Departure

Using Golden Week and some paid leave, I took a three-week trip to the Ladakh region in the northernmost part of India. Many people in Ladakh practice Tibetan Buddhism. My wife has a strong interest in Tibetan Buddhism, and her intense desire to visit was the reason we decided to go to Ladakh.
I was nervous about taking such a long break, so I had casually mentioned it to my boss and colleagues beforehand. However, since the destination was quite remote, a senior member on the same project thought I was joking. As a result, I ended up taking time off, leaving a significant amount of work behind.
Although the title "Tibetan Journey" sounds catchy, our actual destination was India. (LOL)

The Sky of Tibet

The first two nights and three days of the three-week trip were spent in Varanasi, a Hindu holy city in India. From there, we flew to Leh, the central city of Ladakh, via Delhi.
Leh is situated at an altitude of about 3,650 meters, and I ended up with a severe case of altitude sickness. With no real cure, I spent about four days battling nausea and lounging around in bed. Although I knew of altitude sickness medication, I didnʼt take it because itʼs unclear how it works, and I regretted that decision a lot. (LOL)

Leh is a well-developed tourist destination and a very comfortable city. Surrounded by mountains, you can see the rocky surfaces of mountains 2-3 kilometers away with the naked eye due to the thin air. The blue sky is incredibly vivid, allowing you to take stunning photos without any editing. At the foot of the mountains is the Leh Palace, from which you can get a panoramic view of Leh surrounded by the Himalayas. Colorful flags called "Tarcho" flutter in the wind, and it is believed that prayers and scriptures written on them are read by the wind. I bought some as souvenirs and have them fluttering on my homeʼs window frame.

The Holy Land of Motorcycles

After Leh, we visited the regions of Upper Ladakh and Lower Ladakh. This area is known as a holy land for motorcyclists because you can ride through roads surrounded by the Himalayan mountains. We rented an adventure bike called "Himalayan" from the Indian company Royal Enfield and toured around. Riding on winding roads with scenery you could never see in Japan was an incredible feeling.

At a temple we visited along the way, the face of a large Buddha statue seemed to have a well-defined nose like an Indian. However, the people of Ladakh have facial structures similar to Japanese, with flatter faces, which made me feel a sense of familiarity. Some people spoke to me in English, and we managed to communicate with broken English and Google Translate. Next time, I want to study English more to enjoy conversations better.

The town of Turtuk was particularly beautiful. Itʼs an oasis nestled in cliffs along a river, with strikingly green scenery. Itʼs located at the edge of India, very close to Pakistan, and the border is shown as a dotted line on maps due to the nearby conflict zone. Unusually for the Tibetan Buddhist region, Turtuk is an area with many Muslims. Personally, I found this cultural background to be one of the townʼs charms. A side note: many people there have features that are a mix of East Asian and Middle Eastern, making them quite attractive by Japanese standards. (LOL)

We also happened to see a large-scale religious ceremony. Around 100 people were circling a 30-meter tall Buddha statue, singing and performing full-body prostrations. Although it was difficult for me, a non-religious person, to understand, I found beauty in their deep faith.
They reportedly travel 4-5 hours by bus from Leh and spend a week continuously performing rituals.

Crossing the Snowy Mountains

We chartered a taxi to visit the Nubra Valley and Pangong Tso. On the way, we passed through Khardung La, a road over 5,000 meters high, known as the highest motorable road in the world. There was quite a bit of snow, and it was the hot season in the lower parts of India, so some adventurous people tried to cross it on motorcycles. The road was narrow and slippery, making it very dangerous, so drivers would fully cooperate to pass each other safely. When they successfully navigated the road, they would high-five in celebration. I found it endearing and asked the taxi driver why they were so happy. He explained that itʼs a characteristic of Ladakhi people to value cooperation, consult each other in difficult situations, and get through challenges with smiles.
Pangong Tso is the lake used in the final scene of the movie "3 Idiots." The lake was beautiful, but I found the surrounding snow-capped mountains even more breathtaking and spent the whole day admiring them.

Troubles During the Trip

After sightseeing, we spent some free time in Leh. Deciding to return home early, we tried to change our flight but found a notice on the airlineʼs website saying "Flights are not operating." Panicked, we asked other passengers and the travel agency that helped us, and found out that the airline had gone bankrupt. We managed to find another flight, ultimately returning as originally planned. Despite having travel insurance, it didnʼt cover the cancellation, so the return trip cost nearly twice as much. We also had a scare when leaving the country because of a date issue on the visa, but it turned out we were fine as long as we entered India within the specified date range.

Although there was little information about our destination, causing some anxiety, we experienced many things that couldnʼt be done in Japan, making the trip satisfying. I am grateful to my design team for not only allowing me to take a long break but also enjoying hearing about the trip. I have many other places I want to visit, like Central and South America and Eastern Europe, so I hope to take another break soon. (LOL)