On the Top: Leh-Manali Highway, at Pang

Checking if everything is still there?

This photograph is taken at Pang, on Leh-Manali route. The tents in the picture are food tents. 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.

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. 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.

Pang, Ladakh

Pang food tents, on the way from Manali to Ladakh. After 300 km of jeep ride, we definitely were hungry but there were 150 km to go after this spot to reach Ladakh finally.