Marshrutka / Minibus from Tbilisi to Mtskheta and back

The distance between Tbilisi and Mtskheta is hardly 20-25 kms and takes less than an hour even with Tbilisi’s busy traffic. There are no buses that ply between Tbilisi and Mtskheta and even though the official Georgian train website shows that passenger trains stop in Mtskheta, be advised that Mtskheta railway station is quite far (about 2 kms) from the town itself and train schedules are sporadic making it an unwise choice to try and visit Mtskheta by train from Tbilisi. Mtskheta lies in the historical Mtskheta-Mtianeti region.

Regular marshrutkas (minibuses) ply between Didube to Mtskheta and are the easiest way to reach Mtskheta from Tbilisi. These marshrutkas are usually 16-20 seater Mercedes Sprinter vehicles and run every 30 odd minutes starting from 7 am from Didube station while the last marshrutka for Mtskheta departs from Didube at 8 pm (or sometimes even later in the summer). We took less than 30 minutes to cover the 18 km distance from Didube to Mtskheta. We were not sure if the driver would take us into town so we decided to get down as soon as we saw the walk-only pedestrian street! Later, we came to know that the last stop in Mtskheta is the parking spot at the end of the town quite close to Old Mtskheta.

Where exactly to take the marshrutka at Didube?

We had booked a small family run hotel quite close to Samgori / Isani metro station for two nights as our flight landed in Tbilisi at the uncomfortable hour after midnight. From Isani metro station, it was quite easy to figure the Tbilisi metro and reach Didube station where a few taxi drivers offered us a ‘cheap’ ride to Mtskheta for 20 Georgian Lari (GEL). We politely declined their (expensive) offer and promptly found the Mtskheta marshrutka ticket counter. After confirming the 2 GEL per person one way ticket price with locals who were also waiting for the marshrutka for Mtskheta, we paid and got our paper tickets. It is important to remember that the last marshrutka from Mtskheta to Tbilisi (Didube) runs at around 8-830 pm and is likely to be full so it is best to time your return to Tbilisi by daylight to avoid any unforeseen adventure!

In principle, you can hire a taxi for Mtskheta anywhere in Tbilisi or even use a bolt or maxim taxi (internet app-based taxis) but the prices are likely to be standard in Didube. If you are a group of four, then your best bet is to get early to Didube and negotiate a good price with a taxi driver to take you to Mtskheta and also include the other sights of interest like the Shio-Mgvime monastery and Zedazeni monastery.

Introduction to Mtskheta

Mtskheta is the former capital of Georgia and an ancient city that was established between the 1st and 5th Century BC. It is located at a enviable point of the confluence of Mtkvari (Kura river) and Aragvi rivers and jaw-dropping views of the confluence can be seen from Jvari Monastery. Mtskheta has a number of monuments included in the UNESCO World Heritage, that was bestowed in the year 1994. The old Mtskheta town around the centrally located Svetitskhoveli cathedral is a bucolic sight with cobblestone streets and green mountains in the backdrop. Mtskheta’s importance of being steeped in Georgian culture is evident in the fact that it is a favourite place for Georgians to get married and for pre-wedding photoshoots.

This travel guide to Mtskheta includes all that you need to know about visiting Mtskheta on a day trip from Tbilisi. It includes details on – how to reach Mtskheta and transport options from Tbilisi, must visit attractions in Mtskheta, time taken for exploring, food, wine tasting, shopping, and timing your return back to Tbilisi.

History of Mtskheta

Mtskheta is one of Georgia’s oldest towns and was the capital of the Kingdom of Kartli in East Georgia from the 3rd Century BC till the 6th Century AD when the capital was shifted to Tbilisi after the discovery of the sulphur springs in Abanotubani. Mtskheta gained importance as it lies at a strategic location; at the intersection of trade routes from Byzantium, Syria, Roman Empire, Silk Road that resulted in a rich commercial exchange with the mingling of different cultures. Mtskheta remains the spiritual and religious centre of Georgia since Mtskheta is where Christianity was first embraced as Georgia’s official religion in the year 337 AD.

Accorded the UNESCO World Heritage Site status, the Historical Monuments of Mtskheta include Jvari Monastery, Svetitskhoveli Cathedral and Samtavro’s Convent. These three medieval religious establishments are home to precious relics of Christianity; painted frescoes and burial sites with graves of monarchs and royalty from the times when Georgia was a Kingdom. History lovers are in for a treat as the region around Mtskheta is rich in Old Georgian architecture and is dotted with churches, caves, archaeological sites, ancient chapels, palaces and forts.

Svetitskhoveli Cathedral

Originally built in the 4th-5th Century AD, Svetitskhoveli Cathedral is a stunning sight and is likely to be your lasting memory of Mtskheta. The present structure dates to the 11th Century AD and the Orthodox cathedral complex exudes a calm and spiritual vibe with the greenery amidst the mountain view. It is a perfect example of the medieval architecture of the Caucasus. As you enter the spacious cathedral complex from the street, you can see a number of women selling fresh flowers. It was a weekday when we visited and found it quite amusing to come across a number of weddings and see newlyweds getting clicked in the green lawns with the cathedral. I can only imagine the scene of wedding parties on weekends! Although it can get pretty crowded inside Svetitskhoveli cathedral, take your time to gaze at the frescoes and carvings.

A number of Georgia’s most important monarchs are buried at Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, including King Vakhtang Gorgasali, the founder of Tbilisi. Qvevri pots (for winemaking) can be seen scattered in the monastery complex and also don’t miss the beautiful bell tower built in a different corner of the entrance. Candles and souvenirs can be bought at the monastery shop located on the right after entering. There are scarfs and skirts available at the entrance if you are inappropriately dressed for entering the church.

Jvari Monastery

Also called the Holy Cross Monastery of Jvari; Jvari Monastery is one of the oldest monasteries in Georgia (by some accounts, the holy wooden cross was erected here in the 5th Century). According to legend – in the early 4th century, St. Nino, a female Christian preacher erected a large wooden cross on this site where Jvari Monastery was built later. The distance between Mtskheta and Jvari Monastery is 12 kms and round-trip taxis are easily available in Mtskheta for about 20 GEL. The 6th Century church in Jvari Monastery is located on top of a mountain and is the most sacred and revered church in entire Georgia. The chief pull of Jvari Monastery is the bird’s eye view of entire Mtskheta old town overlooking the confluence of the Aragvi and Mtkvari rivers.

While the exterior of Jvari Monastery is quite rustic and simple; the symmetric building is built in what can be called old Georgian architecture. It is perched on a hilltop and hiking to Jvari Monastery is possible via a trail from the park in Mtskheta; but not recommended unless you have an entire day out. If you have organised a taxi from Tbilisi, it may be a good idea to visit Jvari Monastery in the end so that you can enjoy the incredible view of Mtskheta town with Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in the centre during sunset time! The sacred St. Nino’s spring locally revered to be a healing water source is a 15 minute hike from Jvari monastery.

Samtavro’s Convent

We had not planned our day in Mtskheta and wandered with an explorer’s air to find ourselves right in front of the Samtavro’s Convent. Samtavro’s Convent is a pleasant ten minute walk from main Mtskheta town. The monastery complex is set among gardens and has a relaxed, open vibe since it is relatively less crowded than the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral. The church at Samtavro’s Convent was originally established in the 4th century and has been restored a number of times. The present day building of the main church was built in the early 11th century. Samtavro’s convent houses the grave of King Mirian III – the king of Iberia (Kartli kingdom) who established Christianity as the official religion in Georgia.

We drank and filled our water bottle from the spring water where the locals were also quenching their thirst. There was also a small chapel – St. Nino Chapel (Tsminda Nino) which is an active chapel with frescoes and a priest inside. While walking around the monastery grounds, take notice of the bell tower as well. On the other side of the entrance is the church shop where visitors can buy candles and souvenirs. While going back, we noticed old men and women asking for alms from visitors while some others were selling some dried herbs(?)

Samtavro Necropolis

The ancient cemetery of Mtskheta; Samtavro Necropolis is located just 500m away or a 5 minute walk from Samtavro’s Convent and is the most peaceful stroll in Mtskheta. This burial ground has been in use since the 3rd Century BC and is steeped in history. It also served as the burial place for the royal family. The Samtavro Necropolis or mausoleum is a lesser visited monument and can be called an offbeat attraction in Mtskheta.

Antioch Church

Antioch Church is a 4th-5th Century church built on the banks of the Aragvi river just before its confluence with Kura river. To reach here, take a walk in the residential by-lanes in Mtskheta old town and turn right for the riverside. There are hardly any visitors to be seen at the relatively austere-sized Antioch Church (also called St. Stephen’s Church). The church complex is pleasing with the greenery especially after seeing the crowds on the tourist trail in Mtskheta. Enjoy the sweeping view of Jvari Monastery and savour the blissful breeze of the river. Do not miss the colourful frescoes in the interior of Antioch Church. Due to lesser popularity of this attraction, I can denote the Antioch Church to be an offbeat place to visit in Mtskheta.

Shio-Mgvime Monastery

The 6th Century Shio-Mgvime monastery is set into a rugged hillside and lies at a distance of 12 kms from Mtskheta. Caves used by monks for meditation can be seen all over the cliff face of the hillside. There is no marshrutka or shared transport to visit the Shio-Mgvime monastery from Mtskheta or Tbilisi, hence it is best to discuss and finalise a taxi with other tourists for visiting Jvari Monastery and Shio-Mgvime to make it economical. Take some time to roam around the scenic monastery complex (accommodating about 2000 monks at one time) to see beautiful gardens housing two churches. The interiors of the bigger church have perhaps the most well preserved frescoes in Mtskheta. The smaller church is called the Shio Cemetery Church; in honour of the monk Shio who founded this site. The church shop sells excellent quality of honey and beeswax candles made on site!

Exploring Mtskheta on Foot : Heritage Walk in Mtskheta

Rather than making a checklist, the joy of travel lies in the unplanned and serendipitous encounters. The quiet by-lanes of this historical old town of Mtskheta are apt to check the rich architectural style of Georgian houses with the courtyards shaded with grape vines, elaborately carved wooden balconies and the greenery. We were enamoured with the heritage houses sporting a faint red of autumn in the trees, vintage cars, art nouveau signboards and decided that Mtskheta is worth staying for a couple of nights (at least) if we come to Georgia again.

Among other places to see in Mtskheta; Bebri Tsikhe (abandoned fortress on a hillock) easily reached by a 20-30 minute walk from Mtskheta, Zedazeni Monastery, the colourful mosaic painting outside the Mtskheta Archaeological Museum (not open); St. Barbara Church, in a different direction – Armaziskhevi Archaeological Site, Armazi Tsikhe (fortress), Armazi Monastery and a few other churches around Mtskheta.

Souvenir Shopping in Mtskheta

There are pedestrian streets (ocassionally used by cars) around Svetitskhoveli Cathedral square where vendors set up market stalls and souvenir shops. Tourists can purchase churchkela, carpets, quirky fridge magnets, spices, fresh juice, wine ice-cream in summer and in winter, mulled wine. Also on offer are wine, chacha (grape liquor), souvenirs like scarfs, Georgian caps and hats, handmade dolls, ceramics and paintings. Among unique souvenirs on sale are kantsi – traditional Georgian drinking vessel (now mass-produced), tklapi (fruit snack), and hand-painted fridge magnets.

This market in Mtskheta is a very touristy area so it is good to be aware that prices quoted can often be very high. It may be a good idea to bargain subtly and see if the seller offers a better price. After having gone around the other parts of Georgia over a good 16 days, we realised some souvenir sellers were offering really good deals like 1+1 on fridge magnets for 2 GEL. Although I don’t recommend buying mass produced souvenirs; but I can understand if someone wants to buy, then the market in Mtskheta may turn out to be a good choice. We found the prices in Tbilisi for the same stuff are much higher.

Wine Tasting in Mtskheta

Winery Khareba located right on the opposite side of the entrance of Svetitskhoveli Cathedral. The wine tasting is free as long as you buy a bottle of wine. Prices are fixed (unlike some other places in Mtskheta) at Winery Khareba and the staff is quite helpful in suggesting which wine to buy.

Handy Tips :

Since Mtskheta is primarily a religious destination for locals, dress and behave appropriately.

Carry a water bottle. Time your visit to the washroom/toilets when you go to a restaurant. Try to visit Mtskheta on a Sunday morning while mass is being held, and savour the authentic cultural experience of polyphonic singing very unique to Georgia.

Festivals in Mtskheta

14th October Svetitskhovloba Festival.

How to Pronounce Mtskheta?

Georgian spellings and pronunciations can be mind jangling and none more so than ‘Mtskheta’. This tongue twister is actually pretty easy to pronounce. The locals seem to ignore the first two letters ‘Mt’ and rapidly say ‘skheta’ with a stress on the h. For us, it took a while getting used to since it was our first day in the country. Thankfully, we weren’t caught on the wrong foot and learnt to pronounce Mtskheta like the Georgians do before committing a faux pas!

How to go from Tbilisi to Mtskheta?

Metro to Didube station. After reaching Didube station, you have to go through a market to get to the other side to reach the exact point for the Mtskheta marshrutka / minibus and the ticket window. Buy the tickets for 2 Lari per person. Shared taxis also ply about 5 GEL per person.

From Mtskheta to Tbilisi : Marshrutka stop in Mtskheta to get back to Didube is on the main road while coming back from Samtavro’s Convent.

Staying in Mtskheta

Mtskheta has an old world charm and warrants much more than just a day visit. We have already decided we will spend a couple of nights in one of the charming homestays of Mtskheta whenever we return to Georgia.

