http://kunzum.com Postcards from my India Travels Mon, 29 Jun 2009 05:05:13 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en "We'll be landing in Pune in a few moments. The outside temperature is 37 degrees centigrade". Surely, the pilot was making a mistake. 37 degrees in mid-March! A surprised murmur ran through the passengers. And I, who only two days ago would have given anything for a little more warmth, was ... http://kunzum.com/2009/06/29/going-to-gangotri-but-stuck-in-harsil/ Tusker Taking A Mud Bath in Corbett Many a times, people wonder and debate on the most feared animal in the forests of India. We have been asked this question on multiple occasions and the answer is difficult because when in the mild in addition to the big predators there are ... http://kunzum.com/2009/06/25/don%e2%80%99t-mess-around-with-the-jumbos%e2%80%a6/ In the Himalayan foothills, darkness comes early. It is still only 3:00 in the afternoon and the sun is shining brightly but the mountains are already casting strong oblique shadows. We have a long walk ahead and must make quick tracks if we are to get back to our camp ... http://kunzum.com/2009/06/25/a-walk-in-the-himalayan-foothills/ I am asked this question very often: what do we carry with us when we go to Ladakh? This is what normally forms a part of my packing list, not only for Ladakh but wherever I go to in the mountains (come exceptions would be there in urban areas like ... http://kunzum.com/2009/06/19/what-to-carry-with-you-when-you-drive-to-the-mountains/ To be born in the lap of nature is a blessing of God for me. People frequently ask me about my childhood experiences in the wild and are very curious to know why I chose wildlife as a field of study? Going down the memory lanes, I recall that my ... http://kunzum.com/2009/06/03/the-real-jungle-book-pench-national-park-in-madhya-pradesh/ How often would you find a perfect photo opportunity walking in front of you? It happened to me in Nubra Valley on my way back to Leh. Click on any of the images for a larger view I was driving through the valley on a long straight road being freshly constructed with ... http://kunzum.com/2009/06/02/nubra-in-ladakh-when-a-photo-opportunity-presents-itself/ India would have managed to get even territory from Pakistan during the 1971 war with its neighbour had Colonel Chewang Rinchen not taken a break to celebrate Losar, the Tibetan New Year according to an Army officer I met at the Siachen Glacier. A hero for all of Ladakh, Col Rinchen ... http://kunzum.com/2009/06/02/the-fame-of-colonel-rinchen-from-nubra-valley-in-ladakh/ The mesmerising view of the majestic Himalayas, the mysterious forests flooded with pine, deodhar and saal trees, a diverse variety of flora and fauna, a unique conglomeration of picturesque landscapes and a culture and history full of tales of bravery – this is what Kumaon has been offering to tourists ... http://kunzum.com/2009/06/01/exploring-wild-kumaon-%e2%80%93-from-corbett-to-binsar/ When you are in a war or a potentially conflict zone, your best friend had better be God. That is why one sees a lot of temples at such places where you can die or lose limbs even if no bullets are being fired. Natural or accidental mishaps can strike ... http://kunzum.com/2009/05/25/siachen-glacier-in-ladakh-the-shrine-of-op-baba/ [caption id="attachment_751" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="The snout of the Siachen Glacier"][/caption] It may seem unfair to have a war zone like the Siachen Glacier in Ladakh. Both Pakistan and India spend hundreds of millions dollars every year and lose any number of lives facing off for what may seem like an inconsequential ... http://kunzum.com/2009/05/25/visiting-siachen-glacier-ladakh%e2%80%99s-war-zone/ It is not very often that one gets an opportunity to meet someone of the stature of His Holiness, the Twelfth Gyalwang Drukpa, head of the 800 year old Drukpa lineage. I did for an exclusive one-on-one chat on the eve of his pad yatra from Manali to Leh starting ... http://kunzum.com/2009/05/23/interview-with-his-holiness-the-twelfth-gyalwang-drukpa/ Who would have thought you can go shopping at 18,380 feet? Apparently you can – at the souvenir shop located at the Khardungla Pass in Ladakh run by the Indian Army. And what it claims is the highest souvenir shop in the world. What can you buy here? Merchandise with branding ... http://kunzum.com/2009/05/19/khardungla-in-ladakh-has-highest-souvenir-shop-in-the-world/ [caption id="attachment_771" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="A structure to mark the achievement of building the road across Khardungla and to remember those who lost their lives in doing so"][/caption] Building of the road across the Khardungla Pass in Ladakh at 18,380 feet in 1972-73 was no mean feat. Nothing is easy in the ... http://kunzum.com/2009/05/19/khardungla-pass-ladakh-how-the-world%e2%80%99s-highest-motorable-road-was-built/ It is not very often that one gets to drive on a road at an altitude of 18,380 feet. That is where Khardungla Pass, meaning the ‘Pass of Lower Castle,’ is located on the way from Leh to the Nubra Valley in Ladakh. It is the highest motorable road in ... http://kunzum.com/2009/05/19/khardungla-pass-ladakh-crossing-the-world%e2%80%99s-highest-motorable-road/ Can your car get a life of its own due to some unknown natural phenomena? It seems to be the case at the Magnetic Hill located 30 kilometers outside Leh on the way to Alchi and Kargil. A sign at this spot invites you to stop your car over a white ... http://kunzum.com/2009/05/18/magnetic-hill-near-leh-in-ladakh-is-it-for-real/ Is it Shoja or Sojha? Both spellings are used but let us use Sojha as marked on a milestone. Let the Government have the final word. Like the Banjara property at Sangla, I have visited their property in Sojha twice: August 2007 and recently in May 2009. The main difference between ... http://kunzum.com/2009/05/16/review-banjara-camp-sojha-shoja-near-kullu/ I stayed at Banjara Camps’ Sangla property two years ago and visited the same recently. Did anything change during this period? Yes, they have come up with their 12 room Retreat which is not tented accommodation but a built up structure. There was a flash flood that took away some ... http://kunzum.com/2009/05/16/review-banjara-camps-and-retreat-sangla-himachal-pradesh/ Are you headed to Ladakh this summer? And have about ten days with you? Here is a suggested itinerary for you assuming you are on the road from Manali onwards. Posts on Ladakh Click here to read all my posts on Ladakh so far For driving tips from Delhi to Leh in Ladakh, ... http://kunzum.com/2009/05/16/itinerary-10-days-in-ladakh-by-road/ [caption id="attachment_704" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Image of the King taken at the Ladakh marathon in 2008"][/caption] The Great Tibetan Marathon, the annual marathon that takes place in Ladakh, was flagged off by the King of Ladakh when the 2008 edition took place. Or at least that’s who the chief guest was identified ... http://kunzum.com/2009/05/15/is-this-man-the-king-of-ladakh/ Running a marathon can be a challenge under the best of conditions. Imagine doing so at over 11,000 feet. I had heard of the annual marathon in Ladakh but I was not sure if they ran the full distance of 26 miles 385 yards or did they give concessions to the ... http://kunzum.com/2009/05/15/try-running-a-marathon-at-over-11000-feet-in-ladakh/