On the (Indian) road again

Being on the road again means something entirely different in India than it does in the states. I remember one road trip in particular, driving from New York to LA in TWO very long days, stopping just once in the Texas panhandle for a few hours rest. That trip was made in a cozy SUV with a DVD player, AC, heated seats and a navigation system on a perfectly paved Highway (holla to Rhi and Chris!)... This last trip, from Leh in the high northern Kashimir region of India to Manali, just 500k south, took a full 24 hours (it was only supposed to take 16) and we stopped a mere 3 times during the gruelling journey(2:30am departure, 9:30am 15min chai break, 3pm 30min lunch break and 9pm 30min dinner break - but the power was out so there was no food, just another cup of chai). Yes, this was a different trip altogether.

The road from Leh to Manali undulates from one extreme to the other; now its an open rocky field that we pick our way across and the next thing you know, you are ejected from you seat as an announcement that you have begun the half paved, half wrinkled dirt path, half crumbled remnants of a road that has since fallen down the side of the cliff. Our "Super Deluxe Bus" *laugh* lumbered down each section like a drunk hippopotamus, swaying from side to side, tossing us inside its upset belly. Our driver for this second trip was unbelievably slow which unfortunately did not make the ride any smoother.

The scenery was some consolation as it was just as stunning as the last trip and this time I felt like I was getting to see the half I missed with my eyes shut last time. The mountains resembled the hands of Avalokiteśvara, the thousand armed god of compassion, each of his ten thousand fingers intertwining in prayer for our safety - clearly we were going to need it! Later, the landscape unfolded and the waters gathered to create patches of green valley where tiny villages popped up. It facinated me to watch the ant-sized human figures working the fields or carrying loads as tall as they were up precarious, 80degree slopes and the kids happy as ever. Trying to imagine living that life, knowing nothing different and then recognizing I come from such a vastly different reality and I only get to glimpse theirs from behind the glass of my rolling observatory. Ahh, there is so much that I will never know! It is impossible... and captivating...

Now, back in Manali, one of the most popular destination for Indian tourists, especially honeymooners and set at the base of evergreen mountains, I am getting ready for my next trip. I will be taking another night bus down to Shimla, once the summer capital of the British Raj and then soon after will book a ticket on the famous 'toy train' that runs from there to Chandigar, famous for its beautiful rock gardens and architecture. As a bonus, I wanted to post some of the most hilarious road signs I have ever seen in my life! A purely Indian concept produced to diminish accidents along the unpoliced roads, here are some of my favorite examples:
If Marriage, Divorce Speed
Don't Gossip, Let Him Drive
Drinking Whiskey, Makes Driving Risky
Thanks
I'm Curvaceous, Go Slow
Slow Drive, Long Life
Better Late Than Never
and my personal favorite... You May Be American or African, but All Are Human Being!

Phew, what a relief!! :)