Where to eat in Mtskheta?

There is a row of restaurants in front of the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral. We are a khachapuri and enjoyed fresh tap beer at one of those. Ornament Express was our choice but they had run out of food due to a party that day! Other recommended restaurants and cafés in Mtskheta are – Restaurant Check-in Garden, Café Tatin, Riverside Baginati, Tsiskvili. Favourite eateries of Tbilisi locals are on the way to Mtskheta after the diversion from the main road. I spotted a big crowd from the marshrutka both while coming and going. A few locals also got down on the way and while coming back our marshrutka was full but they took passengers for standing space.

Best time to Visit Mtskheta?

Mtskheta is accessible throughout the year. Summers are warm while a visit in peak winter might be a chance to see Mtskheta in snow!

Think I missed something in this Mtskheta Guide? Suggestions are welcome.

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The year is 2023. The monsoon months of July and August have brought copious amounts of rain to many parts of Himachal Pradesh and Kullu Valley (where we live). A number of roads have been washed away and connectivity is seriously hampered.

We have returned from a short trip to Kazakhstan in mid-August. There was a family event for which we travelled to Jaipur and were duly back in Delhi on the 20th. There had been another deluge in Kullu region and the roads near Pandoh (Mandi) were badly damaged. Of course, Volvos were only plying till Mandi and there was no clarity thereafter on the status of any of the alternate roads. Acquaintances spoke of 8-10 hour traffic jams as a normal course of life from Mandi to Kullu and we were not prepared to get stuck in a traffic jam as it could be risky with the continuous rain.

We had come back to our home in Dobhi after the torrential downpour in July and the ordeal of changing 4-5 buses from Delhi felt like small trouble compared to the situation at hand. I called the HRTC bus guys and private Volvo operators everyday in the hope of a positive update. It was tricky to keep checking the weather predictions and try to leave from Delhi to Mandi in a Volvo, reach the bus stand at 6 am and hope for the best. The private Delhi to Manali Volvo guys had completely stopped their services while some of them were plying till Mandi.

We were getting restless; especially because of the lack of clothes as we had gone to Kazakhstan on a cabin baggage only flight and had literally nothing to wear! Every other day we would decide to leave the next day and we would get a ‘jahan ho, wahin raho‘ (stay where-ever you are) message from the HRTC guys in Mandi. It was 25th and we were counting days on our fingertips; our time in Delhi at our friends’ home was fun but we really really wanted to get back home to Kullu.

It must have happened by fluke and I don’t even remember how it came about but I saw some notification about an airline sale. A random 1-minute search revealed next-day’s flight from Delhi to Leh at INR 2000 odd and for the moment I disregarded it as a long shot. However, next day when there was no positive news of the Mandi to Kullu road, we decided enough was enough and booked our flights for the next morning.

We were pretty excited about having scored cheap flights for Leh in the green summer season of August and the fact that there were hardly any tourists there. Even though we wanted to get back home to Kullu, it was decided that we would acclimatise in Leh for 4 days and our return was planned for 30th August, which was a holiday for Rakshabandhan. I was poorly packed and did not even have a jacket but since it was summer in Ladakh, I hoped the weather gods would behave!

Read : Durbuk to Merak Village – Winter in Ladakh

It was an early morning flight and we landed in Leh with the spirit of adventure at having booked a last-minute trip! I had been a bit naive to assume that the Leh to Manali bus service was functional and was taken aback with the information after reaching that the bus service had been stopped a while ago. Homestay/hotel/guest houses were all available and this time we pre-booked a guest house because this trip had a different agenda.

We landed in Leh on a cold and cloudy morning and I was thankful that the sun was out as soon as we got out of the airport. The room was cozy and we fell asleep in no time. After waking up past noon, we strolled to the main bazaar in search of food. Leh felt like it used to be in the old days; there were no Indian tourists to be seen – while old timers from across the world were roaming in the streets. It suddenly felt like the best decision; to go back home via Leh!

Since we were not acclimatised, the walk to the market was tiring enough but I could not resist having a stroll near Jama Masjid and checking what the village ladies had for sale since it was their summer and the only farming season in Ladakh! I was in luck since it was apricot time and the tiny orange fruits were flooding the market. Among other things, there are few better things in life than tasting these alluring little beauties and one of the varieties grown in Leh (Raktse Karpo) have also been recently awarded with a GI tag.

It feels nice when your fellow shoppers are old wizened lamas. One of them also mentioned that I must buy the raktse-karpo variety of apricots that has been awarded the GI tag. The prices of apricots have really gone up in the last 10-15 years. I faintly remember that the best quality dried apricots from both the Khaltse and Turtuk (Halman) region used to cost about INR 250-400 per kilo. I was shocked to notice that in the present day the fresh apricots were priced at INR 250 per kilo while the raktse karpo variety was priced at INR 400 per kilo.

It was about 5 in the evening and a cold breeze started blowing. I bought a kilo of the apricots and got excited about seeing one of the village ladies (ama) selling a cute watermelon. It reminded me of Kazakhstan and the watermelons and muskmelons of Central Asia. The whole pavement was filled with fresh produce and I secretly wished to buy everything! Since we had had a late lunch, there was no appetite to go out for dinner again. Also, we were a bit tired and felt it would be best to return to the guest house and call it an early night.

I spotted a foreigner buying carrots and quickly got the idea to carry back a bunch of lettuce leaves and half kilo fresh and juicy carrots. The evening skies as we walked back were incredible and it had really become quite chilly. We were glad that the rooms of the guest house had a traditional wooden roof with poplars. The solar geyser had warmed up the water quite nicely even though the sun wasn’t at its strongest throughout the day.

We gobbled up the carrots like rabbits would do (get the gist!) and the fresh lettuce leaves were really fresh and tasty. A few apricots served as dessert and a good night’s sleep beckoned after a lovely and relaxing hot water bath. Next day onwards, it was business as usual as we felt well acclimatised but still decided to spend our days in Leh with the aim of returning home on 30 August. Since the tourist rush in Leh was confined to long-term foreigners, the Manali and Leh taxi unions were having a tiff about plying the current tourists and the stand-off resulted in an all-too familiar situation of confusion.

This is another part of the adventure of travelling on the Manali-Leh road – the feeling of uncertainty. The HRTC Manali-Leh bus service had been suspended due to the road issues and according to the in-charge officer in Keylong due to the lack of passengers in the bus. I found that surprising because the Manali-Leh bus had always been a favourite with foreign tourists, migrants and locals of Changthang region who travelled in the bus till a certain point.

I enjoyed doing the usual Leh things; even the hitherto touristy stuff like climbing Shanti Stupa for sunset views because there were hardly any tourists. There were everyday walks in the bazaar; finding craftspersons and artisans making pabu (Ladakhi shoes) and thigma (woollen tie and dye) while connecting with all ladies self-help groups who crafted shawls from handspun pashmina. It was nice to visit an old favourite Tenzing Dickey Tibetan restaurant for an early dinner one day, realising it was still the same tiny eatery serving home-made thukpa. We had a great conversation with a travelling Swiss couple over the meal and ended up meeting them numerous times over the next couple of days.

The night skies were a joy to walk back and we were happy to shift our stay to a nearby homestay the next day. I walked from the nanwai gali (lane of bread-bakers near Jama Masjid) and bought every different kind of bread and biscuits that they made. One of the nanwai’s made chochwor (of Kashmir fame, also called telvor) and that was really delightful. We ate our lunches at cafés that served traditional Ladakhi dishes like chutagi, skyu, khambir, drapu, tangthur, paba and the likes and relished the offerings while gawking at the surreal blue skies that invariably had a background view of Leh Palace.

To find the actual status of the shared taxis from Manali to Leh, we head to Bomb Guard area via the local bus that plies to Choglamsar. We gathered that there was no clarity and they were quoting astronomical prices of INR 3500 per person for tempo travellers leaving in the evening, travelling all night and reaching Manali in the morning next day. We were very uncomfortable with this idea of travelling in the night and tried to play smart by taking direct phone numbers of HP-01/K (Kullu) numbered taxi guys. A few drunk taxi drivers tried to play spoilsport and that was our cue to leave.

With zero clarity, we came back to Leh bazaar and opted to ignore the current problem on hand – hoping that as the day of our departure approached; we would get lucky. Two years ago, in 2021 we had returned from Leh to Manali on October 15th and were able to get two shared taxi seats in the middle row of a SUV. I continued on my merry apricot eating spree and we were happily gobbling a kilo every day and saving the kernels to be converted into a chutney back home in Kullu.

Read : Spending the ‘Lockdown’ Summer of 2021 at Yuthok Homestay, Kullu Valley

On the 29th, we decided to spend a relaxed day because in the absence of a fixed plan for our return it was important that we had the physical strength to do anything that the situation demanded. On top of everything, we had small backpacks and a few orders for Indilocal meant extra luggage. We were pleased to have a final parting meal in the evening at the gorgeous Bon Appetit restaurant in the stunning outdoor seating. The weather was crisp and there was a faint feeling of early autumn in the air.

I had called the phone numbers of the HP-01/K guys gathered from the previous day but none of them confirmed any other passengers. One of the guys had two confirmed passengers (which later turned to be false) in a Swift Dzire, but I was not comfortable going in a vehicle with less ground clearance especially after the recent rains. Once we reached our homestay, we packed our bags and paid the amount since we were supposed to go very early.

Our uncertainty reached an unprecedented level as the clock passed 9 pm and it finally dawned on us that we were on our own and that we needed to have a worst-case scenario and actually execute it. To make a last-gasp try, I called one guy whom I had not been able to contact and he told me to anyhow reach the Upshi check-post. He was positive that we are highly likely to be able to hitch a ride at the Upshi Check Post. He also told me that a bridge near Sarchu had become inoperable and the alternate route was a tad risky. Thankfully, I chose to completely ignore the above piece of information.

Keeping the heightened anxiety levels in check, we somehow called it a night and slept with a lingering feeling of helplessness and adventure! At the present moment, the whole idea of coming to Leh started feeling like a failed attempt or we had to be mentally prepared to shell out an exorbitant sum of money; all for the simple act of returning to our home in Kullu. It was a much needed rest in the night as we got up and running before daybreak and were thankful to the homestay guys to bring us a kettle of hot drinking water so early in the morning.

The weather was quite cold and the water for a shower was not yet rendered hot by the solar heater. I was relieved to find the water was lukewarm at best and not bitterly cold. The shower roused me awake and we discussed that since we have not had any phone call from a taxi guy, our only way out is through hitching rides. We were aware that buses in Ladakh plied every morning to different regions in Changthang, Nubra Valley, Kargil region from the LBOC Bus stand. The clock struck 630 and we realised that we were already running late to reach the bus stand which was a sizeable 20 odd minutes away – it felt like a herculean task with our (now) heavy bags.

A prudent and practical decision was taken to keep things simple and take it as one ride at a time and not overthink how we would travel from Leh to Lahaul Valley/Kullu Valley via hitchhiking. Public transport would be available from Jispa / Keylong to Kullu. We figured that getting out of Leh city via a local bus was our best bet of giving the taxi guys roaming around the bus stand a miss. One of the basic rules of hitchhiking is that we rarely ever hitch rides in a city, so must get to the highway. We had a brisk walk with ‘our hearts in our mouths’ moment not knowing about the timing of the bus. I had assumed it was 730 am.

It was 0707 am when we finally made it to the bus stand and there was no bus to be seen. A few touts / taxi drivers asked us Manali-Srinagar and we chose to ignore them. We saw two foreigners rushing in one direction and followed them to enter a bus. The crowd at the bus stand was sparse and that worked to our advantage. Before we could ask the bus conductor where the bus was heading, the foreigners jumped out of the bus saying it was headed to Nubra Valley and that there was another bus for Pangong Tso.

Read : Lessons of Life at Pangong in Winter

We followed the foreigners, partly relieved because they seemed to be certain about a bus to Pangong leaving at this very hour! There it was; another bus half filled with foreign tourists that stood on one side of the bus stand and before entering we asked if this was indeed the bus to Pangong Tso? We told him to drop us in Karu since we were headed to Hemis monastery and were told the seats had been booked and to take the last two seats in the end row of the bus. I was relieved to somehow make it in time as this bus was supposed to leave at 7 am and it was already 715 am. Apparently the bus was waiting for the two foreigners who had pre-booked their tickets but had not yet arrived! Thankfully for us.

The bus engine roared to life as soon as we sat and we felt triumphant at the positive and successful beginning of the day. We heaved a sigh of relief and were elated as the bus crossed the shared taxi stand in the Bomb Guard area. The bus came to an abrupt halt as we reached Choglamsar. A number of Army personnel boarded the bus and extra baggage was hauled to the roof of the bus. Two tourists from South-east Asia were the last two to board. We were astonished (cuz we had no idea about pre-booking) when they produced their tickets to ask us if they were sitting on the right seats. Apparently, they had bought the tickets from the bus stand yesterday and now the bus was jam packed.

The driver (cum conductor) refused entry for further passengers and after a 20 odd minute stop we were on our way to Karu. We counted ourselves as lucky people who had the good fortune to get on the bus before there was no more space. It was a smooth ride thereafter and with no further stops we were dropped in Karu before 9 am. The bus sped after taking a left on the road that led to Pangong Tso. The easy part of our 450 km journey was done and we had covered a meagre 37 kms! Now the difficult part lie in front of us and we crossed the circle in Karu surrounded with dhabas and eateries and stood waiting for a ride on the road to Manali.

