kashmir & ladakh - betchart expeditions...kashmir and ladakh in 2015! these striking neighbors...
TRANSCRIPT
Dear Travelers: We invite you to join us as we explore Kashmir and Ladakh in 2015! These striking neighbors lie in the western Himalaya and offer a fascinating cultural and geographical contrast. The Vale of Kashmir is encircled by the Himalaya and the Pir Panjal Range. Its productive lakes, fertile croplands, and mountain forests gave Kashmir a reputation among the Moghul kings as the nearest place to paradise on earth. Ladakh is a trans-Himalayan kingdom that retains a strong Tibetan Buddhist identity. The valleys of Ladakh are alpine deserts, watered by glacial melt. Surrounding peaks, nearly naked of vegetation, display an astonishing geology. Inhabited places are irrigated islands of greenâgrain fields, poplars, and orchards of delicious apricotsâin a dry landscape. The city of Leh is a bustling commercial hub; surrounding settlements are bucolic. Kashmir has long been legendary as the destination of travelers from India and beyond. Security concerns effectively closed Kashmir in the 1980âs and it remained so for a generation. Recently, the security situation has improved considerably and travelers are beginning to return to this area. Srinagar, the center of Kashmir, is like no other place in the Himalayan realm. It remains largely unchanged from the middle decades of the 20th Centuryâmost of the buildings in the downtown are old wooden structures. The call to prayer can be heard simultaneously from dozens of mosques. The Islamic tradition of Kashmir is strong, but includes many local characteristics, beautiful art work,
Kashmir & LadakhAugust 19â
September 1, 2015
bright paisley patterns, classic Moghul gardens, and a Sufi-influenced paper-mache veneer on buildings of deodar cedar. Lifestyles of the farmers and lakeside dwellers remain very traditional. Dal Lake and Naseen Lake make up the heart and soul of Srinagar, and houseboats are the preferred accommodation for visitors, a tradition that dates back more than a century to a time during the British Raj when the policies of the Kashmiri kings discouraged British construction on land. The best houseboats are opulent, lovingly main-tained by their owners over several generations, with guest registers that date back nearly a century. Each contains several individual, bedroom-sized cabins. The journey from Kashmir to Ladakh is a spectacular ecological transition, taking the traveler from well-
Discover
âParadise on Earth!â
watered temperate forestsâfields of saffron and riceâacross Zoji La Pass to alpine expanses where rain is infrequent. Here in the upper reaches of the Indus River, spectacular high mountain geology is the first thing you notice. Mountains seem impossibly steep, sheered and stratified on their sides, colored by minerals in various shades of red and yellow. On second glance, you notice the human presence: the highland farmers of Ladakh are of Tibetan descent. They water their crops and their apricot orchards with glacial melt and practice a distinctive type of tantric Buddhism, heavily influenced by Tibet, with some Indo-European influence. Ladakh is one of the few places in the Tibetan cultural region that has not been affected by cultural upheaval in recent decades. Consequently, the monasteries and religious traditions are largely intact, and the social fabric remains extremely strong. They show great devotion to their monastic tradition, and the monasteries welcome visitors. Our program will begin with a short flight from Delhi to Srinagar where we will spend three nights on a houseboat. Then we will drive over Zoji La Pass, breaking our journey with overnight stops in Kargil and Alchi before continuing on to Leh, the cultural heartland of Ladakh. We will have two nights in Leh, then cross Kardung La Pass to the Nupra Valley where
