Arrival in Manali

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Well, I made it to Manali. I am still not quite sure that I am in one piece though. Mattius, the Belgian traveler that I met on the train from Chandigarh, and myself decided to take a night bus here from Shimla. We figured if we ponied up a few extra rupees for a deluxe bus we would be able to sleep while traveling for the night, and save a day in the process as the trip takes about 10 hours. Turns out our bus was not as deluxe as we were promised. I once again didn't fit in the seat, and my legs and knees are actually cut, sraped, and really bruised after the trip. Deluxe is a term that is horribly misused here in India, as is certified, and gauranteed.

It wouldnt have mattered if it was a limo that had taken us from Shimla to Manali though as the main reason for not sleeping was the driving, and the condition of the coach itself. The first half of the journey is hairpin turns around crazy switchbacks, a thousand meter drop on one side, and a mountain wall on the other. The speeds we were moving at were ridiculous, over roads covered in rockslides, water, and potholes I wouldnt take my 4x4 through. To top everything off, I made the mistake of checking the condition of the tires before we left. The fact that they were bald was not as bad as the fact that the brakes were so finished on the bus that every two seconds when the driver decelerated from 60 kmh to 5 kmh in the space of two meters we were greeted with an ear piercing shriek from each drum.

We did not die though, and in spite of the wear and tear on my body and nerves, and the beating that my legs have taken, my first view of the Himalaya's was worth it. Mattius and I managed to find a hotel in an extrememly quiet spot about 3k out of town in the villiage of Old Manali. We have stunning views of the mountains from our rooms and the weather is really clear here, as well as quite cool at around 20 degrees. The rooms are cheap at around $4.00 CDN per night, and the food is a steal as well. Its nice to have a break on the wallet as Chandigarh, and Shimla were both very expensive cities.

Our plan is to basically just relax today, get some rest, and check out a bit of the old city. Tomorrow we will explore the rest of the city and stay one more night followed by a trip to Nagar where we will stay in Nagar castle for a night. There are a couple of treks in the area that we want to try and do before we book our transportation to Leh. We will probably be here in the Kullu valley for five to six days before making that trip. It should be quite an experience as Leh is almost five hundred kilometers from here, the only means of reaching it other than by air is by the highest road on earth. We have met quite a few people saying its one of the most nerve wracking, frightening things they have ever done, but once again Leh is supposed to make it all worthwhile. We shall see I suppose. Hope everyone back home is well, and I will update this journal once more before leaving for Leh in Ladakh. Talk to you all soon!

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Comments

[Judy Trouiller]

buses
lol...so i should bring a crapload of gravol?!?!