A state-dangerous monk
Velvety soft is the hand he extends to us, almost delicate. A warm, engaging smile fills his face, and his penetrating gaze seems to bore into the depths of our souls. You wouldn't immediately expect this from a man branded as a state-dangerous separatist. Yet, that's exactly what the Chinese government accuses this amiable monk of …
Jeepable only
Old Manali lives up to its name, as it turns out. The houses bear witness to a rural simplicity that we feel compelled to associate with a distant past. These must have been imposing structures at some point, these typical farms …
Where the gods live
"At last, they entered a world within a world", describes Rudyard Kipling the moment when young Kim enters the Spiti Valley in the novella of the same name. He calls it a miraculous world, where the dimensions are so vast that even from the debris of the mountains, high hills emerge. "Surely the Gods live here", he concludes ...
Above five thousand meters
Midnight. Through the dusty streets of Kaza, Colonel Pardhan's truck disappears into the darkness, carrying our supplies and luggage, swaying into the night. We are allowed several more hours of sleep before we will follow in his trail. It will take three days before we reach our final destination …
Festival of Sacred Dances
From all directions, they flock in, the pilgrims. Young and old, everyone wants to be part of this second day of the sixth month in the Tibetan calendar. Just like us, because on this day, the annual festival of Sacred Dances takes place at the Phyang Monastery, about fifteen kilometres west of the capital Leh…