Why India?
Pilgrimage is the primary purpose of this trip: I have joined “The Footsteps of the Buddha” organised by the Plum Village from 9 to 22 February. I decide to re-visit Ladakh in search of the elusive snow leopard. I found a local company in Leh which organised a tailored-made 11-day snow leopard tour.
Ladakh 29/1-8/2
I arrived in Delhi about 10 pm on 28 January. By the time I checked in the overpriced Holiday Inn Express inside Terminal 3, it was about 11:30am. After a few hours’ sleep, I checked in again shortly after 5:30am on 29 January (First Day of the Chinese New Year of the Snake) in Terminal 3 for Leh, Ladakh for my flight at 8:20am. Then I went through the security which was troublesome without realising Air India had put me on the 6:50am flight instead. I only realised my flight would be departing at 6:50am when I discovered the time printed on my boarding pass was Gate 31 B with boarding time at 5:50 am. Gate 31 B was far away and I walked at full speed and reached the gate around 6:20am. I was the last to board the plane! The check-in staff should have advised me that they had put me on an earlier flight!
I arrived an hour and a half early in Leh. It was cold (-2 C) and grey. As my sim card did not work, I asked a ground staff at the airport called Ali, my driver who took me to the Dragon Hotel. Leh is empty in winter and the hotel let me check in. My room was very big and comfortable with a balcony. I did nothing but rest and drink plenty of water the whole day. I was lucky and did not have altitude sickness.
30 January Thiksey Monastery and Hemis Monastery (to add)
