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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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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We get lucky when Manash’s friends who hail from Dibrugarh informed him that they had some space in their car if we could somehow ‘adjust!’ Now we all know how we adjust in India; it was the last row of the Honda Mobilio and we were 3 grown-up adults. At best, the space was barely enough for 2 people. My co-travellers were both over 6 feet tall and we had fully stuffed backpacks in our laps. It was a comical scene and as I write this in hindsight; the hosts of the car – Ronal and his friends were very considerate to stop the car almost every hour to enable us to stretch our legs. When we sat in the car, Longwa seemed far far away!

We had started our journey from Ziro at 1030 am after the bus for Guwahati left. It was a challenge to make Ronal understand that his car was our only way out of Ziro. Thankfully he understood our predicament even though he was adamant that it would be very uncomfortable and I found a middle ground by suggesting that we could tag-along with them till Potin (which was a bifurcating point for many roads in Arunachal Pradesh) with more likelihood of finding a shared sumo/bus/other public transport.

I’d done a basic research of a Sumo from Ziro to Dibrugarh but since it was a day when everyone was getting out of Ziro; the taxi guys quoted an astronomical range of INR 18000-20000 for a drop to Dibrugarh! Even by usually very expensive north-east standards; that was way too much for 230 kms! On an overcast morning when we left, we had little breakfast; paranthas, black tea, thelpas and pickle that we had carried with us! Once we crossed the shared sumo stand in Hapoli (Ziro); the enormity of the situation was evident when we observed the hordes of youngsters standing with their backpacks on the road – in hope of a ride!

After hardly 30 minutes of leaving from Ziro, it started drizzling and we were stuck in a traffic jam as a bus had got stuck in slush. We got a breather from sitting and wandered outside even though it was raining. I wondered if the folks waiting had a better chance of hitching a ride if they stood on the highway out of Ziro since a lot of the local attendees were going back to Naharlagun / Itanagar. It was fun to observe the locals when the bus was stuck : A Nyishi tribal man was surveying the scene in his elaborate headgear.

Only a few two-wheelers were able to manoeuvre their way through the blocked road. This traffic jam has given an opportunity to Ronal to rearrange the baggage and he somehow fits 2 backpacks in the boot. Now, only my 15-20 kilo backpack was is kept on us and its a lot more easier when the weight is spread. In the meantime, the Police have arrived and they are bringing a rope to somehow get the bus out. Ronal and his friends (Doctor, engineer, scientists) have a few conversations with us and realise we are chilled out and will make it to Dibrugarh, inspite of the strife!

The rope has arrived and the bus is moved from the centre of the road; clearing the traffic jam. All the vehicles start moving; and we reach Potin in 2 hours; at about 1 pm. Potin is one of the entry points for getting into Arunachal Pradesh from Assam. The road is excellent here; unlike the mud and slushy road from Ziro to Potin that has turned even worse due to the constant rain in the past 2 weeks. We are a bit hungry but don’t dare to eat because there is barely any space to sit and an extra inch on the bellies can seriously hurt us! So, even though Ronal & Co. stop in Potin for lunch; we just roam around and decide to eat on the next stop.

I’ve carried back 2 bottles of the locally made fruit wines with me; one is a pear wine & the other one is a pineapple wine. Its time to share one of the bottles with Ronal & his friends and they all love it.

Read : Trekking to Dzuköu Valley, Nagaland

In Potin, the road bifurcates for Guwahati/Itanagar/Naharlagun. I noticed an APSTC bus from Ziro to Itanagar costing only 150 INR per seat. Arunachal Pradesh has become so much better with the public transport in the last few years. We resume our journey at about 130 pm and we are feeling so much better after the much needed break and breather to let our legs feel normal again. My wishful thinking says we should hopefully make it to Dibrugarh by about 7 pm – it felt impractical to even dream about reaching Dibrugarh by daylight.

I was also hoping that it was possible for us to get seats on a bus headed to Dibrugarh from North Lakhimpur (a town that we would be crossing later). Nice playlist of songs in the car; we make another stop at one of the fruit sellers on the highway. I ogle at the pineapples & guavas. The pineapples are at 10 Inr per piece and we are juicy (like always in the northeast); so we gobble a lot of them and I end up buying a kilo of guavas to be shared with everyone. I thank Ronal and give 1100 INR (handed over by Manash) as fuel expenses. We have covered good distance as the road is now in much better condition and are about to enter Assam.

I am not certain but we must have taken the Kimin border road. We stop for a breather in the town that is surrounded by tea gardens. I spot few ladies on the street selling sel roti and pickle! It is as delicious as it would be in Nepal/Kalimpong and we enjoy the unexpected bounty! We all take a moment to thank Ronal and his friends for being extremely considerate and stop the car after every 1-2 hours so that we can stretch our legs and prepare ourselves to sit again in the cramped space. We experience moments of excruciating pain because we can’t move and the entire weight of the backpack comes on the knees.

The weather suddenly feels quite hot once we enter Assam and the windows are rolled up and the ac is put on. Its nice and cool now in the car and we are happy after entering Assam, in the knowledge that we should make it to Dibrugarh in respectable time. The distance left is about 180 kms and the road is a proper highway so we should make quick time. While crossing North Lakhimpur, there is no sign of a bus and this ride seems to be our only way! Now the question of an alternate ride doesn’t even cross anyone’s mind and we stop in Gogamukh for a short break.

I’m trying to look for a hotel on the many online platforms for a comfortable night stay in Dibrugarh but am unable to finalise anything. We take the opportunity of the break to take a short walk in Gogamukh. I meet some marwari businessmen in the sizeable market there; it seems the marwaris from Rajasthan are everywhere across India for business! Once we are back in the car; I ask Rolan to book us in a reasonably priced hotel and he recommends one Raj International in Marwari Patty in Dibrugarh. We are dropped right in front of the hotel at 9 pm and we can’t thank Ronal and his friends enough for the help.

We feel like kings at Raj International; nice hotel & very comfortable separate rooms. The rooms are air-conditioned and we quickly order dinner and I take a relaxed shower in the meanwhile. I ask the waiter to order food for me and choose the dishes as whatever he would like and atta chapatis. I am very tired and sleepy and polish off 4-5 rotis with the freshly made delicious mixed vegetable curry.

(I recently sent small gifts to Manash & Ronal from my craft platform ‘Indilocal’ & they were well received in Dibrugarh!)

We are so exhausted that no-one bothers to check about the status of food for the other room and we end up eating separately. I thank the waiter, close the door and sleep – like only a tired body can after so many hours of uncomfortable travel! I wake up from my sound slumber directly at 8 am next morning and feel fresh and relaxed on a proper bed. After all, we were in a campsite in Ziro and the mattress felt so much better than the sleeping bag!

My co-travellers have woken up as well and we laugh over the discomfort of the previous day. We ask for breakfast in the form of aloo sabji + puri and masala chai with lots of ginger. After all it is a hotel owned by a marwari and thats why the food and chai is on point. The flight at Dibrugarh airport arrives at 1 pm and our target was to reach close to the Nagaland border and stay for the night in Sonari town.

After a hearty breakfast, I go down to the hotel reception to enquire about autos / cab to the airport and then the subsequent mode of transport to depart for Sonari, that was the last sizeable town before entering Mon district in Nagaland where Longwa was located. I was also a bit concerned about the ILP for Nagaland – there was no physical office for us to go and get the ILP (Inner-Line Permit) issued. The online permit was just for namesake and wasn’t really something that worked in real life. I was told that there is a Nagaland Government office in Dibrugarh that issues ILP but that information turned out to be false and we decided to just enter Nagaland and see how it goes with the ILP.

At the hotel reception, a Maruti Alto taxi driver was standing and asked for INR 500 for pick/drop from the airport. I asked him for drop to Sonari and he quoted INR 3000 for the same. I check the distance to the airport from Raj Palace is 16 kms and from the airport to Sonari is 75 kms and offer him INR 2100. He declines my offer and says its not profitable at all. He takes down my phone number and informs he that he will call if he changes his mind. I tell him that I’m going to the bus stand to check about a bus to Sonari and also for an auto or other mode of transport to go to the airport.

The bus stand is a 6-7 minutes walk away from where I am and I find that there are buses to Sivasagar every 10 minutes. We ‘d have to switch buses for Sonari from Sivasagar and the frequency of the Sonari bound buses kept decreasing in the latter part of the day. Some locals informed me that it would take roughly 2 hours from Dibrugarh to Sivasagar and then another 2-2.5 hours from Sivasagar to Sonari if we were able to find a bus. The fare for the buses was estimated at INR 180 per person; i.e 720 for 4 of us. Further, the auto guys asked for INR 350-400 for a pickup/drop from the airport. I estimated the total to come to about 1200 INR and involved a lot of hassle + uncertainty about the bus timing.

