Wander through India : NORTHERN EXPEDITION 2014 : DAY V , The Ladakh sector begins

# DAY V: Manali –Jispa sector

#26. This day marked the beginning of the Ladakh sector . Today onwards we would be embarking on the critically acclaimed Manali-Leh Highway. The theoretical literature that I had read would be sampled in all of its technicolour . I had woken up early as I wanted to witness the glorious blaze of sunrise erupting over the peaks of Rohtang and the Solang Valley courtesy the wonderful location of Ride Inn where we were put up for the night. The cold was biting into me and I wondered what lay up ahead . The sun rise did gladden my heart and infuse me with warmth and vigour as I prepared for the day ahead. The ride was supposed to be a short one indeed as I was hoping to reach Jispa by around lunch .

#27. The path involved Manali , Palchan, Kothi,Gulaba,Marhi,Rohtang,Koksar,Sissu,Tandi and finally Jispa. A total distance of 137 km which included the very first pass of the Expedition, Rohtang. The weather was brilliant and there was definitely no hiccups expected on the route By around 0700 we were on our way, the excitement was palpable as we were at the edge of the beginning. Soon we were moving towards Marhi and the scenic beauty was simply marvelous. The rows of tall pines and conifers interspersed with flowering plants gave a very pretty picture to the whole place. The traffic was not very heavy with a trickling of taxis on the way up towards Rohtang. Our progress was slow as we indulged in numerous photography breaks and thereafter soon stopped for breakfast at a roadside tent just before Gulaba. The location was really great and we had a simple breakfast but delicious breakfast of eggs and bread along with some great hot tea. The guy at the tea stall requested us for some medication for his painful gums which we obliged and soon we were on our way .

#28. The road to Rohtang keeps twisting and turning and it was a continuous play of sunshine and shade. The spirits were up as we kept going higher and higher and soon we reached Rohtang Top. What a contrast to the last time when I had crossed Rohtang on my way down from the Spiti Valley gone was the slush and fog replaced with blue skies brown earth and white snow. Rohtang was all dry and hardly any tourists. We spent some time there and then soon we were on our way towards the truck town of Koksar. The road was narrow and the snow covered peaks could be seen in the near distance , the heat of the sun kept increasing as the day progressed and the number of army convoys too slowly kept increasing. I realized that the road to Koksar during the rains is one messy affair as I could see the dried out marks of great mounds of slush piled by the heavy trucks in their passage.

#29. We reached Koksar noon time and joined an ever increasing pile up of stopped vehicles. The word going around was that the bridge after the town was under emergency repairs by GREF who were laying wodden planks at places where the original had given way. Well this was the best time for some hot rajma chawal and then to relax in the afternoon sun in the shade of a nearby tree.

#30. Eventually the go ahead was given by GREF to move ahaead and the vehicles came to life , each in its own way with the trucks belching and sputtering into life. By 1400 hrs we were at Sissu and thereafter we kept moving ahead steadily. Jispa was reached by 1700 hrs and our destination for the night was Hotel Ibex jispa.

#31. The hotel was practically empty barring us and after relaxing with a cup of tea we spent the late evening hours on the banks of the Syok river which was flowing merrily some distance away shimmering in a shade of turquoise blue inviting and provocative . A walk in the village in the gathering dusk was extremely relaxing. It had been a good day and we were all set for the next which promised to be long , tiring and definitely challenging. ODO for the day stood at 74560.