Break on through to the other side

So today on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, somewhere nearby I hear this popular song play by ''The Doors'' - Break on through to the other side. The thing about these highly popular  songs is that everyone can relate  to it  in some way or the other and I also had my own reasons for that.  My reason, though, was probably  much different from what usually flashes.

  My reason was of survival on one of the grueling high altitude road trips in the upper Himalayan range. Here your physical  limits gets tested driving in rugged terrain, sometimes in temporary roads (which are often single-laned) and mind you- without mobile network. These kind of high altitude trips, without mobile telephony teach us that the basic things like air, water, food and shelter is all that we look for in such extreme conditions. Everything else is lower down in the priority list.  

        Also, the rigours of driving in high altitude only can be experienced in person. Only those who have undertaken such a journey can understand the true feeling of being cut off from the outside world, adapt to the very low density of populace on the roads and occasional diversions due to landslides and roadblocks due to  faulty vehicles. Not to mention the low level of oxygen in the blood. 

       And in that kind of environment brings the Baap ( read father) of all tests and that means at that moment nothing else matters - You got to reach the other side - correction - Break on through to the other side. So you muster all the courage and tell yourself to just cut yourself off from the surroundings and focus with a firm grip on the steering wheel. Don't think about the high altitude light headedness, ignore the anxious looks on the faces of co-passengers in the same vehicle and the rocks falling from the top of the mountain. 
      Also ignore ( with some difficulty) the vehicle next to you which has its bottom busted with oil dripping all over.  Focus coherently on the running and hollering BRO ( Border Roads Organisation) supermen who are signalling by whistling whenever there would be large rocks sighted coming down at a the road ahead. Focus on the two trails ahead. Use the manhours used as a gaming freak and get your four wheels on the trail ahead.  

       After a uncomfortably long 30 odd minute wait for moving on the road, we were finally given a green signal only to reverse back because the mountain Gods still were not finished. But finally I made it through.... with three souls depending on poor me. My brother shared this video film of the entire incident later who had already crossed over- or Broke thorough to the other side earlier. In case you cant get the link above, you can also  see the video here 
            Thank you mountain Gods near Nako, Spiti. Thank you and Julley.

"What you are is what you have been.

What you’ll be is what you do now."

-The Buddha