holiday

You guys know that I went for a holiday to Leh. Well, if you heard me talking to you after that, then you know. But if you haven't, then I get a chance out here to tell you how gorgeous the place is. It's heavenly really. There are these amazing rocky mountains, barren and craggy, capped with pure white snow. At the time I went, the sky was a blue that I have only seen in pictures. Now I have my own pictures with such blue sky taken with my own camera by me.

From Leh, we took a car out and went on these overnight journeys to some places close to Leh. First we went to this lake called Tso-mo-ri-ri. It really is amazing. We stayed the night in room which had two walls made of glass and faced the lake. I definitely will go back there someday. It's a Paradise on earth - you don't even fell your are anyway on earth at all. Take a look at the picture and you'll see exactly how breathtaking it is. The good-looking model there is Dad. l.

Anyway, apart from Tso-mo-ri-ri, we did get round to seeing some really good places, round Leh. We went to Khardung-La, which is incidentally the highest motorable pass in the world. That was fun, to see so much ice all around. It had actually rained just a day before we came, and so the mountains had donned a new cloak of snow. While we were there, we had amazing weather. Sunny and shiny. Infact, during the day, it was so warm, we used to just feel like it was winter in Calcutta. Needless to say that the landscape was gorgeous, especially in such ideal condition.

Tso-mo-ri-ri has a very special memory to it. The evening we arrived by the lake, it was a full moon night. From our room, we watched the perfect orb rise from the far end of the lake, and saw it's reflection of the waters. The picture sadly didn't come out. So it will just have to stay in my mind until forever, and you will have to take my word for its grandeur.

This is at a monastery a few miles out of Leh. It apparently is known as 'cchota Lhasa' because evidently it resembles the original and far grander in Lhasa in structure. We had stopped here at a local shop for lunch. The food was not even edible. But we had a rollicking good time anyway just being away from the sticky heat of Calcutta. Yup, that definitely took the cake!

Well all this is just a glimpse into my fantastic holiday. I could say loads (not a wonder) and this page could run on indefinitely, but well, I will give you guys a break and just round it off round about in a few words. (Fine, fine - it may take more that a few, but just hear me out!) This was probably the best-est (I have to use it the word) holiday I ever went to, and I will no doubt be going back there someday. (Keeping my fingers crossed that all political disturbances cease by then.) Meanwhile, if any of you guys love the mountains - standing in its dignified silence, and can bear to just wallow in their beauty without getting to bored, then Leh should most definitely be on the hitlist. It's really a place out of Earth itself.