The Road From Leh to Manali

We set off in our jeep from Leh with driver "Cherry" into the unknown.
8-30am and the main road is bustling. Soon the mountains resemble huge seemingly everlasting quarries- just rocks everywhere. But the rock changes as quickly as the shadows zipping along their faces.
This place is woefully gigantic. We have 465km to travel and soon realise why it takes two days.
We're flung up and down side to side as we hairpin across collapsed roads up and down through the mountain sides.
We encounter the Himank Road Builders many times, sometimes we wait for road to be layed, sometimes just burn over the hot tarmac surrounded by men and boys covered from head to toe in tar and blending into the smokey air...most eerie.
We also stop for a petrol truck which has lost it's front wheels and axle , to be pulled out of the road whilst men attempt to catch the spurting petrol from the underside in various buckets and bins.
We also pass through makeshift tent towns where you can buy tea, chapatis and omelette or just extremely out of date fizzy drinks with enough e-nos in to collapse a yak.
After a desert like flat plane we come into the Gorges of Pang one of the most exciting landscapes I have ever seen. I suppose reminiscent of the Grand Canyon, unbelievable rock formations. Always in the background are snow capped peaks.
We reach the snow line 10km from the second highest road pass in the world Tanglangla 5378m up. We stop here and Jac ties prayer flags from the shrine.
Down again along the Iksi River, roads becoming even worse. We are now in Himachal Pradesh.
We stop for the night at Keylong 12.5 hours after we started. The hotel was described by Jac as "The hotel from The Shining with Lurch at the desk" She was right, but we are shattered and must sleeeep. Next morning are glad to be back on the road even though our bums, backs and shoulders are chaffed and bruised.
The morning light reveals a much different land scape. Tress and grass soften the mountains.
5 hours later driving under circling eagles and past a pony trekking town, we are at the head of the Kullu Valley and soon arrive in Manali, a vibrant, noisy experience but nonetheless feeling very welcome. We find a brilliant hotel, negotiate the price down and rest our exhausted bodies.
Love to all xx Lee