I made up my mind to call the taxi guy and fix the price with him. The taxi should take maximum 3 hours for reaching Sonari and it was better to arrive in that unknown place before dark so that we were better placed to find a hotel to stay and check about the shared taxi to Mon.

I walked back to Raj Palace and had a quick shower. Luckily, before I could call the taxi guy – he only called me and that ensured that the price was fixed at INR 2100 for pick-up from the airport and drop to Sonari town. We checked out from the hotel and were picked up by the cab guy at 1230 pm; he had a drop to the airport and that guy was sitting in the front. The flight was on time and I was glad that the taxi guy was making extra money.

We leave for Sonari directly from the airport and see buses marked for Tinsukia, Jagun on the airport road that led to Namdapha National Park. The journey is very smooth and after an hour or so, we begin our search for a nice rustic bamboo dhaba. We’ve got home-made food packed from Delhi and luckily we spot an empty dhaba with chairs and a glorious view of the green grasslands. We give the food to the driver as well and he is pleased with our carefree behaviour. I thank him for being kind! We are overjoyed with the home-cooked simple food and realise that however exotic travel in the northeast is, we still can miss home food.

The dhaba owner comes and gives us a bottle of chilled beer. It is a priceless experience. We resume our drive to Sonari; the scenery is stunning with green grasslands and sunset colours at 430 pm. I try checking some homestays just before reaching Sonari town but it is more practical to stay on the road leading to Mon in Nagaland. We are dropped bang in the centre of Sonari Market; the taxi guy tells us that he has to rush back to Dibrugarh. Sonari market has an eerie feel omnipresent in border towns; there are policemen roaming on the road.

The market is sizeable and all the products are available in Sonari; vegetables and greens are available in plenty. It seems like most of the locals from Mon district in Nagaland come to Sonari to shop for all essential commodities. I ask around for a nice and respectable hotel in Sonari, preferably on the road to Mon so that there is no trouble with the early morning shared taxi. We walk on the road to Mon and there is water filled in potholes in the dirty town of Sonari. We find one hotel and there’s a huge room for 4 of us and it also has an air conditioner. This is the advantage of reaching a place in daylight; the same hotel would have costed us a lot more if it was dark.

We figure its easier and more entertaining with all 4 of us in one room and settle for it for INR 1500. The entire building is very damp with the constant rain and we keep the room open to air it out. There are sufficient charging points and I am told that the Mon shared taxi booking counter is nearby. We step out just as its about to get dark; with the aim of finding some light dinner and also to check if there’s a Nagaland ILP office in Sonari town.

There are battery rickshaws in Sonari that charge us 10 INR per person and drop us in the main market. We come across a nice looking hotel in the market – since it is already night and the rooms are available we are quoted a final price of INR 1100 per double room for the supremely comfortable business class rooms. We are a bit disappointed to not check this place but anyway since the pre-requisite of staying on the road to Mon were clear, can’t do much about it.

We ask for a chowmein and are delighted with the preparation; the prices are very reasonable as well. After finishing dinner, we walk back to the hotel and notice the signboard with funny rules! The shared sumo taxi stand is quite close to where we are staying and the guy there informs us that a sumo for Mon will ply at about 6 am. We will have to take another shared sumo from Mon to Longwa. We try to book the front 2 and back 2 seats but there’s just a tree and a stool_chair which is the booking office and it hardly inspires any confidence. He just tells us to come early in the morning.

The distance from Sonari to Mon is some 50 kms but the price of the shared sumo is an astronomical INR 250/300 per seat! ‘Welcome to travel in the northeast’, I say to my travel companions. High transportation costs are one of the biggest reasons that the northeastern states have not been explored well by travellers. I take down his phone number and tell him that we will be there next morning.

We go back to the hotel and relax; there are funny conversations about how well the day has gone! Thankfully, Sonari has excellent mobile internet connectivity and that means we are all on our phones. The issue of ILP for entering Nagaland has still not been sorted out and even though it appears that we are already on a never-ending journey; the truth remains that we are still in Assam. The difficult and troublesome part of the journey is yet to begin.

Since I don’t want this to become an unbearably long post, I shall be continuing the narrative of the journey in a separate post.

Imagine our fright to go to the sumo stand early in the morning and be told that the shared sumo to Mon has already left! Would we be allowed inside Mon district, Nagaland without an Inner Line Permit? As we are nearing the border in Nagaland, there are locals in Assam who ask us to stop and eat while we can. They say,’There is no food in Nagaland’; as a reference to the pre-dominantly non-vegetarian culture that is commonly thought of by the outsiders.

It will be fun to write the next chapter of this …

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We thanked the gentleman in Nyoma, paid more than we he asked for and started walking towards the main road at around 9 am. It felt nice to walk in the sun but waiting in the shade turned out to be a difficult task. A lot of people started gathering at the two shops on the main road; and almost everyone was waiting for the bus. The locals informed us that the bus to Leh will come after 1030 am. We almost got confused whether we should head back to Leh and skip the idea of Chumathang.

Sometimes, when you don’t have fixed plans the choice of options can prove to be a daunting challenge.

Thankfully, the predicament never came to pass and we get a ride in a sumo headed to Chumathang. The scenery is surreal and the Indus river to the left is entirely frozen. It is surprising that even after spending a good amount of time in offbeat lands across Ladakh on this trip; we are in awe of the stark barren landscape near Mahe Bridge as we neared Chumathang. I am fascinated to come across a Losar ritual of the Changpa nomads, they have their rebo tents near the road. The biggest festival for the Ladakhis – Losar (Ladakhi new year) is round the corner and all of Ladakh is gearing up to celebrate Losar.

The sumo makes a few stops to drop a few locals and pick up some passengers too. It turned out to be a sort of shared taxi and we figured that we would also pay money after reaching Chumathang. We are dropped at the tiny market of Chumathang on the road at about 1230 pm and I begin my search for Zotpa Uncle at Lamying Restaurant and General Store and the aunty.

They were at the restaurant itself and aunty immediately recognised me from my furry hat. I reminded her that I had come there in July and fondly recollected those moments. We discuss the price for the room and ask her if the room would be warm or not? Uncle tells us that the homestay room is exceptionally warm and that there is running hot water in the bathroom. It felt too good to be true and we agreed to pay 1200 Rupees including all meals. It is amazing when a few more locals from Chumathang come by and recognise me from my hat!

We put our bags in the room and quickly go to the glass restaurant for lunch. Aunty makes delicious food and we enjoy a welcome relaxed time! Apparently, there is no electricity in Chumathang and the abundant sunshine will disappear across the hill at about 230 pm. I am keen on having a hot water bath (the previous opportunity was almost a week or so ago in Panamik) and locals direct us to the hot water spring bath in Chumathang. The common rooms are located on a side of the frozen Indus river and there is a big pipe coming directly from the hot water springs.

It turns out to be an ok-ok experience with the hot water as the flow of the water is not consistent and I end up having a short bath. I figure the bath is best had in our own bathroom that is with the room. The family switches on the generator and it results in an epic time to see running water coming out from a tap after what feels like an eternity. Uncle also shows us how to set the heating temperature inside the room and we are ecstatic to realise that this sort of central heating would cost more than 5000 Rupees in a hotel in Leh.

I was overjoyed to be able to experience this indigenous system of local heating using the natural geothermal energy and the thought of a relaxing evening felt so inviting!

We head to a wooden bridge across the Indus River that led to homes in Chumathang village. A new bridge had also been constructed and it seemed like locals hardly used the old wooden bridge in Chumathang. It was surrounded by prayer flags and with the frozen Indus river beneath us felt like the perfect setting. The sun had already gone for the day and even though it was nice and bright, the breeze that blew was so cold that I thought my fingers would come off!

The bridge made a creaking sound when we walked and it was fun to click pictures, make a short video and just sit on the bridge and observe the patterns of the Indus river. The houses of Chumathang village are visible and the sunlight is falling directly on a small monastery located nearby on a hillock. As it got colder after the clock crossed 4 pm, we decided to call it a day in terms of adventure and headed back to the homestay.

Link : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VZqpvj4HCw

The bed was super comfortable and the sheets and blankets were super clean. The room was already warm and we lie down and reflected on what an epic winter trip this had been! It felt unbelievable that the natural hot water spring was being put to good use! There were still 3 days for our return flight from Leh to Delhi and we were also looking forward to witnessing the Losar Celebrations in Leh.

