Our goal today was to explore the Nubra Valley, cut over the centuries by the Nubra River which originates from glacier and snow melt. The Nubra River merges with the Shyok River and the combined rivers continue until joining the Indus River.  To get to the Nubra Valley we had to retrace our steps from yesterday back to the Shyok Valley to get to the bridge over the Shyok River.  Once on the other side of the river we were able to follow road from the Shyok Valley into the Nubra Valley.  The valley floor was very wide and very flat where the Nubra meets the Shyok, becoming narrower as we penetrated further into the valley.  The narrow single lane asphalt road wound through the small villages dotted along the valley, many offering guest houses and hotels.  We also passed a lot of motorcycle riders, so this area appears to be popular with local tourists.

Our first destination was a volcano lake.  Uniquely on the valley floor, situated in the old river bed, is a volcanic crater.  Suryia told us that the whole area- stretching across the Nubra and Shyok Valleys was a rift, where two tectonic plates push against each other, and consequently there has been volcanic activity in the area in the past.  They also still have lots of active hot springs further up the valley from the volcano lake.   To get to the volcano lake we had to climb up the outer edge of the crater, which was about 500 feet high or so.  Even though it was early, the sun was blazing and it was a hot climb, but short.  At the rim we looked down on the lake, which sits about 6 feet deep in the summer, replenishing in the winter via snowfall. A boardwalk circled the lake allowing Buddhist practitioners to circumambulate the site, which is considered holy by the locals.  We made a loop, passing by some free range horses cooling themselves off in the water, and trekked back to the cars.

A view of the river bed on the valley floor with the volcano crater thrusting out of it.

The lake, called Wishful Lake because you are supposed to make a wish while circumambulating it, that is inside the crater.

The next destination, Ensa Monastery, took us on a long driver further up the river to the bridge we had to cross to get on the opposite side of the valley.  The road was becoming busier as the morning progressed and it was especially interesting when large commercial trucks had to pass each other.  We were behind one when another approached from the opposite direction—tight fit!  At the bridge, also one lane, we saw three different waterfalls cascading down the steep rocky walls, evidence of more glacier melt dumping into the Nubra River.  The river at the bridge was narrow and moving fast.  Crossing the bridge we were now on a narrow (theme of the trip so far!) dirt road that hugged the side of the mountain and went on for quite a while until we turned into the rocky slope on a road that was barely existent.  In what has to be one of the more sporty car rides I have ever been on, we followed an extremely twisty road, with constant switchbacks, clawing our way up a steep slope to a monastery high up and deep in the mountain that was founded in the 1400s.  I was really appreciative of our careful driver!

Looking down to the lower section of the road to the Esna Monastery aka “the scary road”. My philosophy is not to watch what the driver is doing, but look out and enjoy the scenery instead.

The monastery, which currently has only one monk in residence, is a holy pilgrimage site for Buddhists and the art work in the temple is vibrant and interesting.  It truly is remote; the road we traversed to get to the site was only a foot path in past times and they stock up with supplies to get through winter.  Needless to say it was very peaceful and there were some fantastic views of the valleys from the stupa.

But once at the top of the scary road, the view from the monastery was amazing. The place is super remote!

We headed back down the scary road to the bridge and proceeded down the Nubra valley for our lunch stop in a village house.  The 200-year old house used to be the regional governor’s house but now a women’s collective hosts guests for lunch, serving traditional foods from the area.  The three-story house was built from wood and stone with the first floor reserved as a stable for the animals in winter.  The second floor encompassed the kitchen and common room, where we ate and the third floor hosted the bedrooms.  Entering on the ground floor I looked at the ceiling and could see all of the wood beams and stout sticks laid across the beams to create the structure for the floor.  The second floor had been plastered over with some kind of mud-brick concoction to provide insulation.  The stove was huge, made of clay, and assembled in place from four pieces.  The visit was fascinating and the food was great- we even tasted a fermented barley drink akin to a weak beer.

The 200 year old house we had lunch in. Great experience from the food to getting a glimpse of how the house was constructed and people lived (live).

The second floor-kitchen and common room. In the forefront of the picture is the massive stove. To the right is a food prep area and pantry. Clothes hang on the back wall. Small table to the left.

Our last stop of the day was another important area monastery, the Samstanling Gompa, situated near where the Nubra and Shyok Valleys met.  At only 200 years old it is a relatively new community and hosts about 70 monks.  Their temples, both old and new, were beautiful and Suryia spent some time explaining some of the scenes depicted on the wall as well as the different Buddha manifestations present at the front of the new temple.  While we were there locals were coming and going offering prayers.

After a long day of driving we headed back to our desert tents to relax for the day.  We had covered a lot of ground and watching the scenery go by, for me, was as interesting as the different sites we stopped at.  The mountains dwarf everything around them and the play of light and shadow as the clouds moved across the slopes constantly altered the personality of the nearby ranges.  The villages we passed had various types of construction with some buildings raw mud-brick and other nice homes plastered and nicely painted and decorated.  Random cows walked the roads heading unattended for some unknown destination, unconcerned about the cars coming within inches.  There was a lot to watch and take in; it was totally entertaining!

Random view of the Nubra Valley while we were driving. The scenery was amazing everywhere!