Shake,Rattle and Roll.

Our next stop is McLeod Ganj (Dharmasala), home of the Dalai Lama, in exile. At 1750 metres, in the foothills of the Himalayas. But how to get there? By bus of course! Let's go  overnight as it takes 8 and 1/2 hours, means we won't have to pay for accommodation, yippee.

Get to bus station, find bay where bus will depart from, and wait. Bus leaves at 21.30. Is about what we expected, a little tired and worn out, the bus I mean. Tyres are completely bald, if I didn't know better I would have said that they were solid rubber and not pneumatic. Seats not too bad, they recline. Bus is rammed, not a spare seat. One other couple not Indian, French Canadian, young medical students, seem a nice couple. Tied our rucksack together for security, prior to putting in luggage compartment which is not secure.

Driver a Hindu, believe he must have a small statue of his deity in the cab with him. After experiencing his driving for 10 minutes now believe it to be Kali in the female form, (Google it)

Hindus believe that everything is preordained. There is no free will. The universe is like a well oiled machine, and while you may not know what will happen next, you are powerless to stop it, the next cog will turn!!

So if our bus plunges several hundred feet into the ravine, killing all aboard except for the bus driver, it will be because it is preordained and not because he failed to brake in time. He will be blameless and guilt free, (obviously it was our karma that was fucked) and quite happily drive another bus full of passengers the next day.

I watch the driver accelerate for a diminishing gap with oncoming HGV's, being forced to break hard at the last possible moment; enter tightening corners too fast, causing rear wheel slides, and overtaking on blind bends (not every vehicle has lights).

After a while I actually begin to feel travel sickness, something not experienced since before puberty. I close my eyes and picture myself on a very badly constructed rollercoaster. (Even the potholes have potholes)
However, I soon begin to enjoy the journey and imagine that the driver is not driving for the comfort and convenience of his passengers, but to beat his previous best time!!

Decide to get a deity for car when I get back. Hey don't knock it, seems to work for him!!!

Arrive alive, no sleep, wake Yvonne. Made record time of just over 8 hours, congratulate driver.
Was going to take a photo of the bus, but by the time I got the camera out it was gone in a cloud of dust.

So leaving you with picture of McLeod.

Next post 'McLeod in the the Clouds'.