We opted for an early dinner at 7 pm and as usual aunty made delicious food. There was dall, aloo-gobhi, chapati and rice and I made it a point to eat as if it was a feast! Even the restaurant was heated with pipes running through the corners. There were a few cats roaming around the area; they were home cats of aunty and uncle! We chatted with uncle for a while and thanked him for letting us stay. He also mentioned that he was constructing a new building that would serve as a hotel in Chumathang.

We went back to the room and were super surprised to see it was quite warm. I am chuckling as I write this but I change into a tee-shirt and shorts. We felt that we deserved every bit of luxury that was on offer!

A million stars shined in Chumathang in the night when the generator was switched off. The temperature close to the frozen Indus river would have easily crossed -30 degree celsius that night.

We snored happily.

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It is 25th December and we are overjoyed to wake up to a white morning in Durbuk. We have a quick breakfast at the homestay and take their leave.

We stand on the road in Durbuk waiting for a ride. Our plan for the day is flexible and we are keen on making it either to Maan or Merak village located on the banks of Pangong Tso. An army truck gives us a 9km ride and leaves us at a crossroads outside Tangtse. The roads are all snowed out and bifurcate for Tangtse town and another one goes to Erath.

The only traffic is by way of Army trucks mostly going by a green bridge which was a Army Camp. After waiting for about 30 minutes, we still don’t have a ride. I walk to the side of a building and pee in the white snow. We decide to just walk to Tangtse market to have a better chance of getting a ride ahead to Pangong Tso and end up getting a ride in a Mahindra Thar owned by a bakery guy.

At Tangtse, in no time we meet a camper guy who is going to Lukung village. He informed us that he will leave in around 30 minutes. We roam around Tangtse market in the snow, click pictures of the daily life, buy some candies and chat with one lama ji. We start from Tangtse towards Lukung and cross the Shachukul Monastery on a cliff.

The landscape is totally white from the fresh snowfall and there are footprints of many kinds of animals. The camper guy tells us he saw 2 foxes on his way to Tangtse just one day earlier. There is also some sand on the road and is is surreal to see white sand and snow together!

Just before reaching Lukung, we have the first sight of the dark blue waters of Pangong Tso which is not yet frozen. The camper guy takes us to Spangmik and there we meet Padma aunty and the little kid. I have stayed earlier with them and show Padma aunty the kid’s photograph from the 2015 winter trip to Ladakh. The waters of Pangong Tso look as stunning as ever; in a darker shade of blue with no moisture or cloud cover around.

It is only around 2 pm and since our plan is to head directly to Changthang after crossing Pangong Tso and Chushul; we ask the Camper guy is he can drop us to Merak village and offer to pay 500 Rupees. He has some other work in Merak as well and agrees! We are excited like little kids! My friend Jai has given us some photographs to be given to the homestay family in Merak.

Just after crossing Spangmik, the road disappears and only sand and snow sheets are visible; the landscape looks unreal. The distance between Spangmik and Maan, Merak village is 10+10 kms. We drive on frozen streams and it feels like a grand adventure! We don’t encounter any other vehicle on the route. At one point, the road ascends high above the lake and the colours of Pangong Tso look like a painting!

As we drive farther, we spot frozen water on the banks of Pangong Tso. One of the frozen water area is big and kids are skating on it! There are multi-coloured mountains in the nearby vicinity and recent snowfall is visible on them. We cross the prettily located Maan village, with 20 odd homes and 1-2 fancy resorts with dome yurt-like tents. We continue and reach Merak village and ask for the Amchi’s homestay.

We are in for a rude shock with the cold wind. The Amchi Homestay is closed as there is nobody there. The next house is Amchi brother’s homestay and he agrees to host us. There is fancy bollywood music playing and 3 very cute kids studying in the kitchen and hall of the homestay. We are served tea and make ourselves warm in the kitchen.

They ask us if we have eaten lunch and we tell them we haven’t! So lunch is served and is very tasty. Rice with vegetable curry of potatoes and carrots.

It is only 3 pm and the sun is shining brightly outside. We go out for a walk in the village and notice the scattered houses of Merak interspersed with the dried yellow fields. It is a very pretty village with a beach kind of feel and the ethereal colours of Pangong Tso. The wind blows very fiercely even though the sun is shining brightly. It is unbearably cold.

We were recommended to climb a nearby hillock in Merak village for a vantage view point of Pangong Tso. The freezing wind ensures that we are content with the current view of the blue waters of Pangong Tso and decide to just return to the homestay.

The warmth in the home is quite welcome and we sit with the family and kids. They are a mischievous bunch and are playing and making faces! Someone shows us that they burn dried dung in the bukhari tandoor. The tandoor is different in Changthang than the other parts of Ladakh as there is no burner attached to the Tandoor. Its purpose is clear as a source of providing heat and making the home warm.

We share the photographs given by Jai to a lady. The family announces that a Ladakhi dish chutagi is going to be made for dinner. We are happy and play with the kids upon this information. The preparations for cooking chutagi begin and we are surprised to see that almost all the other stuff is packaged. The mushroom is from somewhere, the flour is from Jammu and the paneer is packaged too.

In past winter trips, I had seen families keeping vegetables dug in the ground to be used later but not it seemed like packaged stuff had taken precedence over everything. The chutagi is ready and turns out to be barely edible; maybe it is because of the altitude but it feels a little uncooked.

Some village official is coming for a visit on the next day and the ladies of the house show us a perak! One of the ladies is in the welcoming party and she does a trial of the costume she is going to wear.

It is only about 8 pm in the night; we sit with the family and share conversations. They show us to a warm room and we jump in bed with a multitude of heavy blankets. They light up a bukhari in the room to make it warm; in hardly 15 minutes the pipe of the bukhari comes off and the room is filled with smoke. Thankfully, we hadn’t slept yet and no one is hurt.

We are shifted to a different room; it is bigger than the earlier room but is a lot colder. There is no direct sunlight that reaches this room and therefore it is freezing even after an hour of us snuggling into the heavy blankets. We have a disturbed sleep and even breathing under the heavy blankets feels difficult.

When we go to pee in the nearby washroom in the night, the millions of stars are a sight I have never seen before. The colours of the milky way are dazzling!

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For the earlier part of this story check – Winter in Ladakh : Revisiting Turtuk from Leh

While we are having breakfast, the solitary bus of the day to Sasoma leaves without us and we are left waiting for a ride. Our plan is to take a day trip to the end of the road near Warshi and possibly see the monastery at Stongstet.

We sit on the main road and are delighted when the sky looks like its going to clear up. It feels very cold and is pure luck when an army truck gives us a ride at around 1130 am. It is the start of very informative and enlightening discussions with the army troops about Siachen Base Camp and O P Baba Mandir.

They tell us that there are 3 levels of Siachen Glacier Posts and how difficult life there is for a 3-4 month posting. They drop us 2 kms before Sasoma check post even though they are going ahead too. Apparently the army truck guys are not allowed to give civilians a ride and they don’t want to get into trouble especially because Sasoma is one of the farthest check posts.

We thank them and start walking towards the check post. Nubra / Siachen river is flowing on the left side and there is fine white sand on the road. The weather is quite bad and a sandstorm seems to be brewing with very cold wind blowing! There is fresh snow and clouds hovering on the nearby mountain-tops.

This area also leads to the Old Silk Route track that was the trade route to Yarkand and Khotan. I am fascinated to say the least when I spot a signboard with directions for Saser La. The road to Saser La / Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) and the farthest we can go towards Karakoram Pass is restricted to civilians.

There is a solitary chai shop at Sasoma and we can see a bridge that connects to the villages on the other side before Sasoma Check Post. The bridge is called Kobet bridge. As expected, we are denied entry at the check post and no reason is given. The return bus from Sasoma is scheduled at 2 pm. Thankfully, we are just in time and are the only 2 passengers to board the bus.

Even though I am very keen on visiting Ensa Gompa, the locals inform us that there is no certainty of a vehicle and in a practical decision we feel it is better to leave it for another time.

Ensa village and Ensa Gompa are on the left of the bridge. I had been fascinated reading names like Barma village, Yarma Gompa, Aranu, and the likes. We could also have seen the confluence of Shyok and Nubra Rivers on the way to Yarma Gompa close to Hargam Bridge.

When the bus starts, I am able to spot the stunningly located Ensa Gompa on the other side of Hargam Bridge. 2 young kids climb into the bus and get down in some time. We decide to get down in Panamik at one dhaba where the bus stopped. The dhaba looked like a dull place and had only dall and rice for lunch. It didn’t look very appealing and we decide to not eat anything here.