We were beginning to feel hungry but dared not step away from the road. Today was going to be a long day and we could not afford to take any chances as there was a possibility of every car giving us a ride. The road was dusty and we kept our bags on a nearby wall and started asking for rides from the passing vehicles. Most of them indicated that they were only going only a few kilometres ahead. We endured a torrid time when an Indian Army truck convoy crossed leaving us in a sea of toxic fumes. After about 30 minutes of no luck with rides, I had started feeling a bit restless.

In my mind, I decided to be a bit more assertive while asking for a ride and jumping on the road as a vehicle neared was my latest plan. A couple of vehicles crossed and still no luck with the new bold method had us nearly rethinking our thought process. We were waiting close to the diversion point in Karu so that vehicles that had slowed down would not pick speed and that gave us a good chance to make our presence felt and hitch a ride. A car arrived like a godsend; I jumped on the road and spotted a Lama in red robes driving the car. At first he indicated with his right hand that he was only going a few kilometres ahead. I made him stop the car and requested to roll down the window.

He said he was only going to Hemis monastery; the diversion for which was hardly 2-3 kms ahead of Karu. We requested him to drop us at the diversion point as we had been waiting in Karu for more than 30 minutes and that today even short rides of 2-3 kms might change our luck. Lama Ji opened the doors and it felt like he also unlocked a lucky charm. We shared our last remaining apricots with him and the kind soul that he was – after hearing our story of trying to hitchhike to Kullu he said that he would drop us all the way to the Upshi check post. We tried reasoning with him but agreed to take the ride because today we needed the help.

Lama Ji mentioned that he was from Skurbuchan village and I shared some memories about a past winter journey in that region. He shared that he was only going to Hemis to show tourists around the monastery but since it was an early hour, it was unlikely that there was someone waiting. The extra distance that Lama Ji had to cover was 10 kms and he told us not to worry as today we really needed the ride and that he would get back to Hemis in hardly 15-20 minutes after dropping us.

We requested him to drop us at the J&K Police Check-Post in Upshi and also make small talk with the police guy to enhance our chances of a ride. The check post in Upshi is located on the Manali-Leh highway after the road bifurcates for Chumathang. For the uninitiated, the two check posts of Darcha in Lahaul and Upshi in Ladakh serve as manned police points where travellers have to compulsorily stop, enter the vehicle details and number of people in the vehicle. What that essentially means is since every vehicle must come to a halt, the chances of a conversation increase leading to massive probability of hitching a long-distance ride.

I had been lucky in the past having hitched a ride from Darcha check post in Lahaul. Hitchhiking in a truck : Stories from Nakee La

Lama Ji dropped us right at the check post and spoke in Ladakhi to the stern looking J&K Police check post officer. We had no words to thank the Lama Ji and were highly obliged and sincerely hoped that the officer would help us. In our preoccupied state of mind, the thought of taking down Lama Ji’s number did not occur to us and we made a mental note to return to Hemis and get a thank you gift next time we were in Ladakh!

We waved goodbye to Lama Ji and briefly narrated our predicament to the police guy hoping that he will assist us in finding a ride from this point all the way till Lahaul (at least). There was a young lady also sitting on a chair at the check post and there was no space to keep our bags. Little did we know, the J&K police check post guy started admonishing us saying this is a check post and it is not their duty to find rides for hitchhikers everyday. I understood that he must be used to foreign backpackers trying this tactic everyday since not everyone wants to travel on the most beautiful road in the world in the darkness of the night!

Read : Offbeat Explorations in Leh

I had not even kept my bags down and this initial conversation with the check post officer hit us like a bolt. We realised there could be no outside help and that we needed to keep a time limit in case we were not able to hitch a ride till the afternoon. No sooner as I kept one of my bags down, a private number HP34 (Kullu number) Toyota Innova stopped in front of the check post. I quickly asked the police officer if it made sense to ask him for a ride. He mentioned that this car was of a Ladakhi local. As the car guy walked out and narrated the details to be filled in the register; we blurted out that his car number reminds us of Kullu.

The car guy was a true gentleman and simply asked us ‘Chalo, hum aapko Jispa tak le chalte hain’. I couldn’t believe the happenings and double checked if they actually had the space to give us both a ride. We picked our bags and opened the boot to reveal that there were only 3 people in the 6 seater SUV and there was enough space for the two of us. We thanked everyone in the car and told them we could barely believe our luck. The clock had not even struck 11 and we were on the way, to our home in Kullu Valley.

We had only fresh local Ladakhi green peas to be shared as food and I offered the same to everyone. They offered us chocolates in return which came as a welcome delight for our starved tummies. After about 30 minutes into the ride, we felt a bit relaxed with the knowledge that we had succeeded in our endeavour of trying to get out of Ladakh and reaching Lahaul by hitchhiking. The driving skills of the gentleman were top notch and we made good time. There were hardly any vehicles on the road and the more time went by, the more we realised how lucky we had been!

Our first break was at Tanglang La : There were a couple of tourist taxis ferrying international tourists and I also spotted a Swift Dzire (maybe it was the same driver I got a call from last evening). I got out of the car to stretch my limbs and was welcomed by a freezing cold breeze. A number of Israelis on the pass were climbing nearby hillocks and making lifetime memories. In the absence of any winter clothing, it was prudent for us to keep ourselves warm and I got back to the car and we were ready to go.

It was a smooth ride and we were even making plans (in our minds) about our estimated time of reaching Lahaul and how we would travel to Manali/Kullu thereafter. As we neared Sarchu, there was a massive queue of trucks on both sides of the road and what we saw next blew our minds! Apparently an overloaded truck had broken down on a bridge in Sarchu and the only way now was by crossing the Tsarap Chu river. It was adventure at its finest and we were glad to be in a high ground clearance Innova rather than a Swift Dzire (that incidentally had to use the services of a jcb to tow it).

At first, I had thought there would be an orderly system of crossing the Tsarap Chu river but as we came closer to the actual crossing we saw that it was a free for all and that there were trucks and other vehicles crossing the river from everywhere and some of them were getting stuck in the process. A jcb guy was doing swift business, charging INR 1000 for towing a small vehicle! It was quite a sight to see the cyclists cross the river with their mountain bikes on their shoulders. This type of river crossing was only possible because the flow of water was not too much otherwise it could prove disastrous.

We had a pretty smooth crossing as the water splashed around while the entire vehicle was nearly submerged at one point. There was a small damage as the front number plate went missing in the adventure and the co-passengers joked that they would have to plan a trip to Phukthar Monastery in Zanskar to retrieve it! The closure of the usual road meant we were suddenly in sync with the truth that in the present circumstances post flooding it was going to be touch and go with regards to catching the last bus of the day headed to Manali/Kullu. It was about 2-230 pm when we crossed Sarchu.

It was a smooth journey thereafter as we crossed Baralacha La and made a pee break at one of the dhabas near Bharatpur/Zing Zing Bar. Our hunger knew no bounds but we agreed to not waste any time and try to get to the destination as soon as possible. In our case, the destination was Jispa as the family giving us a ride were the owners of a property in Jispa. I was beginning to get thoughts of how to thank these guys for the ride – was it by offering a fair price of the shared taxi ride, say INR 2500 per person? They were very kind and we were also able to make some mutual connections as they had a home in Kullu as well.

We rolled into Jispa to a glorious sun shining brightly and I saw the clock show 419 pm as the time. A brief thought passed my mind if we could stay at their cottage for the night and perhaps compensate them monetarily for the same as repayment. We were preoccupied with the notions of returning home and thought we would even take a taxi ride if there was no other way. It was decided to make a gift pack for these kind folks to repay their kindness (when we headed next this side in the future). We exchanged numbers and decided to stand on the road and try hitching another ride.

Read : The Goodness of Strangers : Self-Published Book

In the meanwhile, I was able to speak to the HRTC manager in Keylong bus stand who informed me that the last bus of the day from Keylong to Kullu would leave at 430 pm. We told him there was no way to catch that bus as we were still in Jispa and it was already close to 430. The distance from Jispa to Keylong is about 19-20 kms and there was no chance of us flying yet! We walked a little bit and decided to try our luck from a vantage point on the road located on a bend.

There was a dhaba eatery on the opposite side of the road and in the absence of any tourists, he came asking us if we needed any help and to keep our bags on the chairs outside his dhaba. We made small talk and he was delighted to know we lived in Dobhi village as his relatives also lived nearby. We told him we had not eaten anything since morning and if we had a confirmed mode of transport would have loved a proper meal at his dhaba. He understood our situation and came and stood with us on the other side of the road as a sign of assistance. We saw a tempo traveller in the far distance and prepared ourselves to stop it.

It resulted in a laughable scenario! The HP01 tempo traveller duly stopped with the least persuasion and the kind youngsters pointed to the filled seats and massive bags as they were returning after a trek and had no space at all. We thanked them for stopping and told them we will try with other vehicles. After a couple of other vehicles that crossed not bothering about us, finally a small fuel tanker guy arrived and even though the space was only suitable for one person – we somehow squeezed in and the kind driver made space for our bags.

He said that he was returning from the Army duty of filling fuel near Killing Sarai and was headed to the local depot at Tandi and possibly going all the way to Manali. We thanked him for being very kind and told us about our day so far. He mentioned that his superiors have warned him against giving trips to random folks but sometimes he takes a chance to help! It was an adventurous ride as we were going at a nice speed until the tanker guy was stopped at the petrol pump in Keylong. Apparently, there was some confusion of where he had to go and he was asked to reconfirm the status in Tandi.

At the same moment, I got a phone call from the HRTC manager in Keylong bus stand that due to the festive rush of rakshabandhan, a special bus from Keylong to Kullu was scheduled to leave Keylong bus stand at 530 pm. It was past 530 pm and even though the HRTC manager said that the bus was jam packed and that there was no chance of getting a seat, we were elated to know that if we somehow boarded the bus in Tandi, we would not have to change any more transports and could directly get down in Dobhi. Our small tanker guy had to go to the fuel depot in Tandi and we asked him to drop us at Pangi Dhaba.

The tanker guy had given me his number to tell him about our status with regards to the bus since his fuel depot was in a no network zone and for all the trouble he might actually be going to Manali. If we were unable to board the bus, his tanker might still have space for us. At Pangi Dhaba, we had a quick realisation that we perhaps have ten minutes before the bus made it to Tandi. We asked for two plates of rajma chawal as quickly as possible, made sure to pay beforehand so that there was no trouble with the rush if the bus came when we were not done eating.

We wolfed down the yummy food at breakneck speed and I even asked for a second helping. This was our first any sort of meal of the day and it was close to 6 pm. As I was having my last bite, the bus arrived and as expected there was no space at all. Thankfully, my partner had found a seat for her (ladies quota) and I was resigned to standing! While I was paying for the ticket, another surprise awaited. Since it was rakshabandhan, ladies travelled free on the day and it felt like the proverbial ‘icing on the cake.’

The conductor and driver were kind to make space for our bags in the front. I was so exhausted after the events of the day that for the first time I sat on the floor of a bus near the boarding staircase. It felt like the world was spinning and I might even have dozed off for a bit. Thankfully, the weather was mild and felt quite pleasant as we were in the midst of the Lahauli summer on 30th August. After a while, the bus conductor woke me up when a seat became available near Sissu. I was in a disoriented state and felt quite uncomfortable presumably due to a heavy rajma chawal meal so late in the day.

As we neared Manali, I was shocked to see the state of the road near Bahang. The road was gone and only a makeshift arrangement made vehicular movement possible. I was dozing off intermittently and woke up when we reached Manali at about 730-8 pm. Someone told us that this was the last bus of the day from Manali to Kullu and we could barely believe our good fortune. If any of our rides through the day had been delayed, there would have been no chance of us returning on the same day.

I got a seat in the front after Manali and the full impact of the flooding was now known with the dust flying around. The 19 kilometre distance from Manali to Dobhi took more than an hour and a half. The road had completely gone away in five-six sections and the region around Kalath was the worst affected.

We were almost in tears looking at the state of the road and the mangled remains of destroyed vehicles still in the river. Our stop in Dobhi came and we got out of the bus after thanking the driver and conductor. It was almost ten by the time we entered our house. If not for the ten minute chance for rajma chawal at Pangi Dhaba, we might have slept hungry.

It is a story for the ages. Humanity and ‘The Goodness of Strangers’ is still alive. No matter how advanced we become as a race; we will survive only if we help fellow human beings without any motive.

As I type this, life and the roads are back to normal in Kullu. When the pace of repairing the road was lacking by the government, the locals performed shramdaan (manual labour) to get the infrastructure up and running. It ensured that the apple crop that is the bulk of the livelihood for people in the valley, was harvested smoothly and was transported efficiently to different corners of India.

This is my first blog post in a few months; due to an unintended break. I am glad the old writing style is back with a journey in yesteryear style.

I would love to get your reactions on how this journey made you feel!

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The distance between Karwar to Gokarna is 61 kms and it took almost 2 hours.

In Gokarna, it was a lucky day to hitch a ride and get dropped somewhere close to Om Beach.

After a day or so trying to blend in to see or experience the so called hippie vibe of Gokarna, it seemed just natural to explore the town and perhaps live like a local. The food scene of Gokarna is quite legendary!

The rest of the days in Gokarna were spent just ambling around, eating satisfying meals at small eateries and relishing the essence of doing nothing and feeling great about it!

