Leh, India - Day 1

AFTER FINISHING MY INTERNSHIP ON THE 4TH OF JULY - A FRIDAY - HANK AND I SET OUT FOR THE AIRPORT ON SATURDAY MORNING. AFTER HAVING OUR BAGS X-RAYED AND SEALED (WITH ZIP TIES), WE WERE OFF. THE PLANE RIDE WAS GREAT! SINCE WE'D BOOKED THE TICKETS ONLY A WEEK BEFORE THE TRIP, WE HAD TO BOOK THE TOP CLASS. UNLIKE IN THE U.S. THIS DIDN'T BREAK THE BANK (LUCKILY) AND THE PERKS ON THE PLANE WERE AMAZING - BREAKFAST SMOOTHIES, MENUS FOR MADE-TO-ORDER BREAKFASTS, OUTSTANDING SERVICE, ETC.

SADLY, THE FLIGHT WAS A SHORT, 55-MINS. (SINCE WE NEVER GET TO FLY FIRST CLASS, WE WERE BUMMED THAT THIS PLANE RIDE DIDN'T LAST A BIT LONGER!) THE PEOPLE AT MY OFFICE WERE RIGHT, IT ISN'T 10 MINUTES AFTER TAKE OFF WHEN YOU BEGIN TO SEE THE HIMALAYAS. IT WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! THE VIEWS FROM THE AIR, DURING SUNRISE, WERE INDESCRIBABLE, AND I FEEL BLESSED TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO VIEW SUCH A PRESTINE ENVIRONMENT. WE WERE ABLE TO SNAP PICTURES ON THE FLIGHT TO LEH - NOT ALLOWED ON THE FLIGHT OUT OF LEH, BECAUSE LEH IS IN AN "UNSTABLE REGION" (KASHMIR) SO NO HAND-BAGGAGE IS ALLOWED IN THE CABIN. THE PICS. TURNED OUT REALLY WELL, AND THEY GIVE A NEAT PERSPECTIVE OF THE MOUNTAINS. OUR PILOT (A WOMAN, I MIGHT ADD) EXECUTED A PERFECT LANDING - DODGING MOUNTAINS ALL THE WHILE - AND RECEIVED THUNDERING APPLAUSE FROM THE PASSENGERS (I GUESS THEY'D HEARD THAT LANDINGS AREN'T ALWAYS THAT SMOOTH!).

HERE IS A VIDEO OF OUR AIRPLANE LANDING (MOUNTAIN DODGING, AS I LIKE TO CALL IT). I WAS ABLE TO CAPTURE THIS WITH OUR LITTLE POINT AND SHOOT DIGITAL CAMERA - THAT CAMERA ROCKS!

WHEN WE STEPPED OFF THE PLANE...WOW, I CAN'T EVEN PUT IT INTO WORDS. THE LEH AIRPORT FELT LIKE ONE LITTLE LANDING STRIP SMACK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LARGEST MOUNTAINS YOU'VE EVER SEEN! THERE WERE MOUNTAINS ON EVERY SIDE, AND THE AIR WAS A COOL 65 DEGREES OR SO (A VERY PLEASANT CHANGE FROM DELHI'S SWELTERING HEAT!). WE FOUND OUR BAGS, FILLED OUT SOME PAPERWORK TO ENTER LEH, AND FOUND OUR TAXI DRIVER (SENT BY OUR HOTEL). DURING THE RIDE TO THE HOTEL, I KEPT GRABBING HANK'S ARM AND YELLING "LOOK AT THAT! ISN'T THAT BEAUTIFUL? HAVE YOU EVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT?" HE KEPT ASSURING ME HE HADN'T AND WE KNEW WITH 100% CERTAINTY THAT WE HAD CHOSEN THE RIGHT CITY TO END OUR INDIA TRIP. WE ARRIVED AT THE HOTEL AND WERE IMMEDIATELY TAKEN TO THE GARDEN AREA, ASKED TO SIT DOWN, AND BROUGHT HOT TEA, CRACKERS, AND COOKIES. WE WERE TOLD TO RELAX, THAT THE AIR WAS THIN AND WE NEEDED TO TAKE IT EASY THAT FIRST DAY. (ALTHOUGH WE ARRIVED AROUND 9AM - WE KNEW THAT THIS ENTIRE DAY WAS TO BE SPENT ACCLIMATIZING - A WASTED DAY, BUT WE WEREN'T COMPLAINING - WE PREFERRED NOT TO DIE FROM LACK OF OXYGEN!)

WE SPENT MOST OF THE DAY SLEEPING, ONLY COMING DOWN TO THE DINING ROOM FOR MEALS. SINCE WE HADN'T GOT MUCH SLEEP THE NIGHT BEFORE OUR TRIP, IT WAS ACTUALLY NICE TO BE "EXPECTED" TO WASTE THE ENTIRE DAY RELAXING! BY 4PM, WE WERE TOLD WE COULD EXPLORE THE LOCAL MARKET FOR A BIT IF WE FELT UP TO IT (A 2 MINUTE WALK FROM THE HOTEL AND AT THE SAME ELEVATION). WE DECIDED TO TRY IT OUT, AND WHEW, THE SLIGHT HILLS OF THE ROADS WERE LIKE CLIMBING EVEREST! MY HEART WAS RACING AND IT WAS HARD TO BREATH - THE FIRST TIME I'D EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS FROM THE THIN AIR SINCE LANDING IN LEH. (I NOW HAVE A NEW RESPECT FOR 90 YEAR OLDS WHO GET WINDED JUST TRYING TO GET UP THE 2 OR 3 STEPS TO REACH THEIR FRONT DOOR!) WE TOOK IT SLOW, AND WERE ABLE TO CHECK OUT A FEW SHOPS. WE TOOK TONS OF PICS. THAT FIRST DAY BECAUSE WE WERE AMAZED BY EVERY BEAUTIFUL THING WE LAID EYES ON! LEH HAS A LOT OF GREAT BUILDINGS AND SITES, BUT THEY ARE EVEN MORE AMAZING BECAUSE THEY ARE ALL SET AGAINST A HIMALAYAN BACKDROP. CAN'T BEAT THAT WITH A STICK!

THIS IS THE LINK TO THE PICS. FROM OUR FIRST DAY IN LEH: http://picasaweb.google.com/April.Gay/IndiaLeh. SINCE THERE ARE SO MANY PICS., AND EACH OF OUR DAYS IN LEH WAS VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHERS, I WILL BE BLOGGING ABOUT THE OTHER DAYS SEPARATELY.