And then there were the bactrians

To continue from my last post about camels… On a trip to Ladakh in 2009, my heart’s desire for more camels was fulfilled. (Though never satiated!)

Nubra valley is the most other-worldly place I’ve ever been to. The journey is the stuff of dreams. You first climb from Leh to Khardung La which, at 5,359 m (17,582 ft), is one of the highest motorable passes in the world.

Then you plunge down into a cold desert, with the shockingly blue Shyok river running through it. It’s like falling off the edge of the world into some alternate reality.

And then you come to the green valley, where bactrian camels roam free. This area was once on the silk route and when the trade was given up, the camels were left behind. Oh, the fabulous wonderment of meeting a camel in the wild!