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Read : The Goodness of Strangers in Kerala

Anecdotes, photographs and a travel guide to Kochi :

Introduction and History of Fort Kochi or Fort Cochin

Most travellers choose Kochi as the first stop to the popular tourist state of Kerala; with convenient flight connections from all big cities in India. Fort Kochi (or Cochin) has the proud distinction of being the oldest and first European settlement in India, and retains a charming and bucolic feel. This ancient town’s complex history is reflected in a medley of distinct Indo-European architectural styles. Fort Kochi boasts of a classic mixture with Portuguese, Dutch, British and traditional Kerala houses adorning the streets of Malabar’s crown jewel. It was a massive surprise for me to come across Gujarati signboards advertising mithai walas in Mattancherry!

In the present day, Kochi (or Cochin, as it was known earlier) comprises of the following areas : Mattancherry, Fort Kochi and the commercial hub of the city; Ernakulam.

Among the plethora of sights and experiences in Kochi include 

• Mattancherry’s warehouses filled with Kerala’s much priceless spices like pepper; jostling with new age street art.
• The timeless Jew Town, with the oldest Synagogue in the Commonwealth and antique shops selling secret finds. 
• Fort Kochi for a Kathakali performance, choose your fresh seafood with a sunset cruise and feel good about life! 

History of Kochi or Cochin

The Portuguese came looking for pepper and arrived in Kochi in the year 1500 AD. They constructed Fort Immanuel (that signifies the fort in Fort Kochi) and St. Francis’ church; and transformed Kochi from a tiny fishing hamlet to a bustling town. The Dutch then took over and ruled Fort Kochi for more than 100 years, from 1663 until 1795. The British took over from the Dutch and only left with India’s Independence in 1947.

An intriguing fact is that Fort Kochi was a multi-ethnic society even before the Europeans arrived. According to legend – St. Thomas, The Apostle arrived in Kochi in 52 AD and gave Kochi its first Syrian Orthodox Christians. The Jews arrived in 70 AD, as a result of the First Jewish – Roman War’s siege of Jerusalem. 

Kochi was formed with a stroke of luck in 1341 AD – A flood created a safe natural port in Fort Kochi that was seen as an alternative to Muziris – which was the main harbour on the Malabar Coast. The royal family moved to Kochi from Muziris in 1405 firmly establishing it on the map.

Must Visit Sights & Experiences in Kochi 

Chinese Fishing Nets 

The Chinese fishing nets were introduced to Kochi by traders from the court of Kublai Khan, sometime between the 14th & 15th century. These humongous nets are set up on bamboo poles and require four men to control them. They remain a grand reminder of Kochi’s historic trade ties with the far East. The best time to watch them in action is from close to the Vasco da Gama Square in Fort Kochi at sunset time. Strolling around the Chinese fishing nets is free but if you want to see the fishermen in action, a tip is appreciated and they will explain the functioning.

Mattancherry Palace

Despite being built by the Portuguese in the 16th Century; Mattancherry Palace is more commonly known as the Dutch Palace. The Portuguese gifted it to the Raja of Kochi as a token of thanks for the trading rights granted to them. When the Dutch took over Fort Kochi in the year 1663, they remodelled the Mattancherry Palace in an extensive manner and the name ‘Dutch Palace’ has stuck since then. 

It looks unassuming from the outside but hides a wealth of riches in its two storey interiors! The vivid murals in some of the rooms are excellent examples of Kerala’s hardly known school of painting. The prized collection includes coronation robes of past Rajas, palanquins, Dutch maps of Old Cochin and royal family portraits, among other things.

Paradesi Synagogue in Jew Town

Although Kochi’s first Jewish settlers arrived in 52 AD; the Paradesi Synagogue was built more than 1,500 years later. Nondescript from the outside, one might entirely miss the Synagogue in the jumble of buildings in Jew Town! Paradesi Synagogue is the oldest active Synagogue in the Commonwealth and the Jewish community of Cochin has the distinction of being among the oldest Jewish communities in the world. (Paradesi = foreigner)

Visitors are only allowed to click photographs of the 18th century clock tower in the outdoors. Indoor photography is strictly not allowed and that means we must gaze longer at the incredibly beautiful blue and white ceramic floor tiles. These Cantonese tiles are very unique as every tile is hand-painted, all 1100 of them! Also notice the immaculate Belgian chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Old Torah scrolls with crowns presented by the Maharajas of Travancore and Cochin are also kept in the Paradesi Synagogue.

Only a handful of Jews remain in Kochi (around five-six), as most of them migrated to Israel in the 1940s. Prayer ceremonies are held at the Paradesi Synagogue when the minyan (minimum number of 10 men required for traditional Jewish public worship) is met.

St. Francis Church 

Originally built by the Portuguese in the early 16th Century, St. Francis Church is India’s oldest European church. Vasco da Gama was buried here when he died in Kochi; although his body was later moved to Lisbon in 1538 AD.

St. Francis Church, Kochi & India’s Colonial History

Santa Cruz Basilica 

The stunningly beautiful Santa Cruz Basilica in Kochi is one of the finest examples of Roman Catholic churches in entire India. It was built by the Portuguese in the early years of the 16th Century. The architectural style of the Santa Cruz Basilica is Gothic and I recommend morning / evening time for the best light for photography.  

Hill Palace at Tripunithura

I must thank Johann for taking me to this particular place as I was not aware of Tripunithura at all. The Hill Palace of Tripunithura has now been converted into a museum. The 17th Century wooden mandapa (hall) featuring carvings of episodes from the Ramayana is a classic exhibit. The annual festival held at the Shri Poornathrayeesa Temple in October-November on the way to the Hill Palace is a grand celebration.

Spices in Kochi

Even though the cacophonous trade around spices in Kochi has reduced considerably these days, the sorting warehouses still exist and function like they have done for hundreds of years. In Kerala, pepper is still sometimes referred to as black gold and when you are visiting, it makes sense to buy some spices straight from the source! Kochi International Pepper Exchange on the Jew Town Rd in Mattancherry was the place where you could until quite recently witness the bidding of different varieties of pepper; but the bidding is now done electronically. Among other spices; there is fine quality ginger, cloves, mace, star anise, nutmeg, cardamom. 

Traditional Kerala Cuisine 

Kochi is an excellent place to try the mind-boggling variety of traditional food of Kerala. Among the recommended dishes are : Puttu served with Kadala curry – a fine rice powder mixed with grated coconut steamed in a mini cylinder served with mildly spicy chickpea stew. Idi Appam and Kerala style egg curry – String hoppers with and spice rich tomato egg curry. Appam and vegetable stew – steamed rice pancakes served with vegetable curry in coconut milk. Malabar Parotta paired with numerous meat dishes. 

Traditional feast (Sadhya), is a multi-course meal extravaganza served on a banana leaf. There’s rice, ghee, variety of stews and curries like sambar, rasam, pachadi, appalam, avial and the last course is the sweet delicacy payasam. 

Kathakali : Kerala’s Classical Art

When in Kochi, visitors have a great chance to attend Kerala’s well known classical art form – kathakali. Kathakali combines various theatrical and performance elements, and is said to have developed during the 16th century. Traditionally, Kathakali performances are held for entire nights during festivals. In Kochi, however, a number of Kathakali performances are held for tourists in the Fort Kochi area and there is a reasonable fee for the 1-2 hour show.  

Sunset Cruise 

Sunset cruise time in Kochi is when the sun casts beautiful orange hues in the sky and a mellow breeze blows. There are numerous companies offering sunset cruises and tickets can be booked at the jetty counter in Fort Kochi. 

Dutch Cemetery

It was an unplanned stop when I came across the closed Dutch Cemetery on a walk in Fort Kochi. The Dutch Cemetery was established in 1724 and is closed to visitors unless you can grab hold of the caretaker! The tombstones at the Dutch Cemetery are said to be the an authentic record of the hundreds of Europeans (both Dutch and English) who lived and died here during the colonial rule of Kochi.

Where is the ‘fort’ in Fort Kochi? – Fort Immanuel 

Fort Immanuel was built by the Portuguese in the 16th century, and is the Fort after which Fort Kochi was named. It was completely destroyed by the Dutch and the British. In the present day, only the remnants of a few walls can be seen on a walk from the Vasco Da Gama square in Fort Kochi.

Bolgatty Palace 

Bolgatty Palace was built in 1744 and has the distinction of being among the oldest Dutch palaces outside of The Netherlands built by the Dutch. It lies on Bolgatty Island which is accessible by ferry.

Cherai Beach

Cherai Beach is about 30 kms from Fort Kochi. The best way to reach here is via the ferry from Fort Kochi to Vypin Island and then take a short bus ride to reach Cherai Beach. The sunset at Cherai Beach is especially beautiful. 

Kochi Muziris Biennale

Every two years, the Kochi-Muziris Biennale is held in Kochi. It is one of the largest art exhibitions in India; and has resulted in some fine art on display. 

Street Art 

The entire Fort Kochi area is full of vibrant street art, and is best explored on an unplanned walk in the tiny nooks and crannies. The graffiti with interesting themes and messages is refreshing and instrumental in bringing the old buildings to life. 

Old Kochi Heritage Walk

Chinese fishing nets, a Jewish synagogue, Kathakali performance, a ruined Portuguese Fort, Spice markets, India’s first European church and 17th Century Dutch homes can all be found on the Old Kochi Heritage walk.

Start walking from Vasco da Gama Square, where you can see the cantilevered Chinese fishing nets lining the shore, then stroll along the Church Road to reach St. Francis Church. Keep walking to see the signboard for the Dutch Cemetery Road, passing the cemetery on your right, and the crumbling walls of Fort Immanuel. Continue the walk to reach Bastion Street and follow the signboards to gaze at the stunning Santa Cruz Basilica.

Among the old colonial houses to be seen on the Old Kochi heritage walk for the blend of architecture are Thakur House, the Jewish Koder House (run as a heritage hotel), Pierce Leslie Bungalow, Ballard Bungalow, Bastion House built to guard the harbour on the old Dutch Fort’s Stromberg Bastion and Malabar House. Also worth a look is Bishop’s Bungalow for the Indo-Portuguese museum. All these old colonial houses are located in Fort Kochi and are accessible on the walk.

A Day in Kochi

Start the day with the Old Kochi Heritage Walk; breakfast at Kashi Art Cafe for excellent coffee and cakes. Head to Mattancherry via a rickshaw to visit the Mattancherry Palace or Dutch Palace and also the Paradesi Synagogue. Also peruse the antique shops and some of the spice shops as well. Enjoy lunch at the local favourite Paragon or Kayees Rahmatullah Café on the Gujarati road in Mattancherry. Spend the evening at Tripunithura Palace and back to Fort Kochi for dinner at the Old Harbour Hotel.

Where to eat in Kochi?

Among the best local recommendations are Paragon in Edappally, Kayees Rahmatullah Café for Biryani. In Fort Kochi, David Hall Gallery & Café, Kashi Art Cafe for coffee and café food while Brunton Boatyard, Pepper House and 1788 (restaurant at Old Harbour Hotel) are all classic fine-dine restaurants.

How to explore Kochi?

It is best to take the pleasures of Fort Kochi by walk as all the sights are accessible by foot and the distances are small. For longer distances; app based taxi services like ola, uber, cab be used. Autos and local buses are easily available too. A unique way to explore Kochi is by ferry. 

Ferry : The ferries are a cheap way to get around Kochi’s main areas considering the traffic at rush our. Regular government ferries ply from Fort Kochi and the different islands and areas are all well connected by ferries as it is the mode of transport that the locals use.

When is the best time to visit Kochi?

July to September is monsoon time and thats when Kochi is at its prettiest in the bountiful rain and greenery. November to February is commonly the most favoured time when the temperatures are bearable. Hotel prices are at their highest in the peak winter season.

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I made the journey from Kurseong to Mirik by shared sumo locally called as Syndicate in this region. In Mirik, I stayed at Haamro Ghar Homestay and I highly recommend them if you are planning to visit Mirik. Sumendu Lake is the highlight of this tiny town that is spread around the lake that also boasts of a monastery.

A Journey in Photographs of Two Days in Mirik

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While I have crossed Jalori Pass a number of times over the years on journeys to Kinnaur and Spiti, it has taken forever for me to undertake the trek from Jalori Pass to Serolsar Lake. There is also the small hike / trek to Raghupur Garh (Fort) and the seemingly offbeat nature of the same meant that in the autumn of 2014, I ended up being awed by the majestic valley views from Raghupur Garh (Garh = Fort). That time I was staying in Sojha at one of the two homestays in the tiny village and remember witnessing a majestic moonrise!

Another time in 2017 or 2018, I was accompanied with locals and we reached Jalori Pass in the afternoon and as soon as we started the trek, it started drizzling causing us to consider the Serolsar Lake trek for another time. It was a warm summer and I was put up at Jibhi this time around. I had always thought Serolsar Lake trek to be quite popular and the thought of hiking / trekking with 100-odd first time city trekkers ensured I kept this on the sideline.

I guess it was third time lucky (in hindsight) as I was planning a spring sojourn to Kinnaur in the end of March. The original plan was to head to Batahad village and trek to Baga Sarahan via Bashleo Pass. I had been to Bashleo Pass earlier in 2016 with Jita and had no idea it was a straightforward downhill trek to Baga Sarahan; otherwise we might as well have spent a few days in Baga Sarahan and other parts of Kinnaur. A quick phone call to Thewa Ram Ji in Batahad confirmed my suspicions about snow at Bashleo Pass. It was therefore decided that we would play it by the ear and try to catch the first bus of the day from Kullu to Banjar.

