Thursday, 24 September 2009
Back from Ladakh
Back from a mesmerizing Ladakh trip...did all that I had set out for...and more...Marsimek La!! Scroll to the bottom of the page for pictures and vidoes...and watch out for my travelogue soon.
Sunday, 23 August 2009
Final Itinerary
After much delibrations, here is our final itinerary for our Ladakh biking trip:
Day 01 is September 10th. Most of this will be done on a hired bike from leh. So if any one is interested, you must be willing to hire and ride a bike through the highest roads on earth and willing to tent in the wilderness.
Day 01: Arrive in Leh. Complete day for rest and leisure to acclimatize. Evening Visit to Leh Market & Shanti Stupa. Overnight at a hotel.
Day 02: Go for white water rafting from Chilling to Nimu on the Zanskar river till it meets the grand Indus. These are Grade III to Grade III B rapids. Will be back to Leh by 4 pm. Evening free to visit to Shanti Stupa, Samkar Gompa (Leh Gompa), Namgyal Tsemo (Victory fort) and Leh Palace.
Day 03: Ride to Khardung La and continue to Hunder for over night stay.
Day 04: Next morning, either go to a double humpback camel breeding farm at Dikshit, or visit Panamik, the last village on LAC before the Siachen Glacier, and the leave for Leh. Stay at Leh.
Day 05: Head to Pangong Tso over the mighty Chang La pass. The journey will take atleast 5 hours. Stay at Pangong in tents.
Day 06: If whether, health and authorities permit, attempt the first solo ride to the top or Marsimik La or return to Leh. Ride to Alchi and stay there.
Day 07: Ride to Dah Hanu valley via Khaltse. Spend day exploring one of the most secluded tribal regions in the world, who are known to be the purest Aryan race in the world...the Dards. Stay at Dah or Biama.
Day 08: Move to Drass via Kargil through the spectacular terrain. Day for Drass exploration and stay at Drass.
Day 09: Ride to Kargil, explore the area. Ask locals for other places to see. If we have time then move to Lamayru and stay there, else stay at Kargil.
Day 10: Depending on whether we stay at Lamayru oor Kargil, ride to Leh. Explore the remaining sights of Leh and possibly shop a little.
Day 11: Leave early morning for Delhi.
Day 01 is September 10th. Most of this will be done on a hired bike from leh. So if any one is interested, you must be willing to hire and ride a bike through the highest roads on earth and willing to tent in the wilderness.
Day 01: Arrive in Leh. Complete day for rest and leisure to acclimatize. Evening Visit to Leh Market & Shanti Stupa. Overnight at a hotel.
Day 02: Go for white water rafting from Chilling to Nimu on the Zanskar river till it meets the grand Indus. These are Grade III to Grade III B rapids. Will be back to Leh by 4 pm. Evening free to visit to Shanti Stupa, Samkar Gompa (Leh Gompa), Namgyal Tsemo (Victory fort) and Leh Palace.
Day 03: Ride to Khardung La and continue to Hunder for over night stay.
Day 04: Next morning, either go to a double humpback camel breeding farm at Dikshit, or visit Panamik, the last village on LAC before the Siachen Glacier, and the leave for Leh. Stay at Leh.
Day 05: Head to Pangong Tso over the mighty Chang La pass. The journey will take atleast 5 hours. Stay at Pangong in tents.
Day 06: If whether, health and authorities permit, attempt the first solo ride to the top or Marsimik La or return to Leh. Ride to Alchi and stay there.
Day 07: Ride to Dah Hanu valley via Khaltse. Spend day exploring one of the most secluded tribal regions in the world, who are known to be the purest Aryan race in the world...the Dards. Stay at Dah or Biama.
Day 08: Move to Drass via Kargil through the spectacular terrain. Day for Drass exploration and stay at Drass.
Day 09: Ride to Kargil, explore the area. Ask locals for other places to see. If we have time then move to Lamayru and stay there, else stay at Kargil.
Day 10: Depending on whether we stay at Lamayru oor Kargil, ride to Leh. Explore the remaining sights of Leh and possibly shop a little.
Day 11: Leave early morning for Delhi.
Sunday, 26 July 2009
Leh Update
All is set. Bikes have been arranged for as well...directly in Leh...from Planet Himlaya, Leh City. Will arrive in Leh on 10th Sep morning...and 9 days of non stop biking and photography.
Monday, 4 May 2009
Itinerary for Ladakh, Nubra and Zanskar in September
Here is our plan for Leh in September. Day 01 is September 10th. Most of this will be done on a hired bike from leh. So if any one is interested, you must be willing to hire and ride a bike through the highest roads on earth and willing to tent in the wilderness.
