Leh – Gloomy Days with Highlights
14. – 16. June 2026
So I was back and really enjoying my room here. The next day was Sunday, which meant either the hospital (better not) or simply waiting for Monday. Since I do quite like walking, I thought I’d head into town for a delicious lunch. But I didn’t get very far—right in front of the house, three people working Sunday shifts asked if I wanted a lift by car. OK. We drove up and stopped at a hotel. Why this hotel? Well, it apparently belonged to Lotus, Tundup’s brother, and a group was arriving there today, so we could have lunch there! Great idea! That way, I ran into Lotus again for a chat and got a brief impression of the place. Unfortunately, all the rooms were occupied. The dining room was very large and reasonably nice. The people were pleasant, and we were also allowed to peek into the spacious kitchen. The food arrived a bit late, but it came with very delicious pakora balls and the most amazing mango puree—though the rest was just a tiny bit too spicy for me.
The weather really isn’t good this June. I mean, there are hardly any proper, full sunny days; it is mostly cloudy, and sometimes a bit of rain falls.
The next day, I set out to find a physiotherapist. I had found two places on the internet. However, it turned out to be an exhausting, frustrating, and unsuccessful mission. The first one was closed. A lady living nearby enlightened me: she only comes if you call her in advance. How annoying!
The second place was also closed, though at least the shutters were up. I called: he said he would arrive in about an hour. Oh dear, wait that long? Or in two hours, which would give me time to go to the market. I told him I couldn’t walk very well. I said I would look for a third option, and if that didn’t work out, I would come back to him.
The third option was the hospital. The doctors there practically have their own consultation rooms. Maybe that would even be better? The orthopedics counter was closed, but there was a special desk “for the elders” over 60. Two nice ladies were sitting there and instructed me to go to the room and wait. I went over: numbers were constantly being called out. I went back to the “elderly desk”—they told me the numbers could only be gotten at the counter, but since it was closed (it wasn’t even 4:00 PM yet), I just had to line up. I stood there for a bit, but I got the feeling I would never get a turn that way. Plus, the door stayed open and there was always a small crowd hovering inside the treatment room. I was afraid I wouldn’t get any genuinely good advice there, so I decided to head back to option number two.
On the way, I met someone who advised me to check out the doctors across from the hospital. However, I couldn’t find anyone for orthopedics there. So, I was back at option number two exactly an hour later, but he wasn’t there. And he wasn’t answering my calls anymore, either. I waited for another half an hour anyway, but he didn’t show up. Frustrated, I gave up. And my back was hurting more again.
The next morning, I called option number one—and actually got an appointment! I went there, didn’t take a photo, but was absolutely thrilled. She was a young, very nice woman who, it seemed to me, knew exactly what she was doing. And it felt so good! I lay on a treatment table, and she pulled, pressed, and tested things out. Then I was hooked up to a device that treated my sacroiliac area. It actually felt like an extremely good massage, almost more sensitive than human hands. My entire stiffened back relaxed. After that, a heat pack, exercises to do on my own, sleeping tips, a heat patch, and plenty of kind words throughout. She also admonished me not to walk so much anymore—only shorter distances. I was there for an hour and felt myself to be in absolutely competent hands. It lasted an hour, and I paid 10 euros. And then she even drove me back! She lives just around the corner. She mentioned that she is usually at her practice more often, but a football tournament was currently taking place in Spituk and she had to be on-site there, so her life was a bit hectic at the moment. How lovely that she still took the time for me. Her name is Sonam, and I will consult her once more in a few days.
On the way, I came across these poor dogs stuck together. They say there are more dogs in Ladakh than there are Ladakhis. They reproduce at an extreme rate, and given the rugged terrain, it is simply impossible to catch enough of them to be sterilized. Mass culls would probably be the only effective measure, but that goes against Buddhism. Up to 2,000 bites are registered annually, and 5 to 6 people come to the hospital every day with dog bites. What’s more, 5 to 6 people have actually died from them in recent years. Anyone bitten in a more remote village is unlikely to make it into the statistics. Since they also roam the wilderness in packs, walking around alone is really not recommended—at least not across wide areas in central Ladakh. And the nighttime barking is an extra annoyance for everyone on top of that. Apart from causing problems for humans, they also disrupt the ecological balance. For example, the dogs eat the ground-laid eggs of the rare black-necked crane, whose population has already been dramatically decimated.
Later that day, following my encounter in Manali, I spoke German in person again for the first time! I ran into Susanne, who was a participant in a women’s tour I led back in 2014. We have stayed in casual contact and were now able to see each other again here. Back then, we had visited the cashmere wool processing machine with Nawang, so naturally, I had to drag her to his shop too. Neither of them remembered each other, but we still had a nice time together.
Actually, I don’t really notice whether I have German-speaking contacts or even other Westerners to talk to—except that years ago, someone asked me how I could possibly manage without that kind of direct interaction. I really don’t miss anything. Is it because exchanging messages via chat and so on is enough, or is it just age and being used to it?
And then there is another heavy story from here. Drug addiction is becoming more and more of an issue. Just recently, a young woman was using drugs with a few others and suffered an overdose. Instead of seeking medical help, the others put her body in a car and tried to get rid of her somehow. In the end, they drove quite high up toward Khardung La and tried to burn the body there. You can read the whole story here: ReachLadakh.
The physiotherapist said I would need to be patient for about another two weeks before I am healed enough to go hiking properly again. So now, I am trying to find interesting experiences within a smaller (movement) radius. To that end, I wanted to go visit a local friend the next day. And even just on the way there, I discovered a lot of new things! While I still regret not being able to go trekking properly, there seem to be quite a few alternatives that suit me well.