Zanskar is a remote valley in Ladakh. It is snowed in for about 8 months a year. In the winter there is a trek to Zanskar up a Frozen river gorge walking on ice along the flowing river. It is the way the locals have used for 100s of years.
Since leaving Leh we have had one problem after another. First going into the Aryan Valley, after hours of driving between high rock walls along a river gorge we were stopped by the police in the road. The first thing I noticed was the power pole down in the road. The next was that there was no road ahead of us! Flooded out so we had to turn around after walking to see some of the devastation in the village ahead and that was even difficult to do. So we drove to Lamarulu and stayed in a nice guest house with views of the monastery which seems to grow out of the strange shaped rocks.
After a morning visit to the monastery we drove to Kargil. Of course the road deteriorated along the way but we stayed in a nice guest house in Kargil. We said good by to our good driver from Leh since the local taxi Union would not allow an outside driver to drive this area.
The next morning we headed for Zanskar. Oh, I didn't mention that had been raining all day and all night and now was still raining as we left. A couple of hours later we were stopped at a police check point and turned around because at the pass before Padum there was at least a foot of snow on the road and there was snow all around us in the fields and along the road. So we returned to Kargil after a few lamb samosas in a village on the way back. I tracked down the source of the lamb at a butcher shop down the street where all the organs that were left were also displayed for sale. If eating it, go see the source if possible. Right? (I Didn't have any more lamb samosas.)
The next morning there was a hint of some blue patches in the sky and cars had come through from Padum, so we left.
We arrived in Rangdum and Lalit said we should not stay in the tent camp at the monastery because of how cold it was going to be that night. We checked out the rooms at the local guest house and they were miserable, dirty rooms. When asked where the toilet was they pointed out in a big dusty area about 100 yards away to a small building. We went downstairs to have tea and Lalit was outside talking to people. I was eyeing a large plastic bottle behind the counter almost empty of chocolates. The plan was to buy the whole thing stash the chocolate and use the bottle as a pee bottle. I was not going out there in the cold wind into the big field. All this because I somehow broke my previous Jiff Peanut butter pee bottle. Lalit came in and said No, we will not stay here tonight. We are going to see this other place. We get in the car and he says move over this man is going with us. Turns out we are staying in that man's house. Basic but better than that guest house.
Outside We saw an old lady with a child and some kids playing with bike wheels and sticks. They were racing the wheels along the road. I asked if I could take photos and everyone were very accommodating.
Tomorrow over the pass and down to Padum but we stop about 10 km short and stay with Tinzin at his family's home for two nights.
As we left Rangdum we took a load of school kids to school because their bus had broken down. Filled the inside of our car with the overflow on the roof!
See my Facebook for some photos. https://www.facebook.com/rd.bryant.5
