Day 5 and 6: The Mighty Pangong Tso

Trip to the Pangong Tso was an overnighter Day 5 & 6 from Leh. The route we took from Leh  was through the Chang La - The world's second highest pass.

"Mask On" - As the world resumes the new normal

Its doesn't matter how hard you fall or how many times you fall - what matters is how many times you fell and got back up! Rocky Balboa said so.

This unprecedented times that hit the world in 2020 will go down in history like a phenomenon. 

This period is actually a true test of who you really are. Now read the first line of the post again.

How much can you push yourself to what breaks you? Lockdown made me realize there is so much time that we have at hand and it actually gets wasted. 

In my case it is laziness and then it is sufficient to open a lot of boxes as an empty mind is a devils workshop. I have tried to adopt the following 

• Stay occupied - pick up a hobby if you don't have one already
• Exercise
• Be productive
• Keep your cool
• Stay focused
• Stay calm but don't stay at rest
• Sleeping is good - don't oversleep. Anything that gets overdone is harmful
• Get a balance
• Keep communicating with your folks
• Stay put - be open to ideas - fail fast - find it fix it

This probably will become a way of life and world will resume the new normal with "Mask On."

With hope that the effective vaccine reaches all in a timely manner...take care of yourself, stay safe and healthy!

Day 3 & 4: Nubra Valley Through Khardung La

Recalling my drawing book as a kid. Drawing of a landscape always meant mountains in the background, trees at the foothills and a river - something that I am sure all of us have drawn at least once in our life. It became a reality on this trip. It was as if the image came alive from my drawing book. As I am writing this, selecting pictures that do justice to what the eyes saw is very tough. It happened on the Day 3 of our Leh trip.

Straight out of the drawing book - 1

Burj Khalifa, Dubai

So, Burj Khalifa - Check!

As of August 20, 2020, The Burj Khalifa stands the tallest building on the Blue Planet.

work-in-progress

Leh Diaries - Day 2 - Patriotism, Dharma and Nature

With the Hall of Fame, Pather Sahib Gurudwara, Magnetic Hill, Indus Zanskar Confluence and Spituk Monastery, day 2 in Leh for us had in store a remarkable combination of adrenaline and solace. Here goes...

Zanskar (Left) Indus (Right) Confluence (Sangam)

With an action packed day ahead of us, we started early and reached the first destination - The Hall of Fame. It is an Army Museum that showcases the valor and achievements of our armed forces. Walking through the displays and artefacts is an adrenaline gushing experience. There are stories of ultimate sacrifices done by our soldiers to protect the motherland on the walls of museum. As I am recalling the stories while writing this, I am getting goose bumps. They are the real saviors - I salute them!

Darjeeling

Most of the visitors to Darjeeling spend no more than two nights at this hill station and then move on to either Gangtok or other locations. But we decided to be in Darjeeling for six nights and took the hill station on foot. Yes!

Kanchenjunga peaks

When you hear Darjeeling, what comes to your mind? Whatever be your answer, I am here to say its much more than that. Darjeeling has 80+ tea estates, Toy train (UNESCO World Heritage Site), Kanchenjunga (world's third highest mountain), India's first cable car system (rope way), a zoo (with rare species including snow leopard), Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Monasteries and a lot more. At this point, I must also admit that the place needs significant administrative attention to ensure the hygiene and maintenance of the hill station.

Traveling Mantra from Clicktouring

I believe traveling improves you as an individual, it increases your awareness and helps you learn to adapt and improvise.

To all of you I ask - how many places have you traveled? And do you have a mantra to be followed on those trips? (please comment)

Below is what I have been doing and I look forward to hearing your style.

Don't mess with the clock
Recheck the timing of your flights/transportation one last time and set a reminder on your phone. Don't go by your memory, make sure that you see the timings of the next flight one more time and set a reminder. Then reach airport/train station/bus stand early. I have had bad dreams of missing my flight. Don't let it become a reality. Also pay attention to the difference in the time zones while looking at the clock.