To Kargyak and Purne

Looking down from Shingo La, it's about an hour to the campsite at the bottom of the valley where the small tributary joins the Kargyak river.

It's my little blue tent with shirts hangning to dry. I am happy it didn't rain, as the tent is not at all waterproof. It doesn't rain too much in Zanskar, so overall it worked well, but there were a few nightly showers during which my mobile home was invaded by H2O chemical weapons.

 The next day is a long monotonous walk alongside the river, which is sloping gently. To the north there is an awesome mountain (not on this photo; my pictures of it are not too succesfull) called Gumburanjan.

 The next three pictures are from the villages Kargyak, Shi, Table and Tanze.
My memory doesn't allow for a more precise location!

From Kargyak to Purne there are particularly main "Mani" stones, with the Tibetan prayer Om Main Padme Hum, which I heard translates as Hail to Thee, Jewel in the Lotus Blossom. Many of the locals are more or less silently mumbling this mantra when they are working, or walking the mountain trails.

While it's obviously not necessary to be a Budhist to take a walk in Lamaland, it will earn you much respect with the locals if you show respect for their faith and don't lecture them about superstitition and atheism unless you want to tell them how stupid and ignorant you are.
 
When you walk by prayerstones you always keep them to your right. If you want to show more respect you could touch the stone with your right hand and while bowing slightly touching the hand to your forehead.

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