{"id":560,"date":"2008-08-09T12:10:44","date_gmt":"2008-08-09T16:10:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/babakaps.net\/?p=560"},"modified":"2024-02-22T20:37:28","modified_gmt":"2024-02-23T01:37:28","slug":"fwiw-b-august-2008","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/babakaps.net\/?p=560","title":{"rendered":"AUG 9, 2008 .. LADAKH Part 2\/4"},"content":{"rendered":"

Date: Saturday, August 9, 2008, 12:10 AM<\/span>
\nSaturday.. August 9th.. 2008..<\/span><\/h3>\n

When I signed off Part 1\/4 of LADAKH .. I was walking down the
\nlong driveway from the Jammu-Kashmir Official Government
\nTourist Hostel in Parakachik..
\nit was about 6:30 AM on Thursday.. August 7th.. and I had
\ndecided to press on alone to the \u2018Zanskar Valley\u2019 without
\nTim and Ann who had decided NOT to go further but to return
\nto Kargil and explore Rajasthan in West India..<\/p>\n

It was cool.. 48 Degrees F and I felt great.. so I began to
\nwalk South on the road towards the village of Parakachik.. I
\nstopped and rested from time to time.. and took a few
\nphotos.. and I just \u2018got into\u2019 the walking in the morning
\ncool.. at 7 AM the bus going back to Kargil came towards me
\nand stopped when it got to me.. the driver and conductor
\nSadar Ali and I had a fun visit.. waiving to each other..
\nthe bus pulled slowly away towards Panikhar and Kargil.. and
\nonward I walked..<\/p>\n

I got to.. and walked past the small village.. Parakachik..
\nand \u2018viewed with absolute awe\u2019 the top of Mount Nun..
\nelevation 7,135 metres or 23,402 feet.. pronounced Nun as in
\n\u2018Noon\u2019.. NOT Nun as in a member of a religious order..
\noogled at its beauty.. and shot more photos.. and finally
\ncame to a perfect spot to \u2018camp\u2019 and \u2018hitch hike\u2019 .. a place
\nthat a driver could see me from a bit of a piece up the
\nroadway and a place with space for a vehicle to pull out
\ninto..<\/p>\n

So there I sat.. alone by myself.. hitch hiking in Ladakh..
\nheading for THE Zanskar Valley.. cool.. by now into the
\nlower 50s.. wearing my \u2018Alaska cabin sweater\u2019 (down jacket
\nto some of you).. and my Alaska Red Polar Fleece Cap UNDER
\nmy \u2018sun hat\u2019.. the people here giggle and call my hat my
\n\u2018umbrella\u2019 it is so wide in diameter.. how on God\u2019s green
\nearth could it get much better.. well soon it did.. soon it
\n\u2018topped out\u2019..<\/p>\n

Down the road.. coming towards me.. I saw.. I heard.. two
\n(2).. Royal Enfield.. Bullet 350 Machismo.. Fifty Years In
\nIndia.. The Legend Rides On.. MOTORCYCLES slowly motoring
\ntowards me..<\/p>\n

It was Clement and Patricia Olinger from France with eleven
\nyear old son Merlin riding behind Clement.. what joy.. the
\njoy was however only beginning let me tell you.. my very
\nfirst vehicles heading South towards Zanskar..<\/p>\n

Well I photographed them.. we visited.. and eleven year old
\nMerlin slipped off Clement’s Royal Enfield and got onto
\nPatricia\u2019s Royal Enfield.. and Clement MOTIONED ME TO GET ON
\nBEHIND HIM..<\/p>\n

We had a short discussion.. \u201cI am too heavy.. my back pack
\nis too heavy..\u201d and Clement said \u201cWe will just see how it
\ngoes\u201d..<\/p>\n

