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On the Top: Leh-Manali Highway, at Pang

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.

Pang on Manali Leh Highway
Pang on Manali Leh Highway
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.

Mridula Dwivedi

I started 'Travel Tales from India' my India Travel Blog in 2005 and it has become an anchor for my travel writing. My blog was once linked at BBC and The Guardian.

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