Leh, LADAKH

I

I’m surrounded by towering mountains and from my bedroom I can see the sun rising over a clifftop stupa. I’m sipping hot black tea and it’s so peaceful here. I can’t hear a thing but buzzing in my ears and a morning bird outside the window.
The sun rose over the Himalayas as we flew in an hour ago; this endless sea of jagged teeth, a broken earthsmile. I could close one eye and imagine I was looking out across an Antarctic ice shelf in autumn, as its beginning crash itself together and freeze in place. Pink suntongue licking the icing sugar-frosting off the proudest peaks first, while the deep blue valleys remained in shadow; and the proudest peaks marched off into the distance with their sunlight victory, an army of snowclad megaliths, sullen and majestic, regal and imposing. Ramparts. Mountain ramparts; hard to believe human beings have conquered these barriers and these apexes when you see them from above.
It is so breathtakingly, peacefully, silently, serenely beautiful here, I don’t know how I will sleep all day.

II

Been feeling a bit of the eleven thousand foot headache, but I’m doing my best to be downright lazy while i adjust. Dozing, farting, reading- sometimes the top of my head aches like I’ve been running too long.
Norbu and Angmo run this guesthouse- they’re middle-aged, parents of college-kids, very sweet. Norbu’s family has lived in Leh for over 200 years and owns a lot of land here.
The sun has slipped behind the garden wall of the ramparts now, the moon pursed his lips, snuck up over the other garden wall, leering above the gompa, stealing focus before his cue. The town is still as ever. Even at “rush hour”. Nestled between its garden walls, huddling for a little warmth.
I’m happy here. Simple. My room is; a hard but cosy bed, couple small tables and a plastic chair; electric lights on each wall (that usually work); two walls of superb mountain views. The taps aren’t working cause the water will freeze- if I want hot water, I have to request it in a bucket. I feel so much lighter without the TV, computer, 6 pillows and a fountain-pool. I like the simplicity. Feels like it suits me better.
It’s getting colder now, you can feel it creeping in like gas. The mountain feeling. It peels me again. Maybe at eleven thousand feet my mind begins to bend. The mountain feeling. Closer to the core.