Western Arunachal and Kaziranga

Before my memory gives in, let me try to draw an amateurish sketch of my recent trip to a small section of the North-East India. Full 8 days is what we (group of four boys) needed to do the Guwahati-Tezpur-Dirang-Tawang-Bomdila-Kaziranga-Guwahati circuit, covering a part of Western Arunachal and Assam. Let me at the outset make it clear that this is not a travel guide but only an account of my experience. Hence, this is not necessarily the best way to travel in this area. Indeed, there is no best way- a lot would depend on, among other factors, the time of the year you plan to visit, the people around you, the driver accompanying you, the hotels you put up in, the food you eat and the weather changes you experience.

Day 1: We got a Bolero to drive us from Guwahati to Tezpur. The driver turned out to be a jolly Bengali in his mid-twenties, who has been residing in Assam all his life. He has traveled extensively in all parts of Arunachal. His confidence and promise to help us experience the best, gave us the much-needed boost right at the beginning of the trip. The Guwahati-Tezpur drive was through a largely smooth highway, flanked on both sides by typical Assam villages, comprising a fair mix of bamboo huts and concrete, green and arid, but certainly not opulent. We stopped for an eggetarian meal at a roadside dhaba. Having completed a less than a 5-hour drive, we reached the small town of Tezpur by 4 in the evening and checked in at a hotel. We had done our homework- Aditya’s Center Point is apparently the best hotel in the town; the room rents being decent, we did not hesitate. After freshening up in an hour and half, we left for whatever this little town had to offer. We drove to a park or something (frankly, this was not something I would remember for long!) where we had to pay entry fees to climb up stairs and reach a plateau from where we could see the Brahmaputra and adjacent areas. The sight was made pleasant by the setting sun. We thought, “Why not go and watch the sunset up close from the banks of the river itself inside of from an altitude, far from the river?” The width of the mighty river had considerably reduced due to deposition of sand which had assumed proportions of dunes as in a desert! Nevertheless, we waded through the sand and jumped narrow streams to get a close view of fishermen set up nets, as birds perched on a high branch bid adieu to daylight. A glass of sugarcane juice re-energized us as we walked back to the market area. A kilometer of walk and we had seen (probably) all of Tezpur’s main market. We finished the evening with a dinner at Oasis- a bar-cum-restaurant where we had liquor and good food- at very decent prices. And yes, our homework helped us spot this one too. We also met Bhaity, our contact who arranged the vehicle and for the permit to enter Arunachal. He came across as a nice guy, promising his help at any point of time in the trip. We shook hands with Bhaity, walked back to the hotel and fell asleep early, reminding ourselves to wake up early next morning.

Day 2: We left early, at around 7 o’clock, because we would have to travel a long distance, to the town of Dirang. Crossing the Assam-Arunachal border after getting the permit verified at the Bhalukpong check-post, we took the swerving roads of Arunachal after stopping by a roadside Durga Mandir. The roads were mostly as good as roads in mountains could be. A river accompanied us all through. I do not recall when the name of the river changed from ‘Jia Bhoroli’ to ‘Kameng’ but we stopped regularly to satisfy our tired eyes, absorbing all the greenery around and the blue above, the mighty mountains, the scary jungle, the unnamed waterfall and the swift river cutting through huge masses of unnerving rocks. Aloo-Parantha breakfast at Bhalukpong and a vegetarian lunch at a roadside dhaba got us to Dirang. This time, we ignored our homework (which suggested Hotel Pameling) mainly due to price considerations and checked in at Samdup Khang, which surprisingly, turned out to be brand new hotel with excellent view. We walked down to the market area, trying to figure out if there is something we should definitely visit. It turned out that there are a few monasteries, but even local people could not properly direct us to. More interested in the river, we trekked down to the riverside, jumping from one rock to another. There, we had a fantastic view of the river cutting through the valley, the awe-inspiring mountains and a part of the town of Dirang. We had tea, samosas, aloo-pakoras, jalebis and pyaaz-pakoras for snacks before walking back to the hotel. For dinner, we couldn’t muster the courage to set our foot outside- it was not only cold but pitch dark- and shops were shut as early as 7 o’clock. We ordered chicken curry, dal, papad and mixed vegetables in the hotel. After a fulfilling meal, we went back to our rooms to gossip and relax. A few successful but mostly failed attempts at night photography later, we were forced to get back from the balcony to our rooms because of the cold. Before going to sleep, I set my alarm for 5:30 AM- after all, we were in the ‘Land of the dawn-lit mountains’, and how could we afford to miss the dawn?

