[sami316]

Hello Ma'am,

This is by far one of the best TLs that I have come across here. Like everyone before me, I would also like to reiterate that this TL is really well written and the Pics are just mind blowing, Amazing, Awesome, I am falling short of adjectives here. And to do this trip with a 5 year old kid is really commendable. I had been to Simla and Manali last year on my honeymoon and after seeing the pics, I got a really nostalgic feeling. I have traveled with you guys on this journey through your pics and narrative and can't wait enough for the journey to unfold. Once again, thank you ma'am for this wonderful travelogue. Cheers.

[Coooolcat21]

It was running late and we still had to do Dhankar today. We decided to turn back from Talling Bridge as the toss up was between Mud and Dhankar. We voted for Dhankar hands down and turned back.
The following set of photographs are on the drive back towards the Tabo - Kaza Road.








As you all know these Mountains were once alive till they were frozen by the curse of a powerful Witch. Some of them are trying to come alive again, you can see the tortured faces.




The Village of Sagnam


























The Road leading up to Dhankar Monastery.










The Chortens Start. This was a rather ancient one.


The Monastery and its fields seen through the Prayer Flags.









As we climbed up towards the Monastery there appeared to be a storm building up. The sky was darkened by clouds and the setting Sun turned it into a myriad of colours. We got to see some strange Cloud formations.

[Coooolcat21]

The following Pictures are from our Journey from the turn off from Pin Valley towards the turn off to Dhankar. The Sky as I said was putting up a spectacular show. Dhankar Monastery itself was like a castle from a fairytale impossibly perched on the side of a mountain with its fields and farm lands spread out below. As it was late in the evening we could unfortunately photograph the Monastery from the outside and from afar.




The Spiti meandering on in its wide river bed. Its peaceful to watch.


















The Welcome Arch to the Monastry. Please excuse me as some of the photographs are not in order, the huge volume sometimes late in the evening leaves me a little baffled.


Finally the Monastery itself, shot from afar. Hope to see the inside of this soon.


























The Roads and the Sky on the way back to Kaza.

[Coooolcat21]

This is the final set of our drive back from Dhankar to Kaza. I have touched up some of the pictures to enhance the magical setting of that evening. We were driving back alone, without a soul in sight and the evening was out there.






























We had our Dinner and hit the sack early. Tomorrow was the big day when we visited the Kye Monastery and then drove on to Gramphoo via Losar. There was some talk about camping at Chandra Tal for a night, But a call from one of my brothers friend's office regarding some crises forced us to cancel these plans. He worked abroad and it would take him some time to get to Delhi and a flight out, from Kaza. We had to hurry back to Civilisation.

[Coooolcat21]

@laluks,
Well could not visit the mummy of Gui in this trip.
@Fazal Ji,
Thank you so much again.
@sami316,
Thanks a lot. Keep reading as there is lots more to come.

As my son starts school,I shall get a bit busy hence will continue updating the lag in a couple of days. In the meantime I hope you all enjoy the pictures taken by my son from a Nokia phone all along this trip. The phone helped us in keeping him away from our cameras and happily engaged in doing his bit of photography.

The beautiful roads














Picture of the lovely dogs was taken ,so that he could show it to our pet german shepherd.








Jewellery being sold outside the dhaba at Losar.

[Coooolcat21]

He loved taking pictures of the cars. Parked while we wait for the landslide to be cleared.








The subjects within the car to be photgraphed.








Getting directions.


















Tanglang La






Shanti Stupa

[Coooolcat21]

I am very proud of my little boy's work.



Tanglang La

[Jignesh]

Originally Posted by Coooolcat21

I am very proud of my little boy's work.

Hello Coooolcat21,

No doubt about it. You should hold you head very high.

The pictures clicked by your son from Mobile camera are amazing. Especially considering he fact that he is just 5 years old. I understand you may have deleted may pictures taken by him, but the ones you have posted above are genuinely wonderful set of pictures that can be clicked by a 5 year old kid.

Thanks,

[Coooolcat21]

We got up early as usual, to grab a quick breakfast and leave towards Kye and onwards to finally join NH 21 at Gramphoo. It was a big day and we were apprehensive about the road condition on the way. We had been informed by some people in the Hotel that the road had been closed often in the past few days due to land slides and to expect delays. We had the regular breakfast of toast, eggs and aloo paranthas with sour curd topped off by milky tea. If there is any compromise on the trips to Himachal and Leh, its the food, once you leave the bigger towns, you need to keep a philosophical attitude towards it or it gets to you. .

