Leh, magical Ladakh!

How many of u have even heard of Leh or Ladakh? Seriously?!

When in Sumatra Ximena mentioned that she had volunteered once in the small org in the mountains of north India, it seemed really cool so I jumped on the opportunity to do the same. But that was it. No prior research to know exactly where it was or what it looked like. Just working with kids in the mountains.

Haaaaa! Whoever knows that region of the world k knows how much of a shock I was in for. I don't think anything at all in my life had ever amazed and surprised me that much before.  From the moment the plane approached the landing strip in the sky to the moment the plane took off again three weeks later to head to Delhi, I was in awe. It's simple. You just open ur eyes, and the surrounding mountain peaks which vary between 4,000m and 7,000m, and create a sort of gigantic nest with a light brown sand desert at its center is just unbelievably magnificent, you don't feel in India, neither in China, nor in Pakistan, but in between. Such a fascinating traditional and cultural mix cohabiting without any appearing tensions.

I am fully aware that none of my descriptions or photos can ever do true justice to this spectacle, but I surely hope it serves to motivate some to explore this unpublicized roof of the world.

So yes, my plan was to stay at SECMOL for about three weeks to help the grade 10 students as much as possible. But when I got there, I got quite frustrated as there didn't seem to be much I could help out with as there were already 5 volunteers for 35 students. Quite a bunch already! So I was pretty much set on shortening my stay to one week/10days instead and then venture around Ladakh.

But very quickly I took a liking to the kids, and though they are probably not so representative of the regional culture given the life they have at SECMOL, they continuously thought me so much about their village culture, and I just enjoyed so much shooting spo many questions at them.

The most interesting thing was that most of them do things and believe in religion without even knowing why, but simply because it is their family tradition. If you know me well, you know that I love questioning everything to try to understand. So that's what I did there. Why Buddhism? Why government jobs are best? Why marry this way? Why stay in Ladakh? Why? Why? Why? It was so interesting seeing the change in them as they were actually thinking about it all and realizing that they didn't have a clue as to why.

Strangely enough, even though 99% of them were Buddhists (only one kid was Muslim) I quickly became their go to person regarding Buddhism. My meditation course thought me so much about it that I then became able to teach myself. Well, actually about the Buddha Dhamma rather than Buddhism. Big difference!

Being the oldest volunteer by a decade gave me quite an edge/advantage regarding education, life experience and knowledge. So the kids enjoyed that and called me Mr Google. Hahahahahaha! I even tought the Muslim kid about Islam.

So strange and sad to see how tradition and family pressure are just blindly followed without ever questioning or even understanding. I can conceive that one might not know about others' religions or cultures, but I cannot understand nor accept that one doesn't know about its own belief or culture. So I made sure to leave some footprint as to male their minds more critical and curious. Hopefully it will sustain...

During the first week a few of us went to town to see the Moharam (Muslim self mutilation procession) celebration. Wow! Never in my life I thought I would witness such thing, and even less so in a place isolated like Leh. It was shockingly interesting, but also very scary at the same time.

Faith and devotion to it can be so powerful! I got a full glance of this during that day. Thousands of devoted Muslim males walking together as one while the Buddhists are watching. No women took part to the procession, at least not publicly.

Each surrounding village or main government organization had its own subgroup led by a speaker who was screaming the chants as they walked. Based on the rhythm of those chants the men would raise their fist to the sky and then bring out back to hit their chest very hard. So as the chants went faster, the noise of the fists hitting the chests got louder and louder. It almost felt that the whole city and its building were moving in sync with the fists. Such a strange feeling. The scary part was when I was walking amongst them...me the white looking foreigner taking photos and not doing the chanting and fist pounding thing. Everyone's look was so serious and profound of devotion that when some looks happened to cross mine, it felt I was at the wrong place and that something bad was going to happen. But no, they sent no harm. They were just very focused.

In each group there were 3 or 4 men who went a step further and who would, in sync with the chants rhythm, hit their forehead or scalp hard with a rock or slap their back hard with a chain whip made of multiple blades. Both backs and scalps were dripping blood like o had never seen before. Some were so focused and into the change and mutilation that they would get into a trans to the point that several other men had to jump on them to stop them from hitting themselves beyond serious injury. Some even required to be carried away to the first aid locations to be treated and end their trans state. That was probably the saddest and scariest part. Why? Why mutilate yourself like that? What does one gain from that? Some volunteer said that these were how terrorists and suicide bombers were found. Not sure if it is true, but it could make sense indeed. Such high level of devotion.

It was such an interesting experience. Seeing the Buddhists on the side of the road peacefully watching the processions was just as interesting. I kept on wondering what was going through their mind as they were watching. They must have thought that these people were crazy.

A few days after, a small group of us decided to go for a day hike in the Phiang valley to follow the thing river stream and make it up to at least 5,000 meters. We started the hike at 4,000m after taking a delicious breakfast at Stanzin's mother's house. One of the most beautiful and insolite breakfast ever. Just us, sitting in this little house, on carpets, surrounded by windows, allowing us to see the whole chain of mountains as the sun is awaking and stretching all its rays after a long and cold night of sleep. Magical!

We were quickly surrounded by snow and ice, and thus forced to continue the trek in such conditions. (Ha! My hiking shoes were for tropical climates and so were my socks!)

Growing up in the Alps and trekking so many volcanoes in Indonesia, I thought I had seen it all and that nothing could really impress me that much. Gosh was I wrong!!!!!! For the trekkers out there, it see!s that Ladakh is a much much less touristy and promoted version of Nepal. And during the off season, it is jus a pure spectacle to be all alone in such grandeur...

