High Passes and Blue Lakes in Ladakh

The drive up from Leh to Khardung La left our ears popping and the landscape turning from brown hills to snow within an hour. Pangong Lake's color shifting from turquoise to deep blue as the sun moved was something we just sat and watched for an hour straight, not talking much.

Altitude sickness caught up with a couple of us on day two, so we spent an extra day acclimatizing in Leh itself, wandering the old palace and drinking endless cups of butter tea. Slower than planned, but Ladakh isn't a place that rewards rushing.