April 2014:
From mesmerizing Meghalaya to Awesome Arunachal via Assam.
Day 1: Bid goodbye to a rejuvenating experience at Rosaville in Shillong and moved on with butterflies in my stomach for an adventurous drive to Tawang via Bomdila. Our driver cum guide, Runn, reached our resort at the stroke of 6am. We crossed Meghalaya and soon entered Assam. And as luck would have it, it was the Assamese new year...Bihu. We celebrated with an Assamese lunch of fresh water fish curry with rice at Tezpur. The weather and landscape changed from a slight chill in the air to reach freezing point as we cruised from Assam to Arunachal with some fine English music in the background. We crossed steep valleys, drove amidst stunning views of rippling streams hitting against pebblestones. The driver calmly drove past one of the most difficult terrains, the good quality roads contributing to a smooth drive. Reached Bomdila at dusk( 5pm). Eagerly awaiting the next day's trip to Tawang .
Day 2: After a sleepless night filled with deafening thunderstorms and gushing winds, we started our onward journey to Tawang. Before commencing the journey, visited the local gompa and took blessings of Lord Buddha. As the steep ascend started, so did the chill in the air. Our driver hardly made us feel that we were inching towards 13700 feet above sea level ie the Sela pass. The snow capped mountains were initially visible in glimpses, but soon were all over the place almost next to us. The Sela pass was a breathtaking visual as if a blanket of snow was laid on it. After the exhilarating experience at the pass which continued for about 5 km, we reached the Jaswant Ghat memorial. We were welcomed by the Indian Army to some hot samosas and chai and Abhineet bought army shoes from the Army store for a steal. Jaswant Ghat is a 1962 war memorial dedicated to the jawans who laid down their lives.
The Tawang valley made its presence felt by the picturesque settings and the 300 year old Tawang monastery. Cute, little monks scurring away and older monks on bikes....Buddhism was in the air which took us little by surprise considering the 6th Dalai Lama belonged to this place. The hotel which was considered the best in Tawang was a bit of a letdown. But that did not deter us. We set out hiking to the monastery, attended the evening prayer and decided to stop by the Old Market for some local food. Having bought a souvenier, we took some advice from a local shopkeeper who suggested Mon Valley restaurant for its local food at the Nehru Market. Had an awesome meal of piping hot Chicken Thukpa and Chicken Thenthuk each, chatted a bit with the restaurant owner, who assured us that its a safe trip back to the hotel even after sunset. After the satiating experience,as we opened the door, it was pitch dark at 6pm. With no torch or mobile, started on our way back with only Abhineet's intuition. We followed the headlights of passing vehicles till the time all vehicles deserted us and we were at a crossroad. Although Abhineet was sure of where to head, I was totally petrified with the darkness, the barking dogs and the drizzle ( considering last night's deafening thunderstorm). Finally , a local confirmed Abhineet's sense of direction and we reached our hotel by 7pm. We dropped dead in the hotel room at 7.30 pm till sunrise at 4.30 am.
Day3: Tawang was projected as a OMG never before seen place by Abhineet, but honestly nothing much apart from a monastery and a below average hotel till the previous day. We looked at the local site seeing maps at the hotel reception since we had no access to internet. Looking at the pictures, Abhineet assured me that Tawang was indeed a cold desert. Without much expectation, I started towards the pTso lake at 6am sharp. Morning was cold which started getting colder with the steep ascend. Within 40 minutes, the mighty Himalayan range was standing right in front of us! I was awestruck by the absolutely stunning scenes as if on a postcard, came across small lakes amidst snow drapped mountains,guarded against all evils by the fluttering, coloured flags. And suddenly the steep, slushy ,icy slopes were just too much for our Scorpio to endure. Runn's unusual driving skills could not salvage the situation and the vehicle refused to ascend any further. Abhineet got off to assess the situation. Me alone, petrified as always in difficult situations, with the driver in the tired vehicle. The wheels started skidding against the ice and I got a feeling of floating on the ground. All sorts of scary pictures started coming up. Most prominant thought was that of the intense pain I would have on hurting myself after the fall! But Runn took the decision to park the vehicle and adviced us to make the remaining journey on foot. Determined Abhineet and I set out to see the pTso lake on foot in sub zero