Each step was a challenge...at least for us then foreigners. The kids who were with us were just trying to slow down to stick with us. But if it weren't for us they would have completed the hike round trip before noon. Agggrrrrr!!! I nicknamed them the robots after that trek.

We made it to 5,037m in 5 hours! 1,037m in 5 hours! Given that I hiked from 2,600m to 3,700m on Mt Rinjani in 3 hours, I think it is not so bad a performance.

I was so happy to have passed the 5,000 m that I did a little "show" at the top. Our group had split up in 3, so by then it was just Wanchuk, Kim, and I. While Wanchuk was filming I stripped down to my boxers and socks, and went in the snow to do some push ups. Thank God it was so sunny. Would have frozen to death otherwise!

The hike back down to Stanzin's house was hell. Not only was the sun setting and our hike was in the shade of the mountain, but my feet were frozen, and my legs were killing me of fatigue. But I made it!!!!! Next challenge will be 6,000m...in Nepal perhaps...

The third event we went to as a group was the Thiksey festival. Thiksey monastery is one of the largest in the region and is known for being a replica of the main monastery in Lassa. Perched atop a rocky peak it stands impressively and dominates the whole valley and Indus river. The monastery is just gigantic and all white. I was lucky enough to be in the area to attend this annual festival of dances and blessings. Lots of children wearing beautiful masks perform dances all day long, while the famous yellow hat monks ordinate the ceremony. The monastery is filled with locals who have come from all over the region. It is a spectacle of traditional cloth and ancient faces all over the place. Only wish I had had a better camera with me that day!

The rest of my stay at SECMOL was not as eventful, yet still interesting.

We revamped the whole biogas structure. I learned a lot in the process.

I was taught how to milk a cow.

My fitness program became more popular and refined. Even Wanchuk, the founder, would attend it from 6:45am to 7:15am.

I gave a talk on self confidence and tried to boost that of the kids who despite their incredible potential don't really think highly of themselves.

Since the students were studying for their incoming exams, there was not much we could do to help them during their self study or free time. So the volunteers would just hang out together. But the students would allow themselves a little dance party every Wednesday evening for a couple of hours before going back to study. Incredible discipline to start the party and end it at 10pm on the dot. No drinks nor food. Just music, smiles and laughs. A beautiful spectacle of happiness and joy to watch. And even better to take part of it. I was amazed to see how much dancing and singing is part of their culture.

There is just so much to talk and think about regarding SECMOL's days and organization, but I will keep that for other conversations. Especially the toilets system with such cold and starry sky, as well as the pee-pee breaks at night with dzos walking around. Surreal experiences...   ;-)

One funny thing though is that the youngest volunteer, Cameron, a 17yr old Scottish boy, was addicted to Bollywood movies and kept on playing the same songs and movies every evening after dinner for us to hear. Two songs he would sing all the time: "battameez dil" and "diwali girlfriend"...and when I arrived in Delhi, as part of the wedding celebration, I was asked to perform (with a few other guys) dances on these exact two songs. Hahaha! If only I had paid more attention in Leh, I would have known them perfectly well for the wedding.

Leh was and is so magical that I decided to leave SECMOL 2 days before my flight in order to spend more time in the town and see it more.

Ha! I thought the nights were cold on the campus...but gosh was I surprised by the way colder nights in the city. Te guesthouses have absolutely no insulation. Glass is just fixed on wooden frames with a few nails and that's it, windows. Freeeeeeezing cold!

It being low season now, after the sun has set, there is absolutely no light in town, nor anything to do at all. The few people outside wander around with a head lamp, from house to house. Quite a difference from SECMOL. Not worse, nor better. Just different.

On my last day I walked for a few hours, crossed the city and passed all the military camps to make it to Spituk Monastery, perched atop a hill and dominating the whole valley. Splendid spectacle!

I spent a few hours there, catching my breath and resting from the long walk and hike.

On my way back, as I was hitchhiking for a ride, or looking for a mi I taxi, I got picked up by a van filled with passenger. It so happened that they were people from Rajasthan who I had seen at the monastery. They were so happy to pick me up in their taxi van.

We chatted the whole way. They are shoe shiners who work on the street. Here for the season and also because of the good school for their kids.

They refused to let me pay for my taxi fare and paid for me. Then they invited me to their street corner where their stall is and bought me chai and pastries. I sat there on the curb and chatted with them for a good hour. Got weird looks from the locals, but who cares.

I met their daughters, cousins, friends...it was so nice.

I promised to go see them in Jaipur next year, and I will do so. :-)

After that I was so starving I went to the yummy Punjabi restaurant up the road. Their I ended up sharing a small table with a couple (him an Indian soldier passionate about photography and living in Delhi, her an Indian bank associate living in Australia.) It was their first visit to Ladakh just like me. We had such an interesting chat about their living situation as well as politics and both our trips. They ended up buying me desert. :-)

Departing from Leh the next morning was not easy at all. I really fell in love with the place and its people. There is such a magical energy that exudes from the air you breath up there. I was sad to leave.

But once the plane took off and stared hovering at the whole chain of the Himalayas it was one of the most incredible and breathtaking thing I had ever seen. All we could see miles around was the highest peaks of the planet. Where is Everest? Is that K2? How high is this one? 6,000m? 8,000m? It was just insanely beautiful and grand. When we say the sky is the limit, it felt we were flirting with that limit.

I am dying to go back...soon.