So out and off went the (now) four of us.. it was a nice..
\ngentle downgrade and the Royal Enfield did just fine.. oh my
\ngoodness.. early morning.. cool and pleasant.. viewing Mount
\nNun from the motorcycle and just EATING THIS UP LIKE YOU
\nWOULD NOT BELIEVE IN A LIFETIME.. motorcycling in Ladakh..
\noh my GOODNESS how can it possibly get better.. well.. it
\nwas about to.. get even better.. let me tell you..<\/p>\n

Sometimes a prayer to God is not a prayer so much as a
\nspiritual longing and saying out loud .. not to God
\ncertainly.. but just out loud.. \u201cBoy would I like to do THAT
\nsomeday\u201d..<\/p>\n

Up ahead.. what to my wondering eyes should appear.. pulled
\noff to the left side of the road and parked for the night..
\nwere two (2).. India Tata Brand.. \u2018over the road\u2019 trucks..
\nthe same two that I had heard and watched climb the grade
\npast the tourist hostel the night before..<\/p>\n

\u201cClement\u201d I said.. \u201cPull over.. maybe I can \u2018hitch\u2019 a ride
\nwith the truckers\u201d..<\/p>\n

He said \u201cSure.. great idea\u201d and we slowly pulled to a stop
\nbehind the \u2018rigs\u2019.. out in the field to my right was one of
\nthe truckers.. doing some \u2018business\u2019 out in the fields.. he
\nfinished and walked slowly up to us and I \u2018HIT HIM
\nWITH\u2019\u00a0 \u201cAs Salaam Aliekum\u201d and he smiled broadly and
\nreplied the proper reply.. something like \u201cAliekum wa
\nSalaam\u201d .. I don\u2019t have my notes here with me so probably
\nhave not gotten that correct.. so I just now called over
\nhere to the computer three Muslims and they said I have it
\ncorrect..<\/p>\n

MEET Mister Shakeel Ahmad Bhat.. I said \u201cAre you going to
\nPadum\u201d and he nodded \u201cYes\u201d.. and I said \u201cMay I pay you to
\nride along to Padam\u201d and he said \u201cHow many\u201d and I said \u201cOnly
\none.. just me..\u201d and he nodded \u201cYes sure\u201d and THE adventure
\nwas about to begin..<\/p>\n

Clement Olinger.. you are too much.. I OWE YOU MY MAN.. I
\nOWE YOU..<\/p>\n

Both Clement and I knew the Royal Enfields would not hold
\nup to carrying me for a long distance.. but without
\nClement.. I could not have \u2018caught up to\u2019 the two trucks..<\/p>\n

So off I got.. snapped several more photos of.. not only
\nClement and Patricia BUT of the truckers as well.. my
\ngoodness.. pull out a camera in India and \u2018here come the
\nIndians\u2019.. they just love to have their photos taken.. it is
\namazing..<\/p>\n

It was time for Clement and Patricia and Merlin and the two
\n.. Royal Enfield motorcycles to hit the road south.. lots
\nand lots of waiving and off they went south to Zanskar..<\/p>\n

I took my back pack and gear and with Shakeel guiding me..
\ngot up into one of the Tatas..<\/p>\n

As I was getting adjusted in the cab.. the other two
\ntruckers came with me and were just peering at me.. asking
\nme questions..<\/p>\n

MEET Messrs. Ishtaq Ahmad (who was to become MY MAN.. it
\nwas HIS truck I was motioned up into.. NOT Shakeel\u2019s
\ntruck).. and Farooz Ahmed Bhat..<\/p>\n

Well they finished \u2018getting up\u2019 from their
\novernight-beside-the-road in the two Tatas.. as the three of
\nthem carefully checked the tires and engines on the two
\nTatas.. I was out shooting photos like crazy.. then it was
\ntime for the trucks to hit the road.. they fired them up..
\nlet them warm up.. and slowly.. oh so slowly.. it was 8:27
\nAM .. Thursday.. August 7th.. 2008.. the mighty Tatas slowly
\neased their way onto the highway.. we four were HEADED SOUTH
\nFOR ZANSKAR.. the three truckers and Cap..<\/p>\n