Day 3: In the morning, before the alarm rang, I was woken up by the morning light filtering through the curtains. I pulled the curtains aside- darkness had disappeared. Was the Sun already up? I sat up on my bed to get a glimpse of the river still flowing, incessantly, without complaints. I hurried to the balcony but couldn’t see the Sun. I woke others up, each ready with a camera to capture the Sun rise. We figured out, we were looking in the wrong direction. Thankfully, we didn’t miss anything- a red ball of fire emerged from behind the mountains, partly covered in cloud, making the sight even more pretty. When we were done clicking the Sun in all sizes and camera settings, we started spotting birds. I was amazed at how many different kinds of colorful birds existed there. Spot a tree, find a branch, and you’ll see a bird- most likely a new one. We tried capturing as many as our patience permitted. We clicked vibrant flowers and bright oranges hanging from branches, before leaving Dirang for Tawang. Although the distance to Tawang was relatively less than the previous day, the road was more difficult and the altitude challenging. Before entering the district of Tawang, we were greeted with snowfall. What started as drops of rain gave way to flakes of snow. We immediately stopped the car to immerse ourselves in the joy of experiencing white dust of snow cover us. Fully satisfied, we drove further up to Sela Pass situated at 13700 ft., with all the glasses of our car fully raised and the heater turned on (‘La’ means Pass, so use of the additional ‘Pass’ is redundant, but to make it more convenient to the unfamiliar audience, I have used it). We could now not only see snow-clad peaks but the road was strewn with white. We took some time off to relish what nature had to offer. As we crossed the “Welcome to Tawang” board, the sight of Sela Lake delighted us. Half covered in snow, the other half filled with water barely able to move in the cold and a white mountain overseeing like a guardian, Sela Lake offered a breathtaking view that is sure to be retained even by my weak memory. More curves and turns, and we reached Jaswantgarh War Memorial. Set up in memory of Jaswant Singh who almost single-handedly resisted large Chinese troops for 3 days during the 1962 war, this place offered comfort- partly because of the complimentary tea provided by Indian Army- and partly because the snowfall had receded by then. We chatted up with an Army jawan, paid respects at the memorial, clicked pictures in bunkers and with yaks and some of us ended up buying tee-shirts sold by the Army. Next, we drove up to Jang Falls- a desolate but majestic waterfall that lead up to the gorgeous river. More bird-spotting and stone-hopping, and we found ourselves perched on the rocks, watching gravity at work, right next to the fall. After having a gratifying vegetarian lunch accompanied by omelette at a dhaba, we continued our journey to Tawang. We checked in at Hotel Budhha in the old market area, not the first choice if we were to go by our homework, but we settled for it, given the proximity to market and the economic sense it made. Rooms were neatly done, largely in wood and with geysers and television- pretty much what we needed. The host turned out to be an extremely caring and courteous Marwari. His hospitality was something I would definitely remember and would make me recommend this place. Outside, it had started raining cats and dogs. The only umbrella we had would only be enough to carry us to the next door. It appeared to be the most happening place in Tawang- a lounge bar named Orange, where we had liquor and Chinese food. The already-low temperature conspired with torrential showers to push mercury further down. Mostly-air-tight room, a dim CFL, 2 layers of blankets and quilts, a tiring journey, heavy rain, a full stomach and alcohol together put us to bed earlier than we had expected.

