Day 8 – Nubra Valley
The next morning, we started off for the sand dunes post breakfast. On reaching the designated spot, Selvin and Vinod gave us a short crash course on the basics of off-roading and sand off-roading. A bunch of Scorpios and a Thar were chosen for the off-road activity, the rest being parked away. Tyres pressure was reduced for a wider contact patch with the sand. Everyone took turns to drive on the trail, and when not driving, others posed for pictures on the empty road surrounded by the dunes. We also got some Bollywood trivia as this was the very spot where a portion of the ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’ bollywood film was shot. Some from the gang also took to ATV rides that were on offer. After all the adventurous stuff, we had a few photo sessions before heading back. We stopped at the Desert Himalayan camp for lunch, where we were also treated to a traditional dance performance by the locals.
Post lunch, we hung around for a while at the camp premises for a while. Later, some participants decided to return to camp while a few of us decided to pay a visit to the Maitreya Buddha at the Diskit Monastery. This statue of Buddha is really a sight to behold. It faces the Shyok river and is 106 feet high. It can be seen from almost anywhere and is said to protect the Diskit village around the monastery. After returning to camp, the evening comprised of dinner and a bonfire before retiring for the night.
Contd…
