The Nubra and Shyok Valleys are almost adjacent and split a little distance from Khalsar. Though both together are also called Nubra valley usually. Nubra means flowers. There are a lot of wild flowers which had not bloomed while I was there but did manage to see some of them. There are just too many oasis in this desert and riding along the river is a treat for the eyeballs. Going along the Shyok river, one comes across the sand dunes at Hunder and farm lands there after for quite some time. The double hump camel is the landmark in this region. While crossing the sand dunes, I was actually caught up in the dust storm but it was a thrilling experience. The prologue of the dust storm was what I could record.
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| After the storm: A relief |
The frequent landslides and other harsh factors contribute to erosion but one can even see the formation of sedimentary rocks. Playing with them, one can realize the diverse toughness of these rocks which could be attributed to their age or method of formation.
The dogs in this region are known to have killed Humans at times. Some of them managed to chase me from under the bridge while I was riding over it and did not give up even after we were on different sides of the river. Reaching the last Indian village of Tyakshi and then returning on the same route also seemed interesting. Got a lot of time to hang around with the lazy camels. Most of them are domesticated by the villagers of Hunder and the only work they have is to showcase themselves. (tourism icons)
At this point of time most of them were shedding their fur as summer approached
