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BRAVING DECEMBER IN ARUNACHAL - 1

2009-09-12T11:32:00.000-07:00

Finally on the Christmas day of 2008 we boarded the train from sealdah to reach our destination, the snow-clad peaks of Arunachal. 3 brave souls Me, Bose & Pritam, despite many constraints (read that budget-constraint, time-constraint, health-constraint) & also braving many warnings (almost all the expert-travelers warned us that December wasn’t the ‘Right’ time to visit Arunachal & not to mention the usual family & boss warnings) we were finally at the sealdah station at the crack of dawn to avail the train to Guwahati. After traveling for nearly 24 hours in the overcrowded train we finally reached our destination Guwahati, but our first experience wasn’t actually gateway-to-heaven like! Just coming out of the railway station we pitted at a local panshop & the keeper robbed of 50 odd rupees. Anyways braving this early setback on a really early morning we found out that we have to travel to the new bus stand to avail the bus to Tezpur, which is the base to travel to Arunachal. So taking a bus from the station we reached the ‘Inter-State Bus Station’. It was newly build, quite spacious & efficient also as we booked our tickets in the luxury bus going to Tezpur.

Day1 : Tezpur (26^th Dec)

Traveling through famous tea-gardens of

Assam

& also surprisingly smooth roads we finally reached Tezpur at around 2pm. We firstly made our arrangements for the night stay in an average-fairing hotel & then came out in search of lunch. It wasn’t easy to get as it was nearly 3.30pm by then & most of the eateries were closed. Finally we did find a restaurant & it was offering meal plates at really cheap rates. So, after done fighting with hunger, we went to the traveling agents to book our journey to Bomdilla (our first stop in Arunachal). Majority of the agents were providing a package tour to Arunachal but as our budget wasn’t permitting that we decided to stick with our plan to just book an off-roader up till Bomdilla. The agent tried to plead with us to take a package trip, but we were quite adamant. Little did we realized back then that we were headed for disaster. Anyways, completing the bookings, we strolled through the city, enjoying its nice late-evening atmosphere, visiting the local markets, eateries, pubs etc.

At around 8.30 pm just when we were back in our hotel rooms, it started raining heavily. Actually before that the weather was really hot. Though one expects

Assam

to be quite a cool place (that also in December) we were sweating profusely throughout the day! But the rain cooled down things a bit, but it continued to rain cats-n-dogs till late at night.

Contd. In Later Parts ……

BRAVING DECEMBER IN ARUNACHAL - 2

2009-09-12T11:29:00.000-07:00

Day2 : Bomdilla (27^th Dec)

Next day we started early morning to Bomdilla. As it rained throughout the night, the morning was quite cool, but still there wasn’t much ‘wintery’ feel to it. We driver whizzed pass through the empty roads of Tezpur & soon we were traveling through the forest area of the famous Kaziranga. Though it wasn’t in our tour itenary, we had a few free days, so we decided to make a small trip to Kaziranga if our budget permits. At around 10.30 we reached Bhalukpong – the entry point to Arunachal. We already had our permits made from Kolkata, so the checking process was brisk & quick. We had our breakfast there & also couldn’t refrain ourselves from a little on-road photo shoot.

Soon we sighted the snow clad peaks of ‘Sela’-through which we have to pass to enter the district of Tawang, but today our destination was the town of Bomdilla. The scenes of the roadside were quickly coming close to that of picture-perfectness as we entered Asia’s biggest Orchidarium at Tipi. The place wasn’t all that fussy & just a few officials and tourists were strolling here & there. But after entering the glass house, we knew that the reputation wasn’t a bit of exaggeration. We were spellbound by the sights of the orchid specimens & just by the beauty of the colorful flowers.

We also get to see the insect-eating Pitcher plant which stores sticky proteins in its flowers to catch & digest its preys.

We continued our journey towards Bomdilla and the temperature was falling steadily despite of the rising sun. We encountered many waterfalls & some picturesque valleys on our way forward. Though the time wasn’t adequate, we just couldn’t afford to miss the opportunity to miss clicking these sights & thus took many roadside pitstop to grasp these picture-perfect sceneries into our cameras.