A quick aside here.. word on the street here is you MUST
\nwatch out doing what I was doing.. the rumor mill has it the
\ntruckers do some drinking and you don\u2019t want to be with a
\ndrunken trucker in the mountains..<\/p>\n

As I was getting adjusted in the cab of the Tata.. I spied
\na mysterious bottle with a yellowish liquid in it.. it did
\nNOT look good for a moment..
\nI picked up the bottle and was very VERY relieved to see it
\nwas mustard seed oil.. I later learned that Ishtaq uses the
\nmustard seed oil on his scalp and hair as \u2018hair oil\u2019..<\/p>\n

What a \u2018fit\u2019 I had fallen into.. two trucks.. four of us..
\ntwo in each rig.. just perfect.. further.. get this.. \u201cGod
\nof Abraham how does all this fit together\u201d.. Ishtaq OWNED
\nhis rig.. Shakeel OWNED his rig.. I was riding down the road
\nwith two (2).. owner operators.. they were NOT employees..
\nthey were OWNERS.. these were THEIR RIGS..<\/p>\n

Nothing could be finer.. owners care about their
\nequipment.. owners drive their equipment with care.. with
\ncaution.. with concern.. I was indeed in \u2018safe very safe\u2019
\nhands here..<\/p>\n

I could actually lie full length down behind Ishtaq when I
\nwanted to nap.. there was a bed the full width of the rig..
\nabout 18-inches wide.. to sit on or to lie down on.. and as
\nthe day and as the drive wore on.. I indeed wanted to nap..
\nand did so..<\/p>\n

The road was all it was said to be.. we had to cross little
\nrivers.. build little rock bridges for the rigs to cross the
\nlittle streams.. there were road hazards galore.. we\u2019d get
\nout and remove boulders from the road.. there were
\n\u2018construction\u2019 stoppages.. and it was bounce and sway from
\nside to side all day.. Ishtaq was hauling a large load of
\n\u2018reinforcing steel\u2019 so he was loaded heavy.. Shakeel was
\nalso hauling construction materials.. he too was loaded
\nheavily.. so we drove slow and we drove easy.. neither owner
\nwas about to destroy his investment rushing..<\/p>\n

I have to condense this.. so will just say it was too much
\nfun riding in the Tata.. more.. MUCH MORE FUN.. than I had
\nimagined.. very comfortable.. very roomy.. the two of us..
\nit would make no sense to chart our progress.. we were
\nslow.. I could\u2019ve cared less.. we passed through Ringdom
\nGompa.. we crossed the Pensila Pass.. it was 4:30 PM.. 1630
\nhours..
\nand it was cold.. I had my down cabin sweater on.. a
\nT-Shirt on.. my India shirt.. and it was raining.. out I got
\nand snapped more photos..<\/p>\n

As dusk settled we ran into a horrible.. I mean we ran into
\na HORRIBLE SAND AND DUST STORM.. Ishtaq could barely see the
\nroad.. it was zero visibility.. it was bad.. bad.. bad..<\/p>\n

At 10 o\u2019clock in the PM on Thursday.. August 7th.. it was
\nvery dark of course.. I was napping soundly in the back..
\nlike I was in a Rolls Royce.. I felt the Tata come to a full
\nstop.. I heard Ishtaq do his \u2018shutting down the engine\u2019
\nprocedure and it was quiet.. he got out.. and I got up..
\nIshtaq went and got into Shakeel\u2019s Tata .. and wonder of
\nwonders.. the three of them cooked up dinner.. hot
\n(temperature wise) Chicken in a curry sauce and rice.. I did
\nnot accept their offer to eat with them.. broke my heart but
\nthe risk was just too much..<\/p>\n

I said to them.. \u201cHow far to Padum\u201d.. \u201cTwenty Five
\nKilometers\u201d.. \u201cHow long will it take us\u201d.. \u201cTwo .. two and a
\nhalf hours\u201d.. they were in no hurry.. enjoying their fine ..
\nhot meal.. it got to be 11 o\u2019clock PM and it dawned on me..
\nI said \u201cAre we sleeping here\u201d .. \u201cYes\u201d came the reply..<\/p>\n

