Monday, July 21, 2008

Sign Boards On Hilly Roads


Have you any idea how it feels to be hanging on to the edge of a precipice that looks down at a valley thousands of feet below and is perpetually made deeper by a roaring river of brutally cold water?
Well, how about doing this for a continuous ten hours?
Imagine it just started raining and the surface of the precipice is getting slippery.
Add to this a massive body speeding at you from the opposite direction, threatening to knock you down.

More or less, this was my situation for almost a month in the Himalayas.

28 days. 173 kilometers on foot. The rest of the distance, we covered by road. Sitting by the window seat made me see the precariousness of my situation all the more clearly. More than once, I thought it was all over.
At certain places the road was really narrow. Our bus took 20 minutes to co ordinate with a vehicle coming from the opposite direction, carefully moving ahead, covering inch after inch;
On one side was the vehicle which was separated by our bus by a mere inch as it crossed us. We almost scraped each other.
On the other side was the valley, at an immeasurable depth.
Even a minor error in judgment on the part of the driver and we would plunge into the valley; a fall that would hurt even before the sudden stop.
I had my heart in my mouth.

As we moved on the winding roads, in semicircles, U’s, V’s and other curves, we enjoyed reading these signboards.

“Nazar Hati, Durghatna Ghati”

“Horn Bajao, Jaan Bachao”

Better be Mr Late than to be Late Mr
- this we have in the plains too…

Peep peep, No sleep

Time is money, But Life is precious
– applies to other situations better.

No race, No rally, Enjoy the beauty of the valley

This is Highway. Not Runway

Keep your nerves on the curves

Alert today, Alive tomorrow

After whisky, Driving risky

Drive slower, Live longer

Road is hilly, Don’t drive silly

Life is a journey, Complete it
– Very meaningful.

AND THE OSCAR GOES TO…………

“Be soft on my curves” :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)


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