I left off my last travel chronicles, where we halted at Kalpa after our beautiful time at Kinnaur and Kufri. Here, I continue my travel tales covering days 4 and 5 of our road trip.
Day 4
Kalpa was the last of the greenery and the majestic mountains. On day 4, we left Kalpa (center right on the map) and started climbing higher towards the desert areas of Spiti.
Note: We went via WOW travels. This map is just used for illustration to show the route.
The best way to describe the landscape of Spiti is to compare it to the aridness of the Grand Canyon. Everything was red and dusty; the weather was also highly sunny, uncomfortably hot (but with cold winds), and the sand that got in everywhere. I also started feeling the effects of being at such a high elevation.
The plan was to drive from Kalpa through Sangam (where the Spiti and Sutlej rivers meet), visit the Nako monastery and lake, and then camp at Nako.
Sangam
The Sangam was one of the wildest places I have visited. Technically, not very beautiful – the two rivers that meet there are very muddy and brown, but they were fast-moving. The area was also very windy, and the light was perfect. We spent half an hour or so walking along the bridge and trying to prevent our clothes and hair from blowing every which way.
Nako
After the halt at Sangam, it was onward and upward toward the first of many monasteries we would visit on our trip. Nako monastery was relatively small, and we were in and out within 5-10 minutes. More memorable was Nako lake, which was beautiful. I didn’t want to leave.
Afterwards, we checked into Kinner camps nearby. Very rustic, but we enjoyed a nice bonfire, and snacks and then had an early night.
Day 5
Day 5 was a bit of a blur for me. I was feeling unwell – the altitude and the extreme weather changes affected me, and I spent the whole day feeling puke-ish, fever-ish, and all other sorts of ish. That didn’t stop me from dazedly wandering around Gue and Tabo monasteries.
Gue monastery is famous primarily because it houses the 5000-year old mummy of a monk. This is the only mummy found in India, hence the fame. The monastery is still under construction, so we couldn’t go inside. We just saw the mummy, clicked a picture, and moved on to our next halt – Tabo monastery.
There was a bit more to see and do in Tabo monastery. There are two separate buildings – the old historical section and the newer and brighter building. I enjoyed exploring them both. But, the real and unexpected highlight was finally getting some decent food. The restaurant at Tabo (Hotel Tiger Den) was a pleasant change from the regular dal-roti fare we had been having.
Even better was the drive to Kaza, where we planned to spend the next 3 nights. I was relieved to get a chance to unpack, rest for a bit, and maybe get the chance to just chill at the hotel if I was still feeling unwell.
And that was days 4 and 5.
Hope you enjoyed this write-up. I have at least three more posts planned – our time in Kaza, our trek to Dhankar lake, camping at Chandratal, and shopping at Manali. Tons more to come.
