\u201cHow long do we have to wait before the car is refueled\u201d I asked Umesh Thakur (our driver for the trip) impatiently for the 5th time, and this time somewhat angrily.<\/p>\n
\u201cBhagwan Jane\u201d(God knows!) He replied.<\/p>\n
So, we are stuck at a the only petrol pump of Kalpa, the last petrol pump on our journey to Kaza (some 200km away) for the last 4hrs.<\/p>\n
Tip 1:\u00a0<\/strong> Patience. Be like the mountains, unmoved by the world that passes in front of you. With nothing to do except seeing the stone quarry (situated just beside the petrol pump) destroying the mountains ,I tried to remember the hectic events of last 48hrs.<\/p>\n Late night flight to Delhi; sleeping in the lounge; catching the flight to Dehradun (instead of Shimla,to cut costs); and a long tiring journey through an uninspiring Shimla to finally stay at Narkanda (a small Hamlet, surrounded by coniferous trees).<\/p>\n Tip 3:<\/strong> Do visit Narkanda in winter, it\u2019s magical and better than Shimla.<\/p>\n Next morning heavy breakfast AND an aborted trip to Saharan Bhimakali temple( the road was bad,and we had a lot to cover up); and then non-stop travel to Sangla. A quick bite and next we were on our way to Chitkul; a small village besides the river Baspa; amidst the forests of pine and fir. Before you enter Chitkul, there is a army camp where you have to show your car\u2019s papers. Do stop here,the beauty is mesmerizing.<\/p>\n A small rivulet in Chitkul<\/p>\n Tip 4:<\/strong> stay at Chitkul if you have time (instead of Sangla or Kalpa). The accommodation available is basic but the natural beauty of the place compensates for it.<\/p>\n Our brief admiration and photography at Chitkul was interrupted by rains. So we rushed back to Kalpa to see the setting sun illuminate the peaks of Kinnaur Kailash in red.<\/p>\n The Kinner Kailash Peak from Kalpa<\/p>\n At Kalpa,we stayed in the midst of a Apple orchard. After a fruitful (literally full of fruits) breakfast next morning, we are now here standing at a petrol pump for 4 hours.<\/p>\n After all these days, I do not remember at what time the petrol tank came; and how our driver managed to get our car fueled amidst the madness and cacophony of other drivers. What I vividly remember is that our SUV was creeping slowly along a barren rocky mountain path (to call it a road would be equivalent to calling Kolkata as Paris); carved along the slopes of the Himalayas (Karakoram, I suppose), with the turbulent Spiti river giving us company all along the way.<\/p>\n With death staring at us at every nook and corner, we enjoyed the rugged barren nature; with a few patches of green fields trying to raise the flag of revolt against the fury of nature. The mountains bear the love of fire and ice for centuries; with jaw dropping sculptures; and paintings etched on the mountain walls as a proof of this eternal love.<\/p>\n The modern art by nature<\/p>\n Now suddenly the car came to a screeching halt.Looking out we could see a flock of sheep coming down the road. With the car perched on the edge of a gorge; and our hearts jumping to our throats; we sat transfixed as one after another sheep crossed our car.<\/p>\n Tip 4:<\/strong> In the mountains,always have a heavy breakfast,and stock up your car with dry food and water\u2026..you never know what lies ahead.<\/p>\n Now, a decision had to be made,and I was always bad at taking them. To our right, a dirt path went all the way to Giu village; where there is a tomb of a mummified monk on display. So a vote was drawn,and the majority decision was to skip Giu. We were already running late due to the petrol fiasco and half an hour \u201clunch\u201d break at Nako.<\/p>\n Folk story of Giu:<\/strong>\u00a0 When you have so much time to idle away (the winter months in Spiti are harsh, and villagers are marooned in their houses for days) it give rises to folklore. I have heard some, and I will share those with you. But to keep this blog short, I have written a separate blog on the sasame<\/a>me.