Street Photography: Faces of Ladakh

Ladakh is special for many reasons…the Mighty Himalayas, the cold desert, the lack of oxygen, the remoteness, the Buddhist culture and its people. The people of Ladakh are very hospitable and have a smile on their faces even in the toughest climatic conditions. This winter, I spent 2 weeks in Ladakh and got to mingle with people from different regions of Ladakh – Leh, Zanskar Valley, Lamayuru, Changthang Cold Desert and Nubra Valley.

 An elderly Buddhist with his prayer wheel

During these interactions, I saw them in different moods and engaging in different activities. Even though I mostly took landscape shots during these two cold weeks in Ladakh, I managed to take some street and portrait shots. The one above and the ones below are a selected few of the different faces of Ladakh.

Ladakhi women – old and young outside Lamayuru Monastery


A Zanskar Family


Road workers enjoy a game of cards


A happy Zanskar Kid

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Zanskar Arts: Leh’s Prime Pashmina Shop

Shopping in Ladakh is incomplete without purchase of the rare Pashmina shawls, the knotted silk Kashmiri carpets and the Buddhist religious artefacts. Though, it is very difficult to find a place that sells authentic forms of these goods. To give you an example, there are hundreds of shops in Leh that sell the Pashmina shawls and that even pass the 'ring test’ (where the entire Pashmina shawl passes through a finger ring without getting stuck), but they are clever copies of the original.

To check the authenticity of Pashmina material, either take a knowledgeable local with it while shopping or wear it and see how fast you get warm in it. If you feel very warm in less than 3 minutes, then it has more probability of being original Pashmina material. If you still have doubts, do check out Zanskar Arts on Leh’s main market. This shop sells original stuff, but can be a bit pricey. However, you can strike a good deal if you bargain hard. Me and my friends went to this place after our local friend recommended it to us. In fact, we got lucky and our local friend joined us when we went shopping here. Since our local friend joined us, we ended up getting a slightly better cost deal. While we were checking out the wares, the shop owner showed us both original Pashmina shawls and lookalike Pashmina shawls and how both of them pass the ‘ring test’ and weigh about the same. The original Pashmina shawl can cost anywhere between 2,500 rupees to 80,000 rupees depending on the handiwork in it.

In addition to having original Pashmina material like shawls, stoles and sweaters, Zanskar Arts also has a great collection of silk knotted and woven Kashmiri carpets. These carpets come in various sizes like 3 feet by 5 feet, 6 feet by 4 feet, 10 feet by 12 feet and others. The silk knotted carpets are more expensive than the woven ones. And if the knots are more per square inch, then the price increases. To give you an idea of the price, a higher knot silk carpet of size 3 feet by 5 feet can cost you upwards of 45,000 rupees. This shop has carpets ranging from 5,000 rupees to 5 lakh rupees. And the best part is they deliver these carpets free of cost to any location in India.

Apart from Pashmina shawls and Kashmiri carpets, Zanskar Arts also deals in jewellery, gem stones and Buddhist artefacts. Their jewellery collection is quite exhaustive with rings, chains, pendants in diamond, gold, silver, precious and semi precious stones. In terms of Buddhist artefacts, they have Prayer wheels, hand beaten and machine made prayer bowls, large size statues of Buddha, Buddhist trumpets and others.

Apart from having a shop in Leh’s main market, Zanskar Arts is also present in North Goa. If you are unable to find the place, you can call 91 97642 67948 and ask for directions. While shopping here, keep in mind that this is a Kashmiri shop who keeps hefty gross margins and hence remember to bargain hard. If you seek cheaper options or smart copies, then there are a lot of options you will find in the Leh Market especially in and around Moti market.

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Peruvian Night Activities

Visitors and locals alike in Peru can enjoy a wide range of night activities including the usual fare -- discos, clubs, concerts, and more -- as well as unique chances at reel deal slots to play in a Latin America Poker Tour event. Lima plays host to many of the best night activities in Peru, offering the chance to enjoy a bit of everything in a typical night out on the town, with something to cater to all tastes and preferences.

The three main areas of Miraflores, San Isidro and Barranco are the main hubs for nightlife, with each offering a slightly different spin. Miraflores is the home of many live music bars, discos, and clubs, with Parque Kennedy and the Larcomar shopping mall primary destinations. San Isidro is more upscale and subdued, while Barranco is the standard destination for tourists and locals to head to when looking to enjoy a big night out on the town.

As far as tips for enjoying night activities in Lima and other cities in Peru, you should keep a few basics in mind. Many clubs and discos don’t start filling up until well after midnight, so plan accordingly and don’t head out too early. Most clubs charge a cover fee and many have a dress code, so don’t expect to get into the best clubs if you’re wearing shorts and flip flops. The club scene can be a fickle one with the “in” places to be falling out of favour in just a few weeks or months, so be sure to ask around as to the best clubs to go to and don’t just rely on travel guides that might be badly outdated.

