from Padum to Kargil

Wake-up at half past four and at 5:30 has the kitchen tent in front of the house fallen and all luggage on top of the car.
The car from Leh arrived to pick us up already yesterday evening. The drive towards Kargil starts with asphalt and continues with rocking on the stones. In the beginning it is pleasantly cool. We pass by villages and the guide who finds himself on duty again tells the names of these without any context. All colors have been smeared on the mountains, the highest ones also have some snow.
Drang Drung glacier is photogenic but has sadly decreased compared to what it was 10 years ago. Scientists predict that children born today will see the Himalayas without glaciers. This in turn means water problems for about 300 million people. It will happen during our watch.
When it gets hotter then Nun-Kun double peak looks down to the road, both of the peaks are over 7000 meters high. By the eaterie is a bicycle of a white-colored cycle-hiker. Instead of temples and white-washed houses we see now mosques and expressionless houses with tin roofs. One esting stop, in Rangdum’s „best restaurant“.
Getting closer to Kargil the driver starts to yell jokes at passers-by. At least he himself seems to think so.
A hotel has been picked for us. It is on the edge of town, the boy in the reception speaks good English and painstakingly polite. In the room is a garbage bin, in toilet soap, shower gel, decent furnishings and first time after Vantaa airport we meet with toilet paper. Mountain view from the window, flowers on the balcony. As if we were not in Kargil at all. There’s even some internet and under current conditions it does not matter much that there is network only in the corridor. Dinner is included.
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Phugtal monastery
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from Kargil to Leh

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