by Enrico Guala
Do you know those books that are held at hand simply because, sometimes for no specific reasons, they make you feel good? The book of Enrico has this power. I keep it on my nightstand for nearly a year since the day he offered it to me.
It is a useful guide to discover this legendary region of northern India without replacing a Guide du Routard or the Lonely Planet, but certainly enriching them and offering the reader something more that makes the difference.
With this book, I discovered the customs and traditions of the fascinating Ladakh, the local Tibetan traditions, the beautiful Gompa, Tibetan monasteries that seem suspended in mid-air, and the religious symbolism. I visualized the routes around Leh described chapter by chapter and then the colors, the bright colors of this land captured in Enrico’s pics that make this volume a small collection of incredible photographs.
Phuktal Gompa
At the moment, to me, it is a reminder of things to do rather than a practical guide. Reading it, I realized that, in fact, I wouldn’t be able to visit it for a while, being my annual holiday period incompatible with the viability of the roads down there. Still, I keep it there at hand; I flip through it repeatedly, leave thoughts and plans wander. The power of good travel books …
I truly recommend it, even for its amazing pics. You can find it here: Ladakh tra terra, cielo e Gompas
About the author
Enrico Guala is a doctor from Cuneo, in Piedmont, with a huge passion for travel and photography. In his spare time from work, he explores Asia and runs through it to deepen his knowledge of Tibetan Buddhist culture that has always fascinated him.
He collaborated with the Lonely Planet and wrote for several websites specialized in trips to Asia. To learn more about it and follow him in his adventures, I recommend his blog Life’s a Journey.
Ah, this is the sentence Chatwin chose for his biography on social networks: “the real man’s house is not a home, it is the road. Life itself is a walking journey”.
