Amritsar and Ladakh experience

A Solo trip without solitude

Khardung La, Ladakh

Highlighting Places explored

I visited Amritsar which is quite a Hot place yet with welcoming people just for a day and for rest of the days of my trip i  went to one of the most hospitable Ladakh with sober Buddhist population.

Near Jallianwala baugh, Amritsar

The journey spanned from 30-Aug-18 Thursday to 17-Sep-18 Monday. (18 nights, of which 4 days were heavy on intercity travel via trains or flights)

Trying to be environment conscious, yet I produced more waste then my last bicycle trip.

• 5 plastic bottles for water (I lost my cycling water bottle as well :( )
• Thermocol and plastic spoon when I consumed maggi at Pangong
• Couple of plastic wrappers where i consumed ready made fast food

I covered following Places during my visit:

Amritsar city - 
Leh (ATM - yes, Mobile Phone Network - Yes)
Diskit (ATM - yes, Mobile Phone Network - Yes)

Turtuk (ATM - No, Mobile Phone Network - No)

Hemis (ATM - No, Mobile Phone Network - Maybe BSNL)

Pangong Tso (ATM - No, Mobile Phone Network - No)

Sangam (of Indus River and Zanskar River) (ATM - No, Mobile Phone Network - No)

Captured from flight

The journey was filled with various amazing experiences and learning many things.

• Most adventurous was hitchhiking when required.
• Effects of global warming on Ladakh
• Some History learning at War Memorial - Hall of Fame
• A visit to Golden temple
• Being supporter for Vegetarian food diet, I searched Pure Veg restaurants as much as possible in Leh
• Economics of Leh and Ladakh
• Shayok River and Indus Water Treaty
• Jallianala baugh visit and learning history

Product at Tibetan market, Leh

As my closer one's were busy with their life and me being with least liability with change in company policy to utilize leaves, decided to travel. Having observed people age and seen inability to enjoy physical world due to multiple reasons, decision was made to improve personal skill set or personal projects at later stage, but for now, it's time to travel as much as possible.

For past few months, was away from lifestyle I like to live....a cycling life as I lost my bicycle. I was just cycling to work on my old bicycle. So bicycle touring was out of option. Thus a solo trip to Punjab and especially Ludhiana was planned so as to learn more on engineering. But just before few days to trip, it changed to Leh. A partially planned And completely UNreserved trip to Leh. Only return ticket was purchased.

Enroute Pangong Lake, Ladakh

Benefits of solo trip is Independence of all sort whereas it lacks goodness of sharing experience, togetherness and good times which at times instills boredom. To tackle boredom, just change conditions around. Best can be done to change condition by moving and changing location and remaining awestruck in nature and beauty around. It can also be done by meeting beautiful traveler.

I was fortunate this time to have met Maryna (Germany, day 1), Harini and her father Mr. Reddy (NRI, day 1 to 4), Yona and Sangyung (Hiyoomoo - South Korea, day 7 and 8), High mountain group (bikers, day 9 and 10), Mikheil (Georgia, a Yogi, day 12), Maceij and Agata (Polish, day 14).

Playing chess with Random person

I learnt about different mindset, political conditions, philosophies, sharing experience and much more. 

Solo travel is adventurous yet at times boring, just like life maybe. And you should learn to live with yourself. You get answers to your unquestioned assumptions and come closer to reality.

My major mode of Trvel was as follows:

Mumai to Amritsar
Golden temple express 12903 on 30-Aug-2018 at 9:30 PM in a 3 tier compartment which costed about 900 INR. Journey time is about 32 hours.

Amritsar to Jammu 19225 train on 02-Sep-2018 at 02:30 AM which was late by 1+ hour in a 2 tier AC which costed about 700 INR. Journey time is about 4.5 hours.

From Jammu railway station to Jammu airport I took a private taxi as distance is about 6km and costed me some 150 INR. You should walk about 300 meters from railway station and go towards main road where you can get cabs.

I took a flight from Jammu to Leh which was an Air India 450 Economy class that costed 5093 INR

For intercity travel in Leh I walked more and for sightseeing of distant places in Ladakh I used Bus services available.

Leh to Mumbai return journey was via Delhi for which first flight was Vistara and connecting flight was Indigo which in total costed me about 6831 INR for Economy class.

Next travel is very near, Sayonara !