If you’re not into the club scene there are still plenty of night activities to enjoy, a little subtle than living in Las Vegas and experiencing their casinos and clubs though, or enjoying a night at the theatre or at dance shows highlighting some of Peru’s top dance troupes. Numerous museums also host regular activities and opera houses can also be found throughout Peru, offering the chance to spend an enjoyable evening in many different ways in the country.

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Hotel Ranmuthu–A good budget hotel on Colombo’s Marine Drive

It is quite a tough job to find a decent budget hotel in any new city. Everybody seems to entice you to stay with them and most of the reviews on the internet seem to be cooked up. Some bloggers help you find good places, but for that we end up spending quite a bit of time on online research. I came across Hotel Ranmuthu during my last backpacking trip to Colombo. I had never heard of this hotel before and did not have any time for an online review as it was a last moment decision to travel to Sri Lanka.

 
It was my van driver who recommended this place when I landed at the Colombo airport in the wee hours of the morning. Even though it was quite late in the night/early in the morning, the reception was very cooperative in helping me check the various rooms and spoke English well. This meant two of my initial hurdles were overcome. The price for the rooms here is between 1000 and 4000 LKR depending on Single, Double or Triple occupancy and AC vs. Non AC. Again, this fitted into my budget. I opted for a single Non-AC room as I was promised that there were no mosquitoes. And true to their word, there were no mosquitoes. May be, it was the lean season for the mosquitoes. But, generally, Colombo is known for its mosquitoes and that’s why most tourists opt for AC rooms or lather themselves in mosquito repellent cream. By this time, the tiredness had got to me and I crashed with not even an inkling of an idea of the specialities of this property.

 
It is when I woke up that I realized that Hotel Ranmuthu is a sea facing property. In fact, my balcony on the 5th floor offered me great views of the Indian Ocean and the beach railway line. And when I walked outside of the hotel property, I found out that I was very close to the main business district of Colombo. All the large malls like the Crescat Boulevard, cinema complexes, five star hotels, the marine drive, the city’s best restaurants, the Fort railway station, Pettah and most of Colombo’s prime sites are a short walk away. And since it is on the Galle road, one can easily find buses and Tuk-Tuks (3 wheeler taxis) to move around. I stayed at this hotel for 3 days and 3 nights and thanks to its prime location, walked across most of Colombo’s prime areas and relaxed watching the open ocean while I was at the room.

 
The only weak link about this place is the lack of an in-house restaurant. But, with so many restaurants a stone’s throw away, I never found it to be a problem. In summary, I would definitely recommend this place to a budget traveller. The rooms and attached bath and toilet are clean and I didn’t face a single problem. Only word of advice is don’t get offended by the old paint of the hotel exterior. The interiors are pretty decent. If you are interested to book your stay here, the contact numbers are 0094 11 2433986 and 0094 11 2433989. And the address is 112, Galle Road, Colombo – 3.

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Guest Post: Europe’s best cities for a winter break

European city breaks in winter differ dramatically from those in summer. If you’re looking to explore gardens, relax in street cafes or stroll along river banks, a city break in winter may not be for you. But if your ideal trip involves visiting museums, galleries, enjoying cultural events or sheltering from the weather in a spa then there really isn’t a better time to get out and explore some of the most stunning cities Europe has to offer.

Here are four favourite European cities for a winter break; some with the Euro and some without. Either way, before travelling it’s important to keep up to date with exchange rates when changing money at a bureau de change. With your money sorted all you need to consider is the sights you’ll see.

Berlin
Berlin is great for exploring. You can get out and see the historical past of the city by visiting sites such as the Berlin wall, Checkpoint Charlie and the Brandenburg Gate. If you’re looking for some winter partying, Berlin has it all. Renowned as one of the biggest and best party cities in the world, there are numerous buzzing clubs dotted all around the city. It’s certainly something not to be missed.

Rome
You may think Rome is more of a summer destination. But it shouldn’t just be the weather that’s the real draw for this historic city. In the summer months, visitors flock to the Vatican museums to see such sites as the Belvedere Courtyard, the Raphael Rooms and the Sistine Chapel, but the number of visitors and the length of queues can have a negative impact. Visiting these sites in winter, they’ll be almost deserted and you can enjoy them in peace. The same can be said for the Colosseum and other famous sites of historical interest. Winter really can be the perfect time to visit Rome.

Edinburgh
A city break doesn’t necessarily mean heading out to continental Europe. Edinburgh is one of the most popular destinations in the world, so you’d be foolish to ignore it just because it’s close to home. In winter, visitors can see the sites of Edinburgh castle and the Royal Mile as well as partaking in the famous celebrations for Hogmanay.

Poprad
The city of Poprad in Slovakia may not be the first place that springs to mind when thinking of a European city break, but it’s the perfect place for those looking for a little relaxation and a break from it all. Visitors can sit outside in a thermal spa while gazing at the impressive snow capped High Tatras Mountain peaks. After you can move inside to one of the Aqua bars and sample warming liqueurs while you soak in the water.

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