A tour around north India on Royal Enfields

[KTMphil]

More to come .....

 

[esspressolungo]

Very nice pictures and report, one gotta love the colors, keep it coming, thanks:RO

 

[2wheels]

Another 'Wow'!



This is an exceptionally good report Phil; congrats and thank you.

By the way, how are the REs handling the conditions?

 

[Loop]

Some amazing landscapes up there near the roof of the world.

 

[KTMphil]

Another 'Wow'!

View attachment 18927

This is an exceptionally good report Phil; congrats and thank you.

By the way, how are the REs handling the conditions?

Will report on the Enfields later

 

[KTMphil]

Curfew in Srinagar








Curfew in Valley, Ramban, Jammu-Srinagar highway closed - Oneindia News




Srinagar, July 19: Curfew was Friday imposed in Srinagar, many towns of the Valley and areas in Ramban district of Jammu while the Jammu-Srinagar highway was closed in the wake of protests after four people died in BSF firing Thursday in Gool village of Ramban district. A senior police officer said: "Curfew has been imposed in entire Srinagar, Badgam, Ganderbal and Bandipora districts Friday. It has also come into force in Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam, Anantnag, Sopore and Bijbehara towns.

Read more at: Curfew in Valley, Ramban, Jammu-Srinagar highway closed - Oneindia News






......more on this later!!

 

[KTMphil]

Back to the ride north to Leh.


Some local ladies out and about outside the village















20km south of Leh








A superb old monastery, I thought we were headed to this one, but we were headed to one more spectacular

 

[KTMphil]

More north, here south of Upshi







Tea in Upshi









Helping Mum wash the cups and plates

 

[KTMphil]

This was to be our one - The 15th century, Thikse Monastery









From Wiki:


Thikse Monastery - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thikse Gompa or Thikse Monastery (also transliterated from Ladakhi as Tikse, Tiksey or Thiksey) (thiksok Nambar tak pe ling) is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery of the Yellow Hat (Gelugpa) sect, located on top of a hill, approximately 19 kilometres east of Leh[SUP][1][/SUP] in Ladakh, India. It is noted for its resemblance to the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet and is the largest gompa in central Ladakh.[SUP][2][/SUP]
The monastery is located at an altitude of 3,600 metres (11,800 ft) in the Indus valley. It is a 12-storey complex and houses many items of Buddhist art such as stupas, statues, thangkas, wall paintings and swords. One of the main points of interest is the Maitreya (future Buddha) Temple which is installed to commemorate the visit of the 14th Dalai Lama to this monastery in 1970. A 15 metres (49 ft) high statue of Maitreya, the largest such statue in Ladakh, covering two storeys of the building is deified in the monastery. A nunnery is also part of the complex.[SUP][3][/SUP][SUP][4]







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[/SUP]










[SUP]






[/SUP]

 

[Ally]

Beautiful colours Phil, great photos.

Ally

 

[KTMphil]

An Italian film crew were filming a documentary at the monastery, interesting to see new technology, they're using a quality Nikon DSLR camera lense on "black box" digital video recording body.
















This little guy was the star

 

[KTMphil]

What a view from the Thikse Monastery

 

[KTMphil]

Classic through the wheel shot near Leh (Border Roads Organization )

 

[KTMphil]

Arriving at Leh and really needing to gas up after 3 days of no fuel stations, just fuel from the support truck









Tried to the Bijoo hotel in Leh, a nice choice if you're up that way but unfortunately full










Managed to gets rooms at the Nivirna hotel








Great food at the Nivirna but the rooms are a little worn








Moved on to the Rafica Hotel in Leh the next day

 

[KTMphil]

A stroll around the beautiful old historic city of Leh



From Wiki:


Leh - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Leh was an important stopover on trade routes along the Indus Valley between Tibet to the east, Kashmir to the west and also between India and China for centuries. The main goods carried were salt, grain, pashm or cashmere wool, charas or cannabis resin from the Tarim Basin, indigo, silk yarn and Banaras brocade.

