The Sun rose early on Day 2 and it was fairly bright by 6 a.m. As we were not used to the cold, we woke up leisurely and after getting ready went for breakfast at the restaurant within our hotel property. The fare was limited but very delicious. We had juice, fresh cut fruits, bread butter jam, some paratha, some Upma etc. Followed by tea / coffee / hot cocoa.
Raju, who was feeling unwell the previous day and had literally fasted & rested the whole time, was up and about having recovered. Lakshmi was still feeling down and everyone tried their best to cheer her up.
After breakfast, we went in the three cars for some sight seeing. The first was Stok Palace which was a half hour drive away. On the way, we had our first glimpse of the mighty & holy Sindhu river. The Stok palace used to be the residence of the Namgyal dynasty of Leh for many decades. It is now converted into a hotel which captures the rich heritage of Ladhak. The location was very scenic but the palace was closed for renovation. We were not allowed inside even for a quick glimpse and had to be content to walk around the compound and take pictures outside.
After this we went to the Matho Monastery which is located about 26 kms from Leh. It was an impressive structure which must have once been inhabited by thousands of monks. There were multiple places for worship and reading of scriptures. However, the place was literally deserted when we arrived. We went around the monastery, took pictures, read the inscriptions etc. before coming back to our vehicles to head for our next destination.
About 30 minutes drive away was the Leh Palace which is undoubtedly one of the most wonderful heritage structures of Leh. Built over 3 years using local materials in the 1600s by Sengge Namgyal, it is a 9 storeyed structure with hundreds of rooms & wide balconies. Some of our team members decided to stay put near the entrance daunted by the number of floors to climb. Some of us went up and had the fortune of seeing the exhibition as well as the audio visual describing the history of the palace. Many of the rooms are locked and out of bounds for visitors due to security & safety reasons. The Palace is being restored to its original glory to showcase this marvel the World.
After this visit, we decided to go back to our hotel for some lunch and rest. The drivers were given the day off after dropping us back. After a simple yet sumptuous lunch, we took some rest. This was essential to get fully acclimatized. In the evening, we played some cards inside our rooms. Later we had an early dinner before retiring for the night.
Thus ended Day 2 of out stay at Leh.
1 comment:
Smooth reading
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