Leh, Ladakh, India

Our first stop on the Indian leg of our adventure was in Leh, a pretty little town high in the Indian part of the Himalayas. Although nestled in the foothills of the mountains, Leh is 3530 m / 11581 ft above sea level so our first day was spent getting acclimatized to the altitude before exploring. The Ladakh region, of which Leh is the capitol, is incredibly remote. It's a two day jeep ride over near 5000 m / 16,000 ft passes to the closest town of any size. The region is primarily Buddhist, not Hindu, and culturally much more similar to Nepal and pre-China Tibet than it is to the rest of India.

On the next day, we clambered up to Leh Palace, set on a ridge above the town. The Palace was once the world's highest building. Visiting requires a little exploration and a flashlight of your own as there are no maps or guides and plenty of dark hallways, hidden stairways, and ladders. The entire palace was in ruins until recently and the only room that retains its original splendor is the prayer room. As you can imagine, the views from the top are fabulous though.

Even higher up above the palace on the same ridge is Tesmo Fort and a gompa which houses a three-story high Buddha statue. At both, plenty of prayer flags are strung out flying in the breeze.

Shanti Stupa is also high above the town on another ridge across the valley. The stupa is beautifully decorated with bright reliefs of the Buddha and offers a great vantage point for sunset over the valley.

We're staying in Leh for a few days and using the town as a base while we explore the hinterlands towards the Tibetan and Pakistani borders. More on these adventures to follow!