Poor Planning.

(Note: still not able to upload my on pics so these ones I 'borrowed' . Thanks to whom ever took them.)

With the rest of the team already up in Leh, only Doug and I were left in Delhi. We spent the day touring around the Old Delhi Market as well as the Digambar Jain Temple and Jama Masjid Mosque. Really cool places. We got to climb to the top of the minaret at the mosque, the walls of which are black from people rubbing against them of for 460 years. The heat was unbelievable and you are not allowed to wear shoes. Even walking on the strips of carpet that were laid down as a path across the scalding stones was barely tolerable. That sapped the last of my energy so it was back to the hotel to watch some world cup.

We had a wake up call for 3 am so that we could make sure we had plenty time to make the journey across the city and pass security for the flight to Leh at 6:00am. The cab ride was insane. Formula 1 all the way, tires squealing on the round-abouts. But, we got there early; 24 hours early. When we arrived at the airport, the army guy at the entrance pointed out that our flight was booked for the next day so we couldn’t enter the airport. Stupid. It is probably down to the lost Friday. However, we managed to find the Kingfisher Airlines ticket counter and change the tickets to that day, for a small fee, so off we went.

Flying from Delhi to Leh is probably the most amazing flight anywhere. On the left side of the airplane, you can look out over the Karakoram Range; on the other side, you are looking at the Great Himalaya Range. All 14 of the world’s mountains are somewhere in these mountains; truly the roof of the world. Not to mention, you are flying into the Indus River Valley, the river from which India takes its name.

One thing about flying into the roof of the world is that you can expect some turbulence. Take-off was HELL. However, it was nothing compared to the landing. The airport in Leh is a military base and so the runways are designed for military pilots, who are obviously crazy. Approach is basically a quick descent from 30000m into a gap between two mountains. It is very disconcerting to be looking out the window up at a mountain slope, may be 500 m away, and you are in a big, lumbering Air Bus jet. You are also keenly aware that, in addition to the mountain beside you, there are also mountains on the other side and worse, in front of you. Rather than hit the mountain in front, the pilot banks hard, more of a cork screw thing, into another gap with a rocky hill may be 200 m of the wing tip, then you are on the ground. Miraculous.

The altitude hit me as soon as I stepped of the plane. I could feel how shallow the air was and by the time I got into the terminal, I was feeling a bit anxious about the lack of air. You are not sure if it is getting more difficult to breath and, if it does, what could you do about it? The whole world around you has less air. Its intimidating. But not as intimidating as the situation we found ourselves in. Stuck at a military airport near the disputed Pakistan border with no contact, no ride, no phone (because we had arrived a day earlier than our previously arranged ride. All part of the poor planning, but that is just how we roll)…to be continued.