- I wanted to check out the Pong Dam in Himalayas. When it was created in 1974, it was the tallest of its type in India, and submerged many villages within its backwaters. And it’s backwaters vary by several metres through the year. But only for a few summer months does it stay so low that some of the submerged buildings appear above the surface. A place so remote that even cab drivers refused to take us there. So the only way was to hire a self-drive and navigate to this place where navigation does not exist. And even after getting close, no one could predict how far we could go! Not to mention zero network!
Two things happened:
- I had loaded satellite imagery but our destination was a spot in the blue waters with obviously no road leading to it.
- I had asked a question about the water condition at our destination and fortunately, someone answered just before we ran out of connectvity.
While navigating in urbane environments is usual, Google Maps was absolutely critical to get us there (and out of it as well)
A trip of a lifetime, made possible only due to this fabulous tech in our palms!
And here’s a pic of the group with me in the salute!
