Nubra Valley Medical work- day 6

Nubra Valley, Ladakh Medical work

Day 6, 20 July 2018 

Bye Bye, Nubra Valley!

It’s time to bid farewell to wangyal’s guesthouse. The early morning air was crisp and cool and a walk down the field towards Nubra river and climb up a tree house was a pleasant surprise initiated by Haw Chou and Vanessa.

It was my first time up a tree house. Imagine, and it had to be here in Ladakh, complete with Ladakhi sleeping mattresses and a lovely view of the Nubra river.

Again. The jeeps. And the 100km journey back to Leh, this time round through another route, much flatter, bypassing Kardhungla pass. This route was interesting as it took us through the old glacier valley. This was on the other side of Khardung. But the pastures on the plains in the glacier valley were fertile with miles and miles of grass. We could sight herds of yaks and horses grazing lazily, scattered across the plains as far as our eyes could see.

Jeanette having her SAO2 taken because she was breathless.

Hairpin turns were aplenty, and road conditions at some parts were rocky, forcing our drivers to slow down to a crawl. I thought it was a great idea to take this alternative route because it showed us a different side of the range.

We stopped at the side of the river for a short picnic lunch and to take in some more sights of take grazing in the distance. Some braver souls (like Vicky) attempted to walk up to one of these ferocious animal and to touch its nose. I was breaking out in cold sweat, seeing her do that. There is a saying in Tibet- 牦牛不是牛 (A yak is NOT a cow, meaning it has not the temperament of a cow).

A shot of this old Ladakhi lady herding her yaks? cows? [Photo: Serene]

The dog shelter near Leh. As we approached Leh from the south we came by to the nearby dog shelter and was shown around by the shelter owner. Apparently these were strays picked up and housed in this shelter for whatever little care they could offer. This was of course May’s specialty and she very kindly donated a huge amount of medicine she brought specially for this purpose.

We didn’t stay long. Stok Palace beckoned and some of us sped the rest of the half an hour journey back to familiar comfort ground in Stok Palace Heritage Hotel where the villas were huge the rooms were grand and the bathroom luxurious, and service was most remarkable. Vinny the waiter once again allowed us the use of his personal hotspot to send our desperate messages and emails. For his kindness, Serene and I gave him a small token of gratuity.

To continue to the next day's adventure, click: "Day 7 - A Day of Palace, stupa and monastery."

To go back to the home summary page, click: "Nubra Valley Medical Volunteer work - a trip of discoveries"

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