<\/p>\n With the sun hiding it\u2019s face behind the tall mountains, we reached Tabo monastery, the most revered one. His Excellency, the Dalai Lama, has expressed his desire to spent his last days here. It\u2019s a very simple monastery (much modest than those of Ladakh), surrounded by mighty mountains and the Spiti river flowing at it\u2019s footsteps. Sacred Buddhist mantras are inscribed over the mountains; for the local people believe that every time a gush of wind sweeps over the mountains; it carries their prayer to the Gods.<\/p>\n Leaving Tabo behind,we drove along the banks of Spiti. The setting sun illuminated the dark waters of Spiti in a golden glow; with the lunar landscape mountains giving an eerie out of the world feeling.<\/p>\n The Golden waters of Spiti<\/p>\n As we climbed up towards Dhankar, a tiny Hamlet of 70-80 houses, perched on top of a mountain; we could see below the confluence of Spiti and Pin river, magical in the moonlight.<\/p>\n How many times have we heard this in ad campaign of tourist places. We realized this when we stayed at Tashi\u2019s homestay at Dhankar. I have traveled many places,but nowhere had I felt such at home.<\/p>\n Next morning as my friend Surja went to discover the Dhankar lake behind the mountains (a hour trek); I being the lazy of the lot decided to explore the Dhankar monastery. It is a small rustic village monastery, that has seen empires being built and destroyed and is itself now in ruins.<\/p>\n Dhankar village as seen from the monastery.<\/p>\n Tip 6:<\/strong> Visit the monastery to have some great photos of the surrounding; to meet the lonely Lama who stays here all year round and to hear great stories of this place; (You will have to pay a small fee for upkeep of the monastery).<\/p>\n Tashi\u2019s young son, our host.<\/p>\n Bidding adieu to Tashi\u2019s young son,we proceeded towards Lhalung monastery, a hidden gem. The Lhalung monastery, also known as the Golden Gompa is famous for it\u2019s intricate golden artwork; and the legend of the Tree that never dies.<\/p>\n Lhalung Gompa with the Lama, the legendary tree is to right of Lama.<\/p>\n As we inched towards the Pin valley, our eyes were treated with all shades of green.<\/p>\n The young youthful Pin river,with magic wand in her hands lunged forward turning the barren mountains into riots of colors. Green Meadows, with small white pink flowers, and women in colorful dresses working in these green fields.<\/p>\n A mountain village path<\/p>\n When we reached Mud village,we exclaimed in disbelief. It was truly heaven, a place which Gods will envy.<\/p>\n View from the balcony of our Hotel (Hotel Ibex,Mud village,Pin valley). You can see the Parvati peak (snow capped) at the end.<\/p>\n Tip 7:<\/strong> If you love photographing night sky, Mud is the perfect place for it (also to spot the elusive snow leopard).<\/p>\n Gods have time to play but mortals have office to attend. So next day we drove to Kaza,which was the anticlimax of Mud,a dusty small town. Throwing our luggage in the hotel (Hotel Kaza, situated just besides the Kaza monastery and with a great view from balcony), we rushed on a whirlwind tour of the nearby places of interest.<\/p>\n Langza, The Switzerland of Spiti<\/p>\n The statue of Buddha looking towards the mountains ,which overlooks the village of Langza<\/p>\n Komik, The highest Monastery with the highest restaurant by the side.<\/p>\n A monk lost in thought<\/p>\n Tip 8:<\/strong> Do have a quick sip of local tea and sandwich at the world\u2019s highest restaurant at Komik, they are really yummy.<\/cite><\/p>\n Hikkim, The highest post office of the world.<\/p>\n Tip 9:<\/strong> You can buy postcards here and post them home (my friend’s post did reach, but mine didn\u2019t!)<\/p>\n The busiest postman of the world.<\/p>\n Kye monastery. Like the monastery of Ladakh, but only much modest. Climb up the steps to get some beautiful views from the top.<\/p>\n When man and nature works hand in hand,it creates magic<\/p>\n Tip 9:<\/strong> Whatever other travel sites says, one day is enough to cover Kaza and it\u2019s surrounding villages (if you are in a hurry). Otherwise stay one night at Kaza; and another one at Langza or Kibber. This is a great place for trekking and camping. Also there are some excellent 2 or 3days trek from Mud village to Pin valley (hope to do those some day).<\/p>\n There are also a few more villages. Kibber (we visited it), Chicham (with the highest bridge in the world), Hikam (not Hikkim) and Tashigong, which you can visit. Kibber is another place where snow leopards can be sighted.