we will spend one night in the town of Diskit in the Nupra Valley, before returning over another pass for a final night in Leh. The passes we will cross are some of the highest motorable roads anywhere in the world, and they give us not only eye-to-eye views of glaciated peaks, but a look at the highly evolved Himalayan alpine flora. Our visits to the highest elevations will be brief. We will over night at the town of Leh which is comparable in elevation to Lhasa, Tibet, at about 11,500 feet; Diskit is some what lower. Our itinerary includes a visit to three Tibetan Buddhist monasteriesâAlchi, Thiksey, and Hemisâwhich are among the worldâs most beautiful and significant. Our visits to these sites will be enriched greatly by an articulate, humble, extremely knowledgeable scholar-guide, a suburb interpreter of Tibetan Buddhism. We invite you to join us as we explore Kashmir & Ladakh in 2015!Best Regards,
Margaret M. Betchart, President Betchart Expeditions Inc. for AAAS, Sigma Xi &ACS
Days 1/2 USA to Delhiâ DepartâfromâNewarkâthisâeveningâforâDelhi.âArriveâDelhiâinâtheâeveningâonâDayâ2.âTransferâtoâHotel (2 nights).Day 3 Delhiâ MorningâatâleisureâtoâbeginâtoâgetâacquaintedâwithâtheâfestivityâandâcolorâofâNewâDelhi.âWelcomeâlunchâandâtripâorientation.âThenâenjoyâanâafternoonâexplorationâofâtheâcity,âincludingâHumayunâsâTombâ(calledâtheâpredecessorâtoâtheâTajâMahal)âandâQutbâMinar,âoneâofâtheâperfectâtowersâofâtheâPersianâIslamicâmosque.âAlsoâseeâtheâEmbassyâarea,âGovernmentâBuilding,âandâBirlaâTemple.âEveningâatâleisure,âB,LDay 4 Delhi to Kashmirâ MorningâflightâDelhiâtoâSrinagar,âKashmir.âOnâarrival,âweâwillâdriveâfromâtheâairportâthroughâSrinagarâtoâtheâshoreâofâNaginâlake,âjoinedâtoâDalâLake.âHereâweâwillâbeârowedâtoâourâHouseboats (3 nights) inâtraditionalâShikaraâvessels.âEachâhouseboatâhasâ4âtoâ5âroom-sizedâcabins,âandâtheâgroupâwillâhaveâdinnerâonâoneâofâtheâvessels.âAfternoonâvisitâtoâtheâMoghulâGardenâNishatâBagh.âB,L,DDay 5 Srinigarâ MorningâwalkingâtourâofâoldâSrinigar,âalongâtheâbanksâofâtheâJhelumâRiver.âPlacesâofâspecialâinterestâincludeâaâSufiâmosqueâandâtraditionalâmarketâareas.â
TheâbazaarsâofâSrinagarâareâstillâcomprisedâmainlyâofâwoodâbuildingsâofâaâstyleâthatâhasâdisappearedâalmostâentirelyâinâotherâpartsâofâtheâHimalayanâworld.âAfterâlunch,âthereâwillâbeâsomeâfreeâtimeâforâsnoozingâorâbirdâwatchingâfromâtheâroofâofâtheâhouseboat.âLateâafternoonâexcursionâonâDalâLakeâbyâtraditionalâShakarâBoat.âB,L,DDay 6 The Vale of Kashmirâ Today,âweâwillâhaveâanâexcursionâinâtheâvalleyâofâKashmir.âVisitâaâlocalâvillageâwithâaâjourneyâinâtheâwoodedâcountryside.âThisâwillâbeâaâwonderfulâopportunityâtoâmeetâpeopleâandâlearnâaboutâtheâtraditionalâlifeâstyleâandâchildrenâsâschools,âallâinâtheâpeacefulâatmosphereâofâtheâcountryside.âReturnâtoâourâhouseboatsâforâdinner.âB,L,DDay 7 Kargilâ EarlyâmorningâdepartureâforâtheâtownâofâKargil.âEnâroute,âweâwillâclimbâoverâZojiâLa,âaâ4,800âmeterâpass,âandâseeâDassâvillage,âwhichâhasâsomeâofâtheâdeepestâsnowâandâcoldestâwinterâtemperaturesâofâanyâplaceâinâIndia.âBecauseâofâtheâmountainousâterrain,âweâwillâtravelâinâSUVâs.âZojila Residency.âB,L,DDay 8 Kargil to Alchi, Ladakhâ Today,âweâwillâdriveâKargilâtoâLadakh,âjoiningâtheâIndusâRiverâvalleyâenâroute.âThisâisâaâtremendouslyâscenicâjourney,âwithâstopsâatâGyalâVillageâandâLamayuruâMonastery.âNearâGyalâisâanâexquisiteâBuddhaâImageâfromâtheâearlyâcenturiesâAD,âcarvedâintoâaârockâoverlookingâaârouteâthatâhasâbeenâusedâbyâtravelersâforâmillennia.âGyalâVillageâisâaâspectacu-larâplace,âbuiltâintoâcliffsâlikeâaâpuebloâandâlookingâoutâacrossâaâpoplar-filledâvalleyâtoâsomeâofâtheâ
ITINERARY
LEADERSHIP Leading this expedition will be Cynthia Gould. Cynthia has an M.A. from the University of California, Berkeley in Asian Studies and a B.A. from the University of California, Davis. She has a special interest in cultures and wildlife in Asia, and has lived in Nepal and India for years. She speaks Nepali and Hindi fluently and has been to Kashmir and Ladakh on three previous trips. She is a popular leader of Betchart Nepal and India groups, and has led many university study abroad programs in Asia. Cynthia will be joined by an excellent local guide and looks forward to sharing the delights of Kashmir and Ladakh with you!
