My eyes still go back to that panoramic view of having nothing but mountains around, one side with icing, one side without. Mountains playing shadow games with each other; mountains grinning with white teeth, brown gaps in between; mountains with closed fists close to their chest, looking up probably wishing to be higher; mountains looking at you blankly, wondering what the hell you’re doing in their land. There was also this place, viewed best from the monastery in Stanzin's father’s village ‘Matho’, that looks like uprooted from some other planet; I love the alien feel of this place.
So yes, he took me to his father’s village ‘Matho’; known for its different colored soil (he calls it red, but it’s not so :). Kept telling me stories about leh berry, monastery, their kings (who get married to Tibetan, Muslim etc.; liberty at his best), about the new Ladakhi tourist minister who is actually father of a senior from our college, about different trees- poplar, apricot, apple and their uses, something (dzo) smaller than yak, different villages (Stok, Matho, Stakna etc etc). I think I should be applying greater efforts in remembering the names now, all of them unfamiliar, most of them difficult to get in one time.
They told me about this retirement ceremony (now out of fashion), where everyone the poor retiring person knew, would join him and make him go round Ladakh and celebrate. The real reason Bandey uncle told me was to tell everyone, who shouldn't be trusted with credit now ;). He can be funny at times, he just talks less. He retired 11 yrs back (and yes, was part of the ‘Retirement Jashn’); but still continues to go to SESOL. I went there today, and it’s full of red tomatoes. Difficult to remember their names, and them speaking with their killer cuteness, doesn’t make it any easy for me.
I’m just really in the Ladakhi moment today; no other memories coming to bite me from behind. I have to admit that Stanzin was damn right when he said on the Jaipur trip (years back, when we were still in college); that this is “one place you never regret coming to, but always regret leaving it".
The most beautiful sound of utter silence is back. Wind blowing pass your ears forcing you to open your eyes as wide as possible and you try (that’s the best you could do) to take it all in.
29 April 2010
So yes, he took me to his father’s village ‘Matho’; known for its different colored soil (he calls it red, but it’s not so :). Kept telling me stories about leh berry, monastery, their kings (who get married to Tibetan, Muslim etc.; liberty at his best), about the new Ladakhi tourist minister who is actually father of a senior from our college, about different trees- poplar, apricot, apple and their uses, something (dzo) smaller than yak, different villages (Stok, Matho, Stakna etc etc). I think I should be applying greater efforts in remembering the names now, all of them unfamiliar, most of them difficult to get in one time.
They told me about this retirement ceremony (now out of fashion), where everyone the poor retiring person knew, would join him and make him go round Ladakh and celebrate. The real reason Bandey uncle told me was to tell everyone, who shouldn't be trusted with credit now ;). He can be funny at times, he just talks less. He retired 11 yrs back (and yes, was part of the ‘Retirement Jashn’); but still continues to go to SESOL. I went there today, and it’s full of red tomatoes. Difficult to remember their names, and them speaking with their killer cuteness, doesn’t make it any easy for me.
I’m just really in the Ladakhi moment today; no other memories coming to bite me from behind. I have to admit that Stanzin was damn right when he said on the Jaipur trip (years back, when we were still in college); that this is “one place you never regret coming to, but always regret leaving it".
The most beautiful sound of utter silence is back. Wind blowing pass your ears forcing you to open your eyes as wide as possible and you try (that’s the best you could do) to take it all in.
29 April 2010
4 comments:
ohh , you dived deeper into ladakh i suppose ... very nice description i'll say ... been there once with hitler (my dad :P, if he reads this, hes gonna kill me :P) ... didnt get a chance to breath in :) ... next time i'm taking my own conveyance, will be looking forward on getting tour guidance from you :)
respect \__/
I'd love to do that, 2 months and 10 days in that place was a real cultural and historical eye-opener..they've a fantastic history untold even in their textbooks, forget ours..
hmm ... well you should look into yours as well ... i am sure you will find very interesting things ... its just that, people they still live their history in their day to day lives ... thats why people get so amazed ... nothing more nothing less .
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