Ladakh Diaries: The shopping adventure

One day more (or one night more)

Another day (or night)

Another destiny

I am running tomorrow morning

I will be starting 6:30 am 

Going enjoy every moment...

And so it all comes down to this, it all culminates tomorrow, the purpose of this trip, the purpose of the last few days. There’s nervousness and there’s excitement, there’s nervous excitement. So it all comes down to tomorrow. But before that there’s one day more, one night more to get through.

What was meant to be a rest day turned into a shopping adventure as Jaj and me scurried through the market of Leh searching for things we would take for our loved ones and friends back home. But not before indulging in some tasty apple pie at Rendezvous Cafe and German Bakery and some coffee, and even sampling some yak milk cheese, which was different.

So after indulging ourselves it was time to scour the market. Being tourist we kind of knew what was awaiting us, especially hearing the price for walnuts and apricots. We chanced upon a store that sold some wonderful traditional stuff. Jaj picked some beautiful traditional dresses for his daughter. 

While paying for what he had purchased, Jaj did mentioned we were looking for some dry fruits, to which the owner recommended a shop and even sent one of his staff with us. We ended up picking really fresh walnuts and apricots at reasonable rates, in fact we purchased almost double at what the shops quoted for a single kg for walnuts and apricots.

We again we went to thank the owner for his help. We asked if he knew any place where we could get Pashmina shawls. Once again he helped us get some beautiful and fabulous shawls at reasonable and discounted rates. 

Once the shawls were purchased we went about searching for tees. We finally stopped at shop and turned the entire shop almost upside down, going through tees of different sizes and different patterns, trying to find ones that we liked, and sometimes it got confusing what we really wanted and who we wanted to purchase it for (at least in my case).

Finally, after heaps of confusion and finding what exactly we were looking, spending so much time picking tees and almost turning the shop upside down, we settled our bills and headed to a nearby flea market and picked up souvenirs like wall hangings and prayer wheel.

So what was meant to be just a couple of hours, went from morning to afternoon to almost evening. So totally tired from the excursions of the day, we finally took a cab and made our way back to the guesthouse with our purchases, time to retire for the rest of the day, though it was only evening. So after tea, and even having an early dinner, prepared by Prerna, though not immediately, we tried to calm each other nerves, which seemed to fray with the rains that fell outside making the weather even more cold.

So finally after completing this blog, or as I like to call it, write up, its time to call it a night. But I know sleep won’t come so easily, not because of the nerves and the excitement, but also because tomorrow is special day. So no matter how the race going to be, I am going to make the most of the moment, the experience, make the most of the day.

Btw, it was nice surprise to see myself on the back page of the Mumbai Mirror and Mid-Day (though didn’t really see it as its not not available in Ladakh) with my fellow ambassadors for the IDBI Federal Life Insurance Mumbai Half Marathon. Indeed a pleasant pre-Birthday surprise.