Panamik is also home to the hot springs and we make the gentle climb. We had carried our towels with us in the preparation for a bath. On the climb, we notice the stream flowing down with vapours and conclude that the hot water springs are up and running. The distance between Panamik to Sumur was hardly 20 kms.

The Tourist Complex of Panamik Hot Springs is locked and closed. There are 2 rooms in an open space and they are both occupied by local women washing clothes. There is also a young guy waiting outside. We wait for a while and after some time request them to empty one of the rooms. Our tentative question is answered itself when a young guy also emerges from one of the rooms!

It is a memorable time in the hot water spring room. It is a small room with barely any light but there is a pipe of hot water and that is all that is required in the cold winter of Ladakh. It is an art to undress ourselves from the multi-layers of clothing that we are currently wearing. We scrub ourselves clean and thoroughly enjoy the feel of the hot water on the skin. Its been 8 days since we have last had a bath and it was before boarding the flight to Leh.

We hurriedly wear our clothes and make sure to dry our hair before stepping out of the room. There are only two dogs outside and we close the door and walk to the main road. We eat the dry apricots and giri almonds that we have carried from Turtuk and wait for a ride back to Sumur. It is around 330 pm.

We are given a ride by the flag hoisting guys who are also staying at the same homestay as ours in Sumur. They are 2 guys, one from Rajasthan and the other one from Himachal Pradesh. They are on duty here for a private company and have been entrusted the responsibility of hoisting the Indian Tricolour at Siachen Base Camp. Thanks to them we are back to Sumur in quick time and there is still plenty of daylight left.

We walk to Samstenling Gompa located on a high hillock near Sumur (around 3 kms) and feel the vibrations of the evening prayer. The lamas are offering prayers at the monastery and it is a serene and spiritual moment. The weather changes in the evening and we get lucky when Rigzen drops us at the homestay as he is also heading the same way.

We are overjoyed with the comforts of the homestay upon returning. It was one of the biggest reasons we stayed here for another day to rest and relax and prepare us for the next leg of our journey in difficult parts of Changthang.

The flag hoisting guys have told us that they are leaving the next day and will be going to Leh. They have offered us a ride back to Leh. We tell them to drop us at the diversion at Agyam. It is a memorable last evening in Sumur. Dinner is a grand affair of aloo capsicum, dall and rotis at the Gyal Restaurant dhaba. We eat heartily and thank the guy responsible – Mingma for the excellent food!

We come back to the warmth of the room and our cozy bed with a super fluffy quilt. Tomorrow is just going to be the start of another leg of adventures to continue our journey in the cold winter of Ladakh!

We apply the apricot oil procured from a local in the morning as a moisturiser. Sleep comes easily.

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Distance from Delhi to Karsog via Shimla route – Approx 430 Kms

Distance from Delhi to Karsog via Sundernagar route – Approx 500 Kms

I had spotted a Delhi to Karsog direct bus once but the timing of the same turned out to be quite odd. We end up booking the HRTC 830 pm Delhi to Shimla bus that is supposed to reach Shimla at around 6 am; which should be perfect for the 3-4 hour time that it takes to reach Karsog from Shimla. I have always preferred reaching a place at 10-11 am in the morning than at 5-6 pm in the evening. 

I had been intrigued by a tiny town called Chindi (2000m) which comes 7 km before Karsog. Chindi is located at a higher altitude than Karsog and has rolling hills, ancient temples with spectacular views and an old PWD Rest House. 

My fascination with Chindi-Karsog began 3 years ago while coming back from Spiti Valley in winter. I was staying at a small lodge in Sundernagar and the knowledgeable lodge owner had introduced to me details of the temple belt of the ancient Suket Kingdom of Himachal Pradesh.

Starting from Sundernagar to Karsog, he mentioned about age old temples with mythological stories. I was hooked to the tales of yore but also knew that since most of the temples mentioned were not on the main road, I had little chance of visiting them all on one trip, unless I rented a car (which I never do). It would also be possible to visit these temples if I was prepared to rough it out for a week or two! 

We decided to not think and sat in the bus to Shimla with a flexible plan to head somewhere else if the buses to Karsog or Chindi were unavailable or had unsuitable timings. I had seen some pictures of the PWD Rest House in Chindi and was keen on staying there since Karsog was a much bigger town and was located in a valley at a lower altitude (1200m). 

We reached Shimla early at around 530 am and as soon as we reached someone shouted that the bus to Karsog is already ready to leave! We rushed towards it to try and catch the few remaining seats on it! Thankfully, there was ample space and we got on the front seats just behind the driver. 

The road after Shimla is scenic and we cross apricot, peach blossoms, and cherry blossoms that are visible intermittently. There is slight chill in the air in Shimla and the weather is clear. The bus stops for breakfast at a place called Tattapani which is located near a bridge full of natural sulphur hot springs. 

I take the opportunity to use the clean loo of the restaurant-dhaba. It is in a big square compound where 2-3 roads bifurcate for different places. Breakfast comprises of paranthas and chai. The locals tell us that Tattapani is popular as a pilgrimage site and also for hot water springs for curing many skin and body ailments. The breeze is cool as the sun is not up yet at around 8 am. It is a 30 minute break and we resume our ride at 830 am. 

The road starts ascending towards Chindi which is around 50 odd kilometres away. The bus is slow and we have a chance to gaze longingly at the beautiful valleys and views on the way. At around 1030 am, we inform the bus driver and conductor to drop us at the PWD Rest House Chindi itself. A quick search on google maps has made us aware that the rest house is on the way to Karsog and will save us valuable time. 

Even though it is a weekend, we want to try our luck and check with the caretaker of the PWD Rest House about the possibility of a stay. I haven’t done any research on homestays or guest houses but am confident of finding a nice and reasonably cheap place for staying. We walk into the PWD Rest House complex in Chindi; the outdoor space is huge and the open air sit-outs are very pretty! 

The caretaker is sitting with one of his friends and they are soaking in the sunshine. We try and make small conversation with him and tell him that we are from Rajasthan. The friend responds happily and urges the caretaker to give us a room (the mention of Rajasthan has almost always worked in the past, everywhere)! We keep our bags in the sit-out and happily roam around soaking in the sunshine. A nice breeze blows in Chindi and the rest house is located at a vantage point on a high hill. 

The PWD Rest House is a beautiful big building that was originally made in 1920-30s and has been recently renovated. After a bit of back and forth, the caretaker’s friend is able to coax him to finally give us a room. We have lots of conversations about far off places in Himachal; like Lahaul, Spiti, Chamba and the remote regions of Kullu Valley. Maybe that was instrumental in clinching the deal in our favour. 

He informed us that the room would cost INR 500 per day and that the meals (breakfast/lunch/dinner) would of course be extra. We requested him to give us a room for 2 days; he sort of verbally confirmed and showed us a corner room in the main building but it still had to be cleaned. It also had a faint smell of the paint job that had recently been done. The caretaker told us that the room would be ready in an hour or two. 

We told him that we were anyway going to go to Karsog and will come back by evening, so we just needed to use the washroom for the moment. He guided us to the common washroom area near the dining hall. That was when we came across the prettiest part of the PWD Rest House! 

There was a huge maple tree growing on a platform and beneath it were kept 4 pretty wooden chairs and a table, painted in a pleasing light blue. The leaves of the maple tree were shining in a fresh shade of green and it felt like a fairytale setting with the sun shining on the leaves. We asked for tea and were served biscuits to go with it.

We asked the caretaker, Khem Chand Thakur about the temples in Karsog and Chindi; the directions for the same and the suggested order. I took his number and requested him to make dinner for us at the rest house itself. He said that our bags will be kept inside the room when it is ready and we need not worry about anything. We thanked him and his friend and started walking towards the nearby temple in Chindi.

We were a bit hungry but decided not to wait any longer at the rest house and continue roaming around. As soon as we started walking, we came across the nice looking HPTDC Mamleshwar, the commercially run HPTDC Hotel property in Karsog-Chindi. Even with the off season discount, the minimum price for a room there would be around INR 1500. It could have been a good place to stay in the worst case scenario of us not finding a likeable place to stay. 

We continue walking and come across the signboard for Chindi Village. It is a small village with houses scattered on both sides of the road. A beautiful old wooden temple is visible to the left, and has a circular pond to its right. Another temple sort of structure is located opposite to the Chindi Mata Mandir which we later learn is the temple bandar (storage or treasury). The circular water pond in front of the main temple has been fenced off. 

The Chindi Mata Temple was closed but the Pandit Ji’s home was nearby and he was kind enough to open it for us to have the darshan. It was around 1230 pm and the sun was at its peak, surprisingly we felt quite hot in the direct sunshine and chose to sit in the shade for some time and listened to the Pandit Ji’s stories. He also told us that the timing for aarti in the evening. 

