Manish, the all-in-all in the Reo Puguil Hotel in Nako, was a God send. He not only helped me with the Jio hotspot through the day yesterday and this morning, he was always at hand for help. The dinner last evening was superb and I ordered a cup of coffee at 6.15 am to be followed by a breakfast of bread omelette. Before breakfast was served Manish explained to me the various crops that were raised in the area such as potatoes, peas, cabbage, raddish and cauliflower. The products from Nako fetched a high price in markets as far away as New Delhi. He explained the distribution logistics whereby a agent arranged for transportation and sale of the products that were aggregated by the local farmers. The proceeds of the sale were credited into the farmers’ bank accounts. This arrangement suited the local farmers and many of them had improved their financial status substantially.
Once breakfast was done it was time to move from Kinnaur District to Spiti and Lahaul District, the headquarters of which is Kaza. I profusely thanked Manish, tipped him generously and paid the hotel dues. A couple of days back the stone guard of the car had come off in Kalpa as the lock had given way. Despite that I had driven to Chitkul and Roghi. However, this day in Nako it looked as if I could not delay getting it attended by a mechanic. I was not sure if I would be able to find one in these places. As luck would have it, from the hotel in Nako I took the wrong turn and soon enough had to find a suitable place to turn the car. As I was doing so a group of people motioned to the hanging stone guard and said that I should get it attended soon as the road conditions beyond Kaza would be challenging. One of them told me that I should look for a mechanic in Chango, as the mechanic shop in Nako would be closed at that hour. I thanked them for their suggestion and drove on.
About 10 kms from Nako towards Chango was excruciating with bad road conditions. It improved thereafter and when I reached Chango in an hour the auto mechanic was just opening his shop. He had a look at the damage and said that he would only be able to fasten it with wire and do little else besides. However, in a while he went back to his store and found a lock that apparently suited the vehicle needs. When he was attending to the car I struck up a conversation with a few people who were involved in doing contract works for the BRO and ITBP. They assured me that the road beyond that point to Kaza would be smooth and along plain terrain. I also sought their inputs on the drive from Kaza to Chandrataal and onwards to Kullu as that was part of my agenda in the next four days. In a while, the mechanic had completed the work and he floored me with a charge of Rs. 20! He could have charged me anything and I would have been left with no option but to pay up. The level of integrity is far higher in these areas while it is the dumps in the polluted and corrupted developed cities and towns.
Sumdo is the border of the Spiti and Lahaul District. The post is manned by ITBP. I had to park the car and go to a booth to enter details in a book. I was told that I must wear a mask in the District at all times. In the rarefied areas such as Nako I found it extremely difficult to breathe through a mask. However, requirements have to be followed. The scenery of the stark mountains, intermittent greenery and the rivers framed against a bright blue sky and spotless white clouds is something to die for. I stopped at many places just to soak in the clean air and the magnificence of nature.
The ancient Dhankar Monastery is over 1000 years old, reportedly. It is a fort cum Buddhist monastery complex situated at an elevation of over 12,775 feet. I did feel a bit out of breath in the monastery. The complex is a 1000 feet spur overlooking the confluence of the Spiti and Pin Rivers, truly a spectacular setting for a Gompa. The old gompa has an entrance fee of Rs. 25 which goes towards the maintenance of the old monastery. The prayer rooms approached through low hung roofs, claustrophobic enclosures and statues and thangkas surely beg a visit. Photography is strictly prohibited inside the gompa and only 20 people are permitted inside at a time. The higher points of the gompa offer majestic views of the valley and the confluence of the rivers. The new Dhankar Monastery has over 150 monks practicing the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism.
This morning from the hotel in Nako I had booked a two night stay at Zangchuk Hotel & Restaurant in Kaza. The original route to the Hotel has been closed by the locals protesting too much traffic through the narrow and bustling Kaza market. Anyway, despite many twists and turns I reached the Hotel. Frankly, I was disappointed with the room as it bore no resemblance to what was shown in the booking site. This is something that I have come to dread while travelling in India. The experience in Nako, however, had been refreshingly different.
Jeevan, the hotel Manager, told me that only Jio would give me connectivity while BSNL could be used for making calls. I was stuck either way because my Vodafone connection had been thoroughly useless since leaving Chandigarh. I was assured that I could use his Jio hotspot for any necessary downloads or posts. That would ensure my daily FB uploads. I checked with Jeevan how I could spend the extra day I had in Kaza. He suggested six places of historical and spiritual significance that may be of interest to me.
Later in the evening I went for a stroll in the market and found it busy. Many shops sold Chinese and Tibetan goods that were cheap and looked robust like bags, shawls, flasks, shoes and handicrafts. One of the shopkeepers told me of how they had mentally suffered during the nearly 18 month lockdown. She told me that they could not even visit the gompa for prayer and meditation. It was quite depressing for them.
I finally ended up in the Himalayan Café for dinner. The place is so busy that the waiters and chefs looked worn and tired. I was told that they open for breakfast at 7.30 am and work through till after 10 pm. A tight schedule indeed. I started with a Seabuckthorn cooler laced with honey and cinnamon. The chicken Thupka was so filling that I nearly cancelled the cheese and vegetable momos. They were so delicious that I did not have to struggle, though. At the entrance of the Café it was mentioned that the 'must try' for the day is their fresh apricot and cream dessert. I could never have said no to that. On a full stomach I dragged myself back on the uphill road to the Hotel.
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