SerViajera
Oh, Lamayuru
Oh, Lamayuru ... Lamayuru is the oldest gompa of all Ladakh, and for me, the most impressive and evocative. Like other Buddhist monasteries it's on a rock with a village around. I arrived there from Dha on a dirt and stone road which for 2-3 hours skirted a creek shaded by golden aspens, then it connected to the main road. Lamayuru seems lost in solitude and when the tourist season is over its few hotels close - the village is then empty. Heaven helped me as I found a place to stay. I left my things and walked out into another dimension. The town is very poor, there are only very worn old ladies dressed Ladakhi style, praying or dozing under a shady tree, they look like centenarians, even if they are only 70 or 75 years old.
The gompa was a spectacular wonder with ochres, oranges and yellows silhouetted against the sky and the unique sound of brass bells moving in wind. After touring the monastery a monk opened a beautiful living room door in the dark and invited me to have some bread and cheese, from some recess came the invisible voices of chanting monks. When I left the gompa the sun touched the edge of the mountains and it was cold. I was tired, needed a shower,and was starving. The guest house owner prepared at 5pm, what a treat! A very spicy vegetable soup, rice with dahl, a typical sauce made of lentils, and warm chapattis. It was a pity that I could not take a shower but to get hot water in Ladakh would be a miracle.
Read more
![](https://images.mnstatic.com/7e/3f/7e3fe35e00267c2c9fc0a8806a6fe7c5.jpg?quality=75&format=png&fit=crop&width=65&height=65&aspect_ratio=65%3A65)
![](https://images.mnstatic.com/ea/4e/ea4eb18541a8925bf06761e7d418d089.jpg?quality=75&format=png&fit=crop&width=65&height=65&aspect_ratio=65%3A65)
![](https://images.mnstatic.com/b2/5a/b25ae23f726932f2f7ce39d48a5fc0f8.jpg?quality=75&format=png&fit=crop&width=65&height=65&aspect_ratio=65%3A65)
+12