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2003-07-16 - Alchi - Lamaruyu (Day 92)

Setting off early, I head through the desert terrain of western Ladakh. A beautiful if desolate ride I was alone on the road for much of the day adding to the eeriness. By noon, I have reached Lamaruyu, which is already on the second day of its two-day festival so I check in to a hotel, grab the camera and spend the rest of the afternoon enjoying the dances.

Lamaruyu is much smaller then Hemis whose festival I'd just visited and the feeling was very different. As Hemis was crowds of people packed as tightly as possible with a large number, perhaps even a majority being foreigners, Lamaruyu was much more relaxed with the courtyard full but by no means packed and a much smaller number of foreigners. The feeling was much more a festival done in a traditional way as opposed to Hemis's shrink-wrapped one packaged for the tourists.

The dances were very energetic which is even more remarkable given the fact that they started at 6am and went until sundown at about 7pm. The dancers whirled, jumped and spun around the courtyard with an energy that was amazing for the time and heat of the afternoon. While again much of the symbolism was lost on me even so, I found the dances very enjoyable.

Again the amazingness of the Internet poked its head in as I met up with an Englishman I'd met in Ranpur more then a month ago going the opposite direction as me but who'd kept in touch by e-mail and planned to meet in Lamaruyu and head off together to Zanskar. With the roads being what they are and the dependability of the mule being what it is, having another bike along and another pair of hands an incredible stress reliever.

Dinner was a bit amusing, as I'd walked down to a restaurant below the hotel. Lamaruyu being in valley and the night being cloudy it was impressively dark after I'd finished dinner and started to head back to the hotel...then the power went out leaving the entire village in complete darkness. A few candles could be seen behind windows after a bit but there wasn't anything to light up the road and the road itself being not much more then a path, I spent an hour wandering around in the dark trying to find my way back when it had only been a 10 minute walk down to the restaurant. I should have learned by now that one always carries a torch after dark as lights are never a given.

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