temperature with 6 inches snow cover clearly under dressed. The breathtaking visuals probably made our determination stronger and I soon ignored my numbing feet in my snickers ( Remember Abhineet had the army shoes). I started playing with snowballs childishly, saw few other vehicles getting stuck in the snow while the army jeeps were making their way smoothly. An explanation was given looking at my sad face that the army vehicles had 4 wheel control as opposed to 2 wheel control in regular vehicles. I soon started feeling the numbness in my feet and unwillingly decided to head back to the parked Scorpio. Abhineet, with his army shoes, decided to go a little ahead to take better pictures and then come back. While moving towards the Scorpio, there were few tourists making an effort to hike towards the pTso lake. Noticing the same shoes as mine, I adviced them as if I knew it all that their shoes were not appropriate for the snow and they would soon have numb feet. As I was soaking in the visuals,a fleet of army vehicles stopped by. After seeing the stopped vehicle, an army man got chatting and I praised him as to how we civilians were in awe of how they managed in such difficult conditions( I was a little hopeful of getting a lift to the pTso lake). But I stopped being greedy and felt fortunate to have atleast reached till there as was reminded to me by the army man. I saw the tourists coming back without making it to the lake but did not see Abhineet. Got a little worried looking at the decreasing visibility which doubled after Runn told me that he had gone ahead. Just as I was getting more impatient, I saw my man appear through the mist with a triumphant look. As expected he told me that he saw the lake and proudly showed us the pictures. We started our return journey in a contemplative mood till we reached Dirang. We were lodged at Hotel Pemaling and were quite excited by the view from our window. The hotel was superb considering the not so good experiences the previous 2 nights.
Day 4: This was perhaps our last day in the hills but the romance with the hills was far from over. After a restful sleep at our resort, we decided to go for a short hike after breakfast. However, because of a little miscommunication we had to go in for a longer hike, but it was fun. We then started our trip back to the plains riding along the Tawang river taking memories and all the romance with it. We reached Bhalukpong earlier than expected and spent a relaxing evening by the river.
Day 5: Return journey as on all days started at 6am. From the hills of Arunachal, we were soon in the plains of Assam. The countryside of the Northeast is indeed a treat to one's eye. We crossed the mighty Brahmaputra where one could see fishermen venturing for the catch of the day. After a filling breakfast of puri sabji at a local dhaba ( small pleasures of a road trip), we set out towards Guwahati airport with the greatest souvenier...sweet memories!!
From mesmerizing Meghalaya to Awesome Arunachal via Assam.
Day 1: Bid goodbye to a rejuvenating experience at Rosaville in Shillong and moved on with butterflies in my stomach for an adventurous drive to Tawang via Bomdila. Our driver cum guide, Runn, reached our resort at the stroke of 6am. We crossed Meghalaya and soon entered Assam. And as luck would have it, it was the Assamese new year...Bihu. We celebrated with an Assamese lunch of fresh water fish curry with rice at Tezpur. The weather and landscape changed from a slight chill in the air to reach freezing point as we cruised from Assam to Arunachal with some fine English music in the background. We crossed steep valleys, drove amidst stunning views of rippling streams hitting against pebblestones. The driver calmly drove past one of the most difficult terrains, the good quality roads contributing to a smooth drive. Reached Bomdila at dusk( 5pm). Eagerly awaiting the next day's trip to Tawang .
Day 2: After a sleepless night filled with deafening thunderstorms and gushing winds, we started our onward journey to Tawang. Before commencing the journey, visited the local gompa and took blessings of Lord Buddha. As the steep ascend started, so did the chill in the air. Our driver hardly made us feel that we were inching towards 13700 feet above sea level ie the Sela pass. The snow capped mountains were initially visible in glimpses, but soon were all over the place almost next to us. The Sela pass was a breathtaking visual as if a blanket of snow was laid on it. After the exhilarating experience at the pass which continued for about 5 km, we reached the Jaswant Ghat memorial. We were welcomed by the Indian Army to some hot samosas and chai and Abhineet bought army shoes from the Army store for a steal. Jaswant Ghat is a 1962 war memorial dedicated to the jawans who laid down their lives.
