The first thing we needed to do was board a coach from Delhi which Bina had very kindly helped us sort out through a Government Travel Agency. We booked it for the 10th and it was to be an overnight trip. We had heard much about the long bus trips in India and it is something that the country is renowned for. We were about to embark on our first and it was due to take 16 hours.
So, we arrived at the agency office on the afternoon of the 10th (October)and were pointed in the direction of a bus outside. On closer inspection of the bus our hearts dropped. It was a relative wreck with not a lot of leg room at all! You can imagine our relief when we were guided to a substantially larger bus by someone who took pity on us. From the outside this bus was a vast improvement, but on inspecting inside we found the seats were not all that and we could tell it would be tricky to get some sleep. We got loaded up with our bags and then had a disagreement with the baggage wallah about the 20 rupees he was trying to charge us for handling our bags. I told the guy that I was going back to check at the office regarding any “extra fees”. No such charges were applicable of course! Within 20 minutes or so of faffing about and waiting for the stragglers we were on our way and settling into to our surroundings for the next 16 hours. We managed to get some sleep in the end with a little help from some sleeping tablets and we actually had a pretty damn good sleep in the end which was great! We did wake a few times and noticed that we were now well and truly out in the mountains as we were greeted by great views from the bus windows. We had made acquaintance with a couple from Australia before the journey and had got chatting to them again when we were dropped off at the bus station in Manali. John and Elvie joined us in a taxi and had also decided to check out the place to stay that had been recommended to us by Kartik. We found the guest house and between John and I we got a couple of rooms sorted and were swiftly checked in. The rooms were pretty decent and we had a balcony out the front facing some of the mountains that surround the area. We were looking out onto the great Himalayas for the first time.
We spent a good few days here and spent some quality time John, Elvie and another couple who hailed from America; John and Mary. Many beers were consumed and stories told over our time there and the nights were often late! The old dudes were leading us astray!
We decided to join the Johns and the ladies on a 5 hour walk they had planned around the local area. Apart from our guide being a little lame, it was a great day out in the sun and fresh air. The route took us through the local farming community and we really got a feel for the tradition, the culture and the way people live.
Our guide trying to sell me something 'extra special' to smoke.
In the village there were many shops offering all sorts of hippy clothes and tailor made items. Dipi got a fleece made at one of these places for 200 rupees (£2.30ish). How cheap is that?! She also got some combat type trouser too. I bought a hat.
Ganja plants grow everywhere here and this is just one of the many wild plants growing on the side of the road. It was everywhere! This is one of the main reasons as to why it’s so popular with western visitors!
We had seen Jeep Trips to Rohtang pass advertised at the guest house and thought that it sounded like fun. John and Elvie were also keen so they got the Jeep booked up and we all headed off one morning to the pass.
Rohtang pass sits 4000m above sea level so the roads up the side of the mountains were inevitably windy and sometimes a touch sketchy! The views though were very nice indeed!
The driver of this vehicle was obviously a little too close to the edge!
We stopped on the way to get some local grub and tea which was a welcome little break. It was a hive of activity with many places selling woollens, food and souvenirs.
We mopped up the grub and drank the masala chai and headed off on some more sketchy roads to the pass.....
The pass is a popular site for visitors and tourist (some foreign but mostly local). Of course you also have the wagons travelling through the pass which makes for a real mix of vehicles (an available space) on the roads.
We were greeted with the sight of groups of people dressed in all sorts from 80’s style ski suites to animal skins. They were either simply walking around enjoying the views or riding on ponies (the ponies didn’t seem too impressed by proceedings).
We decided to head on a little longer to escape the crowds at the highest point of the pass. We found a nice place to stop and hopped out to enjoy the views and the thin mountain air!
Dipi and Elvie decided to scale the slope we were next to. John and I went about half way then stopped and decided we were going no further. We didn’t really fancy the climbing bit!
We went back through to the slightly busier area and got some shots there too.
Then back into the car for a few more hours of fear! To be fair though, our driver was pretty good so we felt as safe as we could have done........I guess!
We relaxed for another day or so (we extended our intended stay). We really liked the company and Manali itself was cool. It was a fun few days.
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