Following our morning reflection and a hearty breakfast of roti (a flatbread similar to naan), dahl, veggies, and yogurt, we geared up for a training hike in preparation for the start of our trek tomorrow. Accompanied by four of our Ladakhi friends, including Stanvin (a SECMOL student who will serve as one of the guides on our upcoming trek), we set out to climb the nearby Mt. Secmol. It was a challenging hike, but everyone made it to the summit and declared it worthwhile when we were rewarded with a spectacular view of the SECMOL campus, the surrounding mountains, and the valley all the way to Leh.
After our hike, we headed into Leh, which is about 30 minutes away from campus by bus. There is an excellent museum there called LAMO (Ladakhi Arts and Media Organization). In one room, old photographs of Leh gave us insight into how the village has changed over the years. In another, an exhibition of prized possessions temporarily donated by local families gave us a sense of history, tradition and local values. Of the many exhibits, the most thought-provoking for the students was an installation that asked the question: What does your dream home look like? In Leh, most houses have thatched roofs made of woven willow branches. The exhibit was a room full of these woven branches, with notes tucked into them that were written by Ladakhis describing their ideal home. “My dream home would have space for a vegetable garden,” read one of the notes. “I would have a real toilet in my house,” stated another. Yet another expressed the desire for an extra bedroom for family members. Reading these notes helped the students to consider the differences between Ladakhi and American values, notions of wealth, and material possessions.
A meeting with Neerav, a local wildlife educator, was next. Neerav gave a presentation on the flora and fauna of the Ladakh region. We may see many of the animals he talked about on our upcoming trek: blue sheep, ibexes, golden eagles, black necked cranes, and if we are very lucky, the elusive Tibetan wolf and the endangered snow leopard. Neerav explained the work of various conservation groups dedicated to preserving the indigenous wildlife of this area, especially the snow leopard. We discussed the tension that exists between snow leopard conservation groups and local people, particularly herders, who feel their livelihoods are threatened by the snow leopard’s appetite for sheep. Many of the guesthouses we will stay in during our trek are sponsored by the Snow Leopard Conservancy. The revenue from these guesthouses is used to help local people offset the cost of snow leopard-related livestock loss, and therefore reduce the incidence of retributive killing and trapping of snow leopards in order to preserve the species. We will learn more about this dynamic during our trek.
In the late afternoon, we allowed the students some free time to explore the main bazaar of Leh in small groups. We were all excited to use the internet café in Leh, but sadly the internet was not working today. Instead we satisfied ourselves with a taste of American food at the One World Café. Full of pizza, chicken, burgers, pancakes, and milkshakes, our group was in high spirits as we headed back to campus to pack for the start of the trek.
-The GA India Team