Friday 18th – Saturday 19th July 2014.

Kaza, Ki and Kibber.

We had all planned a sight-seeing day for Friday. Brian and Josie, who did not know each other before the start of their ride only a couple of weeks ago, decided that they didn’t really want to know each other any longer, so Josie left on the Saturday. Brian and I gave her a day to make some distance.

Kaza, beset by power problems, has little of obvious interest (cheesecake notwithstanding). If going through Spiti in the opposite direction to the one I’m taking, it is a good place to pick up an Inner Line Permit. It is the regional capital and a good location from which to explore Ki Monastery, the beautiful scenery and trekking surrounding the village of Kibber, Dhankar Monastery and lake, and the Pin Valley.

Seabuckthorn, supposedly endowed with miraculous curative powers.

Ki Monastery

Perched on the hillside, the monastery is picture postcard pretty.

Kibber

Our taxi was delayed for a while by roadworks. A thin layer of asphalt was being laid over the standard gravel surface:

And then to Kibber…where they still plough the fields with yaks:

The village, in the drizzle: