Yumthang Valley tour

Wow. There's scenic and then there's really scenic. Yumthang was very difficult to get to, partly because of the close proximity to China (foreigners have to get special permits, being on an organized tour is the only way to get there) and the winding, rugged mountain roads. It took our jeep 5 hours to drive 120kms (about 12-15 mph!). Everywhere we went, the landscape was strewn with Buddhists prayer flags. Anyways, I'm going to keep the words to a minimum, the photos tell the story better than I can. Click on them for a larger size.

Town of Lachen ("Lachen" means "great pass," apparently in reference to the pass along the border between Tibet and India.:





Notice the fireplace built inside without any chimneys? I asked a Sikkimese why they liked smoky rooms so much, and he said it was to keep the heat in.


Chopta Valley:





Yumthang Valley:








Me walking around Yumthang Valley (thanks for the photos Gilad).



Town of Lachung:
This was the operated by the tour company. Great place, probably the best place I've stayed so far in India! It even had toliet paper and a little paper inspection loop around the toliet. I know I've been in India for awhile when my standards for a "good" place are clean sheets and that I can smell disinfectant in a room.



So even though we were supposed to be escorted by a guide, I slipped out the back door during lunch and ended up wandering town. Well worth it, ended up having tea with a Tibetan guy named Tanzing. How often do you get invited to go have tea with someone?


Of course Lachung had their world famous vicious guard dogs. Look at them the wrong way, and they'll give you a yapping like you've never had before and maybe pee on your leg.


Morning offerring.



Random shots from the road