India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) - Keith Bain [557]
The Nubra Valley
Today, a 5-hour jeep drive over the world’s highest motorable pass, Khardung-La (5,514m/18,380 ft.), leads you to northern Ladakh’s lush Nubra Valley , a fertile region with more incredible gompas and some of the most extraordinary mountain scenery in the Himalayas. For centuries, the journey into Nubra was part of the legendary Silk Route used by caravans of traders dealing in gold, silk, hashish, and carpets, carried between the Punjab and various regions within central Asia—the Route breathed its final gasp in the 1930s when communism in China and Partition in India put an end to the traditional silk trade. Deep within the breathtaking Karakoram mountain range, the twin-tiered valley combines terrific desert-scapes and fertile fields watered by the Siachen and Shayok rivers—sand dunes and oases lie side by side. Predictably, the valley is dotted with peaceful, pleasant, sparsely populated villages—while “bucolic,” “idyllic,” and countless other clichéd travel adjectives might describe these hamlets (like most of Ladakh’s villages), there’s a surprising lack of sentimentality, most probably because of the harsh conditions that manifest for most of the year. These are hardier people than most Westerners could imagine and meeting them in this little-explored landscape really adds to the sense of escape; set off on foot or rent a bike and take time to explore. Tourist literature (and out-of-the-loop travel agents) also punt the famed hot sulfur springs (at Panamik) and rides on double-humped camels as reasons to visit, but these are misguided attempts to spoil your vacation. Nubra’s real pleasures are of the untouristy sort. Wander through its humble villages and hike into the looming, craggy mountains to discover shrines and fluttering prayer flags, and the sense of a being in a remote, forgotten world will take your breathe away. To visit, you need to arrange an Inner Line Permit in Leh (do it through any travel agent or through your hotel), and technically you must be traveling in a group of at least four people. Hire a jeep with driver (count on spending Rs 8,000 for 3 days, unless you share the vehicle with others), and set off early in the day. If you have more time and really want to get under the skin of this cut-off region, consider a multiday hike—Banjara offers an 11-day Nubra Valley trek with camping along the way (see “Staying Active,” earlier in this chapter).
There are also two special monasteries worth highlighting here and the first is strikingly photogenic Diskit Gompa, now marked by a newly created gigantic golden Buddha posing on the hilltop nearest the road. Reached via a maze of stairways, Diskit is populated by some very friendly, charming monks, many of whom have studied extensively and are happy to share their knowledge and insights with interested visitors. In the Protector’s Room you’ll see some very severe stucco figures, most with their faces covered (these are revealed only during the festival held here in Oct), as well as myriad thangkas and tantric drawings—it’s like stepping into a frozen moment in a Tibetan opera. At the front of the temple, a white-faced demon holds in his hands the skull and hand of a Mongolian warlord who came here some 350 years ago; ask the monk on duty to tell you the full story.
Along the other arm of the Valley, en route to Panamik, the Samstanling Monastery just above the pleasant village of Sumur may feel a little too modern and pagoda-like to strike you as an authentic stop, but the murals inside the assembly hall (dukhang) are exquisite, and the monastery has one very special surprise. This is where you can meet and receive a blessing