An ode to Himalayan bus journeys
To just say that I’m not a fan
of bus journeys, is an understatement. Trapped for long hours in a metal
enclosure, sitting crammed in the same place amidst noisy people and the smell
of fuel, is probably my least preferred mode of transport. I hate it so much so
that, I’d rather travel in an airy, open lorry (Not that I’ve ever had the
chance to, but still). However, the past few bus journeys that I took in the
Himalayan region have made me change my views about bus journeys.
My first experience of a long bus travel in the Himalayan
region was in Uttarakhand last year, when I travelled from Haridwar to
Joshimath for more than 10 hours straight. The only means of connectivity to
this place is by road and owing to the risk of landslides in this region, buses
for this segment operate only during the day time. So, my last hope of managing
the long journey by sleeping through it in an overnight-bus was also lost.
Bracing myself for what I thought would be an uneventful, restless
journey, I got into a bus early in the morning at 5, from the bus depot at
Haridwar. The first hour or so was indeed uneventful and boring but lo and
behold, when the Sun began to rise, shedding its glorious light onto the
charming Himalayas and the mighty Ganges, they took my breath away. From there
on, things only went uphill, both metaphorically and literally. As the bus
wound around the hills from the bottom to the top of the state, the Ganges and
its tributaries constantly kept me company, caressing the mountains on either
side as they did so. The sights were so beautiful that I was befuddled as to
whether the mountains and the river were allies, working together to keep me
entertained or were they rivals, each fighting the other for my attention? To
make things more interesting en route, one can also witness the ‘Panch Prayag’
the confluence of the rivers, each with its own unique color splashing into one,
before it officially becomes Ganga.
The above ‘more than great’ experience only made me all the
more excited when I planned my next visit to the Himalayas, this time in
Himachal Pradesh. When I had to take a bus from Shimla to Manali, I deliberately
avoided a night bus, and instead booked a day bus, so I could enjoy going
around the Himalayas yet again. It started with green, blue mountains, as far
as my eyes could see, with the Sun playing its magic again, to make things more
pleasant. With a gradual change in the colour of the mountains, it finally
ended with white mighty peaks. If it was Ganga the last time, it was Beas this
time, which was fighting it out with the mountains, confusing me yet again, as
to what I should keep my eyes on.
When I finally reached my destination, I came to realize that
for me, one of the best ways to experience the Himalayan region is to travel by
road, with the Himalayas in my eyes, wind on my face, a camera in my hands, ARR
on my ears, and well, potato chips in my mouth. These, most definitely, more
than compensate for the bumpy long rides, crammed in a bus.
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