Reports are coming through that the Pensi La has already received its first snowfall. I wonder if this heralds an early winter, or perhaps by claiming such a thing I am just getting carried away with unfounded media-type speculation! No doubt it made the last few die-hard migrant workers think, I suspect taxis were hurriedly commissioned by Biharis and Jharkandis heading for warmer climes.

Speaking of which I was fascinated and somewhat shocked to recently see that the summer population of Padum's Mane Ringmo is now dominated by migrant workers. Zanskaris were pretty much a minority in this area and in addition I am sure some Ladakh commentators would have been horrified by the number of leather jacket and sunglass toting youth. I must admit the condition of Mane Ringmo made me begin to agree with the descriptions that Padum often receives in guidebooks covering the area. The commercial end of Padum is now pretty bad, it's swamped by an inappropriate number of vehicles and concrete shops (many of which are permanently closed), not to mention the oversized and colourful pitched roofed guesthouses that would look more at home in Manali. Padum is in desperate need of a development plan, otherwise I fear it will make all the same mistakes that were made in Leh. Saying that at least in Leh most of the guest houses have been built along traditional lines. I understand that Zanskar might have a greater need for pitched roofs but do they really need to be bright green, and cannot a corrugated pitch be disguised beneath the parapet of a traditional flat roof?