beautiful ladakh

after more than 10 days retrieving from the rest of the world I finally arrived in Leh in the region of Ladakh, one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to in India. The scenery is a mixture of the desert of Negev in Israel and the Sierra Nevada in Spain with the only difference that the valley is surrounded by high peaks of snow-overed mountains in the background which makes it a stunning contrast. Before I came here to this wonderful place I spent a week in the SPITI and the PIN valley in Himachal Pradesh, two isolated valleys close to the Tibetan boarder. The local population belongs ethnically to the Tibetan culture so it doesn's really feel like India anymore. The same is the case here in Ladakh. Spiti and Pin valley were a good preparation of getting used to the altitude of around 4000 m. The alleys are all vast and poor of vegetation but the colours of the rocks, the shapes and features are just amazing and differ from valley to valley. The Spiti and Pin valley have just been discovered as a tourist destination so there is a lot of construction going on but the atmosphere of being in the middle of nowhere still persists. In the Pin valley we stayed in Mudh, the last village in the valley where we stayed under absolutely basic conditions. It was a pure adventure. The second day we visited a GOMPA where a festival was held dedicated to the birthday of the Dalai Lamah. Again, the cultural ties to Tibet were obvious in the dances and the chanting of the monks. It was just amazing.
I am still travelling with Dutch Jorrit and we just left our Israeli companions when we left Spiti Valley for heading up to Ladakh. On the way here we met another Dutch and a Swede whom we are now exploring the town of Leh with. Yesterday I have signed up for a meditations course called Vipassana which will take place in a little village about 50 km from here out in the middle of nowhere. During 10 days we will be isolated from the outer world, live under basic conditions with no running water and no electricity, getting up every day at 4.00 am. doing meditation for 12 hours, having only 3 meals a day and holding the so called NOBLE SILENCE. This means that I will not be allowed to speak for 10 days. Everyone who knows how talkative I am can imagine how hard this will be for me. But it will be definitely a challenge and I am looking forward to it.
The internet here is horribly expensive so I make it short now. So think of me between the 15th and the 25th July when I will be absorbed from any civilization and purify my brain and soul.
Spiritual wishes.
mischo.