The Himalayas of India: Ladakh and Srinagar,
Summer 2013
Page 5 of 13
And...it was the first night that had no clouds. None. Just beautiful, glorious stars. And at 3500 meters/11,500 feet, these stars were vivid, bold, and clear as well. ~~~~ Title: Yugen (Chorten of the Stars) |
~~~~ Title: Heavenly Star Trails of the Himalayas |
"Yugen" translates roughly to "deep" or "mysterious" in Chinese, and in Japanese, suggests a beauty that cannot be described in words: "To watch the sun sink behind a flower clad hill. To wander on in a huge forest without thought of return. To stand upon the shore and gaze after a boat that disappears behind distant islands. To contemplate the flight of wild geese seen and lost among the clouds. And, subtle shadows of bamboo on bamboo." - Zeami Motokiyo Title: Yugen (Chorten of the Stars II) |
~~~~ Title: Cosmic Chorten Star Trails |
~~~~ Title: Leh Palace Milky Way |
~~~~ Title: Leh Palace Reaching For The Milky Way 2 |
After ten days of clouds and seemingly constant rain, the sky was finally clear. Clear, I say! I was so happy. High above Leh near Leh Palace, I watched the moon set and smiled as the Milky Way slowly emerged, one of the first times I've seen the Milky Way in the Northern Hemisphere. And I had the photographic equipment to capture it in all its Himalayan glory at approximately 3657/12,000 ft. in elevation. ~~~~ Title: Milky Way Meditation |
Although I did not return to the hotel until 4 am, I was filled with energy, having experienced the Milky Way this vividly, a fantastic experience made even more potent by the otherworldly call to prayer that I heard at 3:25 am, a call to prayer that echoed throughout the expansive Leh Valley and beyond. And I felt triumphant, finally being able to photograph the night sky - my first Milky Way attempts ever - after nights of cloudy and rainy skies. ~~~~ Title: Leh Fort Milky Way |
The first two times that Tom and I came to Leh, we were crazy about Dogra Dhaba. They had delicious rajma dal. But a couple of Indians told me that Dogra Dhaba was now awful, so I stayed away for a few days, but finally, curiosity got the better of me. I went to eat, and very quickly, a sad realization sank in. Dogra Dabha sucks. The food that comes vacuum-sealed at Trader Joe's smokes them. I tried the rajma dal and bengan bartha, and both were bland. I'd call it a 3 on a scale of 1 to 10, as they taste better than those horrible roadside dhabas along the high passes that serve tasteless yellow dal. I didn't recognize any of the people there, and the guy said that they are all new and it is under new ownership now. How sad. And now, for more random stuff: <no photos from 20 June 2013 during the day> Friday 21 June 2013 - Thikse Monastery: This photo is of the chortens in front of glorious Thikse Monastery. |
 Chortens, Thikse Monastery. |
 There at Thikse Monastery, I spoke to someone named Corey, who graduated from Taft High School in Woodland Hills in 1975. He seems to travel around, but every year, he comes and stays at Thikse Monastery and fixes things, especially where water is concerned. He is going to install drip irrigation at the monastery. He says that the monks know philosophy, but they aren't good at fixing things. And indeed, one of the monks was looking at the amplifier Corey was fixing as if it has dropped there from outer space. Corey lives there about three months out of the year fixing things. |
 One of the monks at Thikse Monastery. |
The view of Thikse Village from Thikse Monastery. |
I have photographed this door every single time I've visited Thikse. This was the third time. |
Remember, follow the little forward and backward autorickshaws to navigate. |
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The Himalayas of India: Summer 2013
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Bonus Page - Manali-Leh Road
Bonus Page - My Kashmiri Family Eleven Shadows Travel Page
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Friday 20 June 2013, third night of night sky photography, continued:
These star trails over the Himalayas capture the movement of the stars. Polaris, the North Star, is in the middle of the vortex, a beautiful heavenly dance that plays out every night. The total exposure here was 29 minutes.
The chorten next to Leh Palace.
These star trails over the Himalayas capture the movement of the stars. Polaris, the North Star, is in the middle of the vortex, a beautiful heavenly dance that plays out every night. The total exposure here was 49 minutes. What I find interesting are star trails such as these that show the curvature of both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
This is the front entrance to Leh Palace, with the beautiful Milky Way on the left, taken a little after 3 in the morning.
The imposing Leh Palace, with the fort on the right side on top of the mountain.
I woke up at 11:30 am after a beautiful evening of night sky and Milky Way photography.
The two-story high Maitreya (Future) Buddha, about 15 meters in height, peers up over offerings.
