Day 7: Kaza – Langza – Komik – Hikkim – Kaza

Kaza

Yesterday, our driver Vikram informed us that we could start late today since our destinations were nearby. Despite my body clock waking me at 5:30 AM, the cold kept me in bed until 7. Little N was up by 7.30 AM and busy preparing surprise gifts(which I would be revealing)  for his friends and our family. I asked him if I could quickly stroll through the local market for tea, and he graciously agreed.

The market was just waking up. I had read about a few good cafes, but unfortunately, all were closed. I met a local woman and asked about local food items I had read about online. She said those items weren’t native to the area. Another local, a salon owner, guided me to a tea shop. While sipping tea, I learned from the locals that butter tea, Lingdi achar, and Siddu weren’t traditional here; they mostly ate chana poori, dal, rice, paranthe, and paneer dishes. Thukpa and momos, though common, were also not traditional. I thanked them and returned to our room with the question in mind – where is the local food?

My friend told me that Little M wasn’t feeling well, having vomited repeatedly. A doctor here diagnosed altitude sickness and dehydration, similar to Little N had at Karccham. We debated continuing our trip, given the high altitudes, but eventually decided to proceed cautiously. I gave Little N medication to prevent motion sickness.

Langza

Langza, at an elevation of 4,420 meters (14,500 ft), is a small village set at the base of Chau Chau Kang Nilda mountain, also known as Princess Mountain. It’s famous for its large Buddha statue overlooking the mountains. We parked a few meters away and walked down the hill to enjoy the breathtaking view. The climb back to the car was challenging, and despite constantly sipping water to stay hydrated, our mouths were dry.

Komik

Komik, at 4,587 meters (15,049 ft), claims to be the highest village in the world connected by a motorable road. We visited two monasteries there. One barred entry to women, but the adjacent museum was open to all. The other monastery was deserted, but we found the crowd at a nearby cafe. Forewarned about the steep prices by our stay-owner, we skipped the cafe visit.

Hikkim

Descending to 4,400 meters (14,400 ft), we reached Hikkim, home to the world’s highest post office. Little N excitedly mailed the postcards he had prepared, proud of his first post office visit.

We had met a Malayalee family in Rampur restaurant and they suggested we buy the postcards from Kaza itself and fill it before we visit this location. That would avoid the rush of buying the cards, writing them. The souvenir shop, small stalls and the post office had post cards to sell at different rates. But this advice was worth following.

To send the postcards inside India, it costs us 10rs and for international it is 30rs. The post cards price starts from 10rs. When one of the tourists asked the post master about the delivery of these post cards(as many blogs have mentioned that they didn’t receive the cards), the post master simply replied not to post from here 😁. I would suggest another option if you also doubt that way, you get it stamped and sealed and take them home! We took the chance though 😉

Our original plan included visiting Key Monastery and Chicham Bridge, the world’s highest bridge from sea level at 4,037 meters (13,244 ft). However, Little M’s health necessitated an early return to Kaza. Vikram(our driver) suggested we visit these places tomorrow as we don’t have much in our tomorrow’s itinerary.

Kaza

We had lunch in Kaza and decided to rest. My friend had a headache, and Little N was drowsy from his medication. In the evening, after dinner, we went for a small shopping trip in the market. Back in our rooms, Little M felt energetic enough to join us in our usual ritual of playing UNO cards. We ended the day with a fun game, feeling more relaxed and ready for tomorrow’s adventures.

A.