Kargil was definitely not in my plans. I went to Ladakh last year and got to know that two world famous tourist attractions, Pangong Lake and Nubra Valley were not accessible to Bangladeshi visitors. So, visit to Kargil was my plan B.
At first, I was deeply skeptical about going there but my guide assured me that this would be worth a visit.
I was still under same impression until I reached to Kargil. Believe me, I was totally wrong.
Kargil is an amazingly beautiful town surrounded by mighty mountains, followed by Suru River.
A 218-kilometer long Kargil-Leh highway was beyond beautiful. This exhilarating road journey was a combination of adventure and bliss surrounded by various structured mountains, stunning untouched landscapes, turquoise water of Suru River, zigzag hilly roads and historical constructions in some places.
This trip made me realise one thing that, when you're truly on road, deep inside, you start feeling every part of Mother Nature as your travel partner.
On the way to Kargil, I’d witnessed countless mountains with so many different colors- 50 shades of brown, black, purple, green, golden and what not. The fall colored grass and turquoise water of Suru River added a unique dimension to the scene. Oh! How can I forget?
Before reaching to the town, we went to Kargil War Memorial. This place is a beautiful concoction of emotions, sacrifices and respect.
After entering the rustic town, we finally got the chance to see the faces where 90 percent local population comprises Muslims. They are different from the people of Ladakh. I found the Kargil local a tad conservative by nature. So, we didn’t talk to them much and headed towards our hotel.
The next day early morning, we started our onward journey to Leh after a hot breakfast. Here my favorite chapter comes.
On the way back to Leh from Kargil, we found the road adorned with pink Sakura blossoms (also known as Cherry blossom). I almost screamed with joy after seeing this gorgeous pink beauty. Our chauffeur cum guide stopped us on the road side and allowed us to get some pictures.
When I first saw the cherry blossom path, I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was so unreal, beyond all expectations. I felt like I was in a movie set. At that moment, I kept photo shooting on with every possible pose with this unbelievably beautiful view.
We started again. After few miles, we took a chai break. We stopped at a tea shop where we had the best `Adrakwali Chai’ (ginger milk tea) and the taste was different, blended with fresh air. AHH!
To head to Leh, we had to go through many passes, monasteries and moon land. It seemed like an alien world to me. It was worth by all means to explore the unexplored.
By: Farah Seraj