The night was difficult for SS as he vomited and even my head was heavy. When I asked him should we cancel today's schedule, he pretended to be stronger than he felt and said, we would go on. Generally I am the weakest person in any random group, but here somehow my ultra weak immunity was standing up for once in life and being counted. Or, I think high altitude sickness has nothing to do with immunity. Either case my disposition was not the worst.
We took the black Scorpio along with the driver to visit a nearby fort. It turned out to be a ruin. Then we went to the two monasteries, Hemis and one more.
On the way, we met a set of camels, which were being reared by GOI. In olden days when the silk route was active, it was these camels that use to transfer goods on their back. Now, though there is no need for them, GOI is trying to save a relic of the past. We met a female director from Doordarshan there. She wanted an idiotic shot of those camels running at full speed and taking a 90 degree turn near the end. We left her at her attempts to succeed.
One of those monasteries is near a river, which then was frozen. We reached there at around 1 PM and as it was lunch time, the monastery was closed for lunch. I randomly walked inside the caves and saw a group of lama preparing and having lunch. I greeted them casually and sat down besides them. They offered me warm water to drink and food for lunch. I couldn't have asked for more in life at that point. We had a free flowing banter where the lama ridiculed my muffler. He asked me from where have I come. Mumbai came the impulsive response, and we had some discussion on film stars. I haven't seen any film stars house, neither in Bandra nor at Worli and have no ambition to see it, but people who have never been to Bombay have this strange desire seeing their film stars house.
SS joined me after some time and cursed me as to why I did not involve him in lunch. I redirected him to the place and asked him to ask for lunch, if not offered. After lunch time the monastery opened and the kids rushed inside to study, though SS was apprehensive, we entered the monastery to see what was happening. We saw one of the most beautiful murals ever. After some time the classes started with all the kids humming the holy verse and we quietly made our way out. We went to another monastery, where it was a holiday, so no kids there. It has one of the biggest statutes of Buddha, where he is in the meditation posture with his palms open and pointing outwards. SS managed to catch a nap, while sitting on the edge near the big...What do I call it, the holy cylindrical thing on which the rhyme is written in Tibetan language and which the kids keep rotating. That was dangerous, but I moved on without realising that he had fallen asleep.
We came back to the NGO; spoke in detail about what the foreigner was up to. We had a long discussion on electrical motors, I superficial, SS deeper. Both of us are electrical engineers. I was more engrossed in a travel book I saw on his book shelf, which was about a traveler who travelled Africa North to South. I have forgotten the title and author’s name and tried finding that book in Bangalore, but could not. The foreigner dude was Dutch with 20 years of experience in electronics in some medical equipment company. He was also coming back to electrical motors after 20 years, I was coming back to them after 3 years, while SS has always worked on them, and he still is.
The other monastery is called Thicksey
Thicksey : http://image44.webshots.com/45/1/31/37/366513137vqLIfD_fs.jpg
Hemis( During festival, we realised we were there in an off season, after we landed there) : http://ladakh.drukpa.com/images/hemis.jpg
The credit for the snaps does not lie with me.
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