Back to Delhi

29^th April

The day dawns really clear and I am treated to a spectacular view of the mountains from my hotel window – even better from the balcony, but it’s a bit chilly to stay out there for long.

Another gratuitous picture of Stok Kangri
from my hotel balcony

I have separated out a small pile of items brought for the cold weather, which I do not wish to take back with me.  I am sure that Riga will be able to find appropriate homes for these.  It should lighten my luggage a little.

When Riga comes to see if I am ready and carry my bag down, I ask him if the tip I have put aside for the driver is OK, he confirms it is.  I can hardly ask him about his, and I was unable to find anything useful when I Googled this morning, so I can but hope.

The trip to the airport is quick and uneventful with almost no traffic.

Riga gives me a farewell gift:  a yellow Khata printed with the 8 auspicious symbols.  He obtained this from Bodh Gaya, and it has been blessed by a high lama.  I am very honored and very blessed.

All luggage is scanned on entry to the airport – I am not 100% happy about being separated from my handbag for an extended period and hang on to it until it is my turn to walk through the scanner, but then am redirected to the ladies’ queue and receive a very thorough pat down.  No, there is nothing hidden in my bra.

And the rest of the Stok range

As I check my bag in, I check the weight. 14.9kg.  It should be OK for the Dharamsala flight with my 15kg limit.

As I go through the security gate after check in, I play the foreign madam card with my water bottle – at Riga’s suggestion, because I need drinking water for my cough.  “Is OK” says the lady.

The sign says that due to security precautions, no hand luggage other than handbags and cameras are permitted.  I query this in respect of my cabin back and am told to return to check in to get an appropriate tag for it.  Check in try to direct me back to security, but I politely stand my ground and a tag is produced.

Through security there is again the ladies only lane for a pat down in a curtained cubicle.  Security is interested in my small plastic bag of fluids, so we establish that the small bottles of tea tree oil and aniseed oil are medicine, then he queries the applicator for my canesten ointment.  I explain “for ladies only” sotto voce, and he accepts this.  I am glad.  Having to mime its use was not high on my wish list.

There is an announcement, and a staff member walking through with the same message: everyone is to go and identify their luggage before it is loaded on the plan.  At this point, I am waved aside as not needing to do this, it is for the flight leaving very soon, but subsequently the couple sitting next to me suggest I should go and do so – I am the second last to identify my luggage for the flight.  I have not encountered this requirement before, my neighbour suggested it was because it’s a small airport and several flights leaving at once.  I am more inclined to think that it’s and additional security measure.  Security precautions are everywhere, inside and outside the airport; this is an area where the border has fluctuated much in recent years.  There is a group of young girls sitting opposite who ensure I have understood all announcements – which is very sweet of them.

The flight is finally called and there is yet another stamping of my boarding pass and another pat down in a cubicle – to be sure, to be sure, to be sure!

The flight is mainly cloudy, so I consider myself very lucky to have had the excellent views coming into Leh.

The taxi driver was there to meet me – and had been waiting for some time; he’d arrived early so as to be on time and the flight was late!  The taxi ride definitely required nerves of steel – and that is just for the passenger! 

At traffic jams along the way vendors were selling bottled water, assorted foodstuffs including what appeared to be wedges of coconut and large chapattis or pappadams.  One enterprising young man was selling window shades.  It was not as hot as when I was here last, but still sufficiently warm to say “yes please” to the air conditioning being used in the taxi.

We pass by what appears to be a split bag of fruit on the path (yes, there was one here) and a monkey was enjoying the feast.

Display for "Martyrs Day"

A cardiac ambulance passes us and I do wonder whether such vehicles get much call for their services as a result of the effects of the driving in this crazy traffic.

We pass one area where a number of vendors, with they cyclos have inflated paddling pools and other water play plastic toys.  A bit surreal in this dirty, dry and dusty environment.

In some places along the road there are tropical plants -  I identify hibiscus – looking very dry and dusty but attempting to get a bit of colour and a bit more oxygen into this heavily polluted air.  They do seem incongruous in what is otherwise a very dirty setting.

We finally arrive and I check in at the White House – Yes, I do want A/C, even though it costs extra (but there is no extra cost for the cockroaches)

I do wonder later, as I am about to go to bed, why excessive noise and smells seem to be making their way into my room.  The windows are wide open.  As you would, in a room with A/C.

More than 150 young people have self immolated
in protest of the Chinese occupation of Tibet

After a bit of time to buy drinking water,  eat a very late lunch and catch up with some correspondence, I walked through the Tibetan sector in Delhi and came across a public screening of the Tibetan documentary "A mother's son"; a very disturbing film.

More than 150 young Tibetans, both within Tibet and outside Tibet, many of them school students, have self immolated over the last few years in protest of the Chinese occupation of Tibet and the exile of the Dalai Lhama. The screening was followed by a candlelight procession to remember the boy who is the subject of the film who died only a little over a year ago.

I return to the hotel and the owner’s wife phones him to check on my travel arrangements for tomorrow, which I think I have negotiated directly with the driver, but Tashi assures me it will all happen as required.  He also asks about arrangements in Dharamsala, I assure him that I have made arrangements but thank  him for looking after me.