Although there are a few indications that the Chinese knew of a trade route through Ladakh to India as early as the Kushan period (1st to 3rd centuries CE),[SUP][1][/SUP] and certainly by Tang dynasty,[SUP][2][/SUP] little is actually known of the history of the region before the formation of the kingdom towards the end of the 10th century by the Tibetan prince, Skyid lde nyima gon (or Nyima gon), a grandson of the anti-Buddhist Tibetan king, Langdarma (r. c. 838 to 841). He conquered Western Tibet although his army originally numbered only 300 men. Several towns and castles are said to have been founded by Nyima gon and he apparently ordered the construction of the main sculptures at Shey. "In an inscription he says he had them made for the religious benefit of the Tsanpo (the dynastical name of his father and ancestors), and of all the people of Ngaris (Western Tibet). This shows that already in this generation Langdarma's opposition to Buddhism had disappeared."[SUP][3][/SUP] Shey, just 15 km east of modern Leh, was the ancient seat of the Ladakhi kings.
During the reign of Delegs Namgyal (1660-1685),[SUP][4][/SUP] the Nawab of Kashmir, which was then a province in the Mogul Empire, arranged for the Mongol army to (temporarily) leave Ladakh (though it returned later). As payment for assisting Delegs Namgyal, the Nawab made a number of onerous demands. One of the least was to build a large Sunni Muslim mosque in Leh at the upper end of the bazaar in Leh, below the Leh Palace. The mosque reflects a mixture of Islamic and Tibetan architecture and can accommodate more than 500 people. This was apparently not the first mosque in Leh; there are two smaller ones which are said to be older.[SUP][5]




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[/SUP]




Snake charmers not doing anything without a fist full of Rupees


[SUP]









[/SUP]

 

[KTMphil]

LOADS of bike rental companies in Leh, you're only 30km from the highest motorable road in the world








These rent for about 800 Rupees a day

 

[KTMphil]

Then from Leh, north up to towards the highest motorable road in the road








Bloody amazing view on the way up

 

[KTMphil]

We've been taking Diomox on days we knew we'd be at over 4,000 meteres, today would be 5,600 meters and our second time above 5,000 meters, so up we go









Awesome ride up up up from Leh

 

[KTMphil]

Really like their road signs, they make you think as you're riding along

 

[KTMphil]

Getting near the top, then at 5,000 meters we're stopped while they clear a potential landslide. You can feel your heart beating faster as it tries to pump more oxygen around your body and light headed.








Actually 5,236 meters and stuck there for an hour

















Decent view though

 

[KTMphil]

Finally they let us through and we're at the highest motorable road in the world that you can take a vehicle























A little "chilly" up there

























It is here

 

[aurelandclaire]

Amazing report !

Wonderfull pictures !

We're about to do the same thing in 2 weeks, now we know what to expect.

Thanks so much for your work

 

[KTMphil]

Down the other side and low and behold a Thai lady traveling on her own on a rented bike!









Tea at 4,900 meters on the other side of the pass








Amazing she could work like this at nearly 5,000 meters

 

[KTMphil]

Another epic road sign!








So down the other side, all still feeling a little light headed



(hopefully we'll catch that number plate)























See if you can make out the small houses

 

[2wheels]

Down the other side and low and behold a Thai lady traveling on her own on a rented bike!

Did Khun Som get her story?
Where's she from in Thailand?
Going to?
Travelled from?
Whatever, she's got b........ she's very brave!

 

[KTMphil]

Did Khun Som get her story?
Where's she from in Thailand?
Going to?
Travelled from?
Whatever, she's got b........ she's very brave!

She ll put something together when she gets back I think....all in written note form currently.

 

[KTMphil]

Water seemed to be an issue in some villages, here a group collecting some to take back home








Another good 'un









Tony having some fun on the way down to the Nubra Valley

 

[KTMphil]

A bit of regrouping on the northern side of the pass for the ride north to the Nubra Valley














Windy and still cold

 

[KTMphil]

You have to loop back to Leh to get out of the Nubra Valley, but with this scenery its not a problem doing the same road twice









More pockets of water explaining the vegetation








Some fun switchbacks to end the day






& into the Olthang Hotel just before dusk

 

[KTMphil]

A quick walk around the town


View attachment 19033






View attachment 19034





Not many sellers left at the market


View attachment 19035




View attachment 19036

 

[KTMphil]

This looked a little scary






More prayer stone along the road









One of the cutest shops we've seen

 

[KTMphil]

Monastery in the Nubra Valley







Getting a bit sick of Indian food, with Som being such a wizard in the kitchen, she put some great food together with their limited resources, it made a great change for all of us

 

[KTMphil]

Up to the giant Buddha the next morning and we lucked out with the vizability

 

[KTMphil]

A quick look to see if the camels were around, no sign of them, so lets see if an Enfield likes deep water








Not a problem at all

 

[KTMphil]

After a quick play, back south over the highest motorable road in the world to Leh










Cha stop



















No need for fridges here with glacier water around you

 

[KTMphil]

Back south more unusual signs









The Indian military base about 100km south of the China border

 

[KTMphil]

This was as we as far north as we could get in the Nubra Valley, as the crow flies 72km from the China border















More unusual road signs

 

[KTMphil]

Back south to Leh














Looks like the Austrians couldnt read

 

[robert]

phil, rotang was a smooth ride? no rain, thanks...

 

[KTMphil]

phil, rotang was a smooth ride? no rain, thanks...

Yep ...no problems....we were lucky..