It is recommended to relax on your first day of arrival in Leh i.e. the landing day to better acclimatize with the high altitude, where oxygen is low and air is thin compare to the low grounded areas.
However, this was not the situation with us as we were travelling over our bikes and the distance and time slowly acclimatize our bodies.
WHY RELAX ?
This recommendation is usually for people travelling via a flight. However, in general also it is recommended to relax on the day of your arrival. So that the body should get acclimatize to the thin air and low oxygen available on the higher grounds.
Leh city is located at an altitude of 3,524 m (11,562 ft). Which is very high when compared to people travelling from Delhi, or Mumbai. Usually the flight time is between 1-2 hours from Delhi to Leh and Mumbai to Leh respectively.
A person gaining so much altitude in a span of just 1-2 hours is certainly going to struggle breathing specially those young and old. At such higher altitude the level of oxygen is very low and the air is also thin. The more activity your body does it will require more oxygen that is why it is recommended to relax on the day of your arrival to Leh and not to get engage in any activities requiring high oxygen.
HOW TO FASTER ACCLIMATIZE ?
Although every body is different and their bodies also react differently. It all comes to your level of fitness. If you are fully fit and not suffering from any heart related disease then you will be faster acclimatize otherwise it might take more time for one to acclimatize.
Drinking more water, and fluids would certainly help you. Relaxing does not mean you can’t do anything, take a slow walk to the market. Travel to near by sights. Avoid pushing yourself too much is the key.
Even after taking all the precautions, if you still face any lack of oxygen it is recommended to act fast and contact a doctor who can assist you with oxygen support.
LOCAL SIGHTS IN and AROUND LEH
Leh is surrounded by mountains and that itself is a sight. However, there are certain places which one can visit on day1. Althought there are many more places, below ones are the recommended and can be covered in a day. For some places you can either hire a taxi, rent a bike or car, which is easily available in Leh.
Recommended places in and around Leh
- Leh Main Market – This beautiful market can be explored on foot, I recommend to go around evening. The market has a lot to offer from eating cafes to local shopping. It will surely bring a smile on your face.
- Shanti Stupa – This sight is located on a mountain so going by foot would not be recommended. This is one place from where you can witness the complete Leh city. The sight itself is so peaceful and give a chance to make a connection with the local buddist culture.
- Leh Palace – This is on the opposite side of Shanti Stupa and is clearly visible from the top.
- Hall of fame – Built by Indian army, this place will certainly bring you patriosm back in your veins.
- Magnetic Hill – Another place where it is claimed that vehicles move around without any push form the engine. If you are short on time then I recommend to skip this and spent more time at other places.
- Gurdwara Pathar Sahib– A must visit, this is the holy gurudwara of Guru Nanak Dev Ji and the story associated with it is very inspiring for you to know.
There are many more more places in and around Leh. But most of them are far for the time available on day 1. Therefore, it is better to explore local Leh markets specially the tibetien market which generally people miss.
Ladakh is not only about it’s high passes but also known for it’s culture. One must explore that while travelling to local places and meeting locals.
Evening in Leh
One might under estimate the culture of Leh, Ladakh by just assuming that it is an ancient Bhudist cold deser land. But, you will be surprised to know that along with the ancient Bhudist culture, people of Leh are very advance. It is a beautiful balance of ancient and modern culture.
You will easily find many modern cafes and restaurants in Leh market where can enjoy all types of cuisine with perfect quality. Yes, they are on the expensive side but they are actually value of money for the quantity and quality they have on offer. Few such examples are the Brazil Cafe, Coffee Culture, Bob’s cafe, MyCafe, The Tibetan Kitchen, Lamayuru, Tsas by Dolkhar and so on.
This western culture is developed due to the high number of foreign tourist who travel every year to this region.
Although, I would recommend to also enjoy some local restaurants with local food. After all, a traveller must explore about the several cultures and travel is not only about sight seeing.
End of Day 1
After exploring all the places, monestaries, restaurants and cafes. We walked through the Leh market with some memories in form of pictures. Although you can walk till late market closed some where around 9:30 PM with some exceptions of restaurants and cafes, which usually closes aroung 11PM.
We return to our hotel with some maginficent memories, I had been to Leh many times and saw it grow from a small town to a big city. Not only in terms of landscape but also in terms of economy and culture, Leh and it’s people are growing.
With this we end our day 1 relaxing, however it wasn’t a relaxing day, it was a fun filled one, which will be there forever in my memories with a promise that I will return soon.
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