Travellive 5 - 2018

Roads
ñ To go to Phuktal Monastery,
you have to conquer Leh - Kargil -
Padum - Phuktal or Srinagar - Kargil
- Padum - Phuktal. The entire route
is about 500 km of mountain roads.
Anmu village is the last village
where cars have access. Then
take the long trek about 12 km to
Phuktal (this section is between 24-
25 km for return trip). At Padum,
you can find a porter- guide who
can take you by car to Anmu and
take you to Phuktal.
Health note
ñ The Zanskar region is located at
altitudes above 4,000 m. Therefore,
you should be well prepared
for health problem, especially
consult your doctor for advice on
antihypertensives.
CuisinE
ñ Zanskar people are mainly
Buddhist and vegetarian. Fish here
is very scarce. You should prepare
dry food from home to make the
meal varied.
Not to be missed
experiences in Zanskar
ñ Visit Lang Tso Twin Lake,
Stat Tso, Drang-Drung Glacier,
Rangdum Monastery on the way
from Kargil to Padum
ñ Visiting villages and monasteries
around Padum, exploring Zanskar
people's life: Sani Village, Karsha
Monastery, Dzongkul Monastery
ñ Trekking into Phuktal and feeling
the majestic beauty of the river
Additional preparation
ñ In addition to common personal
belongings, for trips to Zanskar
area and trekking Phuktal you
need to bring some other items:
ñ Sleeping bags when the bed is
not warm enough
ñ Good trekking shoes
ñ Thermos bottle to keep water
hot longer for making tea or
carrying to bed
ñ Heattech clothing and
comfortable clothes, multi-layer
ñ Moisturizing cream for skin
and lips
ñ Altitude sickness medicine
Reference fees
ñ A total of 1,300 USD for a
17-day trip, including airfare and
visa fees
Purney village, a little bit longer than
the path through Cha village. The first
suspension bridge across the Tsarap
River is just steps away from Phuktal.
The sun has yet to rise, the shadows of
the mountain are still sleeping on the
frigid flowing water.
Our energy streams back into us as
we near the Purney village, three
hours from Phuktal. The road is wider
this morning, but it is not the gentle
road of yesterday as it is a continuous
up and down. Purney shows up
beautifully, with small white houses
quietly nestled in the early sun.
Purney is located at the confluence
of rivers. Down below, the muddy
Kargyag River, flowing from Shingo
La, merges into the clear stream of
the Tsarap River from Baralacha La.
The Tsarap River then flows towards
Padum to the northwest until it
meets the main Zanskar valley, which
is called Jung-khor by locals. The
convergence of these two streams
mesmerizes me with their mystery
and wonder.
Two more hours from Purney, we
reached the second suspension
bridge. This one is longer and rickety
than the one before. It was too late,
the road back was now far away. My
sight is dimmed by the sun, dried and
clouded by the wind and the dust. I try
to continue my steps. At that moment,
I recalled the people I met on the
streets, remembering the gentle
smiles of the old women standing
on the porch of the white house
with brown frame, the gentle eyes of
mothers holding children, innocent
faces of the children born in the wild
hills, grown like weeds.
I also recall the moments when the
green lake revealed itself behind
the turn, the moment the sun rose
to bring the world to life, when two
streams of different colors merged
into one.
I know why I am here. Every trip
makes me happy twice. First when
I journey on the long way, when
beautiful images fill my eyes and
moving emotions fill my heart. And
the other is when I return, push
open the door of the house where the
people I love welcome me back.
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