After 8 long months in lockdown, I finally managed to visit the mountains last December. And what better place to rediscover this freedom than Zanskar.
I was very hesitant to travel anywhere during this pandemic. The last thing I wanted was to be an unwitting carrier and spread the virus to such remote places. So I tried to be as careful as possible and got permission from the concerned authorities as well as the local people before traveling anywhere. A lot of gratitude to all my friends who helped me on this trip.
Many thanks to Tsewang Dorjay from the Lingtse guesthouse in Leh. Lingtse has been my base for the last 3 winters in Ladakh. And Dorjay is one of the most genuine, helpful people that I have met on my travels. He was of immense help this winter, introducing me to locals from Zanskar, arranging interviews with monks and scholars in Leh, translating the interviews etc. I wholeheartedly recommend him for all your travel needs in Ladakh. You can reach him at 9906986664.
Also many thanks to Lobsang Wangtak from Stongde, Zanskar. He is a filmmaker and a social entrepreneur working to provide sustainable solutions for the challenges facing Zanskar. He is currently working on water-lift project to irrigate the village of Pischu. The same village where I spent over 35 days recovering from my frostbite. You can find more about his project on his website.
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Finally, many thanks to Ven.Thupstan Paldan for patiently answering my questions about Ladakh and Zanskar. Ven.Thupstan Paldan is a renowned scholar in Ladakh and is the author of 'A Guide to the Buddhist Monasteries and Royal Castles of Ladakh'. One of the best books I have read about the Buddhist culture of Ladakh.
#zanskar, #ladakh, #winter
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