I called the HRTC Kullu bus stand guys and found out that there’s a Kullu to Banjar bus at 530 am and then at 7 am, then at 8 am. We made a practical target to catch the 8 am bus from Kullu bus stand. I tried calling HRTC Banjar but their number was out of order. Anyway, HRTC Kullu guys had informed me that while Jalori Pass was open a few days earlier, recent bad weather and subsequent snowfall meant that buses had stopped plying across Jalori pass and they were only going till Jibhi and Sojha.

We woke up on a fine sunny morning and were quickly on the road at about 715 am. I immediately called HRTC Manali and they said that I would have to rely on a local bus to go from Dobhi to Kullu at this early hour. The Manali to Dharamsala-bound Bedi Travels bus came around and got to Kullu bus stand at 8 am. The Kullu to Banjar 8 am bus had been cancelled (maybe due to the recent snowfall at Jalori Pass) and we continued till Aut in the same Bedi Travels bus and made good time to reach Aut at 9 am.

A Banjar bound local bus was about to leave from Aut but was already full; in the absence of any other options we jumped in and struggled to find even breathing space. The bus was filled to the brim and it was really difficult with our backpacks but the necessity of these kind of journeys is the helping nature of the locals and that ensured everyone managed to survive. The weather was holding up and the sun was still out. Rain was forecast after 1-2 pm and I was hoping we would find a bus headed to Sojha (Shoja) from Banjar bus stand.

I thought that the bus would get less crowded at Balichowki but it turned out to be the opposite as more and more people got in! Thankfully, it was our turn to get seats and it was a smooth arrival at Banjar bus stand. The time was about 1030 am and a few raindrops came around from the overcast skies. I went to find the bus timings for Sojha and was promptly told by the enquiry counter that bus service from Banjar to Sojha has been temporarily suspended with the inclement weather alert and imminent rainfall. The next bus from Banjar to Jibhi was the Gadagushaini bus at 12 noon.

We were in a fix and had no idea what to do next! A couple of taxi guys hovered around quoting outrageous prices for Jalori Pass. A Banjar to Bathad bus was scheduled to leave at 11 am and I briefly flirted with the idea of going to Bathad. Thankfully, sense prevailed and when a shared taxi alto guy came asking, this time I asked him the price for 2 people to Sojha. I told him we lived in Dobhi village and he quoted us the local’s price at INR 200 per person. He had two more passengers who wanted to go to Anni village (across Jalori Pass) and the alto guy was supposed to drop them till Jalori Pass only. It was well known that there would be local shared sumos ferrying passengers from Jalori Pass to Khanag and Anni.

It felt like Banjar town had the same old traffic jam problems. This road has long been awarded the status of a National Highway (NH-305) but there has been no work done on the ground. Anyhow, it was comforting to see a police guy with a walkie talkie directing the traffic and we were soon out from Lower Banjar to Upper Banjar and on the road to Jibhi. The condition of the road was quite terrible (to say the least) and I reminded myself that I wasn’t missing out on too much by not coming this side inspite of living in Kullu Valley.

I was happily surprised when two buses crossed us; they were coming from Khauli – just a bit ahead of Gada Gushaini. Jibhi had the look of a shanty tourist town with multiple colourful homestays/guest houses, cafés, restaurants on both sides of the broken road. There was a sort of relieved sigh to see that we had not chosen the easy way out by opting to stay in Jibhi. Just after we crossed Jibhi and neared Ghiyagi – close to the diversion of Sajwar; the rain started coming down and had me scrambling for my jacket.

In conversations with the co-passengers, I asked if anyone knew the chowkidar/caretaker of the PWD Rest House? The reply was pleasing – it appeared that there was now a newly built Forest Rest House in Sojha as well. I was keen on staying at the vintage PWD Rest House in Sojha and not at one of the numerous homestays / guest houses. The plan was to hopefully find a ride to Jalori Pass next day and trek to Serolsar Lake and come back to Jalori Pass and then decide the further course of action depending on the weather.

The shared alto guy dropped us on the road near the signboard of the FRH in Sojha and I was left wondering about the exact location of the PWD Rest House. The rain was steady and my rain jacket had to be summoned from the small backpack. I didn’t have to wait long to quell my doubts about the PWD Rest House as it turned out to be adjacent to the Forest Rest House in Sojha. We saw smoke coming out of the chimney of one of the houses but were not able to find the caretaker and thankfully went to the Forest Rest House and met the chowkidar there.

He called the son of the PWD Rest House Caretaker and told us to meet him since the Forest Rest House was already booked (which turned out to be untrue!). The son of the chowkidar was very helpful and asked us to take the confirmation of the booking from an official phone number in Kullu. The lady in the office confirmed our stay in ten minutes and asked us to take Set Number 2. We thanked and put our bags in the spacious set number 2 and since we had not eaten anything since morning, asked the caretaker’s son to recommend a place to eat in the town.

He suggested that the Forest Eco-Tourism area has a recently inaugurated canteen and he recommended that over the dhaba in Sojha. So, we just hopped across the gate and found the dining room. Fresh aloo paranthas were the only option to be made in a jiffy and with the cold breeze blowing due to the rain turned out to be perfect. We had multiple rounds of masala chai and requested rajma+chawal to be made on order for dinner.

The whole valley was engulfed in clouds at this moment and it felt quite dreamy. It was a feeling of contentment and satisfaction after a full tummy and the weather gods reciprocated when it stopped raining once we stepped out of the dining area. We decided to go for a short walk in Sojha and see how it has changed over the years. The rain had caused the temperature to plummet and at 2700-2800 metres altitude, Sojha was quite chilly. It looked timeless though with the floating clouds in the valley below.

We came across a handful of newly established hotels in terms of staying options and a few cafés as well. Sojha seemed to have hit the right spot in terms of still keeping the scenic beauty intact unlike Jibhi which can clearly be said to be under the clutches of over-tourism. Locals working at an under construction hotel invited us to sit by the side of the bukhari and we enjoyed the conversation for a while. At about 230 pm, we were back to the PWD Rest House and just in time for it to start raining again.

Thankfully, the PWD Rest House had a long corridor with glasses and we had carried our books. It was teeth chattering cold and we enjoyed the same since these were the last few days of a long winter before summer winds blew in the valley. When the rain relented for a bit, I went around wandering in the PWD Rest House compound and then we went dot on time for our awaited late lunch/early dinner of rajma chawal in the dining area at 5 pm.

Rajma chawal was ready and we were served steaming hot bowls of the ultimate comfort food. It was delicious and we asked for masala chai to round off a grand eating experience in the lovely interiors with the aroma of deodhar wood furniture. We requested him for early morning chai at 7 am the next day and he asked us to just wake him up and he will do the needful. Since we had forgotten a pack of biscuits, we wandered off to the nearby shop in Sojha and with no rain ended up walking to the Banjara Retreat.

The landscapes seemed surreal with the floating clouds and we couldn’t have been more pleased to be out for our evening stroll. We also noticed a number of 4*4 vehicles on the road heading to / coming back from Jalori Pass on our walks on the road in Sojha. So, it was decided to start walking next morning for Jalori Pass and hope that we got a ride in one of the vehicles heading up (if there was) so we could start the Serolsar Lake Trek from Jalori Pass at an early hour. We got back to the wood and glass interiors of the PWD Rest House and made ourselves cosy.

It kept raining on and off and after fiddling with reading and aimless scrolling on the phone, we called it an early night and put our alarms for 630 am. Once the thick blankets got warmed up, it was a nice sleep and we woke up fresh and raring to go and trek to Serolsar Lake. We woke up the canteen owner and he quickly made tea for us while all of us shared the solitary packet of biscuits. We were out on the road even before it was 730 am and since it felt like a nice, clear morning we were happy to start walking on the road to Jalori Pass.

The distance from Sojha to Jalori Pass is almost 5 kms and I was hoping to find a camper or locals headed to Jalori Pass and catch a ride so as to save time. Of course, there were no sounds of a vehicle and we were pleased to be in a thick forest hardly 1 km after walking past Sojha. We spotted a variety of colourful birds in the forest and started encountering snow on the road. There were also a few private tourist vehicles parked on the side of the road as the snow on the road increased and we figured that the vehicle owners were smart enough to come back and take their vehicles when the road became clear.

Just as we were nearing Jalori Pass at about 9 am, two 4*4 campers carrying a bucketful of tourists crossed us and I was in a spell for a moment. Jalori Pass was totally snowed out and there were many vehicles / shared taxis waiting. Some were from Anni, Khanag side while the recent campers who had crossed us were ready to take tourists back to Sojha. They were charging about INR 200 per person for the 4.5-5 kilometre distance between Sojha and Jalori Pass. We went to the nearby dhaba and had a round of black tea; requested dhaba uncle for a plate each of rajma chawal and kadi chawal upon return.

Since we were told the distance between Jalori Pass and Serolsar Lake is 5 kilometres and the fact that it was a level trail, we calculated roughly 3.5 hours for the coming and going and included about 30 minutes of spending time at Serolsar Lake. Our breakfast turned out to be green apples that we had carried and told the dhaba uncle that we would see him on the return. There were a couple of local youngsters standing at the start of the trail and I asked them in the local lingo if there were any confusions that we may encounter on the trail and they said it was a straightforward trek.

We started at 910 am and the weather was holding up for the moment. The sun was playing a constant battle with the clouds and the weather forecast showed 70 odd percent chance of rain/snow at Jalori Pass after 1 pm. So, our aim was to get back after the trek to Jalori Pass before 1 pm and decide the next course of action based on the weather. It was nice to walk on fresh snow although I was a little surprised to see multiple dhabas at the start of the trail. The youngsters who had arrived in campers to the top of Jalori Pass were apparently headed to Serolsar Lake but were playing in the snow seemingly unaware of the fickle mountain weather.

After crossing the cluster of dhabas at the start of the trail from Jalori Pass, we entered a dense oak forest that would continue till we reached Serolsar Lake. There was pin drop silence only interspersed by the sound of falling drops from the melting snow on branches with the currently abundant sunshine. Thankfully, the drops were few and far between and did not create puddles on the trail and we could continue to crunch the fresh snow under our feet. Our heads had to be covered though with the sort of occasional rainfall effect of the same!

We crossed a meadow where the HP Forest Department puts up tents for staying in the summer. Although there were no markings on the trail, the path seemed fairly straightforward and could have become confusing in the snow. Hence, we had asked beforehand and were told there is no turn as such and the entire path is straight rather than a sharp right or left turn somewhere. After 20 odd minutes of walking (roughly past 1 kilometre) there was a camping site to the right and another 360 degree campsite somewhere to the left. The left side campsite seemed to have a vantage viewpoint and could make for a nice nature camp in the summer months.

We continued walking at a brisk speed and after the 2 km mark, came across another cluster of dhabas (all of them were closed with the recent snowfall). The sun was out and two benches were kept at just the right place so we opted for a five minute breather. Here, we met a couple of locals who were walking ahead of us – they were going to open their dhaba that was located close to the lake. They were carrying supplies and told us that they roughly call this 2 km dhaba stretch as the sort of halfway point.

I started feeling quite warm in the direct sun and we opted to start walking again since we were not really tired at all. After this point, the trail gets a little smaller in width and with the melting snow required a bit of extra concentration. There were a few downhill stretches and then uphill stretches but nothing alarming and after another 40 odd minutes of hiking, we came to another area with spread out dhabas(all of them were closed). I figured that the lake was nearby; the watch showed that we had covered 5 kilometres but Serolsar Lake was nowhere to be seen.

Instead, there were steps on the other side of the trail which meant there was more distance to be covered. On the other side, there were about 2-3 sizeable dhabas and one of them had been opened – courtesy of the local couple who went ahead of us. I noticed that the watch showed that we had covered about 5.6-5.7 kms at the dhaba point and I ended up asking the dhaba owner that everyone says that the distance between Jalori Pass to Serolsar Lake is 5 kilometres. He replied saying that the distance is almost 6 kms but like a popular myth, incorrect information has been floating around presumably to make it feel more attractive to first time trekkers!

He said that Serolsar Lake is hardly 200 metres ahead from there and told us to continue straight! We alighted past a flight of snow-laden stairs and came upon a stunning sight. Serolsar Lake looked incredibly beautiful surrounded by snow and had absolutely still waters with a reflection of the nearby trees. There was an iron gate that signified the entry to the walking path around the lake. The first reaction upon seeing Serolsar Lake was that it is quite big whereas in the photographs on the internet it looked quite small.

We walked a bit on the path that was totally submerged in snow and I had a glimpse of The Budhi Nagin Temple that was located on a higher platform on the left overlooking the lake. At first I thought that we would visit the temple but then I quickly deduced that there would be no pujari at the moment, the path was entirely snowed out and a quick look at the sky suggested that the clouds will be back soon. There were a couple of signboards instructing visitors to maintain the sanctity of the lake and not to go near the water. Snow had seeped in inside my shoes and I felt a bit chilly now that the physical activity was reduced to gazing at Serolsar Lake and clicking pictures!

The time was about 11 am and we started climbing the flight of stairs and sat at the dhaba. There was only maggi on offer (which I hate!) and so we decided to ask for black tea and a packet of whatever biscuits they had (nor that I like biscuits!). We had covered more than 10 kms without real food and had 6 more kilometres to trek to get back to Jalori Pass. The weather was holding up for the time being and we totally relished the black tea (laced with cardamom) and biscuits sitting on the wooden benches. We thanked the dhaba couple for leading the way and they recommended us to return in the summer!

In the summer months, every slope on the Jalori Pass to Serolsar Lake trek turns into a camping ground and with the numerous dhabas around – food is never really a problem. Only the presence of crowds deters me from heading to popular places in the high season. We started walking and mentally recollected the landmarks that we had encountered on the way so that we could return safely even if the weather worsened and the visibility reduced.

