A Ladakhi monastery sits dwarfed by the
magnificent Ladakhi mountain range near Leh the
capital of Ladakh, India June 28, 2004. The isolated area of Ladakh first
opened to tourists in 1974, and is the home to one of the last surviving
authentic Tibetan Buddhist cultures. Leh is situated at a height of 3505
meters and once was part of the silk route of central Asia. Traders from
exotic and far-flung lands have long spoken of the beauties of these lands.
