We are leaving for four nights and five days on a short Sham Valley trek. We met with our guide today and went over everything that we will need. They call this the Baby Trek. In other words they've looked us over and want to see a test drive before getting us out in wilderness at real altitude. It is an acclimatizing trek. The guide, Tenzing and Angchock are also worried about the first village house with a shared traditional toilet. We've done that before and will have to do it again. All will come out well in the end. The next three or four villages will have good private accommodations with what they call western toilets.
Our guide Tingzing ( pronounced Stingzing) is 20 years old and is going to college studying Economics. School starts the end of September. The college is in Jammu. We really like him - good sense of humor and a lot of positive energy. If we all get along he will be our guide for the longer Markha Valley Trek.
We'll be back around the 2nd and can get on line then.
The Delhi water fountain incident resulted in some bad abdominal cramps for a few days and then day by day better and OK now without any other symptoms. Got Lucky!
Darn Dogs!! Evidently, every village and city in Asia the dogs have a special job to do and they do it really well. They bark all night without much break for breathing.
Lalit came through the guest house surprising us since we were not to meet up until 9/2. He is leading a motorcycle tour in Ladakh right now and a cycle had broken down so he had to come into Leh for repair parts. The cycle was 50 km away so he had to run. But it was a joyful reunion. Lalit had guided us for the last month in India last year and helped organize and schedule this trip.
There are two nice young German couples with whom we have become friendly who left yesterday on a trek custom designed by Angchok since they were backpackers with stoves and tents and food already they arraigned for only ponies and a pony man from Angchok. Really nice to recommend him to them and they end up with exactly what they needed and nothing more.
This morning the call to prayer was a duet in two part harmony -- Wow I had never heard that before. Very nice. Then at sunrise the Buddhist beating drums and blowing horns. So up for an early shower and for the first time here the water was not hot at all. Just getting us ready for more primitive environments.
Having breakfast at guest house - the Oriental Guest House in Leh. Good Place. I saw our waiter running across the courtyard and into the garden -- someone had ordered mint tea and he was picking the mint. Much of what we eat here comes from this large garden. Yummy
Hope you are all well. Darryl and Susan
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