It was almost 12 noon when we encountered the first visitors on our way back. Another group was accompanied with a local guide and were trying to trek to Serolsar lake on a day when bad weather was forecast after 1 pm. The trail itself had become a bit slushy once more people had walked on it. We opted to sit on the same spot where we had rested at the 2 km mark on the way. As soon as we sat on the benches, it started drizzling and within no time turned to snow. Thankfully, another dhaba had opened by then and was serving 4 youngsters who were having maggi / etc. We sat under the tarpaulin for a minute and decided to just get back to Jalori Pass since it was not too far from there.

Within a matter of minutes the snowfall gave way to fog and mist and we were in a white forest all of a sudden. Thankfully, we were well prepared for this scenario and at this juncture we reached the first campsites where the trail widens. Here, we encountered a number of tourists chilling at the dhabas. Some were headed to Serolsar Lake in this inclement weather. Tourists were enjoying the unexpected snowfall and it felt nice to see the raw feel of the joy of travel. We were back to the dhaba at Jalori Pass just a tad before the clock struck 1. Dhaba uncle gave us a thumbs up and said well done and confirmed that our food is ready!

We gobbled up the rajma chawal, kadi chawal and it was really really delicious and felt even more so after a total of 16 odd kilometres of hiking in the snow. It was a nice feeling to know that living in Kullu Valley was working well for our fitness levels and we were almost on par with the locals in terms on basic speed in hiking even while not trying to speed up. Campers and other 4*4 vehicles were parked on both sides of the road on Jalori Pass and now we had the choice of going to Anni, Khanag or Sojha, Jibhi. It was still snowing and we instinctively said it is best to return home to Kullu Valley and sought about figuring a vehicle.

A shared camper guy said he’s charging INR 200 per person from Jalori Pass to Sojha and that he will leave when the vehicle is full. I tried asking him INR 200 till Banjar so that we could get a bus from Banjar to Kullu but he wouldn’t budge and I figured that he might take more than an hour to fill the number of passengers. After the lovely lunch, we were also ok with hiking back to Sojha along the road if it stopped snowing/raining. Just as we were wondering, I spotted another camper guy who was about to leave for Sojha. I quickly ran and asked him to drop us to Banjar for INR 200 per person. He had no other passengers and asked us to get in as he had to go somewhere and was in a rush.

As we say, sometimes we make our own luck and this camper guy seemed to be doing the same. We paid the dhaba uncle who was so kind that he came to tell the camper guy to drop us safely! There was a local family of five headed to Ghiyagi and off we went without wasting any time. As usual, aimless chatting was the order of the day and the gentleman of the family invited us to their home in Ghiyagi. The snow turned into rain just a few bends after starting our journey and by the time we reached Sojha, there was no sign of snow but only rainfall. The cold also abated a bit and even though my socks and feet were totally wet, I was ok.

The camper guy was quite friendly and told us that he was in a hurry because he was anyway headed to Bhuntar to get the servicing of his vehicle done. He agreed to drop us till Aut for INR 500 total for the two of us. We made good time from Banjar and reached Aut at 4 pm. Our reaching home was delayed as the bus from Aut took forever and after changing another bus in Kullu bus stand, we got down at Dobhi at 630 pm.

The weather was pleasant, our hearts were happy and it was an adventure of a trek from Jalori Pass to Serolsar Lake that made all the difference!

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We landed in Istanbul and travelled across Turkey to places like Trabzon, Van, Gaziantep, Izmir, Selçuk, Antalya and traversed across numerous towns and villages in the Turkish countryside. If you are planning a trip to Turkey, here are the links for the posts.

Istanbul : Tips for Backpacking

Trabzon : Travels on the Black Sea Coast

Van : A City of All Day Breakfasts

Gaziantep : UNESCO approved eating!

Photographs and Memories from Travels across Turkey

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It had been a glorious few months in Kasar Devi and we had braved through the winter cold. As soon as February began, we chalked out plans to visit the nearby places for weekend visits.

In the last week of February, we left early morning from our cottage in Kasar Devi and walked to the diversion of the road for Jageshwar near Almora, and were lucky to instantly hitch a ride till Chitai Golu Devta. We paid our respects at the temple and started walking on the road and were lucky again to find another ride that dropped us at Artola – the point from where the road diverted for Jageshwar. I remembered from my earlier visit that it would be a pleasant 2 odd km walk from here as the region around Jageshwar is surrounded by pine and deodhar forests to reach the Dandeshwar Temple.

Since the distance between Almora and Jageshwar is only 35 kms, we didn’t bother to have breakfast when we left from Kasar Devi and figured that it made sense to eat an early lunch along the way or directly after reaching Jageshwar.

In 2015, I had stayed in Jageshwar for a day and someone had mentioned that while Vridhh Jageshwar was quite close to Jageshwar; it was a good 8-10 km distance from the road and there was a diversion road for Vridhh Jageshwar from Artola. In the absence of a proper mode of transport (bus or shared taxi), it wasn’t practical to think of a day visit from Jageshwar to Vridhh Jageshwar and back. I had multiple bags with me and therefore had to sort of plan my travel accordingly.

It was a surreal walk on the road from Artola as there were hardly any vehicles and we reached Dandeshwar Temples at about 1230 pm. We were quite hungry and came across a boutique stay on the way to Jageshwar after crossing Dandeshwar Temple. The dining area looked very inviting and we asked the staff if it was possible to make lunch on order? They said lunch would be simple dal, green leafy vegetables, chapati and rice and would take about 30 minutes to make. We requested them to speed it up as we were super hungry!

Food was out of the world when it arrived after some time and we ate till our stomachs were full! The 250 Rupees per person charge felt absolutely worthwhile. We thanked the staff wholeheartedly, paid them and set on our way. We visited the various temples in the Jageshwar Group of Temples complex; crossed the Jataganga stream to reach the Kuber Temple. Jageshwar town seemed to have expanded and didn’t have the charming feel as earlier so we were already thinking of an alternate plan of stay!

We asked the Pandit Ji at Kuber Temple about the hiking trail for Vridhh Jageshwar temple. It was early afternoon and we had ample time for trying to head somewhere else. Pandit Ji was quite confident and told us that the trail to Vridhh Jageshwar was well marked and pretty straightforward. He estimated that the hiking – trekking trail from Jageshwar to Vridhh Jageshwar is about 3-4 kms and should take between 1.5 to 2 hours maximum. He also told us that there were a couple of homestays right in front of the Vridhh Jageshwar Temple and that we would have no trouble finding a place to stay for the night.

It was about 315 pm when we started our walk from Kuber Temple. There was a proper cemented path with beautiful houses surrounded by early spring flower blooms on the way as the onset of the Jageshwar to Vridhh Jageshwar trek. One of the homes had such an incredible array of flowers – on the pretext of asking about the trail, I ended up asking whether the house was also a homestay! The lady of the house quoted a heavy price and we figured that as a classic trait in Uttarakhand. I stuck to the task of confirming the path and was told that a road is being built and that we should take the walking trail even after the road joins.

We were on the right trail and easily climbed a steady ascent in the initial 15 minutes. The weather was sunny when we had started but quickly began to change with clouds gathering and a breeze starting to blow even before we had reached the first road construction that was said to be our first landmark. I tried asking anyone on the trail where the path joined the bigger road in progress but there was no one to be seen and as if on cue, it started drizzling.

Thankfully, we had carried our rain jackets and since we had a rough idea about the trail, continued walking on the dirt road and kept a look out for a walking trail ascending towards our right. The drizzle was steady and we were overjoyed when a vehicle appeared on the road and was kind enough to stop for us. The gentleman was a local who said he was aware of the correct trail to Vridhh Jageshwar and informed us that it is easily identifiable.

We were ecstatic to spot red rhododendron blooming flowers in the forest and even though the road was dusty, the drizzle came as a welcome delight with the smell of petrichor. Even though it was only around 4-415 pm, it started feeling a bit dark in the forested region and we heaved a sigh of relief when we finally saw a hiking trail emerge from the road. It was a sharp ascent and although I was still uncertain about us being on the right path, the occasional raindrops and cold breeze ensured that we kept going ahead rather than second guess.

After about 20-30 minutes the light improved as we climbed higher and were relieved to notice that the drizzle had stopped and the sun had started peeping through the clouds. The rhododendron flowers looked even more beautiful after having a shower in the rain. We clicked a few pictures and I made a mental calculation that there was daylight till 630 pm at least. Even if we were on the wrong trail, our general hiking direction was in the region of Vridhh Jageshwar Temple and we were quite confident about making it to a homestay before dark.

Just as I was starting to get worried about not reaching Vridhh Jageshwar nor seeing any signs if we were on the right trail, we came across a stone boundary and there were multiple trails branching from that place. It was getting super confusing and for a minute I contemplated turning back and just getting back to safety in Jageshwar since we knew the way back. As a distraction, we decided to take a small rest break sitting on the stone boundary and were pleased when a dog came from somewhere.

The presence of a dog increased the possibility of a settlement nearby and my joy knew no bounds when a group of women carrying firewood appeared from nowhere and told us that we might have missed the correct trail but pointed us to a path and said that we will hardly take 15-20 odd minutes to reach Vridhh Jageshwar Temple. It was about 515 pm and we thanked the ladies and rushed on the trail. We had a spring in our step and relief on our minds now that we finally knew that we were about to reach Vridhh Jageshwar Temple and that there were 2 homestay options there.

Within no time we reached a road-head where the road had very recently been laid with tar and for a moment wondered if we had to go left or right but google maps quickly solved the problem. Recent development in the remote areas means there is hardly any place left without mobile network and internet connectivity. The weather had totally cleared and the sun was out. We were in front of the Vridhh Jageshwar Temple and there were only a handful of buildings.

I had assumed that this was a temple town but the solitude felt even more pronounced when we saw that there were only a total of 4-5 buildings that comprised Vridhh Jageshwar! We were shown the room at one of the homestays and were quoted a reasonable price of INR 500-600. It was a basic but pretty comfortable room with an attached bathroom and the owner was soft spoken and a kind hearted man. The homestay doubled up as a dhaba with a general store and the owner lived there with his wife. We requested him for an early dinner of freshly cooked dal, vegetables, rotis at 730 pm and quickly asked him if there was a chance of attending either the evening or the morning aarti at the Vridhh Jageshwar Temple?!

He looked at the watch and asked us to rush to the temple as it was about to be 6 pm and the evening aarti would begin anytime now! We were having a great day and loved this piece of information and quickly walked to the Vridhh Jageshwar Temple. The evening colours in the sky were simply out of the world and the horizon was being painted in yellow and orange hues. Since we were at a much higher altitude, the air felt cleaner and colder and the green hills completed a pretty picture.

The temple was a massive stone structure and the architecture style was similar to the bigger temples in the Jageshwar Group of temples. The Vridhh Jageshwar Temple pre-dates the Jageshwar temples and is said to have been established in 7-8th Century AD. The evening aarti was about to begin and it felt peaceful and calm as there were no other pilgrims or visitors at Vridhh Jageshwar. There is a certain charm about visiting places off the main tourist circuit and we were quite pleased with being able to sit in the aarti and feel the mantras being chanted.

After 30 odd minutes the evening aarti was over, we thanked the Pandit Ji and spent some time gazing at the stupendous after-sunset views. We were super hungry and walked back to our homestay which also doubled up as a general store and a dhaba where pilgrims and visitors could get food made on order. It was almost 7 pm and food was going to take a little longer to get ready so we went to the room and aired it out a little. A bit of fresh air in closed rooms always works wonders. While Jageshwar felt hot during daytime, there was a proper chill in the air in Vridhh Jageshwar and it was not even night yet.

We were quite relieved when the owner uncle handed us an electric rod to heat water (if we needed it). The night skies from the homestay terrace were incredible in the absence of any light pollution in Vridhh Jageshwar. There was a solar powered light at the Vridhh Jageshwar temple but that was hidden by a big tree in the homestay compound. The electricity conked off and decided to give us an even more epic view of the stars. We weren’t complaining and went to the dhaba area when the food was ready.

It was nice to see a proper family run place and aunty was making hot chapatis. We gobbled up the offerings as we had nothing to eat after the fabulous lunch in the afternoon. The wind had really picked up and it felt like a thunderstorm was on its way. We ate well, thanked uncle and aunty wholeheartedly and went back downstairs to our room. It had started to get cloudy and funnily enough the electricity came back!

There was full 4G internet connectivity and it felt nice to lie down in the warmth indoors and do some aimless scrolling. We slept well, after all the body had a nice workout with the hike and was pretty tired.

It was a spectacular morning as the weather had cleared and a stunning 180 degree view of the Himalayan ranges awaited when we were going to the temple for the morning darshan and aarti. There were crystal clear views of Mount Trishul, Nanda Devi and other peaks. We were overjoyed and requested for aloo paranthas for breakfast and enjoyed them in the outdoor sun with the splendid views. Even though the original idea was to leave back for Kasar Devi early morning, it was a delay that felt totally worthwhile.

Someone mentioned that Vridhh Jageshwar lies on an old trekking/hiking route commonly used by pilgrims and it is possible to continue via walking trails to reach other important temples in the region. At around 11, we started walking towards Panuanaula (next sizeable village on the road) and I came across a signboard and a trail towards Jageshwar Dham which mentioned the walking distance as 3 kms. We quickly understood that we had surely got lost in the jungle yesterday and made it to Vridhh Jageshwar by a much longer and confusing trail. A shared taxi duly arrived and we got a ride till Panuanaula.