mostâbeautifulâmountainsâyouâcanâimagine.âOurâdestinationâtodayâisâaâfullyâappointedâtented-campâthatâover-looksâtheâIndusâRiver. Ule Ethnic Resort. B,L,DDay 9 Alchi to Lehâ ThisâmorningâweâwillâvisitâAlchiâMonastery,âwhichâhasâbeautiful,âwell-preservedâfrescoesâmoreâthanâaâthousandâyearsâold,ârepleteâwithâIndo-Europeanâinfluencesâandâscenesâofâvernacularâlife.âAfterâlunchâatâtheâAlchiâMonastery,âweâwillâcontinueâonâtoâLeh,âwithâstopsâatâvillagesâalongâtheâway.âArriveâLehâlate-afternoon.âVisitâLehâBazaar.âSaboo Resort (2 nights). B,L,DDay 10 Thiksay & Hemis
Monasteriesâ MorningâvisitsâtoâThiksayâandâHemisâMonasteries.âAâsunriseâvisitâtoâThikseyâisâwell-rewardedâbyâmonksâwhoâplayâtheirâlongâhornsâfromâtheâroofâofâtheâmonasteryâatâsunrise.âAfterwards,âmonksâchantâinâtheâassemblyâhall,âandâweâwillâhaveâanâopportunityâ
toâsitâforâpartâofâtheâritualâchantingâpost-sunrise.âWeâwillâcontinueâonâtoâHemis,âanotherâimportantâmonas-tery.âHemisâisâisolatedâinâaâsideâvalley,ânearlyâinvisibleâtoâtheâoutsideâworld.âButâitâisâlargeâandâprofoundlyâimportant.âAfterâlunch,âweâwillâvisitâNakhi,âaâhostelryâforâchildren,âmanyâofâthemâorphans,âwhoâliveâinâremoteâpartsâofââLadakh.âThoughâitâisârunâbyâ
aâBuddhistâlama,âitsâpurposeâisâtoâprovideâchildren,âwhoâwouldâotherâwiseâbeâcompelledâbyâeconomicâneedâtoâjoinâtheâmonastery,âtoâreceiveâaâsecularâeducationâsoâtheyâcanâmakeâanâindependentâdecisionâaboutâtheirâspiritualâorientationâafterâtheyâhaveâgrownâup.âPossibleâculturalâprogramâthisâevening.âB,L,DDay 11 Disket & Nupra Valleyâ FromâLeh,âweâwillâascendâKardungâLa.âTheâsummitâofâthisâpassâisâ5,300âmâelevation,âandâitâisâreputedâtoâbeâtheâhighestâmotorableâroadâinâtheâworld.âNupraâValleyâisâespeciallyâinterestingâbecauseâitâisâlocatedânearâtheâLineâofâControlâbetweenâIndianâandâPakistanâControlledâKashmir,âandâitâsânotâfarâfromâtheâChineseâborderâeither.âBeingâmilitarilyâsensitive,âthisâentireâvalleyâandâtheâpowerfulâShyokâRiverâthatâdrainsâit,âwasâuntilârecentlyâclosedâtoâforeigners.âOnâarrivalâinâNupraâValley,âweâmayâvisitâtheâscenicâvillageâofââHunder,âandâhaveâtheâoptionâtoârideâcamelsâonâdunesâthatâhaveâformedâfromâblownâriverâsand.âOvernightâinâDisket.âStan Del Hotel.âB,L,DDay 12 Nupra Valley to Lehâ Thisâmorning,âweâwillâfollowâtheâShyokâRiverâupstreamâthroughâanâalpineâdesert,âthenâclimbâintoâaâmeadowedâtributaryâvalleyâwhereâpeopleâfarmâgrainâirrigatedâwithâglacialâmeltâwater.âPlumpâmarmotsâareâabundantâhere,âandânearâtheâtopâofââWoriâPassâ(5,150âm),âweâmayâseeâtheâlastâofâtheâseasonâsâalpineâwildflowersâinâbloom,âstrangelyâevolvedâSaussureaââsnowâlotusâ,âSileneâandâMonkâsâHoodâamongâothers.âDescendâtoâLeh,âfollowingâanâexceptionallyâscenicârouteâthroughâtheâhighâelevationâfarmingâvillageâofâTargay.âReturnâtoâLeh.âFarewellâdinnerâinâcelebrationâofâourâadventure!âSaboo Resort.âB,L,DDays 13/14 Leh to Delhi & USAâ ReturnâflightâtoâDelhiâthisâmorning,âwithâinternationalâflightsâthisâevening.âArriveâinâtheâUSAâonâDayâ14.âB