We were famished at this point and really wanted to have a proper tasty lunch. So we started walking towards Karsog and asked the people we met along the way for a recommended dhaba. A common consensus emerged, everyone recommended a dhaba adjacent to a Petrol Pump before reaching Karsog! Luckily, we got a lift in a car going in the same direction. The car gentleman also confirmed that the dhaba in discussion was indeed the best in Karsog and he dropped us there itself. 

We got down full of excitement and told the dhaba guy that we had come from quite far to eat the food and that we were very hungry! The dhaba had cabins set up in a closed space and a solitary table was also kept in an open space. We were asked for wait for 5 minutes and our food was served on the solitary table that was farthest from the petrol pump. 

We were served rajmah, vegetable curry, chapati, rice, onions and green chillies. Everything was super yummy and it made us very happy. I ate to my heart’s (or stomach’s) content and we felt very lazy after the lunch. We wondered once or twice if we should leave our plans for Karsog for tomorrow and just walk back to the PWD Rest House and rest. 

It is already around 3 pm and we stand on the road and when the bus to Karsog doesn’t come for a long time, we decide to go back to Chindi. It is anyway quite hot in the sun and we quickly get a ride. Someone had informed us about an ancient temple farther away from Chindi and drops us at the cut to the temple. We walk on the road since it is shaded with trees and feels nice. Our post-lunch laziness has disappeared and we are keen on wandering in these unknown areas.

Mahunag Temple (Mool Mahunag Temple near Chindi)

We get a ride in a car of an election campaigner. The views along the route are very pretty and we have a nice time. We somehow get back to the main road and catch a bus to reach the PWD Rest House in Chindi at 6 pm. It is a surreal show of stunning evening colours that we are welcomed to. I go mad clicking pictures of the colours in the spectacular setting of the wooden chairs with the greenery around us. We are lucky to have reached here at just the right time. 

History of Mahu Nag Temple : It was built in 1664 AD by Raja Shyam Sen in honour of Lord Karna. Lord Karna is the guardian deity of the region, and legend has it that the deity transforms into a ‘mahu’ (bee) and helps out the villagers when they require help!

It is sheer serendipity when caretaker uncle brings us 2 glasses of nicely made masala chai while we are gazing at the sunset. We are so stunned by the experience that we decide to enjoy the show fully the next day and come to the PWD Rest House by 5-515 pm. 

We are tired after all the walking around but caretaker bhaiya shows us the VIP rooms on the upper floor where Indira Gandhi and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had stayed earlier. The rooms looked quaint and gorgeous. We implored him to give us one of the VIP rooms, he laughs and tells us that they are only for Class – I Government servants, like IAS officers. We try and ensure that he continues the same room for us the next day as well! 

Our room is huge and the bathroom is equally spacious as well. It has been freshly painted so a bit of the paint smell is left. The caretaker confirms that dinner will be served in the dining room at 8 pm. The weather has become quite cold after the sun went down. We still have to keep the windows open to keep the paint smell from becoming overpowering in the room. 

Dinner is freshly made vegetables, a local spinach curry, dall, chapati and rice. We thank the caretaker for the dinner and confirm that we will have breakfast of paranthas and egg bhurji in the morning and only then leave for Karsog. It is quite cold in the night and we sleep like babies; clutching to the heavy blankets. 

Morning brings beautiful skies and bright sunshine along-with it. We sleep till late and ask for chai at 8 am. It is quite incredible to sit under the maple tree and enjoy the tea! We eat breakfast at around 9 am, it is delicious and we have our fill. The caretaker gives us some iffy news; he tells us some guests are expected and we may not be able to stay at the PWD Rest House for the night. We request him to help us, and he offers us the annexe room in case we have nothing available. 

The annexe is located 2 mins walk away from the main building. We decide to keep our bags at the PWD Rest House itself and rush to catch a bus to Karsog. The bus is very crowded and we reach Karsog bus stand in 20 mins. 

Our aim is to walk to Mamleshwar Mahadev Temple and the other easily accessible temples, if any. We walk around Karsog market and come across a shop selling morel mushrooms (gucchi) at around INR 5000 per kilo. 

Mamleshwar Mahadev Temple, Karsog

We walk to the temple close to Karsog market; it is beautifully constructed in wood and looks very old. It is closed when we reach but a signboard at the temple informs us that the temple will reopen for prayers and darshan at 1 pm. The temple opens and we are astonished to see the massive dhols hanging outside the main prayer hall. There’s another local family who were also waiting for the temple to reopen; they tell us that it is one of the most famous temples in entire Himachal Pradesh. 

The Pandit Ji shows us a big rice grain from Bheema’s time kept in a glass box. It is full of surprises and we walk around the courtyard marvelling at the old architecture. When we walk out of the temple premises, I spot a wide expanse of a green valley and we decide to walk through the fields. The green peas in the fields are ready for harvest and locals give us some peas whenever we walk in close vicinity. The peas are super sweet and we love them! We continue walking through the fields of wildflowers and come on the road after crossing a small bridge over a stream. 

Mamleshwar Mahadev temple is one of the most well known and important temples of Karsog valley. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva, and is a sacred place where Bhrigu Rishi meditated. The locals believe that the Pandavas constructed the outer part of the temple during their exile. There is a fire within the temple premises that keeps burning at all times.

After reaching the road, a local informs us that the road will lead us to another important temple and so we continue walking. To our right the full splendour of Karsog Valley is visible as the fields are glowing in a shade of green and the clouds are sweeping in. It is shaped like a circular valley and we are pleased to have chosen Chindi – Karsog as our destination. 

Also check : Life in a Secret Village : Near Great Himalayan National Park in Himachal Pradesh

It is quite hot and humid as we walk on the road in Karsog. There are no trees for shade but we continue walking in the sun. After a few minutes when we are told that the temple is still some 3-4 kms away, we decide to head to a stream visible from where we are. I am amazed to see some migrant workers from Rajasthan at a road construction site, dressed in colourful clothes. The stream looks a fair bit downhill but we are glad when locals show us the path from where we can walk and easily reach there. 

The path crosses some homes and we quickly reach a steel bridge located on the sizeable stream. A few ladies are washing clothes, youngsters are sitting and chatting and clicking selfies. We also find a shaded spot and sit there listening to the gurgling sound of the stream and enjoying the calmness that only nature can bring. The setting is lush green, and we spot a pretty house nearby to go and ask for tea later! 

After an hour or so of relaxing by the stream and taking short walks by the banks of the flowing water, we decide to go to the pretty-looking home and ask for tea! The house turns out to be locked and we continue walking to join a road in a small hamlet close to Karsog. We are super hungry as it is around 3 pm now and jump in joy to see a school bus headed to Karsog. The bus guys are kind enough to let us on board and drop us in the market. 

Karsog market is crowded and crazy and seems very polluted with a number of vehicles on the road. We amble around the market and try to find a nice eatery but with the paucity of time and the urgency of reaching the PWD Rest House in Chindi (remember our room hasn’t been confirmed yet) ensures we are only able to have an omelette. My tummy grumbles after giving in to temptation at a cake shop! 

We walk to Karsog bus stand and get inside a bus headed to Chindi. It is a private bus and is taking forever to start. We get bored and decide to walk and hitch a ride to Chindi; after all it is only 8 kms away. We get a ride in a car thats going till the petrol pump only. Funnily so much time has been wasted in waiting and walking that the bus we had left at the bus stand comes and we are left to scramble for standing space on it! 

We laugh at ourselves and the funny adventures(mis) that the road brings! And that is also another reason why we travel, so that we can laugh at ourselves and realise the fun in these little things. 

After reaching the PWD Rest House, the caretaker informs us that our bags have been shifted to the annexe and that the rooms are all booked. We are a bit uncertain now about what to do as it is already 5 pm. We walk to the annexe to check it out. The building looks beautiful from outside but inside is a broken glass window with a strong smell of paint. We decide to take our backpacks and look for a room at HPTDC Mamleshwar, but the caretaker is a kind man and asks us to shift to our earlier room. 

Read : Himachal’s Newest Offbeat Secret : Thachi Valley

He tells us that 2 rooms have anyway been booked by a bunch of guys who are probably going to just get drunk, so he will give them one room with extra beds. We are extremely pleased and thank him! 

We ask for tea, sit in the garden and enjoy the full sunset experience. We intend to make the most of our last evening here since we are supposed to leave for Delhi the next day. The caretaker tells us that its better that we have dinner early since he will be busy later. We wonder for a while if we want to have dinner at HPTDC Mamleshwar but decide to eat at the PWD Rest House only.  