I took a few snaps of the surroundings while we were getting ready from the roof of the Hotel that are posted below. We thanked the staff for their help and good nature through the two day stay and left towards Kye, but before that we had to do a quick visit to Kaza Monastery itself that was about a kilometer into town from the Hotel.

The Morning Light hits the Mountain Tops as we leave Kaza.








A man walks to his work place, a beautiful and peaceful transit that we all envied him.




The Chortens outside the Monastery, it appears that the Monastery Property lies on both sides of the road. These Chortens are across the road from the main Monastery itself.


The main Monastery Building. Its a Modern Concrete building made to resemble the Wooden Structures from another land and another time both out of reach.


The Interiors and the Icons inside the Monastery.




The Serenity always gets to you.


Everything is made up of bright Colours.








These cave like structures appeared to be far older than the Monastery itself. They looked like places where the Monks would go to commune with the big man himself.




The Decorative Main Door. I just could not get enough of them.


Some more snaps from the Inside of various motifs.

[Coooolcat21]

We took this last picture of the Chorten across the road from the Monasterty and left towards Kye.


The junction where we would have to come back to to go towards Kunzum La. This was a Temple close to it.






Prayer Flags help keep the bridge up and us running, the direction-sign shows the way


The Kye Monastery.


Closer.








The steps leading to the upper floors looked really ancient and were smooth with use.


Scenes from the Roof.


The Golden Roof like a Pagoda.


Decorations on the Roof. They had religious significance.








The road looping up from down below.


Snow Capped Peaks.


Prayer Wheels, my son now knew what exactly to do with them.


The inside of the main Monastry, as preyers were on we were not allowed to photograph inside. We also hesitated to walk in so as not to disturb the Monks who were totally engrossed in the singsong humming of the prayers.


From the Outside.




A kind Monk who gave us spice tea at the Monastery.


Ancient scriptures hand written on hand made paper.


Symbols on the outside.




These had us baffled.

[Coooolcat21]

Hi Jignesh,Thank you so much. My son took pictures all day long so you can imagine that how many I have deleted. But a few that I have put up here were the best.regards.

[samarjitdhar]

I have been quietly admiring your pictures till now letting the story unfold. Dang why do I have to check these travelogues when I am in office . Makes me want to drop everything and drive to these places. Super stuff. And yes about the pictures that your son took, all I can say is like mother like son . Rated 5*.

[Coooolcat21]

More totem like structures on the roof of the Monastery










This apparently is the Governments contribution to the beautiful Monastery. We saw similar statues of the Buddha with the same 'Atulya Bharat' message outside most Monasteries in HP.


A chorten outside the Monastery with the Spiti in the background.


A Sculptured motif on the Door.


The Monastery as we depart


We descended from the Monastery, after a cup of tea at the Canteen situated just outside the Monastery, and headed back towards the Bridge across Spiti towards Kunzum La. We carried with us a couple of Lamas who wanted to be dropped off near this bridge to make their way onwards towards Kaza. Due to this we did not stop anywhere to click anymore snaps additionally we felt we were running a little late and had decided to hit the road for a while without stopping. However the landscape turned so wild after some time we simply broke this rule and here are the results though not as numerous as our other rides.




Meant to be there.




The erosion in the soil was surprising, guess the flow just post winter must be fast and furious.






It was really desolate and the land required you to stop, gape and try to take it all in if possible. We started to hate deadlines and schedules.

And Civilization, though still desolate.




A Hindu Temple.




Mysterious Dark Mountains.


Farming.


Some one to watch over us.




Looping Roads.

[Coooolcat21]

We continued on towards Kaurik and the open Monastery there, the landscapes were as before simply breathtaking.






184 'Prani' Only, not 'Manushya'!! Think the census must have been done in Winter and under all that warm clothing the Official may not have been certain of the Gender let alone the Species. . That is my considered speculation of the matter !




It starterd looking more and more like the Leh Landscapes and less like HP












This was a Monastery near Morang and housed a school to teach young Nuns. Once again the anxiety to cross over to Gramphoo before dark forced us to abandon the urge to go in and explore.












A Chorten as a traffic turnabout


A dream Bridge.




And we drove across it.














One more of the same just to press home the point

[Coooolcat21]

I would please like to request the Moderaters to shorten the length of the pages as I am posting many pictures and its getting more and more difficult to download the page .Thanks and regards.