Yes! I/weâwantâtoâjoinâtheâKashmir & Ladakh Expedition, August 19âSeptember 1, 2015, offeredâbyâAAAS Travels, Sigma Xi & ACS Expeditions. Pleaseâreserveâ______âspace(s).âAsâaâdeposit,âI/weâencloseâaâcheckâforâ$______________â($500âperâperson)âpayableâtoâBetchartâExpeditionsâInc.âTrustâAccount.
Name(s)â â _______________________________________ âAge_________
â â _______________________________________ âAge_________
Addressâ _____________________________________________________
Cityâ________________________________âStateâ____âZipâ____________
Phone:â Homeââ(________)â______________________________________
â Workâ â(________)â______________________________________
EmailâAddressâ________________________________________________
Membership:â ___âAAASâ ___âSigmaâXiâ ___âACSâ ___âPlanetaryâSociety
AccommodationsâPreference:â â___âTwinâ ___âSingleâ TwinâShare:â ___âwithâaâfriendâorâ ___âNonsmokerâ â ___âSmokerâ ___âassignâaâroommate
Signatureââ___________________________________âDateâ____________
Signatureâ___________________________________âDateâ____________
Please Mail To: Kashmir & Ladakh 2015Betchart Expeditions Inc. 17050 Montebello Road Cupertino, CA 95014-5435
RESERVATIONS #1389
Betchart Expeditions Inc., the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society, and the American Chemical Society (ACS) act only as agents for the passenger with respect to transpor tation and hotels, and exercise every care possible. However, we can assume no liability for injury, damage, delay, loss, accident or irregularity in connection with the services of any airplane, ship, motor coach, or any other conveyance used in carrying out the arrangements of the tour. We cannot accept any responsibility for losses or additional expenses due to delay or changes in air or other services, sickness, weather, strike, war, quarantine, terrorism, acts of God, or other causes beyond our control. All such losses or expenses will have to be borne by the passenger, as tour rates pro vide for arrange ments only for the time stated. We reserve the right to substitute another leader of similar expertise or reserve the right to cancel any tour prior to departure, in which case the entire payment will be refunded with no further obligation on our part. The right is also reserved to decline to accept or retain any per son as a member of the tour. No refund will be made for the unused portion of any tour unless arrange ments are made in sufficient time to avoid penalties. The price of the program is based on current tariffs and rates, and is subject to change. Any tariff, exchange rate, or fuel increases will be passed on to participants. Baggage is carried at the ownerâs risk entirely. It is understood that the air ticket when issued shall constitute the sole contract between the passenger and the airline concerned. The airlines concerned are not to be held responsible for any act, omission, or event during the time passengers are not on board their plane or conveyance.
