23 January 2018, near Leh, Ladakh, India

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This is the journey to Alchi and Liker Monasteries (preceding posts) and back to Leh.

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This is Spituk Monastery (or Spituk Gompa), just on the outside of Leh.

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We stopped for a while at a vantage point.  This is the mighty Indus River.  Ice surrounds its banks and clumps of ice float downstream.

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I didn’t notice it at the time, but at far right in the river is a stone pylon and flattened metal structures.  There may be the remains of another pylon to its left.  This appears to be the remains of a bridge.  If so, the river at some time must have wiped away not merely the bridge but the approaches to it on the far side of the river.  Perhaps there can be radical floods associated with the spring melt (It’s a rain shadow area).

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At some time someone, perhaps a truck, probably on an icy road, has gone straight through the barrier and down the cliff.

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Looking at the river below, against the sun.  It’s a long way down.

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You may notice what seems to be a walking trail to the left of the ice-lined river.  This is in fact a canal, bypassing the river.  A nearby tributary runs through a copper bed and poisons the water for cattle.

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Looking up, the mountains merge into blue abstract shapes.

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A short distance later, we stopped above the confluence of the Indus and Zanskar Rivers.  This is a bridge over the Indus leading to the Zanskar Valley.  In fact it’s two bridges.  A larger new one is being built on top of the old one.

Zanskar was a relatively independent Buddhist kingdom between the 10th and 15th centuries and the area remains Buddhist.

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Prayer flags over the Indus.

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This is the confluence of the rivers.  Indus below and the Zanskar joining it from above.

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Again, from further back.

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Round a corner and the road heads towards the village of Nimmu below.

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Stupas and a prayer wheel on the edge of Nimmu.

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A view of the countryside, taken from the car.

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Roadside workers, an image snatched from the car.

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Following the lead car, nearing Alchi Monastery.

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On our way back now, this is the picturesque Buddhist Monastery above Nimmu Village.

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Down below our vantage point, a cow seems to want to come inside.

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Moving the goalposts.

Further on, many locals, probably families from a military base, are playing ice hockey on a frozen river.

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I think it’s the puck on the end of the stick of the woman at the left.

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Dramatic views of the mountain landscapes through the car window, as we drive on.

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