The Tawang valley made its presence felt by the picturesque settings and the 300 year old Tawang monastery. Cute, little monks scurring away and older monks on bikes....Buddhism was in the air which took us little by surprise considering the 6th Dalai Lama belonged to this place. The hotel which was considered the best in Tawang was a bit of a letdown. But that did not deter us. We set out hiking to the monastery, attended the evening prayer and decided to stop by the Old Market for some local food. Having bought a souvenier, we took some advice from a local shopkeeper who suggested Mon Valley restaurant for its local food at the Nehru Market. Had an awesome meal of piping hot Chicken Thukpa and Chicken Thenthuk each, chatted a bit with the restaurant owner, who assured us that its a safe trip back to the hotel even after sunset. After the satiating experience,as we opened the door, it was pitch dark at 6pm. With no torch or mobile, started on our way back with only Abhineet's intuition. We followed the headlights of passing vehicles till the time all vehicles deserted us and we were at a crossroad. Although Abhineet was sure of where to head, I was totally petrified with the darkness, the barking dogs and the drizzle ( considering last night's deafening thunderstorm). Finally , a local confirmed Abhineet's sense of direction and we reached our hotel by 7pm. We dropped dead in the hotel room at 7.30 pm till sunrise at 4.30 am.
Day3: Tawang was projected as a OMG never before seen place by Abhineet, but honestly nothing much apart from a monastery and a below average hotel till the previous day. We looked at the local site seeing maps at the hotel reception since we had no access to internet. Looking at the pictures, Abhineet assured me that Tawang was indeed a cold desert. Without much expectation, I started towards the pTso lake at 6am sharp. Morning was cold which started getting colder with the steep ascend. Within 40 minutes, the mighty Himalayan range was standing right in front of us! I was awestruck by the absolutely stunning scenes as if on a postcard, came across small lakes amidst snow drapped mountains,guarded against all evils by the fluttering, coloured flags. And suddenly the steep, slushy ,icy slopes were just too much for our Scorpio to endure. Runn's unusual driving skills could not salvage the situation and the vehicle refused to ascend any further. Abhineet got off to assess the situation. Me alone, petrified as always in difficult situations, with the driver in the tired vehicle. The wheels started skidding against the ice and I got a feeling of floating on the ground. All sorts of scary pictures started coming up. Most prominant thought was that of the intense pain I would have on hurting myself after the fall! But Runn took the decision to park the vehicle and adviced us to make the remaining journey on foot. Determined Abhineet and I set out to see the pTso lake on foot in sub zero temperature with 6 inches snow cover clearly under dressed. The breathtaking visuals probably made our determination stronger and I soon ignored my numbing feet in my snickers ( Remember Abhineet had the army shoes). I started playing with snowballs childishly, saw few other vehicles getting stuck in the snow while the army jeeps were making their way smoothly. An explanation was given looking at my sad face that the army vehicles had 4 wheel control as opposed to 2 wheel control in regular vehicles. I soon started feeling the numbness in my feet and unwillingly decided to head back to the parked Scorpio. Abhineet, with his army shoes, decided to go a little ahead to take better pictures and then come back. While moving towards the Scorpio, there were few tourists making an effort to hike towards the pTso lake. Noticing the same shoes as mine, I adviced them as if I knew it all that their shoes were not appropriate for the snow and they would soon have numb feet. As I was soaking in the visuals,a fleet of army vehicles stopped by. After seeing the stopped vehicle, an army man got chatting and I praised him as to how we civilians were in awe of how they managed in such difficult conditions( I was a little hopeful of getting a lift to the pTso lake). But I stopped being greedy and felt fortunate to have atleast reached till there as was reminded to me by the army man. I saw the tourists coming back without making it to the lake but did not see Abhineet. Got a little worried looking at the decreasing visibility which doubled after Runn told me that he had gone ahead. Just as I was getting more impatient, I saw my man appear through the mist with a triumphant look. As expected he told me that he saw the lake and proudly showed us the pictures. We started our return journey in a contemplative mood till we reached Dirang. We were lodged at Hotel Pemaling and were quite excited by the view from our window. The hotel was superb considering the not so good experiences the previous 2 nights.
Day 4: This was perhaps our last day in the hills but the romance with the hills was far from over. After a restful sleep at our resort, we decided to go for a short hike after breakfast. However, because of a little miscommunication we had to go in for a longer hike, but it was fun. We then started our trip back to the plains riding along the Tawang river taking memories and all the romance with it. We reached Bhalukpong earlier than expected and spent a relaxing evening by the river.
Day 5: Return journey as on all days started at 6am. From the hills of Arunachal, we were soon in the plains of Assam. The countryside of the Northeast is indeed a treat to one's eye. We crossed the mighty Brahmaputra where one could see fishermen venturing for the catch of the day. After a filling breakfast of puri sabji at a local dhaba ( small pleasures of a road trip), we set out towards Guwahati airport with the greatest souvenier...sweet memories!!
