari family on pilgrimage - women in gonchas with brightly decorated goatskins above their shoulders (fur inside). Only with help of driver Lhawang I secured family portrait.

Clockwise – my driver with Stok palace gatekeeper, Stok palace, doors of Shey monastery and Zanskari family on pilgrimage.

Tiksey is the most photogenic monastery, it belongs to Gelukpa order and headed by Dalai lama namesake Changba Tenzin Gyamtso. His famous image of Maitreya, Buddha to come, you can find everywhere from posters of India tourism to luxury coffeetable books on Indian and Buddhist culture, yet monks prohibit taking his picture now and I had to click from outside, through the open door. Upper gon-khang contains several Tantric deities in yab-yum position of sexual union. It is used for meditation and usually closed. The main shrine in du-khang opposite to Maitreya temple is always open but it's too dark inside to study ancient murals.

From above – Shey gompa, murals in Thiksey, Thiksey gompa and Maitreya.

Founded by Sengge Namgyal in 1630s Hemis gompa of Drukpa Kagyu lineage sits precariously under sheer rock on opposite side of the river. The monastery is world famous by summer festival when monks perform ceremonial dances mysteries chaam and roll out their treasures - giant thankas, Buddhist icons. The most valuable thanka of Padmasambhava, embroidered not painted, is shown once in 12 years, last time it was in 2004. The dark du-khang chamber is of not much interest, left side tso-khang contains some stupas including big silver stupa of Shambhunath, the third head of Drukpa lineage. However I spent hours in du-khang mesmerized by the mandala making process. Later on the roof I met Wangyal, an archaeologue. He was supervising his workers who carried the soil from some backside chambers. I asked one of the workers who was nearby to make photo of us but apparently it was the first time experience for him as he missed me (in two pics in a row). Nevertheless the archeologue and driver are there.

Clockwise – Stakna gompa, Indus river, Hemis gompa, archaeologue and mountain views.

Around Leh there are more monasteries deserving to visit - in Stakna, Matho, Chemrey, Thak Thok, Spituk, Phyang but if time is short a visit to Shey, Tiksey and Hemis is enough. More, one can visit museum in Stok palace, where royal family was exiled after defeat in 1840s. Royal family does not stay in Ladakh - current chogyal Nima Norbu (since 1974) lives abroad, he sold his concrete and glass, yet in Potala style, palace in posh South Delhi suburb. His father was long time MP. Widowed queen gyalmo Parvati Devi Deskit Wangmo come to Stok only in summer, spending winter in milder Manali. However one member of the erstwhile royalty, son in law, raja Thupstan Chhewang is active in Ladakhi politics, he is current MP from Ladakh representing Ladakh Union Territory Front (LUTF), a string of parties united in 2002 with goal of separating it from Kashmir under the direct rule of Delhi. Yet this aim is long term as special status of Jammu and Kashmir state limits the centre' options to intervene in interstate dispute. While majority of Ladakhis are mongoloid Buddhists there are many muslims with Central Asian look both shia Baltis and sunni Kasmiris and even christians, the heritage of the erstwhile Moravian mission. Mr Thupstan Chhewang himself, whose face one can see everywhere in Ladakh: from political billboards and proclamations, is looking more like Indian, not like a member of Tibetan aristocracy.

On the way to Hemis near Stakna gompa we passed hydroelectric station, of 4 megawatt capacity. Since its construction in 1980s the station output was rather limited - in winter it's expectedly closed, in summer it's not working properly clogged by silt. Ladakh is land with insufficient electricity supply, that's why use of electric heaters is strictly banned, the authorities make sudden raids of housing sector, punishing violators with confiscation of heaters and heavy fines. The owners of Padma hotel told me about such practices, they even were talking about short term incarceration in case of infridgement. In the winter Leh is supplied by noisy and hardly ecological diesel electric station. However recent years saw a surge of activities to find new sources of energy. The government stimulated Ladakh Ecological Development groups (LEDeG) efforts to establish small scale hydroelectric projects of 10 kilowatt capacity and spread of solar batteries. Ladakh gets miserable 10 sm of precipitation in form of snow, it means it is one the sunniest places in the world. These days even Indian army started to use solar energy - when we were passing army camp near Pang I noticed such installations.  

So I spent 10 days in Ladakh introducing myself to local way of life, to its problems and aspirations. First days as I already said I had experienced mild form of high altitude sickness with dizziness and headache. Later headache was replaced by skin problems - my lips cracked, even cheeks skin. Well, I did not want to be "a man who always smiles" and started to look for exit. The road to Manali was out of question, it was closed, air tickets were impossible to get - all flights out of Leh were heavily booked up to three weeks in advance. In Dreamland Treks and Tours where I usually checked my e-mail I arranged a jeep for Srinagar, capital of Kashmir - the road takes two days, but on the way it's possible to visit ancient gompas in Lamayuru and Alchi. Of course I was scared to go into ravaged by terrorist strikes region but I had no choice.