We were in the small village of Phe or Phay.. depending on
\nwho you ask..<\/p>\n

WHAT AN ADVENTURE..<\/p>\n

During the day I had advanced the \u2018proposal\u2019 to Ishtaq..
\n\u201cCan I ride back to Kargil with you when you get unloaded..
\n\u201d .. he nodded \u201cYes.. why not\u201d so I felt I was set to ride
\nNorth back to Kargil.. WONDERFUL..<\/p>\n

Shakeel and Ishtaq slept in Shakeel\u2019s Tata.. and Farooz and
\nI slept in Ishtaq\u2019s Tata..<\/p>\n

Farooz made the bed.. and it was a bed almost the size of a
\nregular bed.. nice and wide and long.. the back of the
\ndriver\u2019s seat came off.. and things fit here and there until
\na bed appeared.. wonderful.. Farooz to boot is small.. short
\nand very thin.. he took up little or no room in the bed..<\/p>\n

And I could NOT get to sleep.. pant pant pant.. gasp gasp
\ngasp.. when you are suffocating.. can not get air.. it is
\nvery uncomfortable.. I finally dozed off for a few hours.. I
\ncould not wait for the sunrise.. well it came.. we all got
\nup.. for the fourth or fifth time it seemed like .. they
\nwashed the Tatas.. I could not believe this.. the care they
\nlavished on the \u2018rigs\u2019.. THEIR \u2018rigs\u2019..<\/p>\n

We pulled into Padum at 9:30 AM.. Friday.. August 8th..
\n08-08-08.. and we went straight to the construction site
\nwith the load of \u2018re-bar\u2019 and Shakeel\u2019s load..<\/p>\n

TROUBLE IN RIVER CITY CAME SOON..<\/p>\n

As we pulled into the construction site.. some \u2018eyes\u2019 saw
\nme in the Tata..
\nthere was a meeting.. I was called over..<\/p>\n

MEET Farooz Khan.. local union leader of sorts.. he had
\nadvised owners Shakeel and Ishtaq that according to the
\nlocal Taxi Union.. the truckers could NOT Union Bust by
\ntaking passengers out of Padum..<\/p>\n

This is Shakeel\u2019s and this is Ishtaq\u2019s business.. their
\nbread and their butter.. RS 40,000 per trip.. they can NOT
\nafford to be \u2018black listed\u2019 by the local Taxi Union.. I
\ntalked to Farooz Khan and got him to agree I could go back
\nwith them.. this was a half hour discussion..<\/p>\n

I went off to take photos of Padum and as I walked and as I
\nsnapped photos.. I decided.. it is not fair of me to.. in
\nany way.. jeopardize the status of Shakeel and Ishtaq..<\/p>\n

I went back and told Farooz Khan.. who was very friendly to
\nme by this time.. that I was going to take a bus North to
\nKargil.. he seemed relieved by this.. and I also told
\nShakeel and Ishtaq the same.. they too were relieved.. I
\n\u2018settled\u2019 with Ishtaq.. 26 hours living in the Tata.. with
\nall of the photo stops I wanted.. including NOT having a
\nmotel expense Thurday evening.. cost me three hundred
\nrupees.. SO VERY FAIR..<\/p>\n

I then.. it was about 11:30 AM Friday 08-08-08.. decided to
\nget myself a hotel room .. and did.. the Kalish Hotel.. NICE
\nroom.. nice hotel.. RS 250 a night.. and off I went to find
\na way to Kargil..<\/p>\n

Well it took me several hours to figure it out.. I could
\nnot get any help.. this Taxi Union has Padum \u2018locked up\u2019..
\nno one would assist me as to how to get a bus.. they want
\nyou to take their taxi from RS 8,000 up to RS 11,000 (this
\nyou can divide amongst several so it works out to 7 in a
\ntaxi and divide it out)..<\/p>\n

