Leh-Ladakh, June 18, 2017

Chintu Travels Day 10.

Cycles!

Todays day had a checklist​ to complete, 
* Get an Inner Line Permit
* Get bus tickets to Pangong Lake
* Cycle.

We woke up earlier than usual because everything on the checklist above was mandatory. The permit office opens only for a limited time on Sunday, I reached there within 30 minutes of opening and as expected a Queue!

Things are a lot more efficient here in Leh even without no connectivity, I think it's the people here. I had about 10 people ahead of me and I still got my permit in 20 minutes, I was expecting a lot more.

Lunch was at Tashi Restaurant in main market, a Tibetan restaurant run by an extremely friendly old couple with the food being the best, it's a pity that a lot more touristy restaurants nearby have more crowd.

We have this habit of not moving from the habituated taste.

We got some shitty cycles for a heck lot of money and moved to the bus stand, got our tickets and then happily rode downhill to Choglamsar, a neighboring town with roads going to Stok,( The current residence of the royal family of Ladakh ) and Thiksey Monastry.

The ride to Stok was tough even though it wasn't a steep climb, 30% less oxygen is a lot less, we ended up having a heavy meal at the only restaurant there, the cafeteria in the palace, I helped the cafeteria people who are new here to figure out a cheap trip to Pangong and they let me in for free to the museum. :)

A photoshoot followed beside the river indus and then a tired uphill ride back to Leh, followed by a rest to recover the mild altitude sickness from the cycling, and then the search for good internet to upload this post ends the day.

I hope I'll have some connectivity tomorrow, as we'll be in a bus for 6 hours and then a night stay near Pangong lake.