<\/p>\n Kaza monastery. Our Hotel Kaza was just on the other side of the road.<\/p>\n Hotel Deyzor restaurant. Do visit it to have a glimpse in the history of Kaza. A glimpse in the interior of Deyzor restaurant.<\/p>\n Tip 10:<\/strong> Fuel up your car at Kaza (incidentally the highest petrol pump of the world), because the next one would be at Manali.<\/p>\n At dinner, we had a heated argument about next days plan. We had planned to go to Chandratal camp the next day. But the horror stories of the travelers coming from Manali disturbed us greatly. The road was very bad,and reaching Manali the day after tomorrow to catch the evening bus to Delhi was impossible.<\/p>\n So next morning we started at 4am. We skipped Chandratal, prayed to Kunzum Mata on the way (at Kunzum pass,where Spiti ends and Lahul valley begins) for an uneventful journey;\u00a0 crossed 3 icy water rapids on foot; pushed the car as it got stuck in a water crossing; waited patiently in the traffic jam at Manali; and ultimately checked in at 11 PM.<\/p>\n Tip 11:<\/strong> Do figure in an extra day or two while planning an itinerary for the mountains,you never know what will happen<\/p>\n Our car stuck in a waterfall<\/p>\n Tip12:<\/strong> The journey from Kaza to Manali is the most dangerous one. Start early as there are many water streams running along or across the road. The water level rises with the sun climbing up the sky and melting the snow.<\/p>\n Tip 13:<\/strong> Never argue with your driver. Remember he knows these mountains better than you.<\/p>\n If you wish about the folk stories of these places, click here.<\/p>\n Best time to visit\u2013 June to September<\/p>\n Distances: Distance is immaterial in these mountains. So I will give you the time to travel between places<\/p>\n Delhi to Narkanda\/Saharan: Day 1 \u00a0I hope you enjoyed reading through the blog above. For more articles written by me, you can follow me either here, or at my Own Blog<\/a>;<\/strong> or at our Community Forum<\/a><\/strong>. If you are planning a trip to Spiti valley and have some questions seeking answers; please feel free to comment and ask; and I will be happy to answer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Spiti Travelogue, a journey to the land of the gods. A place standing still in time; where everything seems to be straight out of a painting. It…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":13228,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13198","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lahaul-spiti","category-travelogues"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/vargiskhan.com\/log\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/spiti-travelogue-1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n
\nTip 2:<\/strong> Always fill up your car\u2019s fuel tank at Sangla \/ Shimla, keep an extra liter of petrol.<\/p>\nDay 0 & 1:<\/span> <\/strong><\/h5>\n
Day2<\/span> <\/strong><\/h5>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nWhere nature is a painter<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nThe Mummy of Spiti Valley<\/span><\/strong><\/h5>\n
Tabo Monastery<\/span><\/strong><\/h5>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nAtithi Devo Bhava – Guest is like God<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nThe Mud village<\/span><\/strong><\/h5>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nKaza<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a> <\/a><\/p>\nKaza to Manali<\/span><\/strong><\/h5>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nConclusion<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n
\n
Ideal itinerary<\/span><\/strong><\/h5>\n
\nSangla\/Chitkul: Day 2
\nKalpa: Day 3
\nDhankar (no point of staying at Nako or Tabo, Dhankar is just fabulous): Day 4
\nMud,Pin valley( u can add a day or two ): Day 5
\nKaza( can add another day for stay at any of the nearby villages): Day 6
\nChandratal lake camp (book ahead): Day 7
\nManali: Day 8
\nReserve day: Day 9
\nWe completed the tour in 6days !!!<\/p>\nAcknowledgement<\/span><\/strong><\/h5>\n
\n
Spiti Travelogue – Conclusion<\/span><\/strong><\/h5>\n