©2015âBetchartâExpeditionsâInc.âAllârightsâreserved.âPhotos courtesy of Chris Carpenter and Wikipedia Commons.MapâbyâAprilâMilne.â CST# 2036304-40
& SIG
MA X
I & AC
S ExpeditionsTH
E SCIEN
TIFIC R
ESEAR
CH
SOC
IETY
RESPONSIBILITY
Trip Fee: $5,495âperâpersonâtwinâshareâ(plusâairâ$1,495âfromâNewarkâtoâDelhi,âRT).Expedition Fee Includes:âLandâtransport;âgroupâairportâtransfers;âgroupâin-tourâflights;âaccommodationsâtwinâshare;âmostâmeals;âentranceâfees;âtipsâtoâdrivers;âbaggageâhandling;âleadership,âadministration.Expedition Fee Does Not Include:Airâfareâ(quotedâseparately);âindependentâtransfers;âdinnerâDayâ3âandâlunchâandâdinnerâDayâ13;âgratuityâtoâguidesâandâexpeditionâleader;âpersonalâitemsâsuchâasâlaundry,âphoneâcalls,âalcoholicâbeverages,âsnacks;âpersonalâinsurance,âorâforeignâairportâdepartureâtaxes.What to Expect:ThisâexpeditionâisâforâtravelersâwhoâwouldâlikeâtoâexploreâKashmirâandâLadakhâwithâanâexcellentânaturalistâandâlocalâguide.âThisâtripâisâaârichâculturalâandânaturalâhistoryâexperienceâwithâgreatâopportunitiesâforâscenicâphotographyâinâtheâpristineâbeautyâofâKashmirâandâspectacularâmountainâlandscapesâofâLadakh.âTheâgroupâwillâtravelâfromâ4âtoâ6âhoursâinâSUVâsâseveralâdaysâonâwindingâHimalayanâmountainâroads,âupâoverâ5,000âmeterâpassesâtwoâdays,âwithâvillageâvisitsâandâphotographyâstopsâenâroute.âWalksâwillâbeâatâaâleisurelyâpaceâsuitableâforâdiscoveryâandâphotographyâ(goodâqualityâbootsâareârecommended).âItâwillâbeâlateâsummerâwithâmiddayâtemperaturesâinâtheâ80âsâinâSrinigarâwithâsomeârain.âInâLadakh,âtemperaturesâwillâbeâwarmâtoâchillyâatâtheâhighâelevationsâandâcoldâatânight.âNightsâareâspentâatâ11,000âfeetâorâlower.âTheâexpeditionâwillâbeâaâtremendousâexperienceâforâtravelersâwithâanâappetiteâforâadventureâwhoâwouldâenjoyâthisârareâopportunityâtoâexploreâKashmirâ&âLadakh!âWeâwillâhaveâaâgrandâadventureâofâdiscovery.â(Noâsmokingâinâvehicles,âduringâlectures,âorâmealsâplease.)
COSTS & CONDITIONSAir Fare & Airline Ticketing:âPleaseâphoneâTaunya at Betchart Expeditions, (800) 252-4910âforâinformationâaboutâtheâgroupâflightsâfromâNewarkâtoâDelhiâonâUnitedâAirlines.âAIRâFARESâAREâSUBJECTâTOâCHANGEâUNTILâTICKETED.Accommodations:âAreâtwinâshareâinâlovelyâhouseboatsâinâKashmir,âandâinâexcellentâsmallâfirstâclassâhotelsâandâaâcomfortableâpermanentâtentâcampâinâLadakh.âLimitedâsingleâaccommoâdationsâareâavailableâforâaâsupplementâofâ$895.Reservations, Deposits, & Payments:âPleaseâmailâaâdepositâofâ$500âperâpersonâwithâtheâcompletedâreservationâformâto: Kashmir & Ladakh 2015, Betchart Expeditions Inc.
17050 Montebello Road, Cupertino, CA 95014-5435Theâbalanceâisâdueâ60âdaysâbeforeâdeparture.Questions:âPleaseâcallâBetchart Expeditions Inc. Telephone: (800) 252 4910â(USA)â or (408) 252 4910 (International) Fax:â (408)â252â1444â Email:â [email protected] & Refunds:âTheâinitialâdepositâisârefund-ableâupâtoâ60âdaysâbeforeâdepartureâlessâaâhandlingâfeeâofâ
$100âperâperson.âThereâisânoârefundâafterâtheâ60-dayâperiodâunlessâyourâplaceâisâresold,âthenâonlyâtheâ$100âperâpersonâhandlingâfeeâisâwithheld.âThereâareânoârefundsâforâunusedâmealsâorâotherâexpeditionâfeatures.
Discover âParadise on Earth!âKASHMIR & LADAKHAugust 19âSeptember 1, 2015
FIRST CLASS
AAAS Travels ACS & Sigma Xi Expeditions
BETCHARTâEXPEDITIONSâInc.â17050âMontebelloâRoad,âCupertino,âCAâ95014-5435