We also visited the Nag temple on-route. At 5pm in the evening we reached Bomdilla & by now we were freezing. We checked into a hotel for the night. Again we went out to book car for further journey but then we realized that we had made a mistake. As it was year end & Bomdilla being a small town, almost all the cars were booked & whatever left were charging sky-high & that also for a round trip to Tawang & back. We could opt to go for share cars, but as we were to pass the most scenic points like Sela, we decided against it. Actually our plan was to book exclusive cars for the journey for one side, then to avail bus or shared taxis for our return journey. But that didn’t worked out, as in these treacherous roads buses were hard to come by, so we had to contact our travel agent back in Tezpur who was offering us a cheap package, to send car the next morning to Bomdilla for the rest of the Arunachal trip including a stay in Tawang & Dirang (2 nights – 3 days). He agreed but we were quite disoriented of extreme cold & to the fact that we were broke just in the second day of the journey. In the late evening we went out again shivering, to the market to buy some additional woolens & to have our dinner.

We came to know that this kind of sub-zero temperature wasn’t really common place in Bomdilla & it hardly ever snowed in there (We now realized that the heavy rain last night was the cause of this sudden chill) But today, the locals anticipated, could be that rare day of snow. We were thrilled at these chances, but the snowfall kept us waiting entire night, leaving us to crouch by the heater but it didn’t snowed.

Contd. In Later Parts ……

BRAVING DECEMBER IN ARUNACHAL - 3

2009-09-12T11:27:00.000-07:00

Day3 : Conquering Sela (28^th Dec)

The next morning was cold, but by then we had acclimatized a bit. Dressing up in our heavy woolens, we got out to stroll by the city as our pick-up would be coming from Tezpur & would be taking quite a bit of time. We utilized the time clicking photos around the city & our off-roader came by noon.

It was already late & we have to pass the ‘World’s 2^ndHighest Motorable Pass’ – Sela Pass, which would be extremely difficult after the sundown, so we started immediately. We whizzed pass the comparatively smoother terrain, stopping just once for lunch. But the roads were starting now very thin & not at all in a good shape. Just a few months back (in September actually) there have been a flood which has washed away bridges & damaged roads greatly. Every now & than we could see roads & bridges under construction & scarred mountains & damaged houses & cars as the sign of the recent disaster (of course adding to our fears).

But soon these ill-omens ave way to sublime beauty as we crossed the snow-line. We were now nearing Sela Top and the green was quickly becoming Snow-white. The hide-n-seek between clouds & the almighty Sun, the Rhododendrons or maybe just the height (Sela Top is at 15,000 ft) was having a mesmerizing effect on us & till today I just don’t have enough words to describe how I felt.

The place was picturesque but we couldn’t afford to click pictures as the place was an ammunition depot for regular army & also as we were running late (it was already evening). Just crossing Sela top, we witnessed majesty of nature, Sela Lake.

The lake was completely frozen at this time of the year. This was the very place where the 1962 Sino-Indian war was fought & we could still spot the barren bunkers as the living proofs of the bravery of our soldiers.

The name Sela was actually the name of the loved one of the legendary war hero, MahaVirChakra recipient Jaswant Singh. When Jaswant Singh was left alone in the Seno firing killing all his fellow army men, Sela supplied him with ammo & Jaswant Singh continued firing from one bunker to another, alone for several days. Now we can only anticipate, how beautiful must be the lady, from whom this awesome terrain has got its name. Crossing Sela, in daze we entered the district of Tawang. It was still freezing cold as the mist on our windshield has frozen, making it blurry & dangerously difficult to see. The sun was already down & in the foggy headlights of our truck we just realized that it was snowing. Now I have had my share of experiences in hills (that includes Kashmir & Sikkim) but strangely I had never experienced snowfall before. We urged the driver to just stop for a few seconds, just to experience the snowflakes on our bare face & the lust to click a few snaps!

/3.16-18/ Soon as we started to the downhill, the snowfall heavied. It started making sound on our car’s rooftop & our vision blurred. The road was dark, slippery & lonely occasioned by some lonesome army checkposts. Anyhow we managed to brave it all, & finally entered the town of Tawang (by now we have climbed down the snowline). It was already 9pm by then & we had to avail a costly hotel as we couldn’t find a cheaper hotel at that point of time. We had our supper & went to bed, just making sure the heater was on full, as we were dead-exhausted by the treacherous & yet heavenly journey to the hidden paradise.

Contd. In Later Parts ……

BRAVING DECEMBER IN ARUNACHAL - 4

2009-09-12T11:23:00.000-07:00

Day4 : Tawang (29^th Dec)

The next day I woke up to another surprise. It was the first snowing day of the season in the town of Tawang. We concluded that the heavy rain at the first day in Tezpur had set an amazing chain in motion for us that we were indeed witnessing the ‘Glory of Winter’ in this amazing place, but we were unaware that Mother Nature had still held the last & the optimum card to herself. We ran to the rooftop for our early morning photo-session & truly the view was amazing.

Later as we came down for breakfast, we realized that our driver was nowhere to be seen. We were to explore Tawang & also to visit the Seno-Indian Border – Bumla which was further up & the weather was worsening. The snowfall had by now grown from a mild drizzle to a heavy fall which was piling up in our heads & jackets.

Though it was an experience of a lifetime, but we were growing uneasy as it was nearly 2 hours & no one really knew the whereabouts of our driver. At last nearly round noon we found our driver, who had been at a garage as the car needed some immediate attention after previous day’s ordeal. Immediately we stated for uphill, but were obstructed at the check post. The road which went further up to Bumla & theMadhuri Lake was closed (Madhuri lake is named after famous Indian actress Madhuri Dixit who has shot for the movie Koyla in Arunachal). The guard told us that the road would be closed for the entire season as the weather would not likely clear up before March. So, losing hope we went for the Tawang monastery. It is world’s 2^nd largest monastery & biggest outside Tibet. This was the main point of conflict in the ’62 war asChina wanted this part of India to be its own territory. Many Chinese maps still show this area as its own part, which is of course a false & disgusting statement. We made our way to this serene place, which has an inherent humbling feeling about it. We explored the monastery & the adjoining museum.

We then went to visit the ’62 war memorial. It was a truly majestic place with the Indian flag flying high & the names of the martyrs are etched in the walls of the temple. It has a museum carrying various details & memoirs of the battle. The helmets there, still bore the bullet-holes which forces one to acknowledge the hardships borne by our soldiers to ensure our well-being. The place also had a special chamber for MVC Jaswant Singh whose eternal spirit has been mortified with a torch urging us to gasp the biggest lesson of martyrdom.

We also visited the local handicraft center before returning to our hotel. By now we have shifted to cheaper Government guest house. In this rest house the cast & crew of the movie 'Koyla' had stayed while shooting in Arunachal, so we get to hear many stories from the local caretaker. We strolled round the town in the late evening as there was nothing much to do.

Contd. In Later Parts ……

BRAVING DECEMBER IN ARUNACHAL - 5

2009-09-12T01:48:00.000-07:00

Day 5 : Sela takes Vengeance (30^th Dec)

Next day we started early as we wanted to cross Sela pass as early as possible because it had snowed the entire previous day & also the Chief Minister was to visit the district of Tawang, so there would be traffic in the inhospitable terrain. So, after having breakfast we started for our day’s destination Dirang. First we went to see the Jang Falls which was really huge & roaring. Though in the chill of winter it wasn’t in its full glory but still it was a postcard sight & we were at our very best in clicking photos.

Before reaching the Sela top we just pitted once at JaswantGarh named after Jaswant Singh. There is a temple as a memoir of the war hero & as the place is above snow-line, the place was amazingly beautiful with snow all around & freezing cold.

Then we reached Sela pass once again & this time the driver couldn’t stop as from a pitstop by the Sela lake.

The journey to up till Sela lake was smooth. Still we noticed that there was much more snow than we encountered the previous day & also the temperature was much lower even in broad daylight. But things turned ugly during our downhill journey. There was much more snow on this side of the mountain & also there was uphill traffic, people who were entering Tawang. The worst part was a thin sheet of slippery ice had formed on the roads making it impossible to apply brakes. We saw cars skid (including our own – several times) sending a chill down our spine every time. Luckily we gave lift to one of the BRO (Border Road Organization) personnel who helped us greatly to get out of the sticky or rather slippery situation. Even our driver was terrified & was beyond his wits, but the BRO guy showed us how to get the tires out of snow, he kept prompting the driver not to use brakes, just take the car slowly in the first gear. We had to push our car in ankle-deep snow where we ourselves could get a firm grip in the slippery ice.

Many a times we got stuck in snow & slipped off the road (still keeping ourselves away from the ditch-side) but by taking help & also sometimes giving help to other vehicles, we finally made out if it safely. It was round 7pm when we reached Dirang, but the place was full. Firstly the CM had stayed there the day before & also many of the uphill traffic couldn’t reach cross Sela due to heavy snow & slippery ice, so falling back to Dirang. Thus, we couldn’t find any accommodation in Dirang & as it was already late, our driver suggested that we should drive back to Tezpur & as we were unable to visit Dirang, he would take us to Kaziranga. We were apprehensive about let him drive all night, as we had a hectic day & the driver was really scared while crossing Sela. But as he suggested that he was O.K & driving back to Tezpur would be the best option so we agreed & thus we kept moving for Tezpur in the dead of the night. Nearly at 9pm we stopped at a local eatery in an unknown small town for supper. After breakfast nay of us haven’t eaten anything & during the afternoon, we were in such a dreadful situation that the thought of lunch haven’t even crossed our minds. But in the eatery we could find anything substantial, & just have to refill our tanks with dear old ‘Maggi’ Noodles.

We drove the whole night retracing our path of half duplex bridges & waterfalls in the dark of night. We arrived at Bhalukpong around 3pm & have to wait there as vehicles couldn’t cross before 4am. But the guards were considering enough, & they let us pass after checking our IDs. We reached Tezpur at around 4am. The driver managed rooms for us at a decent hotel & suggested us 2 hours of rest & told us he would be back at 6 am to take us to Kaziranga.

Contd. In Later Parts ……

BRAVING DECEMBER IN ARUNACHAL - 6

2009-09-08T10:50:00.000-07:00

Day 6 : Kaziranga, Back in Assam (31^st Dec)

Instead of our driver, his brother came round 6.30am to take us to Kaziranga. We were completely exhausted, citing the previous day’s adventures & lack of sleep, but still were surprisingly high in spirits. The morning was immensely foggy & we couldn’t see a thing in front of us. We pitted at a local tea-shop & waited a bit for the fog to clear up. Then we bought or tickets to the National park & taking boarding our own vehicle, we started for the ‘Safari’.

We took the trail of the park’s jeep & pitted at the watch towers. The Kaziranga, a world heritage site, is famous for its One-horned Rhinos & indeed we can spot these majestic beasts there in abundance. We also get to see many wild Elephants & many types of deer (including rare black deer & sambar), various birds (including Pelican) & various other birds & animals.

It was really a joyride & we enjoyed it as much. As it was 31^st, the park was full of families & children. The rangers were also taking special care to ensure that we catch the glimpse of the rarest of animals, but still maintain safety as the wild beasts were on free zone.

/6.8-11/ Though Kaziranga has a reputation of a great Tiger reserve also, but the predators stay in special safe zones, so we didn’t have the opportunity to see Tigers. Anyways we spent the entire morning in the park & were back in Tezpur by lunch time. We were dead tired & went straight to bed as we have had only 2 hours of rest for the span of 30 hours. We woke up by the evening & enjoyed the New Years Eve in Tezpur’s market area.

Day 7: Last day (1^st Jan)

We still had one day left in our tour as our return journey was scheduled on 2^nd Jan. Visiting the famous Kamakhya temple was on our Radar but we were to tired & broke (monetarily) to visit any more places. So, we granted ourselves a rest day before the return journey. We visited the local craft centers as Assam is famous Bamboo-strip works. By evening we came to know that year’s first Bomb blasts took place at a mall near Kamakhya temple. We were awestruck as we were to be at that place on those very moments. Rally, God works in mysterious ways. Just spending the entire day idly, we started early next morning as due to the blasts there would be additional security measures in the Guwahati railway station. We Boarded train on 2^nd Jan & reached Kolkata on 3^rd morning, bearing the memories of the snow clad Arunachal etched forever etched in our souls.

FootNotes :

With these details some footnotes can also be added to our travelogue, which can double up as tips to future travelers.

Well, firstly as the terrain is quite inhospitable, conveyance is very irregular there. The only modes of transport in those parts are the private off-roaders; even the localites depend on these trucks for their daily conveyance. So, don’t make mess like those we did, do book your journey beforehand & don’t count on busses, especially if you are traveling in the off-season. You could arrange for a shared vehicle, but I highly doubt that it will serve the purpose of exploring this paradise in your own terms.

Secondly, if you are traveling with family, please think twice (that may be thrice or even more than that) before making the journey in the off season (winter in our case). Traveling with friends & looking for some adventure is a different thing, but as they say “Adventure involves Risk”. Many a times we faced skidding cars, blasting our way out through landslides, making way in ankle deep snow, which of course you will not want to do with your family in jeopardy.

So, bear this in minds, but still the admirable beauty we encountered in December, would hardly be available in any ‘High Tourist Season’, so if you can risk it, I can assure your…..IT WOULD BE WORTH IT.