The sunset show is extravagant today and we can’t believe our eyes with the number of colours in the sky. After the early dinner that is excellent, we take a walk on the road and go to HPTDC Mamleshwar but come back from the entrance gate. A gentle breeze is blowing in Chindi and since we have had a long day, we decide to sit and relax in the outdoors. 

The boys adjacent to the room in ours have broken a glass. We take it as a cue to go to our room and snuggle in bed as it gets colder. We chill and read and watch a movie and go to sleep. There is a big spider in the bathroom and that ensures our visits are less frequent! 

We wake up nicely relaxed and quite late next day. It is a cloudless morning and the sun feels very hot when we have tea at our stunning table under the maple tree. The natural setting also means we practise yoga in the open lawns under the trees in the shade. We have booked a bus to Delhi from Sundernagar and intend to leave from Chindi at around 12 noon. 

Caretaker uncle has realised our fondness for paranthas and serves us aloo paranthas, and egg bhurji for breakfast. He also serves some home made pickle and another round of tea after we are done eating. We go for another short walk in the woods nearby and return in an hour. It is time to go for a bath and get ready to leave. 

The caretaker has already made our account and charged us very reasonably for the food. We pay the required amount and a tip for his help. Before leaving, we sit for a while on the chairs under the maple tree which along with the sunset remains our best memory of the trip to Karsog and Chindi. 

We get a bus as soon as we step outside. It drops us to the point where the road bifurcates for Sundernagar route through Rohanda. Here one road goes to Shimla and the other to Pangna, Sundernagar. After 15-20 minutes of waiting, the bus to Sundernagar finally comes. We count ourselves lucky that there are ample vacant seats in the bus.    

The road is pretty with stunning scenery on view. I spot a number of homestays on this road; perhaps because there are numerous temples around and a steady stream of religious tourists. The bus stops at Rohanda for snacks, so I take the opportunity to walk on the trail to Kamrunag temple and find more details about the stay etc. 

We reach Sundernagar at around 440 pm and a chance conversation about local food with a gentleman in the bus means we know exactly where to have our early dinner in Sundernagar! Our bus from Sundernagar to Delhi is scheduled to leave at 630 pm, so we first enquire at the bus stand about the same and are told the exact spot where we should stand when it is time. 

The Mandyali Dham restaurant dhaba is hardly 5 minutes walk from the Sundernagar bus stand. There are 8-10 tables and it appears like a neat and clean place. The timing of 5 pm is a little uncharacteristic for dinner and the entire place is empty! The owner is a Rajput and welcomes us to sit. 

We order 2 thalis and are told that they cost Rs. 120 per person. 4-5 dishes are served in a large sized thali along with rice and ghee. The food is really tasty and we ask for second helpings of some of the dishes. The Rajput owner tells us about the dishes and also informs us that there are other places in Sundernagar and Mandi that serve Mandyali dham at cheaper prices but their food is not top quality.

We confirm to him that the food is indeed top notch and thank him for serving a taste of tradition to hungry outsiders! We sit and while away some time under the fan in the restaurant itself. It is quite hot and dusty at the bus stand in Sundernagar. We only go to the bus stand at around 615 and the bus comes on time. 

Perhaps we shall return to Karsog and Chindi again in August someday when the rains are bountiful, the green valley is surrounded by clouds and the orchards are laden with apples! 

We were unable to visit the other prominent temples in and around Karsog like Kamakshya Mata Temple, Ardhnarishwara Temple and others for various reasons. Maybe that will be another reason to return to this region someday in the future!

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We left from Jaipur late in the afternoon after a heavy lunch. The drive was smooth on the NH-8 in the beginning as the road to Sambhar diverts from the Delhi-Ajmer highway near Bichoon. The road condition was bad hereafter and there were a lot of potholes on the road. The landscape was rustic though and we could spot colourful turbans every few kilometres. We reached Sambhar town soon after and quickly made our way to Devyani Temple.

Sambhar town appeared to be steeped in antiquity and some of the buildings looked fairly old. Nitish had already made arrangements with the Pujari family for our stay in the premises of Shakambari Devi Temple that was at a distance of 20 kms from Sambhar Town. So, we had decided to check out Sambhar town and find the flamingoes near the water sources or salt pans.

I have made another trip to Sambhar (during the Covid times) recently and that has prompted me to write this post. It was a family trip and our first long drive in over 4 months! We left during the day and came back to Jaipur after watching a serene sunset over Sambhar Lake.

A Travel Guide to Sambhar Lake

Devyani Temple & Kund

Devyani Temple is one of the many temples in Sambhar Town and the entire lane boasted of other temples as well. The doors leading to the temples were very pretty as well. As we entered the temple, it led to a water pond (Devyani Kund) on which ghats were built and the entire pond (kund) was surrounded by temples dedicated to different deities. The main temple is dedicated to Ganga. The Kund and temples were also referred to as Chota Pushkar and is a revered site for locals from near and far.

Sambhar was the residing place of Saint Shukracharya. The marriage of Devyani, daughter of Saint Shukracharya and King Yayati was held here and Devyani temple was established.

Jageshwar Temple, Sambhar

On the sides of Devyani Kund, four ancient Shiva temples are established and one of them is Baba Jageshwar temple. According to local folklore the lingam at this temple is very ancient and no one has been able to know its actual depth. One local with us remarked that it was dug 80 feet but the Shivling remained without a crack. I was lucky to attend the evening aarti at this temple and was mesmerised with the sounds and chanting.

We also spotted an old tomb and Mosque while driving to Devyani temple. I couldn’t find any information about the same though. Internet research reveals that Muslim salt traders from Sambhar were active in salt trade and may have built the mosque.

Introduction of Sambhar Lake

Sambhar Lake lies at a distance of 80 km from Jaipur and 320 kms from Delhi. Sambhar Lake is India’s largest inland salt lake and is spread over 90 Sq Kms. The lake touches three districts of Rajasthan – Jaipur, Ajmer and Nagaur. Sambhar is a part of 200 square kilometers area that is a mix of desert soil and salt giving it an exotic white look. Contrary to the name, Sambhar Lake is not a lake but has little water, and is actually a saline wetland.

Sambhar Lake produces 196,000 tonnes of salt annually, which is around 9% of India’s salt production. The infrastructure at Sambhar Lake includes heritage buildings; cenotaphs and temples, and colonial establishments like the old salt museum, salt train and the Circuit House.

The circumference of Sambhar lake is 95 km, and it is surrounded by Aravali Hills on all sides. Sambhar lake basin is divided by a 5-6 km long dam. After the saltwater reaches a certain concentration, it is released by lifting the dam gates and salt is derived from the salt evaporation ponds after the water dries up.

Sambhar Lake’s beauty and vastness is best explored on a full moon night when a walk on it feels like a never ending land of silver. The night sky from the chhatri (cenotaph) near Maa Shakambari Devi Temple is incredible. In the recent past, Sambhar Lake has been the setting for the shooting of many Bollywood movies; like PK, Super 30, Delhi-6, Highway.

Click to view slideshow.

Road to Shakambari Temple passes through Jhapok and Pipla ki Dhani and Korsina Villages.

Sambhar Lake was in the news for the wrong reasons in November 2019 as approx. 20000 migratory birds were found dead in the lake. The water was subsequently cleaned and the issue of botulism was solved.

History and Legend of Sambhar Lake

Sambhar Lake is steeped in antiquity and even finds a mention in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. History states that the lake was part of the kingdom ruled by the demon king ‘Brishparva’. According to a Hindu legend and local beliefs, the protector goddess of the Chauhan Rajputs (Of Prithviraj Chauhan fame) – Maa Shakambari Devi, converted the forested region into a vast plain of precious jewels. People around the area got worried that this will result in permanent strife in the region and prayed to the Goddess to withdraw the boon.

Shakambari Devi relented and converted the area of jewels into a jewel of different kind, ‘salt lake’. Thus, Sambhar Salt Lake is said to have come into existence. A temple devoted to Maa Shakambari Devi is located on a rocky outcrop near Sambhar Lake. From the higher elevation on which it is situated, it appears as if the Goddess is guarding the lake. Shakambari Mata Temple is the venue for a popular religious fair in the month of August when people from the surrounding villages come to attend it.

Sambhar is the setting for an important event in Indian Mughal history – the wedding of Akbar and Jodha Bai took place at Sambhar Lake in 1562. Over a period of time, Sambhar Lake was controlled by the Scindhias, Marathas and Mughals. In 1709, the Rajput Kingdoms of Jaipur & Marwar regained control over it. The rulers of Jaipur and Jodhpur jointly owned the lake, and in the year 1870 Sambhar Lake was leased to the British.

