Go Ahead, Try Climbing Up Here

Hey, I'm a stone fortress, and before you get any ideas, just be aware that you have pretty much zero chance of climbing me. Just wanted to get that out there before you go getting any ideas or delusions of being able to scale my rocky steepness.

I've been here for 600 years perched on this mountainside near the Diskit Monastery in Ladakh, northern India. Of course, someone had to climb up here to build me, and from time to time, to fix up my crumbling walls. But those guys were tough. You're not. I can tell.

Hey, not trying to insult you, just stating facts here. First off, it's 12,000 feet above sea level at my bottom. The air is thin up here, and that's enough to keep most folks from even trying to climb me. Second, in case you haven't noticed, it's rocky as hell up here, and crumbly, too. Treacherous would be a good way to describe it.

What's that? You're going to try anyway? Cool, whatever, just be aware that the nearest emergency room is about an hour, and the roads are pretty damn bumpy.
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Oh Man, Is That A Tour Bus?

Are you seeing what I'm seeing? It looks like a giant bus full of tourists. Big, loud, obnoxious looking ones with cameras hanging around their necks. Could they be any more of a parody of themselves? Seriously, do you see that hat the guy in the blue shirt is wearing?

I just hope they maintain a sense of respect when they come into our temple. Because a lot of times tourists come in here talking and laughing and generally not caring a whole bunch about the fact that this temple is a place of worship, a house of peace and serenity, a place where one should be able to reflect on life without having to listen to inane background chatter.

Whoa, wait, are they wearing Hawaiian shirts? We seriously need to think about banning them, as a policy. That's just not right. I can never take someone seriously when they're wearing one of those.

Ah well, here they come. Let's hope for the best.
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