second August 2007
sometimes organize themselves unknowingly an effort, how can it not be incredible. I'm sure it ahrt increments STUNDEN-F our 20 (almost without pause) is - but the plan was not the case. But traveling alone in India .... because this can happen before.
The expected us
and that:
The last day in Leh was spent relaxing with a stroll streets, erkaupeln rumgucken and vegetables.
Then we wanted to pay the hotel to rest our beds and in the early morning start - by jeep to Manali. Evening to stay in Keylong and move the next day comfortably, on the last pass
That was the plan. But in India turns such a plan is sometimes a flash in NOTHING and everything else. In the case of extremely unfortunate wars, because we could not therefore enjoy the majestic beauty of the route because of fatigue and were as ready as never before.
decisive for the change was the announced strike of the taxi union. I still see us sitting in the living room when paying, and watch as our hotel manager answer the phone and immediately comes to us and says "Little problem" - if the Indians admit that it is already a significant problem. The next day was the taxi company in Leh on strike, then, because it provides with the taxi drivers from Manali a bickering - at least like the probably not - and decide we should: either we Leh even 2 clock leave in the previous wars and keep our itinerary down or nailed in Leh until it's over - Disadvantage: may take 1 week and the Dorje-Guest pants were fully booked, so find a new hotel. Typically German (follow diagram) we have decided on the sudden departure ... in retrospect, the stupid - because 1 week longer in Leh would have been divine. But you always know until afterwards.
The departure time has changed then every minute, at the end was nothing more to sleep, only to snatch up more quickly things and stuff in the backpack and then just after midnight in the jeep. An interesting side issue was that we left with 2 Jeeps - one from Leh and one from Manali - until the last Ladakh checkpoint in Upshi ride we had with the Leh-taxi company, repackage it secretly and transfer to the Manali-taxi. We stopped at a desolate gas station where our taxi driver (who was constantly on the phone) first had to find someone to fill the tank. NEVER do something like that before, Always on the go. Like to also take a gas test, if you really want to train. (More about that later.) At the checkpoints was no one, except the last, where a fascinating discussion ensued, whether we should or not. In the end we were allowed. Suddenly, as ever you go ... at once. Since so many taxi
groups were on the road, the action seemed to agree - ... and so we went, dead tired, well after midnight to pass 2.höchsten the world, the Tanglang La, 5360 m with a considerable height.
We approached the steep serpentine road in the bright full moon, the last whitewashed Chorten behind us, which shone in the moonlight and went over stock-u. Stone. It began a Geschüttel, which was preserved from then on for 20 hours. I consoled myself with Pergolesi's "Stabat Mater" on mp3. Fit fantastically. From the driveway I still have the breathtaking view of the valley in the moonlight, in memory. One could only call majestic. For the photo, the light was not enough ...
The air was noticeably thin and there was very cold that night (Mani is so cold like never before in his life-Southerners). We are praised for our warm (but annoying fluff) blankets, which we had acquired foresight in Leh. However, I looked like a pig - with green Lint covered everywhere. The mange had already overtaken us, then, while we were under 3 hours.
ruled otherwise tense silence in the car because we had to build confidence in our drivers, we should go over all the passes - in the middle of the night. Mani slept gleichmal one in the passenger seat, rather than keep alive the driver.
In daylight, you could unfortunately only few times to take a picture, because the track was so hucklig that no image could be focused - and our driver durchschrotete merciless - almost without a break.
Not even on the peaks above it stopped, for us to enjoy the triumph of a photograph or simply stretch out the legs only once. So I could shoot from Lachalang_la (5060 m) only in passing noise a photo.
There was a force cyclists who arrived hergerast behind us. Actually, we have seen so many cyclists up there - and asked us how to do this to themselves. The track is relentlessly so endlessly far and in the daily sun. But the driving has already been enough, but in the heat + height out there by bicycle - never.
We scraping so many precipices, sometimes so short that my heart stopped again and again. It is missing my life now so many Heartbeats - especially when turned up oncoming traffic (which you always have been far ahead of itself does), groooosse fat trucks or buses at all who wanted to pass on the best or against each other and meet up in a corner and has the outer track .... at some point but is one matter. Ok, you tell yourself to be when then stop here - after all, a fantastic landscape - the value wars.
The first stop in the tent city, I think it was Pang - was a lifesaver - as a tea works wonders.
We got out and were frozen by immediately so that we meet the fluff could not keep in the car.
The public toilet was weitlläufig ... ... along the River. Littered with land mines, but if one is so ready, does not matter. You look for a place that is not as visible (but you will never have full coverage!) And is super fast.
The rancid tents in the short season at the sides roads standing (and made from old parachutes) look like this (all earthy much as you can see):
After sometime in the sand stuck tire burst and once we arrived in Sarchu (? or wherever, I was so tired and exhausted, I do not care that it was - it was distance far away from my saving bed that was safe) to.
bruzelte Meanwhile the sun beams down in tough - and there is no shadow ... and the children look after the transients.
And after many more hours we finally saw all the love by Keylong ... it was 18 clock and the place - in a green valley, tranquil and alluring ... we wanted to pause, stop, sleep .... the driver wanted to go home. And he sat on the upper hand - that is, the accelerator - and roared through simple: "No-i go to Manali," the cancellation was meant to us ... and again 5 hours drive. We were too weak to fight. Sun Keylong was sacrificed, in the truest sense.
The Rohtangpass was certainly the most beautiful of all ... we arrived at sinking evening sun there on - long shadows and warm light, green hills, reminiscent somehow of Ireland, horses that were grazing on the hills, a YAK on the roadside - wonderful ... idyllic. (We recorded that, despite our exhaustion - so it must be really beautiful in the Kullu valley)
The mountain peak was in a cloud which .... transformed when reaching in a murder fog and thus the descent on the other side again very exciting. It could not sleep more - except Erik.
The Rohtang is just under 4000m the weather divide ... and gave us a welcome message in the monsoon, which we could have done without.
You could see nothing, the road was muddy and muddy. The nerves were bare. After the past 18 hours driving at a stretch then gave us the rest