I don’t remember the exact sequence but it was rhododendron flower season and we got down at a place called Toli where there are a couple of local shops that make fresh squashes. The homestay uncle in Vridhh Jageshwar had given a reference of one of the squash makers and we ended up picking a number of bottles of the various varieties that they recommended. The prices were also quite reasonable, we thanked the owners and caught one of the numerous shared taxis bound for Almora.

It was a feeling of contentment and satisfaction to come back to our cottage in Kasar Devi!

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We left early from our home and were at the Allain Duhangan Power Project barrier gate after taking the diversion from Prini at about 930 am. There was an entry charge even for local vehicles, and I filled an online form for the same and paid. We also gave a ride to a local who was headed to Sethan. She confirmed that it was a nice and easy day hike to Chikka from the last point till where the vehicles went. We had a heavy breakfast at home and also carried some apples to enjoy on the hike.

Here are a few phone photographs of a stunning day hike from Sethan to Chikka in August :

We would have wanted to spend more time on the hike but the drizzle meant that we started hiking back and got back to the place where the car was parked at about 3 pm. So the time taken to reach Chikka was about 2 hours and we hardly took an hour to return.

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We left at 1130 am from Kullu, after a hearty meal of rajma chawal and made it to Jispa by about 3 pm after a stop for shipping orders of my book ‘The Goodness of Strangers’ from the Post Office in Manali. There was a slight chill in the air as it was the first week of October and we were well prepared with our winter jackets. The landscape was still green as we crossed Solang Valley and after we emerged past the Atal Tunnel it was a completely different ball game in Lahaul. A cold breeze welcomed us and it was clear that it was going to be super cold in Lahaul valley with the wind chill as it seemed to have already started snowing on the high mountains.

We paid the SADA development fee that is being levied on all non-local vehicles for entering Lahaul and moved towards Tandi and Keylong. The autumn colours of Sissu were not at their best this year; yet with the popularity with instagram tourists it was a crowded stretch. We were flexible with our place of stay in either Keylong or Jispa but were keen on finding something with ample open spaces for us to walk around. Since there was plenty of sunshine still left in the day, we made a consensus and decided to go till the PWD Rest House in Jispa and see if they had rooms. Anyway, we would cross the other prospective options in Keylong – Jispa on our way to the PWD Rest House as it was located at the fag end of Jispa town.

The caretaker was around and recognised me from a previous visit. He said that the PWD Rest House has only two rooms and that one room is already booked for a night but both the rooms are available for the next day. We quickly asked him to book both the rooms for the next day and to show us the room available. He recommended to us to book the room and that he would put extra mattresses and since it was a cozy carpeted room, we would be well served. We agreed and requested him to check if the booking for the previous room was cancelled so that we would get both the rooms. We were quite pleased as the rooms came with an attached washroom and had a working geyser.

It felt a little funny to be spending two days in Lahaul acclimatising even though we lived in Kullu Valley. We figured that since the plan was to spend a few nights in Merak village at about 4400m, it was best to spend a few nights at 3000-3500m to minimize the chances of AMS. The wind chill in October in high-altitude areas is a killer and therefore we wanted to get used to the cold in Lahaul before the super cold of Merak. Jispa already had the feel of a deserted town where the homestays and restaurants were closing for the season and we were thankful that a lone eatery was open near the PWD Rest House. The said eatery was also going to close down in the next few days and we felt lucky!

The original plan was to head to Zanskar now that the road via Shinku La / Shingo La / Shinkun La was well and truly operational; stay a night in Padum and then move to Leh via the dirt trail route that passed through Zangla, Lingshed, Singge La and Sirsir La to end up near Photoksar and join the highway at Wanla. Since we did not have many days in hand, it was ultimately decided that the long route via Zanskar might turn out to be extremely tiring and that it was better to head to Ladakh via the Manali-Leh highway only. Local news in Lahaul also indicated that vehicles were only allowed to cross the Darcha check-post after 9 am because it had started freezing on some sections of the road to Zanskar as well as Leh.

We spent a nice two days in Jispa soaking in the abundant sunshine and enjoying the autumn blaze of Lahaul Valley. It was a memorable meal at one ‘The Climber’s Café’ in Keylong Bazaar and the nearby dhaba also made fresh food so there were no complaints. Nights were freezing cold but it sort of prepared us for even colder temperatures in the next few days.

We had a nice cup of chai and left for Darcha at about 8 am with a plan of having breakfast at one of the dhabas in Darcha while waiting for the check-post guys to wave us through after 9 am. When we reached Darcha, there was a newly constructed dhaba / restaurant just before the police check post and we decided to stop there. Funnily enough, there was no need to wait till 9 am and the road to both Zanskar and Ladakh was open for vehicular traffic. We were still in two minds with regards to taking the longer route via Padum and Singge La to reach Leh and even put Padum as our destination in the diary of the police check post officer.

The dhaba owners were from Rarik village and told us that while the road to Padum was in excellent condition; the road via Lingshed-Singge La was in fact a dirt road with a few tricky and frozen sections that would take us over 10 hours to reach Leh from Padum. Before we finished our cups of black tea, the deal was sealed and as we walked back to the car – I remembered to ask the police officer to change our destination to Leh instead of Padum in the check post register. The road past Darcha felt like a breeze and we quickly started ascending to Zing Zing Bar and towards Baralacha La.

It was a clear day and based on our previous autumn trip to Leh last October, we were keen on staying in the region of Hemis/Thiksey this time around. We made good time on the road and despite leaving quite late crossed Sarchu around noon. The weather was absolutely clear and there was nary a cloud in the deep blue sky. It was a fine day as we crossed the flat land past Sarchu and the aquamarine waters of the Tsarap Chu were flowing beneath us in the valley below. It felt like pin drop silence at over 4200m, and we stopped for a while to admire the views and the pristine colour of the water.

We opted to not stop for a snack/lunch/tea at Sarchu since we were not feeling hungry and continued towards Pang. The dustiest stretch of the entire Manali to Leh road was the road from Sarchu to Pang. There were a few sections with single lane traffic that caused mini traffic jams with a number of trucks lined up on both sides. It was sudden hunger that compelled us to stop at Pang – Pang looked like a fancy avatar of the grimy ramshackle dhabas from a decade ago! It was close to 2 pm and the eatery where we stopped was almost out of food – the lady was only able to serve one plate of semi-cooked dal and rice among the four of us.

Anyhow, I have never liked Pang and the feeling was reinforced when I tried to go to pee. There was a lake sort of water body visible behind the multiple dhabas and no prizes for guessing what the stench was like! Our friends went to another dhaba for some chowmein noodles and were quite surprised that most of the eateries in Pang also doubled up as accommodation options in the night. I was mildly shocked to know this since Pang is at an altitude of some 4600m, it is not pleasant at all to stay at this altitude without being properly acclimatised. Authorities should look into this in the light of the rules for tourists to acclimatise before heading to Pangong Tso/Changthang and other high-altitude areas of Ladakh.

We were happy to bid goodbye to Pang and start our ascent to the other passes viz. Lachung La and Taglang La. The road was in excellent condition and it was mildly surprising to see snow piled on both sides of the road at Taglang La. Of course the outside temperature was freezing and a deathly cold breeze blew. We tumbled down the pass and crossed the dhabas of Debring and I saw a faint road leading to the left side to a nomadic settlement – Kharnak. I was supremely interested in Kharnakpas and their weaves like challi, pherri, tsug-dul, tsug-den and more made from yak wool, sheep wool and the likes.

In no time we were at Rumtse and ogled at the varied hues of the mountains that were enhanced with the evening light and the rich autumn colours. We crossed the pretty looking hamlets of Miru, Gya, Lato and made a mental note of staying at one of these three villages on our way back. A night stay here would considerably reduce our single day travel time on the return journey enabling us to leave early and still reach Kullu Valley before dark. It was close to 5 pm when we crossed Upshi; the Indus river was a pristine shade of blue while the autumn colours were a shining yellow.

We had started to keep an eye out for signboards of homestays since the idea was clear that none of us wanted to stay in Leh. Hemis quickly went out of the reckoning since we crossed the diversion after crossing Upshi. With no extra help from google maps, we decided to take the right turn to Thiksey monastery and were certain that there would be a number of homestays there for us to stay. The time was around 520 pm and the sun would soon go behind the mountains. We decided to ask a young kid on the road about a homestay and he indicated to us to take a right and we would find Goltuk homestay. He didn’t seem very confident about our choice though and suggested that there was a nice hotel nearby that would be better for us.

Nevertheless, we thought lets see this Goltuk homestay and then figure our options. We took a right and saw a signboard for a homestay and asked a lady who was walking on the street and it turned out to be her home! She showed us the rooms and while the price mentioned was also ok, the rooms did not come with an attached washroom and that prompted us to ask if there was another homestay nearby that might perhaps have rooms with an attached washroom? She suggested another homestay just around the corner and we sought about finding that. It was duly spotted after a short walk and while we liked the open spaces and the garden, the host was missing and there was no one who could show us the rooms!

In the meanwhile, the light had started dwindling and it would soon be dark within a few more minutes. The cousin sister of the host came to our help and called the aunty to come with the keys of the rooms so that we could figure our possibility of a stay. At the outset, she said that we could only stay for 1 day because there was a festival planned for the next evening at a neighbour’s home. She also said that one of the washrooms had a water problem. We liked the rooms that both came with a clear and direct view of Thiksey monastery and agreed on a reasonable price for 2 days and promised her to cooperate with the meals if she could not find time for cooking! Simple breakfast and dinner was included in the offerings of the homestay.

The homestay had only two rooms and one was on the first floor and the other one was on the ground floor. Aunty at the homestay seemed to have had troubles in the past with Indian guests who were happier with mainland food rather than trying local Ladakhi food and therefore she tried to make us stay for only 1 day. I don’t blame her for her thought process because I have observed lately that the boundaries between a homestay and a hotel are blurred and happy-to-please hosts simply don’t know how to turn down demands laid out by guests. It appears sometimes that some folks stay at a homestay primarily due to the comparatively cheaper price and then take undue advantage of the hosts’ kindness by laying down demands as per their whims and fancies.

I’d say the demands / whims and fancies might be justified at a hotel but not at a family run homestay. Hence, the lady was initially wary of us but was quite calmed with our mention of living in Kullu Valley. Little did she know that we were actually looking forward to freshly cooked Ladakhi dishes and since the homestay also had an adjoining kitchen garden in the farm, most of the produce would be fresh and homegrown! Aunty gave us a quick round of tea as a welcome drink as we put our bags in our respective rooms. We ogled at the beauty of the after-sunset colours with snowy peaks in the backdrop, even as stars began to shine in the brilliant high altitude Ladakhi sky and the yellow shaded poplars stood tall in the rapidly intensifying cold while the timeless Thiksey monastery watched the proceedings quietly on the other side.

We unpacked our bags and kept the home baked zucchini teacakes and the apple cakes out so that we didn’t forget to savour them. On a thoughtful whim, we cut a generous slice of both the cakes and presented them to aunty in the kitchen. Aunty and her cousin sister warmed up the cakes and took them for the entire family to taste! We were so glad they loved it and thanked us for getting them a taste of homemade bakes. As part of the homestay culture, it is a nice thing to do to break the ice.

Our joy was multiplied upon seeing that Thukpa was being made for dinner! We entered the kitchen and traditional dining area lined with Chogtse tables and thanked aunty for rustling up thukpa at such short notice. She replied that making thukpa was no trouble at all and all she had to do was pick fresh produce from the farm. The flat noodles used in the thukpa were locally produced in Leh. We sat and gazed at the traditional cookware and collection of utensils in the sitting area. Aunty served us thukpa in the traditional bowls and I liked it so much that I had three helpings! I think it was then that aunty must have realised that we were indeed going to turn out be amicable guests who knew how to stay at a homestay.

Aunty told us that next day’s dinner would be a little difficult for her to make because of the evening function and suggested that we could dine at the nearby Chamba Hotel that always served excellent food in Thiksey. We told her not to worry and that we will manage. Our plan for next day was to head to Leh for lunch and get the car washed as well.

It became colder as the evening progressed and after the drive we chose to relax in our rooms. The sight of the dimly lit dwellings on the base of Thiksey monastery was calming. We called it a night and tried to sleep early so that we could wake up at 6-ish and perhaps walk to the monastery for the morning prayers.

It was a cold, cold night and the modern quilts and blankets were no match for the hitherto traditional warmth of the homestays. I had a mild headache and even though we had spent a good 2 nights in Lahaul acclimatising in the same altitude and temperatures – I was a bit surprised by the same. We had carried our tea masala and ginger and aunty was more than happy to let us make our milk tea. It felt nice as the sun was out and we went to the first floor balcony to enjoy our tea. We made an extra cup for aunty as well and she was so happy with the result that we let her know the secret of the magic masala as well!

The fun of living amidst nature has no parallel and we laid out a carpet and sat in the garden. Aunty said there would be basic omelette and khambir (local Ladakhi bread) for breakfast and that it would be served at about 9 am in the open canopy in the garden. The canopy lent a very Italian vineyard feel to the setting as it was covered in green with black kidney beans vines and had a sturdy wooden table and chairs beneath it. Of course the icing on the cake was the sun shining brightly on Thiksey monastery, making it an impeccable setting. Aunty’s sons were up as well and we met them too. Breakfast was served at 9 and it was fun to dig into the tiny muskmelon grown on aunty’s farm. We thanked her for letting us try a homegrown muskmelon as we were totally unaware about them growing in Ladakh!

