At the Shores of Tso Moriri

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It had been a restless night for me (and most others in the group) – the elevation was clearly taking its toll. After breakfast and many cups of tea things looked better and we were heading off for a leisurely, yet breathtaking (ambiguity intended) walk through the village, down to the lake and along its shore.

Tso Moriri sits at an elevation of 4522 m (14836 ft), it measures 26 km north-to-south and is about 3 to 5km wide. It is considered a holy lake, so there is no bathing or swimming here (even if it looks inviting).

Back to Leh – via Khardung-La

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Today it was back to Leh, following the same route that we had come in two days ago – so again about 120km, four hours – and again going through thin air at Khardung-La.

This time we had a longer break a the pass – for a chance to check out the small shrines (both Buddhist and Hindu) at the top – and actually climb the last few meters to make it to 5400m above sea level (per my GPS measurement).

After arrival in Leh and a filling lunch, we had free time – for souvenir shopping, some fairly heavy bargaining and Bienenstich.

Of Camels and Sand Dunes

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We made it to our accommodation in Hunder (about 12km down the road from Diskit) in the afternoon and in time for a late lunch and a deserved break.

We got together again in the late afternoon (once more after the hot hours of the day had passed) to make it over to the Hunder Sand Dunes. These (fairly unexpected) sand dunes are the result of sediment brought in by the two rivers over time. Today they are a major attraction here with a big parking lot and plenty of activities on offer – from camel rides, archery, ATV rides, a cultural performance tent, plenty of food options and Ladakh’s only toilet lounge (its official name).

We spent about two hours here – plenty of time for a camel ride or a walk out into the dunes (I opted for the latter; I did ride a camel before and cannot say that I overly enjoyed the experience), take in the atmosphere and (of course) get disappointed over overenthusiastic toilet marketing.

Shey Palace

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Our next stop was a mere 2km down the road: the ancient palace of Shey, a 17th-century palace and monastery complex with (once again) great views and another big Shakyamuni Buddha statue.

Just underneath the palace a statue of Guru Padmasambhava had been erected over the last few years (finishing touches were actually still being applied), this made for some great photo opportunities, as well as the option for a bit of a walk.

Hemis Monastery

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We stayed local today, heading out South-East of Leh with Hemis Monastery being the first destination of the morning. The monastery belongs to the Drukpa order, the buildings go back to 1672. It features a couple of temples and shrines, as well as a coffee bar (offering a fairly decent espresso) and a massive, well-explained museum.

About a mile East from the monastery a big stupa (Naropa Stupa) was put up in recent years – this is were the yearly monastery festival takes place now to accommodate the pilgrims and tourists alike.