Indelible Memories: Rajasthan to Ladakh

Indelible Memories: Rajasthan to Ladakh



When
you think of India,
what images conjure in your mind’s eye? Perhaps it is the faith of
a million souls or the taste exotic spices; the perfumed smell of
white jasmine laced through thick black hair.

Our journey began in the deep south of India. By train and
rickshaw, we carved a pathway through the crowds, passing women
adorned in a kaleidoscope of colours and men with chestnut skin,
unfazed by the desert sun. And then it was time to take the road
alone. Our transport was a Royal Enfield and we followed the sole
route that takes you to Ladakh, the furthest tip of India. Our
route is mapped out but by no means pedestrian; passing lush
valleys, deep-scoop crevices sink into the depths of the earth,
offset the highest of mountains which appear to surpass the
sky.

Over the course of a few hours, the landscape changes
drastically. Drier and more open, the mountains bare faces carved
out by the wind. With each incline you feel the air thinning and
steep, rocky roads grow increasingly narrow. At the top of each
pass we are rewarded with a small hot chai in a small, weathered
tent – our shelter for the evening.

The climb to world’s highest driveable pass is the toughest.
Only one of us can sit on the bike as we lift it over boulders.
Watching on as landslides happen just metres ahead, is unsettling
to be understated about things. One day we took our eyes off the
road for a matter of seconds and collided with a pile of rocks; a
lucky escape that forced us back into the here and now.

More present than ever before, enduring a difficult but
exquisitely beautiful world, our fascination with those who work
and live in the
Himalayas
has become increasingly profound. Memories such as
India’s gentle people and the sunlight shape shifting over
mountains are imprinted in our minds and frequently reflected on
with both astonishment and awe.

@chloe_massey | @talibjsaleh | @asouljournal | www.chloemasseyphotography.com | www.talibsaleh.com

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