Dreams I dreamt and realised – Ladakh

Each of us is born with a curse – a predominant sentiment that rears its head at almost every occasion.

My curse is ‘disbelief’.

Every day something good happens that I cannot believe – good things seem to happen for no reason at all – like an amazing meal – and if there’s no logic that explains beyond a doubt why it is”me” that is the recipient of good fortune, I refuse to believ that it could be happening…. Until the event is almost over and moves from the present to the past, the scepticism remains – as though by the mere act of believing in it, it might get snatched away from me …

And so here I am at the airport today once again leaving for Ladakh in the Himalayas, 12 hours away from my destination.

And the primary phrase that hovers in my head is “if all goes well”. The curse.

Ladakh. A Himalayan paradise. Wedged between the Kunlun moutnains to the North and the Himalayas to the South – the land of ‘high passes’. Primarily Tibetan culture. Will reach in time for the Ladakh festival … where the culture is on display for the outside world.

The experience of watching Tibetans engage in colorful polo or archery or arranged marriages or move in caravans… seems too much for a single person to acquire in a few short days and I am forced to numb out the anticipation and the excitement.

With 10 kg of backpacking luggage and 15 kg of Nikons and accessories, I feel well equipped to capture the experience into memories that I can relive several times over!

And so, off to Leh and Dras and Kargil …. if the logistics permit …and of course, if all goes well!!

jm

Aug 2011