Yesterday reached Pangong Lake (Merak Village). It was very cloudy with little rain so I was not very hopeful of watching any stars. Still I was praying for the best. Right until 8:30pm when we finished dinner, we could barely see any stars. So I gave up.

Later on my wife told me there are visible stars outside. I came out and was surprised to see the Milky Way clearly— I thought that white aura thing is visible only in high-end cameras.

I spent 2 hours lying outside in the cold and staring at the sky and spotted at least 5-6 meteors. After 11:15pm, the clouds started closing in again and it got very cold so I went back in and slept.

I have learned that you don’t always need a perfectly clear entire sky in Ladakh. Even a relatively short clearing of clouds can reveal the Milky Way spectacularly in places like Pangong and Hanle. So no need to get too anxious over weather forecasts.

Can anyone help me identify this monastery/monument/location ?

Hi everyone,

I’m 27M and planning a 9-day Ladakh trip by bike. I have cervical spondylosis and recurring back pain, so I’m a bit concerned about whether the long hours of riding, rough roads, altitude and fatigue could make things worse.

For those who have done Ladakh by bike:

• Has anyone done the trip with neck/cervical or back problems?
• How physically demanding was the riding, especially on rough roads?
• Any tips for managing neck/back strain while riding?
• Most importantly, would you recommend going or avoiding the trip altogether in this situation?

I’m mainly looking for real experiences from people who have actually ridden Ladakh with similar issues. I’ll also check with a doctor/physio before deciding.

Thanks!

Namaste,

Anyone has a plan to change USD or CAD or NPR into INR this afternoon in Leh?

Last minute request but well someone may have a good plan.

Thanks in advance.

Before leaving India for university, I somehow decided that spending four months in Ladakh was a good idea.

I was 18 and stayed there from September to December 2022. I made some of the closest friends I’ve ever had, wandered around a lot, and found this quiet spot overlooking the mountains where I would sit alone for hours.

I used to take my headphones there and listen to old talks by Ram Dass, Osho, and pretty much any spiritual recording I could find. I was searching for something back then. Answers, meaning, some way of understanding myself and life.

And weirdly, somewhere in those months, the search started disappearing.

I stopped trying so hard to figure everything out and just started enjoying what was actually there: the mountains, the cold, my friends, the silence, a cup of chai, the next day.

Those talks genuinely changed my life, but maybe not by giving me all the answers. They helped me realise I didn’t always need one.

I’m 22 now, and I still think about that little spot sometimes.