FINALLY I found out what to do.. BUT I could NOT ride ONLY
\nto Kargil.. \u201cWe have NO seats to Kargil.. ONLY seats to
\nLeh\u201d.. so I was more or less.. and it is not all bad..
\n\u2018forced\u2019 to go to Leh..<\/p>\n

For RS 600 I now get to ride the road to hell in a bus..
\nfor RS 600 I get to actually experience the Fourteen Hour
\nride up the road to hell.. for RS 600 I get to get up and to
\nleave Padum at 3:30 AM.. get to Kargil about 6 PM \u2018or so\u2019..
\nthen I get to sleep in Kargil and catch the bus to Leh..<\/p>\n

Having this more or less solved.. I will believe it when I
\nam ON the bus and the bus is ROLLING.. I went to my hotel
\nand did a bunch of washing of clothes.. I was filthy and
\ndirty from the dust storm.. it fascinates me how fast things
\ndry in the desert with wind and the dry atmosphere..<\/p>\n

Right now I feel sort of \u2018uneasy\u2019 about the bus.. but we
\nwill see..<\/p>\n

Last night .. as I was here at the internet.. in came
\nClement and Patricia.. we had a good visit.. then this
\nmorning I ate breakfast with the three of them.. watched
\nthem pack up the Royal Enfields.. took more photos and
\n\u2018waived\u2019 them off at 10:30 this AM.. Saturday.. the 9th of
\nAugust.. came here and here we are..<\/p>\n

Last night was an adventure too.. no lights in the room..
\nno lights.. absolutely no lights.. thank goodness I brought
\nmy two large candles..<\/p>\n

Bad night sleeping wise.. Padum is at elevation 3,53l
\nmetres.. or 11,587 feet.. and I can just not \u2018get it down\u2019..
\nof course I am readjusting from Kargil which is
\nlower..<\/p>\n

I have a total of six hours writing Nr. 58 and Nr. 59.. I
\nhope they track all right.. I did have a good look over
\nWriting Nr. 58.. will not have the luxury of looking over
\nthis Writing Nr. 59..<\/p>\n

NEXT UP THE GRAND ADVENTURE UP THE ROAD TO HELL ON THE
\nBUS.. ALL THE WAY TO LEH..<\/p>\n

I have spoken with Konchok in Leh.. he is ready for me
\nMonday night.. I have spoken with Gonjoo in Kargil.. he too
\nis ready for me in Kargil on Sunday night.. he has my bag
\nwatching it for me..<\/p>\n

Well ready or not.. I must conclude this.. I can\u2019t tell you
\nwhat fun it was coming here.. motorcycle.. Tata over the
\nroad truck.. so much fun..<\/p>\n

SO MUCH FUN.. and so here we go.. the leap of faith.. press
\nsend and hope it goes to you..<\/p>\n

MUCH MUCH JOY AND LOVE AND I DO HOPE I GET OUTTA PADUM
\nTOMORROW .. SUNDAY THE 10th OF AUGUST.. I HAVE BEEN HERE AND
\nI HAVE DONE THIS AND I AM READY TO GET OUTTA PADUM..<\/p>\n

I will sign off with joy saying \u2018Thumbs Up\u2019.. Cap..
\n____________________________________________________<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Date: Saturday, August 9, 2008, 12:10 AM Saturday.. August 9th.. 2008.. When I signed off Part 1\/4 of LADAKH .. I was walking down the long driveway from the Jammu-Kashmir… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34,1129,27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-560","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-clement","category-india-2008-india","category-ladakh"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/babakaps.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/560","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/babakaps.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/babakaps.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/babakaps.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/babakaps.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=560"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/babakaps.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/560\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":59457,"href":"https:\/\/babakaps.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/560\/revisions\/59457"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/babakaps.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=560"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/babakaps.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=560"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/babakaps.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=560"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}