According to some historical records, Sambhar town was founded in the 6th Century AD by Raja Vasudev of the Chauhan Kings.

Sunset and sunrise in Sambhar Lake are surreal and must be experienced for the feeling of calmness that they bring. There is also a Bhairav Temple in front of Shakambari Mata Temple. Locals worship the deity and make small homes with rocks in the open space, I couldn’t understand the reason for the same though.

Why is the water of Sambhar Lake salty?

Sambhar lake is part of an endorheic basin i.e. a closed drainage basin that has no outflow of water. When there is no outflow of water in a water body, all the salts that are received in the water body get accumulated and the water becomes more salty. Also, Sambhar is located in a dry region of Rajasthan in which summer temperatures get very high. Unlike water, salts don’t get evaporated and remain on the surface itself. All these reasons lead to increase in salt content of the lake and thats why the water of Sambhar Lake is salty.

History of Salt Ownership & Production of Sambhar Lake

The Mughals had appointed a governor who was in charge of the salt production at Sambhar Lake. However, things changed in 1709 when the joint armies of Jaipur & Marwar (Jodhpur) defeated the Nawab and took control of Sambhar Lake. Till 1949, Sambhar Lake remained in joint ownership of the Kingdoms of Jaipur and Jodhpur and they divided the revenue between them. The Government of Rajasthan took over the production of salt in Sambhar Lake in 1949.

The production of salt in Sambhar Lake is managed by the government-owned Sambhar Salts Ltd. (SSL) although a few private players are involved as well.

Sambhar Lake is Ecologically Important

Sambhar Lake has been designated as a Ramsar Site (recognized wetland of international importance) and is therefore ecologically important. The wetland is a breeding area for thousands of flamingoes and other migratory birds who come from as far as Siberia during the winters.

On a trip in late July, I was pleasantly surprised to spot a variety of birds in the waters of Sambhar Lake. Ducks were floating along-with few pink flamingoes. On two separate trips, I have spotted foxes, deer and nilgai roaming freely on the deserted stretch between Sambhar and Shakambari Devi Temple.

Bird lovers are also in for a treat here as Sambhar is a recommended place for bird watching. Flamingoes, storks, pelicans, sandpipers and ducks can be commonly seen. Sambhar Lake is the second largest breeding ground for flamingoes in India, after the Rann of Kutch. Dadu Dayal ki Chattri (Cenotaph) lies in the middle of Sambhar Lake where lots of pink flamingoes can be seen in the winter.

Banjaron ki Chhatriyan

Near Sambhar Lake Railway Station – Banjaron ki Chhatriyan looks like a grand monument especially in the evening light with the sun setting on the other side. I could not get much information about it although one local remarked that Emperor Akbar built the Banjaron ki Chhatriyan.

According to other locals, the Banjara tribe traded in salt procured from Sambhar lake and they exchanged it with carpets and dry fruits with traders from far off foreign countries. I am guessing it was also a part of the Old Silk Route Trade as Sambhar geographically lies on the route from Jaisalmer to Jaipur.

Development of Sambhar Lake by Rajasthan Tourism

The Rajasthan Tourism Department has put Sambhar Lake high on its list of development projects and plans to construct a Festival Ground, Cultural Centre, RTDC Hotel, Shopping Area in the region. There are also plans to lay down a separate line for a tourists in the form of a 4 bogey railway from Sambhar to Jhapok.

Cenotaph (Chhatri) near Shakambari Devi Temple

A Cenotaph accessed by a set of winding stairs built at a higher elevation than Shakambari Devi Temple is said to have been built by Mughal Emperor Jahangir in the 16th Century. It affords a 360 degree view of the entire surrounding landscape. It is a surreal sight to see the nothingness of the vast desert-like scenery; with water, salt and sand as far as the eyes can see.

Circuit House at Sambhar

Among the must visit attractions in Sambhar is the Circuit House standing witness to the town’s British history. It is the first Circuit House that the British built, in the year 1880 and is located in a peaceful, tranquil area of the town. It still has a lift operating through a pulley system to haul food and other items to the first floor (called-dumb waiter). There are 4 rooms in the original structure and its balcony offers a nice view of the town.

Click to view slideshow.

The Circuit House in Sambhar has recently taken over by a private firm. Many well known film personalities have stayed at Sambhar Circuit House after Bollywood found a liking to shooting in Sambhar. Amir Khan has stayed here as also has Hritik Roshan.

Salt Processing Plant & Salt Museum

The Salt Processing plant is a must visit to get acquainted with the process of salt extraction. Witnessing the salt carrying wagons and the narrow-gauge train is a memorable experience!

The Salt Museum is located near the Circuit House and it displays salt samples from all over India. It is housed in an old colonial building constructed by the British. Sambhar Salt Museum was closed when I visited. According to a local who showed me around, the structure in which the museum is located is more than 100 years old. There is also a map denoting ‘Sambhar Lake Water Sources’ built in front of the museum; albeit in a damaged condition.

Salt Train

While driving from Sambhar Town to Shakambari Devi Temple, we were lucky to spot the tiny narrow-gauge goods train passing on the banks of the lake carrying salt in its bogies. The engine was painted in a colourful blue and it felt like a toy train!

Naliasar

Naliasar is the site of archaeological excavations and is located at a distance of 4 kms from Sambhar. In an excavation conducted in Sambhar in 1934, a large number of terracotta figurines and stoneware were found. Most of these sculptures excavated from Sambhar are presently housed in the Albert Hall Museum at Jaipur.

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Mini Rann of Kutch?

Although I’ve never been to the Rann of Kutch; Sambhar’s landscape resembles the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat. The night sky in Sambhar is apt for astro photography and gazing at the stars is an enthralling experience. If one if able to procure the required permission for camping on the lake, then it is possible to explore the vast lake by taking a walk on the salt bed.

Sambhar Feeni

Also, Sambhar is famous for a sweet delicacy – ‘feeni’. It is so popular that there is a well known Sambhar Feeni Wala in Johari Bazaar, Jaipur! One can savour the delicacy in Sambhar at one of the many sweet shops in town.

Where to stay in Sambhar?

Basic rooms are available for INR 500-600 at Krishna Guest House near Sambhar Town Bus Stand. Better options may be available at Phulera, 6 kms away from Sambhar.

The Pujari family who live in the same premises as the Shakambari Devi Temple have also constructed 2-3 rooms and are happy to let travellers stay there with prior notice for a nominal fee.

How to reach Sambhar?

Jaipur and Kishangarh are the nearest airports to Sambhar, both are less than 100 kms away. The railway station at Sambhar has trains from Jaipur, Jodhpur and Nagaur. It is possible to see the salt mounds when one travels by train to Sambhar.

Sambhar is well connected by road and the roads are fairly ok. Rajasthan State Transport buses ply regularly to Sambhar and tourist cabs can be hired for a day trip to Sambhar from Jaipur.

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Cabs can be hired for local transportation and autos can be availed in Sambhar.

Distance between Sambhar and Shakambari Mata Temple is around 20 kms.

Also check : Samode Village : A Day Trip from Jaipur

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Our Delhi – Istanbul ticket was originally booked for 21 December on the 1050 am flight on a sale in May. As the day of departure came closer, we made a rough plan for exploring parts of Turkey we hadn’t been to in 2018; and Trabzon (located on the Black sea coast) is the first destination we decide to head to. Our return flight has been booked for 4 January 2020.

Also check : Istanbul – Top Backpacking Hacks for a Shoestring Budget

Indigo customer care guys are kind enough to change the date of our flight to 19th December at 0530 am (with no fee) because there is a change in the time of the original flight. Although there are multiple reasonably priced flight options (100-120 Turkish Lira) from Istanbul to Trabzon, we decide not to pre-book a flight. We have practical concerns – 1. New Istanbul Airport, so not sure about immigration times and the time required for connecting flight (from IST Airport or Sabiha Gokcen) in case the landing flight gets delayed. 2. Currency exchange rates at the airport are always the worst. 

So, we decide to take things as they come and give ourselves plenty of time as our revised flight is scheduled to arrive at 1030 am in Istanbul. It leaves us with the possibility of exchanging currency at a good rate in Istanbul and then taking an evening bus to Trabzon that would reach early morning the next day.

19 December 2019

Early (really early) morning flight from Delhi to Istanbul. On 18 December in Delhi, we have wandered in the Lajpat Nagar Afghan area and impulsively brought 2 kilo kinnows. The sunny weather suddenly turns cold and we decide to carry the oranges in our hand baggage to eat in the flight! Both of us pack light and carry 1 backpack and 1 daypack each. Carry Euros from Delhi @ 79.20 INR per Euro with bill.

Reach Delhi airport at 1-130 am. Indigo flight is on time and after pre-booking some alcohol, we lie down on the cosy chairs spread across T-3. Have got a tiffin packed with ajwain paranthas and potato sabji, bhujia and some dry pickle to eat in the flight / arrival in Istanbul (since it is a 7 hour flight). Eat a few oranges before boarding, get some curious looks at Delhi airport.

Sleep on the flight. Water served. No food as expected. Similar to a domestic flight, just longer. Wake up an hour or two before landing and feel hungry. Polish off my share of the paranthas, sabji and namkeen. Land at New Istanbul Airport, even before the scheduled time of 1000 am.

New Istanbul Airport

Huge airport, no queues at all. Number of gates for Turkish Airlines passengers and other airlines is just humongous. Very forward looking, airport has been planned for double the present traffic it seems. Immigration takes less than 1 minute. Funny incident – Out of habit we try to stand in a queue in a counter where there are already 4-5 members of a family standing. Get called by an officer at an empty immigration counter who tells us they have made the new airport so that we don’t have to stand in a queue!

I remark that our passports are stamped in lesser time than it takes one to pee! Search for drinking water. Forgot asking the Indigo guys to fill the bottles before leaving the aircraft. No free drinking water at Istanbul airport arrival. Browse through duty free section, good prices on some products. Use free airport wifi to check up on whatsapp and social media etc.

Clean washrooms as expected. Do the needful, freshen up and get prepared for a long day and then an 18 hour bus ride to Trabzon!

Exit airport and check foreign exchange prices at different bank offices. We have to exchange a minimal amount to enable us to buy+recharge the Istanbulkart and buy water before we exchange the bulk of our Euros in Sultanahmet/Aksaray. Ziraat Bank has least commission loss (5-6 %) among the banks at the airport – Euro to Turkish Lira official exchange at 6.56. For 20 Euros we got 126 Turkish Liras.

Pro tip : Notify your bank that you will be travelling; prior to departure. If you are travelling with sensitive documents, consider storing them digitally on secured devices. Almost all banks provide bank statements as password protected PDFs for this reason.

Havaist – 20 from New Istanbul Airport to Sultanahmet 

Buy IstanbulKart with the help of locals, use sign language since the man is from Gaziantep and can’t understand English. Thankful to him as he is really helpful and also helps us load 50 Turkish Lira on the Istanbulkart. Run to try and catch the 1130 am Havaist Bus to Sultanahmet (from Pillar 12 – Havaist IST-20 Bus), bus after every 30 minutes.

When we are asking for directions to Pillar number 12, one of the locals remarks that we can catch the 12 noon bus. We see its only 1127 am and know that we will be able to catch the 1130 bus if we are smart enough. Lucky that we get to the bus at 1129. The bus guy hands us our luggage tags after keeping our bags and the bus starts as soon as we sit. Happy to notice that there are 2 empty seats in the middle. Super comfortable. Istanbulkart swiped for 18 TL per person fare.

Barren scenery, pass through local markets. Takes around 60-70 minutes to reach Sultanahmet (100 minutes as per bus schedule). 3-4 stops on the route and passengers get down as per their requirement. We get down at the last stop in Sultanahmet, near Hagia Sophia. Give in to temptation and indulge in touristy delight of eating corn – very expensive at 5 TL!

We are very hungry and thirsty now that it is almost 1 pm. Sunny weather and nice chill in the air. First, a supermarket – 0.90 TL for 1.5 litre water bottle. So we buy 2 and fill our 1 litre bottles and drink our fill. Start walking to find an old food joint from the last visit in 2018. Find it and order a tomato and egg curry(15 TL) and a non-veg sub(6TL), like always the bread comes free with the egg curry.

Tasty food and enjoy the setting of sitting in the street watching the locals go by their daily life. Exchange a smoke with locals. Pleased to eat nicely and the tummy is full now. Also finish the food that we have carried from India. Now for the main task, currency exchange for 800 Euros and around 200 USD that we have decided to exchange into Turkish Lira. Keep walking past the Grand Bazaar in Sultanahmet, exchange at one crowded office.

1 Euro for 6.56 and 1 US$ Dollar for 5.90 when the official rate is 6.58 and 5.92 respectively on xe. All in all, our final exchange rate turns out to be 12.07 INR per Turkish Lira after calculating the INR to Euro to TL conversion. Funny moment at the exchange when our 6000 odd Turkish Lira are strewn across the floor when they slip out of our hands! No damage done as they are all safely collected. Very happy at the excellent exchange rate and minimal transaction loss.

Start our walk to Aksaray Metro as we want to head to the main Otogar (Bus station) of Istanbul at Esenler. Little disappointed seeing a signboard on the way, 6.59 TL for a Euro and 5.94 for US$. The exchange rates had just gone up and it might have created a minor 40 TL fictional loss for us! It is around 230 pm and we are pleased to have saved some time for a possible visit to a open air café.

We have already checked the timings for Istanbul-Trabzon buses on an online Turkish application (obilet) and know that the preferred 2+1 buses leave at 5 pm. (2+1 bus means there are 2 seats on one side and 1 seat on the other side, essentially meaning there is more space than a 2+2 bus which has an extra seat with the same space on the bus. There is hardly a difference of 5-10 TL (if any) in the bus fares for 2+1 and 2+2 buses so we always prefer the 2+1 buses, given a choice.)

Sit in the shade at a nice looking café beneath a tree full of autumn colours. Picturesque setting for Turk Kahvesi (Turkish coffee) + Antep Baklava (pistachio) for 25 TL. Little expensive but this is Istanbul and we are pleased with the fine quality of the baklava (the Turkish coffee is good everywhere!) Walk to Aksaray metro station and catch the metro to Kirazli, get down at Esenler Otogar and reach the bus station area.

Buses in Turkey

As we are getting out of the metro, a guy from one of the bus companies asks us where we want to go. We reply Trabzon and he takes us to the Kanberoglu bus office with a 2+1 bus leaving at 6 pm.

Check : Of Breakfasts and Mountains : Van, Turkey

It is currently 345 pm and 6 pm is too late for us, as it would mean us reaching Trabzon at around 11 am as it is around 17-18 hour ride. Camberoglu officials try to entice us by reducing the price from 160 TL to 140 TL and telling us this is the only bus from Istanbul to Trabzon etc etc. Have rough idea about Ali Osman Ulusoy having a bus at 5 pm and we walk to their office. VIP Bus (2+1) leaving at 4 pm for Trabzon. They quote 150 TL per person and we settle for 140 TL for seats in the front of our choice.

Overjoyed! Put our bags and get luggage tags. Great day already, going to plan even though we have it all flexible. Very very comfortable reclinable seats, and wifi in bus. On this trip to Turkey we have not bothered to take a wifi card / sim card and have no phone connectivity and are wholly relying on free wifi everywhere!

Beautiful sunset and evening colours from the bus, stunning autumn colours in the landscape, green boulevards on the side of the road, personal screens for entertainment with movies, games, tv etc and a butler serving water, coffee, tea, juice, snacks. Stop at a place by the name of Bolu for dinner at around 8 pm (no charge for WC, so very happy!). Ulusoy is surely the best bus service in all of Turkey!

Eat patatesli gözleme (potato parantha) for dinner for 8 TL; boring but somehow manage to fill my tummy. Buffett is available for 35 TL per person. Mostly all other locals eating Çorba (lentil soup) with bread and sipping çay (tea). Local olives, chestnuts, honey available for very reasonable prices at the shop.

Brrr cold outside. Temperature inside the bus is comfortable rather than being too heated or too cold. Very comfortable sleep. Passengers get half empty on the way at numerous stops. Sleep on an entire seat each. Bus stops for WC near Samsun. Wake up to a surreal sunrise on the black sea coast as we near Trabzon. The bus rolls into Trabzon Otogar at 8 am.

Very very cold and breezy morning in Trabzon. Have identified 2-3 probable places to stay in Trabzon at a distance of around 2 kms away from Otogar. Ask for help with wifi at one café on the bus stand and they let us load the walking map for directions. Start walking in the blistery wind to one shortlisted heritage homestay in Esentepe area in Trabzon. Super surprised to see a bus on the main road with a signboard – Istanbul to Baku.

Initially, this post was meant to be a part of the Trabzon experience but as I started penning it down, I realised it was better to make this a separate article for the readers. Aren’t we all trying to get away from the capital of the landing country at the soonest?

This initial success was to prove a vital link to our explorations across Turkey. Will make separate posts about different cities that we visited on this winter trip.

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