The Leh -Manali route (experiences)

I honestly thought this was going to be one of the most unforgettable trips of my life and now I can safely assure everyone that. The spectacular road journey from Leh to Manali would forever be the most outstanding road journey of my life until I find my Shangri-la. From beautiful mountain vistas ,the mineral splashed green and ochre valleys to springfed lakes, this place has it all.Even a bout of altitude sickness is eclipsed by the scenery.The sky at sunset looks a cloudy bowl of molten gold. Civilisations here seem to be miles apart.The journey seems like an eternity.The roads normally got bad to worse, sometimes non-existent thanks to our adventurous driver. Occasionally one could see some sort of life on this otherwise barren landscape. Occasionally there was the sight of army camps with armymen who were more than happy at seeing some new Indian faces which otherwise is a rare site.It was very humbling for me to see the people there and to see the kind of lives they have to lead in comparision to ours in terms of weather conditions and isolation. Even the life the armymen have to undergo so that we may lead safe lives. All the adjectives in the English language cannot do this place justice. Nothing really prepares one for the raw power of this region. The vistas, the never ending winding roads and an average elevation of 10,000 feet throughout was a great experience.