We sat and lounged in the sun for a while but quickly realised that the direct sunshine was too much to handle and funnily enough my mild headache persisted. It was time for a hot water bath after the rigours of the road journey on the previous day. The room felt quite cold and we quickly figured that the room on the ground floor would receive sunshine only in the latter part of the day. Anyhow, I sat outdoors after the bath and was reminded of the classic conundrum in Ladakh – it was hot in the sun and still felt very cold in the shade, especially with the breeze blowing. In a few more minutes, it was time for us to head to Leh.

When we mentioned autumn colours, the elder son suggested to us to go to Matho monastery if we wanted to enjoy the full splendour of the fall/autumn colours as it was located at a vantage point. He was also kind enough to share the route by road as the route suggested by google maps had a bridge repair issue and was closed for the time being. It was a longer drive but the stunning autumn colours in Matho village and then on the way to the monastery were surreal and we were delighted to have come that side. We chose to walk back to the village from the monastery and also tasted ripe but very sour seabuckthorn berries after some locals’ insistence!

After a good part of more than an hour spent in Matho village, we continued on our way to Leh. As we had expected, the autumn colours were not as pronounced as they were in Matho. On the way, we came across a small scale industry drying seabuckthorn to make it into a pulp. I was keen on buying the pulp and even got the contact of the lady in charge of the processing, but it turned out that seabuckthorn pulp uses a lot of preservatives otherwise it spoils pretty quickly. Even though the price offered for the seabuckthorn pulp was almost half of what we get in Lahaul valley, I ended up not buying a bottle since it involved a detour to Chuchot village and there was nobody to guide us.

We were keen on having a nice meal in Leh and tried to make a reservation at Alchi Kitchen but it turned out that the Leh branch of Alchi Kitchen was closed (like it was a year ago!) and they were taking reservations for a meal in Alchi! With the change in plan, we had to find parking space at Rabsal Parking near the main bazaar and then walked to Tibetan Kitchen. It was progressing to a funny scene as Tibetan Kitchen turned out to be closed for the day; Bon Appetit felt like a confusing walk as our friends were already super hungry. So we spotted the signboard for Summer Harvest – saw a few locals come out of the restaurant that validated the eatery and decided to have our lunch there!

I still had a niggling headache and while I kept trying to forget about it, there was no denying that I was not at my 100%. The food at Summer Harvest was satisfactory and some dishes turned out to be excellent. We paid the bill and now it was about 230 pm and all of us went our separate ways. I went sauntering in the market on my customary walk and meeting my old acquaintances if they were around. The car had to be taken for a wash before we head to Pangong Tso / Merak village the next day. So, everyone had roughly 1.5 hours before we decided to meet up on the main road near the circular bazaar in Leh. It was very hot during the day and quite dusty with all the endless construction everywhere near the main road.

It was a sort of aimless walk for me – I bought some Saspola apples, drank a glass of the sugarless apricot juice at Dzomsa, tried to (unsuccessfully) buy a chogtse table, met with a known shop owner to check if they had a surplus bundle of Zanskari spuruks, perused the circular market for the indigenous black peas (shrannma or nagshranma) and bought a kilo, tasted some chhurpe, wondered what was the black cake called skotse and largely marvelled how far Ladakh has come in terms of tourism. Tourists from the cities were buying an average variety of dried apricots for astronomical prices without bothering to check the quality and taste. I never heard the name Halman (fine variety from Turtuk and the villages around the Dah-Hanu area) when I was in the bazaar.

I used the washroom at the fancy looking café opposite Dzomsa and figured that Leh had well and truly arrived on India’s tourist circuit with a bang and for raw experiences it was essential to travel to some remote locations still untouched by tourists. As soon as I got free, our friends arrived and we sat in the car. While waiting, I spotted the gentleman who was the orchestrator of the great hitchhiking escape from Diskit to Leh in a winter snowstorm. I quickly ran out of the car and after confirming he was indeed the same person – thanked him for the kindness and gifted him a copy of ‘The Goodness of Strangers’.

I was overjoyed at this unexpected meeting and wondered about possibly gifting copies of the book to some other kind folks in the Changthang region who were responsible for the experiences detailed in a few chapters of the book. We started on our return journey back to Thiksey since we were very keen on spending the evening in the farmstay-homestay. Our tummies were filled for the time being but the issue of eating dinner outside remained. We enjoyed a nice evening gazing at the colours in all the directions while my nagging headache continued prompting me to rethink if I was prepared to go to Merak inspite of this minor struggle.

In the evening, aunty was dressed up and ready to go for the evening ceremony of the nearby party. The sound of drums and revelry started coming from the direction. She asked us what were our plans for dinner and I told her that we had a heavy lunch outside and that we would be happy to eat a light meal. Aunty anyway had to cook food for the family so she asked us if we were happy with with simple pulao and we told her pulao was exactly what we needed! She quickly rustled up a cooker and all the farm grown vegetables went in it resulting in a delicious and light pulao / masala chawal. All four of us thanked her wholeheartedly for the extra effort because we were mentally prepared to go to Chamba Hotel for dinner!

I think it was then that I made up my mind that in the two days spent here, we had not even gone to Thiksey monastery and just running off to the cold of Merak didn’t sound very appealing. The added charm of seeing the autumn colours along the road via Chang La to Changthang and on the return via Chumathang was not enough to wean me off the thought of staying longer in Thiksey. It would be no fun if I didn’t feel better after reaching Merak as well. I was certain that it was not AMS since I had no issues in breathing but it was a constant mild headache. After dinner, it was decided that our friends would leave for Merak after breakfast since it would take about 6 hours from Thiksey and we would stay put at the same homestay. We decided to meet near Upshi at 3 pm after 3 days even if our phones didn’t work and we were not able to communicate.

We slept early and I made a mental note to myself to check the oxygen level if the headache persisted the next day as well. I was also keen on waking up early for the 6-30 am morning prayer at Thiksey Monastery but was also aware that we had two more mornings at the homestay. Aunty had already confirmed that we could move to the upstairs room and she would be happy to host us for 2 more days. It was a relaxed morning and I felt very nice to be able to soak in the sunshine with the perfect masala chai. Our friends left early after a quick breakfast of toasted bread and butter and when aunty asked us if we wanted traditional Ladakhi butter tea & khola or bread + butter for breakfast – we opted for the traditional option. She was pleased with our choice and laid out a carpet in the garden.

Out came two traditional goblets that were made from a specialised metal and two wooden baskets with barley flour and another with buckwheat / whole wheat flour. She mixed some homemade ghee and sugar and put the different flours in different goblets and then poured the salty butter tea on top. We mixed everything with our fingers and made the flour into small balls to eat. It tasted delicious and we told aunty that we had eaten this as khola earlier at Yuthok Homestay. We enjoyed cups of butter tea with the khola and finished off our breakfast in no time. Aunty also cut a tiny watermelon grown on the farm and we totally loved it!

After a while, the direct sunshine became too much for me and I chose to sit on the chairs but the headache had already returned. We are keen on walking around Thiksey and enjoy the magic of the autumn yellow of the poplar trees. After partially enjoying a walk under the canopy of the yellow trees on the side of the road, we decide to turn back because there is no fun in inhaling the toxic fumes of the trucks that are in numbers on this road. While coming back, I get my oxygen level checked at Hotel Chamba and it came totally fine and we quickly deduced that my headache is due to the exposure to direct sunlight. I had forgotten to carry my sunglasses to Ladakh.

We got back to the homestay and enjoyed the warmth of the mansion-type room on the first floor. I lay down for a bit and slept and instantly started feeling better. Now that the reason for the headache was largely clear, it was decided that I borrow my partner’s sunglasses and try to never look directly into the sun. We head back to the restaurant at Chamba Hotel for lunch and the food turned out to be super delicious. It is a place run by the monks and the restaurant cook/staff was from Jharkhand and made excellent food. We sat in the shade and really enjoyed the time spent here. We set out for a short walk post lunch and explored the by-lanes of Thiksey.

The library looked very appealing and was managed by the monks. We stepped inside and saw a few young students study in the warmth of the indoors. The book collection was massive and there was even a tea/coffee machine for visitors. There was pin drop silence and we quickly realised that the Thiksey library might just become our new favourite place while we stayed at the homestay. I was immersed in reading a historical book on undivided Ladakh when I received a phone call and had to go out. The outdoors had a sprinkling of blooming flowers and there was even a cute café in one of the corners. We wondered if the café would be a great hidden find when it was open during the summer.

When it was close to 5 pm and close to sundown, we decided to take the long walk via the road to Thiksey Monastery parking and while I gazed at the views on the other side – my partner climbed the stairs to the main monastery to find the exact timing of the morning prayers. The autumn colours in the direction of Leh city appeared to dazzling in the mellow evening light. I started feeling a bit cold with the evening breeze once the sun went down and opted to walk back via the road route. There were a few monks also going for their evening walk while chanting prayers and it felt nice to be in calm company.

My partner came back via the shortcut path through the stairs and we ended up meeting near our homestay and continued the walk. The sky was painted in orange and pink hues and with the moon peeking out from behind the barren mountains presented an unforgettable sight. We savoured the ethereal beauty of Ladakh for as long as the light lasted and then aunty presented us with another piece of information that made proceedings even better! She was cooking purple cabbage momos for dinner – the cabbage she had just picked up from the kitchen garden. Aunty and uncle were supposed to go to the party at the nearby family’s house and therefore aunty said dinner would be ready by 730 pm.

We were ecstatic to hear that as early dinners were a habit for us and also the fact that aunty said that she had got a bottle of local chaang for us to drink! The momos along with the fresh chutney turned out to be so delicious that we polished off the entire container of momos that aunty had made for us. We thanked her numerous times and told her that these were some of the best momos that we’ve ever had. We walked under the open skies for a bit and appreciated the moonlight. The room was cozy and much warmer than the downstairs room and that meant we slept peacefully.

The view of the sunlit Thiksey monastery first thing in the morning was the icing on the cake. We had the absolute pleasure of doing nothing but just went through the morning with basic stretching, yoga and meditation. After a relaxed hour or so, we went to make chai and also gave a bit of the chai masala powder to aunty. In return she gave us a packet of seabuckthorn tea and a sapling of the wild mint growing in their farm. We had a quick breakfast and then decided to go sauntering around to some places recommended by aunty’s younger son as he had by then realised that we were happy to go anywhere quiet where we had less chances of encountering other tourists!

We went to the road and found a ride after walking for a while. The army guy was from Bikaner and dropped us to the viewpoint past Stakna monastery. It was a memorable view of the aquamarine waters of the Indus River with the autumn yellow of the trees and Stakna Monastery with an array of snowy peaks in the background. The sun was shining with full force and after some time we had to find a shaded space to wait for the ride back. On some sections, we walked under a shaded canopy of trees and absolutely loved the raw feel of discovery. We were unable to find the park suggested and ultimately after we found a ride we were dropped at the Thiksey monastery diversion.

The restaurant at Chamba Hotel came to the rescue and we ate our lunch in the supremely relaxed setting and also made a mental note to eat there before we left for Upshi, the next day. We head straight to the library after lunch and spent a good 2-3 hours reading. I wondered in my mind how travelling is all about being flexible and the joy of these offbeat things can only be felt, and not spoken. Since tomorrow would be the last day for us in Thiksey, we walked back to our homestay and made sure of not wandering around here and there so that we could wake up early and go to attend the morning prayers at Thiksey monastery.

Aunty asked us whether we wanted rajma chawal or chutagi for dinner and we unanimously voted for chutagi! It was an early dinner as by now aunty had figured that we ate by 7 pm. The chutagi was super yummy and we thanked aunty for the incredibly delicious food. My headache had miraculously almost disappeared and we attributed it to the sunglasses and the strategic decision to not walk with the sun directly facing me. Next morning, we woke up very early and walked the stairs of Thiksey monastery in the chilling cold. The prayers started a bit late than what we were told but the feeling of calm was so beautiful, that we sat through the entire hour long ceremony. Thankful to the monks to have plied us with multiple helpings of butter tea.

At the homestay, while packing I found that the half kilo meetha karela vegetable from Kullu Valley had not been used and I asked aunty if I could make it for everyone. She was pleased at trying this exotic looking vegetable. We ate it with the local khambir bread in a magical setting under the green vine and a view of Thiksey monastery. It remains a classic memory from this particular trip to Ladakh where the objective became to relax at the homestay in Thiksey.

Later in the afternoon, we said our thanks and goodbyes to the family and started walking to Chamba Hotel for lunch. It turned out that they had just closed for the season and in the absence of any other options we decided it was better to get to Upshi and find a nice eatery there. It made sense to reach Upshi early so that our friends did not have to wait when they returned from Merak via the Chumathang route. We were lucky to find a ride within no time of standing on the road. It felt excruciatingly hot in the harsh Ladakhi sun and when we stepped inside the stunningly beautiful interiors of Rigo Restaurant in Upshi, the old memories of eating food at dusty dhabas in Upshi were washed away.

Ladakh has truly changed – for better or for worse, that only time will tell but it is still possible to have new experiences with homestays like the one in Thiksey leading the way in showcasing local farm life in Ladakh at a reasonable price. The onus remains on us visitors to embrace the life lived by the locals – after all thats why we travel ‘To become a local in every place we visit!’

We met with our friends at 330 pm in Upshi, and drove straight to picturesque Lato village on our way back. Next day, it felt like deja vu when it started snowing as we crossed Taglang La and once we crossed Baralacha La and reached our home in Kullu Valley – aunty from the Thiksey homestay called next day and told us that it had snowed and the Manali – Leh highway was closed for traffic.

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