Day 01: Arrive in Leh. Complete day for rest and leisure to acclimatize. Evening Visit to Leh Market & Shanti Stupa. Overnight at a hotel.
Day 02: Day 02: Visit to Shanti Stupa, Samkar Gompa (Leh Gompa), Namgyal Tsemo (Victory fort) and Leh Palace. Possibly visit to Shey, Thiksey, Hemis monastery and Sindhu Ghat. Some of this can be left for Day 5.
Day 03: Visit Likir, the confluence of rivers Indus and Zanskar, then visit to Alchi and then ride, back to Leh
Day 04: Ride to Khardung La and continue to Hunder for over night stay.
Day 05: Next morning, either go to a double humpback camel breeding farm at Deskit, or visit Panamik, the last village on LAC and the leave for Leh. Stay Leh.
Day 06: Head to Pangong Tso. Stay at Pangong in tents.
Day 07: Return to Leh. Leave for long journey to Dah Hanu (160 Km). Stay there either at Biama or at Dah.
Day 08: Move to Kargil from here through the spectacular terrain. One map book shows a direct road to Kargil from Dah Hanu. If not, we return to Khaltse and ride to Kargil.
Day 09: Explore Kargil, visit Drass. 62 km between the two. Ask locals for other places to see.
Day 10: Head back to Leh.
Day 11: Leave early morning for Delhi.
Day 01: Arrive in Leh. Complete day for rest and leisure to acclimatize. Evening Visit to Leh Market & Shanti Stupa. Overnight at a hotel.
Day 02: Day 02: Visit to Shanti Stupa, Samkar Gompa (Leh Gompa), Namgyal Tsemo (Victory fort) and Leh Palace. Possibly visit to Shey, Thiksey, Hemis monastery and Sindhu Ghat. Some of this can be left for Day 5.
Day 03: Visit Likir, the confluence of rivers Indus and Zanskar, then visit to Alchi and then ride, back to Leh
Day 04: Ride to Khardung La and continue to Hunder for over night stay.
Day 05: Next morning, either go to a double humpback camel breeding farm at Deskit, or visit Panamik, the last village on LAC and the leave for Leh. Stay Leh.
Day 06: Head to Pangong Tso. Stay at Pangong in tents.
Day 07: Return to Leh. Leave for long journey to Dah Hanu (160 Km). Stay there either at Biama or at Dah.
Day 08: Move to Kargil from here through the spectacular terrain. One map book shows a direct road to Kargil from Dah Hanu. If not, we return to Khaltse and ride to Kargil.
Day 09: Explore Kargil, visit Drass. 62 km between the two. Ask locals for other places to see.
Day 10: Head back to Leh.
Day 11: Leave early morning for Delhi.
Sunday, 19 April 2009
Born Free...Taxed to Death!
One may argue that developed nations have higher tax rates than India. Australia, Canada, USA, all have very high tax rates. The tax payers money is of course used to provide world class amenities to the 'tax payers'. In some Scandinavian nations, progressive taxation is very severe. So you really pay the price for being rich. But... in return 'you' get the best infrastructure, power, water, the best public schools, the best healthcare, and numerous social security benefits. For example, Canada...if you are ill you can just visit a govt. hospital and be assured of world class treatment. In USA, the public schools are generally better than the private schoals!
In our nation, the middle class, as I mentioned earlier, exists only to pay tax. You will be shocked to know that just about 2% of our nation pays income tax. Another major difference is that we pay tax so that the government has money to feed the poor. We pay tax so that farmer loans can be waived. We pay tax so that farmers get free power. We pay tax so that poor people get rice at Re.2 a kg. We pay tax so that diesel is subsidized. We pay tax so that the poor children can study at government schools. We pay tax so that the slum dwellers get free electricity and water. We pay tax so that they get rehabilitated in SRA buildings, which they rent out and continue staying where they were. I am not against the poor getting sops, but doesn't mean that we only earn and pay for them.
The biggest joke...tax evasion...has never even been mentioned by any political party in their agenda. There is such massive tax evasion in this country, that a little bit of effort will result in huge revenue generation. Octroi, sales tax, VAT are failures. Octroi was supposed to be abolished, with the introduction of VAT...but now the govt. is reaping double benefits. The octroi checknakas, are corruption nakas for me. There is corruption in all the aspects one can think about at an octroi naka. From weighing the trucks to declaring the value of goods, its all theft. Try getting a truck past an octroi post, and you'll be hunted down by cops in minutes. Why is that I never see a cop chase a traffic offender?
