We only had just under 100 km planned today to Diskit, Nubra Valley. Our tent attendant, Rashid, took us for a tour around the village, Turtuk. The local language here is Balti (from Baltistan). Before 1971, there were 80 villages, all in Pakistan. After the war, the Indian govt. got control over 4 villages including Chalunka, Turtuk, Tyakshi and Thang. Some families again were split.
We interacted with the local villagers and learnt about their way of life. They use the cold air from underneath the mountain to create a natural refrigerator. Take a look at this solar panel set up to heat the vessel.
They have built canals for agriculture (mainly wheat and barley along with some buck wheat). We took a few pictures with the local people.
Turtuk was also affected during the Kargil war. A number of brave soldiers laid down their lives here. There are memorials on the actual spots where some of them became martyrs. The whole experience is very touching. The villages nearby were vacated during the war and camps were setup by the military in the interior regions along the river.After lunch, we decided to visit the Border, which was merely 5 km away. We were stopped by the Army officials near Tyakshi. This is the last point where civilians can visit. The LOC is just 7 km away from where we were. We could see the snow-clad mountains ahead of us that the official explained were in Pakistan. This was my 1st time visiting a sensitive border. The officials at the gate were very friendly. It goes without saying that photography isn't allowed here.
We left for Diskit. The ride was just under 100 km but the weather was cloudy. Shweta and I were worried it would rain; hence we rode without any break and reached Diskit around 5:20 pm. I realized that I had just crossed 3500 km on my trip somewhere in between :)Our hotel in Diskit has Tata Sky! Catching up on some of the soccer World cup drama now as I write this ... Morning ride tomorrow back to Leh. Bye!
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