Thunderbirds and Oracles

22 August 2010 Thunderbirds

Feeling more confident with the Enfields now Paola and I decide to hire one each and go drive about. Yeeeeehaaaa. As Paola's sister has arrived from Italy she goes on the back of her's - we hire a mechanic to come with us - just in case..

9am get to the shop and choose two bikes and get ready to go (the Oracle starts at 10am in Choglamsa - about 30 mins away) - but the mechanic is not here - in fact we're not getting the mechanic - he needs to be in the shop - we 're getting - yeah - a 15 year old - just out of bed -

We drive to the petrol station - and cant get the petrol cap off Paoloa's bike so drive back to the office - Paola is screaming at the man in the shop, we're late - cant get to the Oracle today - 5 people tried to get the petrol cap off - the man in the bike shop opened it in one minute. But the whole point (well one point) of hiring the bikes was to get to the Oracle ... He'll have to give us the bikes tomorrow am free so we can go then. ok ok - I think he just wanted to get rid of us.

We're riding Thunderbirds - newer than the previous bikes I've been on and it feels very big and very heavy. Luckily my man on the bike is very small.

We have to drive through Choglamsar - the worst of the villages hit by the flood - road is covered in mud hard dried now, there's a new river running through the village (with a new bridge) but huge bumps to get over to get on the bridge - but we both do it. Gushing water over the road, sewage pipes to ride over, narrow bends with dusty mud to go round - this was the hardest - going slowly and sliding in the sand ... but then we get to the smooth tarmac and not much traffic and driving is pure pleasure. Stop at Shey palace - huge Buddah. Drive to Thiksey Monastry - get lunch - rest - its super hot - dirt road up a small hill past 15 cyclists - its quite narrow and we're on the edge.... make it. Off to Hemis. Jesus Lived in india is the title of a book - and apparently Jesus came to Hemis. We Pass trucks, caravan of ponies, wild dogs, kids playing by the side of the road, buses and lots of long straight fast open road - i'm slow but loving it. Paola has zoomed off but we meet in the village before turning off to Hemis. I try to put the bike on the main stand (side stand easy) but main stand its too hard or i've not mastered the technique and the bike falls towards me - its way too heavy for me to lift up so finally the young boy has something to do. He tells us he's 18 but when we ask at lunch where he studies he's in 10th class still - 16 !!! probably getting 100 rupees a day and we're paying 5x for him.

Oracle

Next am. the man at the bike shop doesnt want us to take the bikes as he can hire them out for the whole day so he's offered to drive us there. 3 up me, him and Paola on one and the mechanic and Anna-Rosa on the other. He very happily drops us 10 min walk from where we need to go and I think he's very relieved to get rid of us. We wander through the Tibetan settlement asking for the way to the Oracle's house - a young Tibetan girl shows us in the end but tells us that we need a translator - she can't do it because she ate eggs this morning and its strict veggie only allowed in. ok for me. Luckily Paola and her sister didn't get any eggs. We meet other Tibetans at the gate and are asked to wait - lots of discussion - what are our ailments - maybe they can just explain them - but then we'll not know what to do or how to answer if she asks a question. The Oracle's son speaks English but says he'll be too busy helping. The boy asks if the Oracle (his mum) will let the egg eating young Tibetan in to translate - she agrees so we can go in. In a tiny mud room off a courtyard - the wall has lots of pictures of deities and a small altar. Maybe 10 of us - all Tibetans - men, women, old and young and us sit on the floor on mats. The Oracle starts chanting, singing and dressing up in headress, muff (collar thing) no photos sadly - she looked quite high priestess ish. When she's ready the first man lifts his shirt up and she starts sucking or blowing with a tiny trumpet and then spits out Black stuff from her mouth into a bucket - euh... for real.. then she rubs him with a wooden stick. throws some rice into the air which lands on a tiny drum and gives him his prescription. Next a woman lifts her top and she does the same. She blows into some water bottles - giving a vibration to the water I guess. For me - i offer her my throat and the Tibetan girl says Thyroid - I'm not sure they have any idea what this means and after some sucking and blowing she says - nothing there. Then I say what about sugar allergy - she gives me a tiny worm like stick and says put it in water and drink it. Anna Rosa - gets a nothing there and Paola gets sucked and blown with the trumpet and told her back pain will go.

We walk to the Tibetan girl's, mother's restaurant and have yucky chowmein and the worst soup and i hitch back to Leh and sit in a cafe and fall asleep. Luckily no one else was there - til I wake up and find all the tables full...


Now having to say good byes as one by one the last few friends of mine fly home. I start to look for a way back to Manali - one road has been made available - just a very long way round - and now twice as expensive. mmmmmm Really wanted to ride a bike back but think it maybe too challlenging and too tiring - have been offered a seat 28 August with some Nepali workers so think i'll take it. So long Ladakh - a very special place with beautiful mountains, valleys and people. Julley Julley.