When you arrive in Leh, you descend rapidly along the north side of the city passing within only a few hundred feet of rocky desert peaks below. I could literally feel the updrafts lifting the plane as we passed each peak in succession.
After banking hard to the south and aligning East, we descended rapidly and touched down. The plane threw powered down its engines lifted its flaps and applied brakes with force. As we taxied down the remainder of the short alpine runway and turned abruptly to the North before coming to a stop in a fenced in area surrounded by barbed wire and military barracks, the familiar Kingfisher red stairway rolled towards the forward door of the plane. As I stepped out, I joked to Kate than I was jumping out of a plane at 11,000 feet. As we descended the stairs, the hairs on my arms stood on end for the first time in months.
It was brisk, the air was thin and the backdrop was breathtaking. The peaks we'd flown over during our descent now towered over us in a 360 degree panorama the likes of which I'd never experienced. With Tibetan prayer flags flapping in the wind, we made our way towards the bus which carried us to the terminal.
We registered with the local immigration officers and signed a sheet of paper indicating that we didn't have any of the H1N1 flu symptoms before proceeding out the terminal to our waiting cab.
A short 5 KM from the airport we'd arrived at the Hotel Lasermo www.lasermo.in. As we walked in, traditional sashes were placed around my neck, the luggage was taken by the bell hop and I was escorted directly to the dining hall for tea and an omelet. Kate and I sat, "took rest" and acclimated to the altitude for the better half of the morning before returning for lunch and heading out for a walk into town.
Thursday afternoon I purchased a new wool hat, wandered the town and took pictures documenting the tiny city situated in an absolutely breathtaking backdrop.
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