We got an early start this morning. After breakfast at our homestays, we walked down the Phyang Valley to attend the annual monastery festival. Over 1000 people participated, both visitors and Ladakhis. The festival is an important ritual for the community, with elaborate dances and traditional music. The students also spent much of the morning running a table for the monastery school, where they greeted visitors and sold crafts and postcards to benefit the school’s programs.

We spent the afternoon in Leh, returning to LEDeG to watch a film called The Economics of Happiness, which examines the impacts of globalization on Ladakh. Before returning to Phyang, we participated in a jewelry and beading workshop with a local artisan. The students put together some really nice projects!

Tonight is our last night with our homestay families before we spend two nights at SECMOL and then head out on our trek. We won’t have internet access until this weekend, but hope to share more updates and pictures soon!

– John and Uttara