At eight are the guys with a car in front of our gate and we go west along Kargil road.
In addition to the driver is our guide Wangal with us. He was shown to us already yesterday. The driver has a rather heavy foot and he uses it on all the ashpalt that has been provided. Military installations and safety promoting slogans line the road, colorful sharp mountains in the background.
From Saspol we get a bag full of apricots and some time later is a stop for breakfast. We drive past Alchi, Basgo and Lamayuru without stopping. Wind up on Fatu pass where according to local custom are tourists let out of cars for taking pictures. It is the highest point on the Leh-Srinagar road, 4108 meters.
The trek is supposed to start in Kanji village. The horses who should be waiting for us are not in sight. After some walking to and fro and lot of talking it appears that horseman knew that the trek starts tomorrow. Nothing to do, hopefully he does not use the same apology tomorrow too.
Tourists are asked to rest. We rest first in the house of local teacher Norbu, drink tea and eat cookies. We continue resting in camp that has been erected in our honor. It consist of two smaller tents and a kitchen tent. Our guide introduces the camp with following order: who is single? Come with me!
Tour around the village shows some tiny temples and a new monastery that is still being built. According to locals there are about 400 people in the village, 45 families. Most of them are nowhere to be seen.
Horseman invites us for tea. He isn’t an old man as usual but a young guy.
We have to continue resting so we settle in front of our tents with books. Reading is complicated though because camping tourists are considered a noteworthy sight among village kids. They bring us many striped stones from the dry riverbed. Mari Öö manages to exchange the older one for the newer ones but a pile is created in front of my and Kalle’s tent. This is how the river changes course. A little stone specialist spells Musil whereby she gives the letters in German words English names. It is not possible to read in such conditions.
We walk a bit along the river and find some bridges, corn, scarecrow and purple, orange and green mountain-teeth.
Dinner is served in the kitchen tent and we have it just for ourselves. The staff eats and sleeps in a house. At least is there a considerable amount of stars outside.
The trek is supposed to start in Kanji village. The horses who should be waiting for us are not in sight. After some walking to and fro and lot of talking it appears that horseman knew that the trek starts tomorrow. Nothing to do, hopefully he does not use the same apology tomorrow too.
Tourists are asked to rest. We rest first in the house of local teacher Norbu, drink tea and eat cookies. We continue resting in camp that has been erected in our honor. It consist of two smaller tents and a kitchen tent. Our guide introduces the camp with following order: who is single? Come with me!
Tour around the village shows some tiny temples and a new monastery that is still being built. According to locals there are about 400 people in the village, 45 families. Most of them are nowhere to be seen.
Horseman invites us for tea. He isn’t an old man as usual but a young guy.
We have to continue resting so we settle in front of our tents with books. Reading is complicated though because camping tourists are considered a noteworthy sight among village kids. They bring us many striped stones from the dry riverbed. Mari Öö manages to exchange the older one for the newer ones but a pile is created in front of my and Kalle’s tent. This is how the river changes course. A little stone specialist spells Musil whereby she gives the letters in German words English names. It is not possible to read in such conditions.
We walk a bit along the river and find some bridges, corn, scarecrow and purple, orange and green mountain-teeth.
Dinner is served in the kitchen tent and we have it just for ourselves. The staff eats and sleeps in a house. At least is there a considerable amount of stars outside.
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