Some places are unforgettable and Pang is one of them. You cross it while traveling on the Leh Manali highway. Needless to say, this photograph is taken at Pang, on Leh-Manali route. The tents in the picture are food tents. If you are breaking your journey, you will find a place to sleep as well. We started our journey back from Leh at 5.00 am. The bus made a stop at 7.00 am and I had tea, and after that nothing. So when these tents came in sight around 2.00 pm I was famished and tried beyond words. This tiredness comes from the condition of the road. My having motion sickness on hilly roads also doesn’t help in any way.
I was sitting on the window and looking out for most of the journey. It was difficult to believe that the road could contain a bus, it was so narrow. Not only was it narrow, the curves seemed impossible to negotiate. But the state transport driver did all that and more.
At one point in our journey, our way was blocked by a Tata Sumo as it got stuck on that part of the road where water was pouring from the melting snow. Whatever tricks the driver tried the vehicle refused to budge. It crossed my mind that we might be forced to spend night at this spot freezing in the night. At least we had sleeping bags. After watching the proceedings for a while our bus driver asked us all in and told us to go to the back of the bus and stand there in a group. He will try to cross the patch.
My heart was thudding in my mouth as the bus lurched forward swaying crazily. After a few anxious moments, which seemed like ages then, we were out in the clear. I am so glad this happened only once in the entire journey.
Wow! What a scary and harrowing experience. I’m happy to know you made it through safe. I’m sure the food tasted REALLY GOOD when you finally got to eat! 🙂
Hi Mo,Oh yes, this journey has an effect of making the most mundane people like me turn philosophical!
i had a similar experience once on the way to kufri, we were in a suomo too and it was snowing.i was like, okie, i don’t mind dying now. 🙂
I would have to agree with you again Gulnaz about not minding to die, it is so darn beautiful, in these places. I have been only up to Chail and have not seen Kufri.
I believe I may be the only one with this sense of adventure, but I like those kind of rides. In up-state New York State, USA, we have what you call “end of the world” roads. As you are driving up and up and up, you cannot see the other side. Sometimes it even tickles your tummy. Just when you are about to fall off the road, the other side is there! Then you go downhill. What a rush! We have many dirt roads like this one. It is quite beautiful. Well, some of them. I am grateful that you are well. Now get some rest. 🙂
Hi Shaima,Thanks a lot for appriciating my pictures. The journey seems scary only with hindsight, not so much while it was actually happening!
Hi Rosemary,Thanks for sharing me about things in the USA, maybe I will visit your country one day!As for rest, as soon as I came back to Delhi, the very same day I had a job interview lined up on the Friday and from Monday I started working in a new teaching job!
And that was a wonderful experience…
It was Ganga it was, more so now when I look at it from my crazy but mundane city life.