Himalayan Homestay in Ladakh

I've spent the last three days and two nights: eating, drinking, working, sleeping, and even defecating as a Ladakhi villager would. Three days ago, at 7 am, I drove from Leh to Zingchan - as far as one can get by motorable road into the Markha Valley. En route, my jeep driver barely averted disaster as we slammed into the mountainside wall to avoid a jeep coming around a single lane blind curve. Better hit the wall then drive off the otherside and plummet several hundred feet down a cliff to our death. In the end, the incident only served to waken my nerves in preparation for a long day. After being dropped off, wished good luck, and told I'd be picked up in the same spot in three days, I began a several hour uphill trek along a small river toward the village of Rumbak. The hike itself follows a small glacier stream and runs through a deep gorge - absolutely beautiful. I didn't encounter another person the entire time I was walking - unsettling at first, trekking alone becomes a very peaceful experience. I was forced to cross the river several times - often finding myself jumping from rock to rock and at one point falling into the freezing water - thank god it was a hot, sunny day and I dried off quickly.

I arrived to the Rumbak / Urutse Junction several hours later. After determining I needed to head left, 30 more minutes of uphill walk led me to Rumbak - where I would be living the next two nights. Rumbak is a small fertile, self-sustaining village of nine houses. All of the homes have several large plots of land where they grow barley, peas, vegatables, and wheat. Each house also keeps anwhere from 100 - 200 goats, sheep and lambs as well as a handful of cows, horses and donkeys. There is no plumbing in Rumbak (using a dry Ladakhi compost toilet is an experience in itself) and only in the last five years has electricity been introduced by way of solar power.
I was greeted by my Ama (Mother) when I arrived. She doesn't speak any English but the power of a smile and hand signals can go along way. As expected, I was immediately invited into the kitchen to sit down for tea and lunch. Lunch was a loaf of freshly baked bread with honey. Just to note, I haven't eaten meat in days or anything that wasn't freshly grown, harvested and cooked on location. I haven't felt so healthy in days - especially my digestive system. All Ladakhi village kitchens are very similar and are known for their simple cooking, copper pots, and Chotske tables (a low table that enables one to sit on the floor and eat). The daughter arrived from the field a few minutes later, she spoke a little bit of English, but communication was still difficult. After lunch, I was shown my room - a small, modest space with floor mats, lots of windows and a few ladakhi tables. As I said, there is no plumbing or real electricity in the house. I didn't bathe but was able to wash my hands and face once a day using water boiled over an open fire in the kitchen. After settling in, I returned downstairs to find the house empty. The mother and daughter were out in the fields and father was off in the mountains. Rumbak becomes a ghost town between 9 am and 5:30 pm - everyone is out working. I spent the day exploring the small village and surrounding area - mostly enjoying the peace and quiet to read, relax and take in the beautiful view. I returned to my room a few hours later to find an old man sitting on the roof outside my room. The second floor has a flat roof / balcony that is shared by several rooms. The old man, while combing through the fur of an animal pelt to eventually produce clothing, looked at me a bit surpised and muttered a few words in Ladakhi. Not sure what he said, I simply smiled and said, "Jullay!" Jullay is a general greeting which means hello, goodbye, thanks, you're welcome and is very useful. He motioned me to follow him and he led me to his bedroom (barely 10 ft x 10 ft) where he had his own kitchen. He motioned for me to sit on his bed and then he began to prepare tea. We sat in silence, sipping tea and smiling for about 30 minutes. I later learned this was Aba Meme (Grandfather). He no longer works and now spends his days meditating, spinning his prayer wheel and enjoying the company of others who aren't our working for the day.

Other thoughts....
The irrigation system employed by the village is unbelievable. They direct a small stream of glacier water for several miles by means of what resembles a small aqueduct. Once it reachces the village, the woman of the families work in the fields to redirect it every which way and ensure adequate irrigation to their plants. Every day, the head male of each family, typically the father who is referred to as Aba, takes the 150 of so animals to graze high into the mountains. I had the opportunity to assist my Aba in this duty on my second day in Rumbak. We set out around 7:30 am - the two of us and all of their animals. After observing Aba, I imitated his system of whistles, chirps, yells and rock throwing to help direct the herd into the hills. The walk itself is steep and takes about three hours. Once we reached our final destination, I turned around to head back to the village to spend the afternoon relaxing. All of the men return much later around 5:30 pm when the entire village comes out to greet them and help sort through the animals and return them to the proper pens. Each animal's forehead is painted a certain color to signify which family it belongs.

I did so much more and honestly the homestay was one of the greatest experiences of my life. Completely out of my element in every sense, I was forced to sit back, relax and accept life as it was. I haven't been so relaxed and satisfied in a long time... I'll share more later.

Slideshow from Ladakh: