This is the Tiksey monastery, about 20 km from Leh. Beatrice and I had a day between when we arranged to leave on trek and when we were to go. so we went to this place and the 17th century palace in Shey. I took almost this same picture last September. If you want to see more pictures than I have here, click on the September 2006 link on the opening page. Here are some more pictures taken up in the monastery.
These prayer wheels are everywhere, in town, in monasteries, by the road… everywhere. People turn them clockwise, as they do their handheld prayer wheels, and it’s basically equal to saying the prayer.
This last one is typical of the monks’ quarters.
At the time, we were going to leave about Wednesday, but Beatrice had difficulty buying a pony she liked, so it got put off till Friday. Then she got sick, and we put it off till Sunday. She’s getting better, so we should actually get out of here on Sunday.
 Part of our trek will take us behind the Stok range, which forms much of the southern flank of the Leh valley. In this picture, taken from part way up the walk to the Tiksey monastery, you can see the mountains we’ll climb over the first day out of Lamayuru, though the part we’ll go over is actually about 140 km to the west.
Actually, when we get to about this point, we’ll cross another pass and head into the region between the Stok range and the Zanskar range. I plan to stop on the road between Manali and Leh near Tso Kar. Beatrice will head back into the mountains between the Zanskar range and the Himalaya range, then back east toward the China border, then north wherever she can get away with going depending on the army allows and her horseman is willing to try. Both are considerations because the army controls the lands tight to the China border and it’s usually forbidden to go to some of the areas she wants to go to, there are no maps, and Namgang has never been there. If they can pull that off, it will likely be that they will have to pick up a nomad boy as a guide. Whatever.
So, I plan to be in some place where I can internet in about 3-4 weeks. I suppose there is a chance I will stick with Beatrice. If I do that, I’ll call a few people from Tso Kar, where I am sure there is a phone. I hope all goes well with you on your ends.