Heaven on Earth

Have you seen heaven on earth? I have !

  

 

....arid mountain breeze, picture-perfect Gompas, colourful prayer flags enfolds this magical land of 'High-passes'.
Like many, I too am a travel enthusiast and Leh-Ladakh has been amongst the top places in my travel bucket list and finally in the fall of 2013 I visited this intriguing, 'freezing high barren landscape'. Yes, this was my first impression as I got down at Leh airport.
There are many ways to reach Leh, most starting from Delhi, So my sister & I flew from chennai to Delhi and yes, unfortunately we chose the boring & the easiest one, the daily morning flight from Delhi to Leh.

This is one place to where one cannot just pack a bag & leave. We were warned to give acclimatization utmost importance and factor in day 1 just for that. We had to start taking Diamox tablets 2-3 days prior to our trip to aid acclimatization and treat altitude sickness like nausea, breathlessness etc...along with this good SPF sunscreen is a must.

First Sight as you come out of the airport

As we got out of the airport, we were received with a placard, warm smile & friendly hello :) ....these 2 attributes were something we got to see throughout our trip, people of Ladakh are very friendly & content, we city dwellers can learn these qualities from them.

From here we were taken straight to our accommodation, we stayed at Hotel Tso-kar on Fort road, my sister was keen on a place closer to the countryside but i managed to convince her that we should stay near the market...attributes of a born "shopaholic". 

As advised or rather ordered after a light breakfast we slept the rest of the day off, also thanks to the long journey from Chennai to Leh.

Hotel Tso-Kar 

That evening we explored the area around our hotel & shopped a little at the Tibetan refugee market...the colourful red & turquoise set in Tibetan silver jewelry are very hard to resist...asked around & made plans for the next day..oh I also made a friend, a fellow jewelry designer, a native but works out of London and has a shop in Leh during the summer.

Day 2 was dedicated to the rich artistic creations of the Buddhist ex-Kingdom. Our hotel manager sweetly made all the sightseeing arrangements & permits required & also gave us a great deal :-D

We started to Alchi Monastery, en route our first stop was "Kargil Hall of Fame", do I need to say more...

 

Hall of Fame

View from Hall of Fame

Our next stop was the 'Pathar Sahib Gurudwara' - 

After a peek at the Magnetic Hill ( I still think it was gravity) we finally headed to Alchi Monastery/Alchi village, one of the oldest monasteries in Ladakh situated on the banks of river Indus, know for it well preserved wall paintings. Our next stop was Likhir monastery.

Alchi wall painting 

Alchi Monastery

Indus  from Alchi

Mane/prayer wheels - Alchi

           

Likhir Monastery

Likhir Monastery

Likhir Monastery

                     

           Future Buddha - Likhir 

       

The next day early in the morning we set out to the famed Pangong Lake, after a few hours across steep uphills & very rocky roads the view we got to see made it all absolutely worth it..I just cannot explain the magnificence of what we saw in words, nor can picture capture the magnanimity of this splendor. We were told, true essence of this place can be got only if we camped there at night, unfortunately for which we had no time. But for the few hours we spent there itself we got to see many shades the sparkling water camouflaged into. 

 

 

 

3 idiots climax scene location

Changla-pass, Sangam (the spot where River Indus & Zanskar meet),  glaciers, greenery & water that follows you everywhere are other things we got to see en route. Unlike many places in India,people of Ladakh surely understand the value of water & know how not to abuse it. We also saw a mountain of multani mitti, of course multani mud trafficking happened.

Our last day at Leh was spent in leisure, while my sister decided to hire a scooter & visit more monasteries like Thiksey, Hemis, Shey & Shanti stupe; I spent a lazy day exploring the market & picking up souvenirs.

 

Sangam of Indus & Zanskar

 

 

Shanti Stupa

 

Thiksey Monastery

Future Buddha - Thiksey

In our excitement to visit Leh, we did not realize that out of our 5 days trip, 2 days actually goes off in getting to & from Leh, so we actually have only 3 days there, one will need a minimum of 5-6 days in Leh. So we did not get to visit Nubra Valley, camp at Pangong or ride up Khardung-La - the highest motorable road. 

This is a place one can never get bored of how many ever times they visit...so I might go again & may be next time around I will choose to take a road-trip from Manali to Leh!

10 similarities between Revenge & Ek hasina thi

Amongst all other things,  I am also addicted to english sitcoms & hindi daily soaps. I have been following #Revenge for the last few years and then earlier this year a new hindi series started #EkHasinaThi. Initially I was not too keen to watch it but my sister n mom watched it and I used to sneak a glance once in a while...after a few peeks I realized that it reminded me of Revenge and that is when I started following it fully.
So here is why I think #EkHasinaThi is inspired from #Revenge -
1. Greysons & Goenkas - Power packed influential families/businesses.
2. Money & power thirsty Victoria overrides many relationships & does whatever she has to, to marry Conarad Greyson to achieve her ambition.
Similarly Sakshi does the same & blackmails Rajnath Goenka into marrying her.
3. David & Amanda clark's and Nitya & Payal's families are destroyed to cover up the mistakes done by the Greysons & Goenkas.
4.  Not so well to do Amanda Clark & Nitya Mitra change identity & become rich , strong n manipulative Emily Thorne & Durga Takur respectively to bring justice to their loved ones.
5. Emily & Durga marry into the Greyson & Goenka family to take revenge.
6. In both, each family member  have their own dirty agenda and does not hesitate to plot against each other to save their own ass.
7. Victoria & Sakshi can go to any extant to protect their son.
8. Nolan Ross & Dayal Takur magically appear to out of thin air to help Emily & Durga to plot n plan thier revenge.
9. Jack Porter & Dev Goenka -  lost & found childhood friends/love interest eventually get involved in helping Emily n Durga to achieve their goal.
Last but not the least....
10. Conarad & Lydia .... Rajnath & Ryma.

10 Interesting & random facts about jewelry

         From the history of beads and jewelry to the science and composition of gemstones, these interesting tidbits provide an interesting and entertaining look at the world of jewelry!

        Jewelry - 

        The word jewelry comes from the ancient      French word joaillerie, which means joy and gladness.

       Earliest Examples Of Jewelry -

         A pair of beads made from Nassarius snail shells approximately 100,000 years old are thought to be the earliest known examples of jewelry.

   

       Beryl Stone - 

        Emerald and Aquamarine are different colors of the  same stone: beryl.

       Moulin Rouge Necklace - 

       The most expensive piece of jewelry ever designed specifically for a movie was the necklace worn by Nicole Kidman in the musical Moulin Rouge. The $1 million creation was designed by Stefano Canturi of platinum and 1,308 diamonds with combined total of 134 carats.

       Cleopatra -

        According to legend, Cleopatra once crushed a pearl, dissolved it in wine and drank it over a bet with Marc Antony. The pearl was reported to be worth about five million sesterces (approximately $12,500).

 

       Gold Nugget -

       Gold nuggets are very hard to find, but the biggest one that has ever been found weighed over two hundred pounds in Australia. The largest gold nugget found in the US was just under 200 pounds in California.

         Electricity + Silver -

 Silver is a great conductor of heat and electricity.

       60 Miles of Gold -
You can make a 60-mile wire out of a single ounce of gold.

       Queen Elizabeth II -

         Queen Elizabeth II keeps her jewelry collection below Buckingham Palace in a special room roughly the size of an ice rink.

       Engagement Ring -

        Tradition of giving fiancée engagement ring was introduced by Maximilian of Austria in 1477. He gave his soon-to-be wife Mary of Burgundy masterfully crafted ring as a promise of marriage.

Boundless

Not writing anything this time, just posting this poem that I came across online....it sounds like someone just wrote it for me.

Colour clouds

I can see them with my bare eyes...I can see them approaching fast...it won't be long before the colour clouds float to me...to colour up my sunset sky :)

10 Jewelry Must Have!

Within 3 seconds of taking you in, people make judgements about you, so why not make a good first impression with a look that is put together and says that you pay attention to style and details ?
Just as every woman needs fashion staples like a black shoe, cocktail dress, jeans or a chic business suit, she needs a few jewelry basics to accessorize her outfit.

Here are 10 Jewelry Must Haves no well dressed woman should be without!

Ear Studs -

A pair of simple studs will help tie your everyday look together and help make even the most casual of ensembles look a little more polished. 
Every girl needs some sparkle and a pair of diamond studs is the perfect way to do that. They instantly elevate your look and adds glamour to your outfit.

Danglers/Chandelier earrings - 

  

 Opt for a pair of standout jeweled earrings. It keeps focus up top, and in most cases, you won't have to worry about wearing any other jewelry.

Stack of Bangles - 

A group of slim, stackable bangles or a single chunky one looks great no matter what you're wearing.

Everywhere bracelet -

Everywhere bracelets are cool and fun and whether you wear it alone or stack it up with another component of your daily arm party, it never comes off.

Bold Ring -

A bold ring can adds tons of oomph with your evening wear and without doubt makes a statement.

Basic cuff - 

Add sizzle to your wrist with a sleek cuff bracelet. 

Statement Necklace -

Jewelry wardrobe is never complete without one gorgeous, slightly over-the-top statement necklace — it gives a fresh pop to any look.

Delicate Necklace/Pendants -

Every lady needs a pretty delicate necklace or pendant that you can slip on everyday with any dress. Layer it up or wear it single, you will surely make an impression.

Boyfriend watch -

Watch has turned into a jewelry piece in its own right. A great menswear inspired watch is the perfect way to ground your girly jewelry. No matter how you wear it - alone, stack it up with bangles/bracelets or with a cuff, it does not fail to style up your look.

Classic Hoops -

Hoops can add the right amount of interest to your looks, especially when your hair is pulled off your face.Size of the hoop influences the look , make sure to pick the hoops according to your personality.

You can add oodles of trendy jewelry pieces to your collection but these 10 jewelry pieces will be by your side no matter what season of the year it is.