Sales tax and VAT...issues which pain me. Sales tax and VAT are to be borne by the seller. He is selling something...so he bears a 'sales tax'...similarly with VAT. Instead they just pass it on to the consumer...and conveniently mention...price-so and so + so and so % tax. Its your tax god damn it. Apart from that, I don't know if even 1% of all sales transactions that occur in India are properly documented i.e. issue an invoice or a cash memo that can be accounted for by the taxation authorities. How many times to you buy something and the seller proactively gives you a cash memo. The corruption is so deep rooted, that if you insist for a bill, he will give you an estimate. Most 'aware' people are satisfied with that, but don't realize that the estimate again is not accounted for. A bill book must be numbered, and one copy of the memo will be retained by the shop keeper. I wonder if all sellers even have bill books with them.
One more crappy tax that was levied...to kill the middle class community further was the service tax. The most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. I pay tax on my income...TDS...etc. (refunds never come back) and I am taxed for paying my electricity bill! I go to a restaurant to eat my food...using my 33% taxed income...and they charge me a service tax on it? The businesses shamelessly levy it on the buyer! Ok...you want us to pay for it...so include it your food costs...and charge us accordingly. Its NOT my tax..its yours.
Tell me something...how many doctors pay tax? How can their income be accounted for...the private practitioners? There is no billing mechanism. Transactions are in cash. If you want a bill, it is just a written note on a precription...that again cannot be accounted for. I don't think any private practitioner pays complete income tax. What are the tax authorities doing? Nothing...they are aware of this for decades...they still don't have a mechanism to monitor their income.
I buy petrol...it is taxed...I buy food it is taxed...I buy rail tickets...there is a service charge...I use a phone...it is taxed...and I pay for all this with my taxed income....and 98% of India doesn't pay income tax. Sales Tax, VAT, Service Tax are anyway borne by the 2% who use it!
Born free...taxed to death...
In our nation, the middle class, as I mentioned earlier, exists only to pay tax. You will be shocked to know that just about 2% of our nation pays income tax. Another major difference is that we pay tax so that the government has money to feed the poor. We pay tax so that farmer loans can be waived. We pay tax so that farmers get free power. We pay tax so that poor people get rice at Re.2 a kg. We pay tax so that diesel is subsidized. We pay tax so that the poor children can study at government schools. We pay tax so that the slum dwellers get free electricity and water. We pay tax so that they get rehabilitated in SRA buildings, which they rent out and continue staying where they were. I am not against the poor getting sops, but doesn't mean that we only earn and pay for them.
The biggest joke...tax evasion...has never even been mentioned by any political party in their agenda. There is such massive tax evasion in this country, that a little bit of effort will result in huge revenue generation. Octroi, sales tax, VAT are failures. Octroi was supposed to be abolished, with the introduction of VAT...but now the govt. is reaping double benefits. The octroi checknakas, are corruption nakas for me. There is corruption in all the aspects one can think about at an octroi naka. From weighing the trucks to declaring the value of goods, its all theft. Try getting a truck past an octroi post, and you'll be hunted down by cops in minutes. Why is that I never see a cop chase a traffic offender?
Sales tax and VAT...issues which pain me. Sales tax and VAT are to be borne by the seller. He is selling something...so he bears a 'sales tax'...similarly with VAT. Instead they just pass it on to the consumer...and conveniently mention...price-so and so + so and so % tax. Its your tax god damn it. Apart from that, I don't know if even 1% of all sales transactions that occur in India are properly documented i.e. issue an invoice or a cash memo that can be accounted for by the taxation authorities. How many times to you buy something and the seller proactively gives you a cash memo. The corruption is so deep rooted, that if you insist for a bill, he will give you an estimate. Most 'aware' people are satisfied with that, but don't realize that the estimate again is not accounted for. A bill book must be numbered, and one copy of the memo will be retained by the shop keeper. I wonder if all sellers even have bill books with them.
One more crappy tax that was levied...to kill the middle class community further was the service tax. The most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. I pay tax on my income...TDS...etc. (refunds never come back) and I am taxed for paying my electricity bill! I go to a restaurant to eat my food...using my 33% taxed income...and they charge me a service tax on it? The businesses shamelessly levy it on the buyer! Ok...you want us to pay for it...so include it your food costs...and charge us accordingly. Its NOT my tax..its yours.
Tell me something...how many doctors pay tax? How can their income be accounted for...the private practitioners? There is no billing mechanism. Transactions are in cash. If you want a bill, it is just a written note on a precription...that again cannot be accounted for. I don't think any private practitioner pays complete income tax. What are the tax authorities doing? Nothing...they are aware of this for decades...they still don't have a mechanism to monitor their income.
I buy petrol...it is taxed...I buy food it is taxed...I buy rail tickets...there is a service charge...I use a phone...it is taxed...and I pay for all this with my taxed income....and 98% of India doesn't pay income tax. Sales Tax, VAT, Service Tax are anyway borne by the 2% who use it!
Born free...taxed to death...
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