Day 4: We woke up to a sunny morning; as I peeked out of the window, I could see the large ornamented cylinders so characteristic of the Buddhist gomphas, rolling in mild wind. The welcome relief from rain charged us up. Although this was supposed to be a lazy day reserved for a local tour of Tawang, the bright Sun pushed us out of our beds. To our surprise, we found all the shops closed. We walked up and down the old market, saying to ourselves at 9 o’clock- “It might still be early”. We later found out that an ex-MLA had passed away and the sleepy town had decided not to wake up. All day. We were left caged in the hotel except for a lazy stroll to the nearby gompha. Our savior was the World Cup semi-final match between South Africa and New Zealand. We had our breakfast and lunch in our hotel as nothing was available outside. We enjoyed the food and the rest- a break that our bodies needed from hours of road travel. We filled up a form to apply for a permission to visit the Indo-China border of Bum La- we didn’t want the headache of getting it done ourselves- so we paid an agent a small fee. In the morning, we went first to Thukje Choeling Nunnery and then to the much revered Tawang Monastery. Of course, we stopped on the way to catch a view of the town from wherever we felt like. Tawang Monastery shelters a huge statue of Lord Buddha and was home to the current Dalai Lama (XIV) when he escaped Tibet in 1959. The extraordinarily peaceful monastery gave us some time to unwind ourselves- sit on the stairs to seek out emptiness, appreciate the beauty of the majestic Himalayas, and revere the discipline in the life of the young monks. In the afternoon, we visited the Tawang War memorial- a well-decorated memorial architected in accordance with Buddhist culture. When a jawan guarding the doors of the museum overheard us discussing the 1962 war and what we had seen at the Kargil war memorial, he offered to explain to us in detail as to what goes on during a war. He gave a brief account of the history of the Chinese and the Indian Army at the border, the McMahon Line, the redrawing of the border, the Bum La, the Helmet Top, Chinese aggression all the way up to Tezpur and the ceasefire declaration by Mao. We were intrigued by the story of the intrepid fight put up by the Indian Army- matters made worse by political misjudgments, unfair expectations dictated by an ignorant leadership, unavailability of war supplies and obsolete weapons. Later that evening, at around 6, we happened to listen to a documentary screened by the Indian Army, with around 40 more tourists visiting the town, where we were told in further detail the local history, the culture and the war. The documentary ended with a part of the song ‘Jai Ho’, leaving many with goosebumps. The market was still closed. But we couldn’t wander outside any longer- the dark clouds gave way to thundershowers- subsequently, it snowed. We rushed to our rooms and settled for dinner after a few pegs of whiskey.

Day 5: The sky was clear. We left at around 7.30, hoping to visit the border, Bum La. After collecting the permit papers from Tawang Brigade, we drove up to the check-post. We were disappointed when we were told that we would not be allowed to go all the way to Bum La, or even Madhuri Lake (Sangestsar Lake), on grounds that the recent snowfall had left the roads in condition that was not conducive to tourist vehicles. Some Army jawans strictly prohibited us against attempting anything risky at all. Thankfully, we would be allowed to visit PT Tso Lake (again, Tso= Lake, hence the second ‘Lake’ is unnecessary, still…). The roads leading up to PT Tso were dangerous enough to scare us. We heard the wheels skidding and could feel the melting snow underneath the wheels playing dangerous games with our driver who constantly tried to keep the car in control. The road was flanked with snow on both sides, with small black rocks, thin leaves of grass, colorful Buddhist flags and a yak or two, making a cameo appearance. We reached PT Tso, which largely covered in snow looked extremely gorgeous. We didn’t know the way to get down from the road to the lake. We made our own way, trekking down the snow-clad terrain. Another group of tourists followed us half-way- then gave up. We continued up to the shore, taking careful steps not to fall and not to let the snow crumble into the icy water. Having exhausted our appetite for photography, we continued our trek in the snow to reach a small bridge where we spotted a few golden ducks. Everything appeared truly mesmerizing. We figured out how far we had trekked down only when we started to climb up. It was draining us of our energy. We made it back to the top- the road where our vehicle was waiting- with quite some effort and some breathing pauses. Blinded by the impeccable white, we entered a dark room hosted by the Indian Army. The hut was covered in snow, icicles from the roof forming wonderful fairytale imageries. Complimentary tea and biscuits awaited us. We took our time to sip and chat up for a while. Finally, we made our way back to Tawang. To our pleasant surprise, the market was open- for the first time in three days. Let me share that Tawang is a small town made largely of Buddhist population and houses mainly three ‘markets’- Old, New and Nehru market which, going by the nature of shops, appeared to rely on tourism majorly. We ordered lunch at the famous Dragon restaurant- Chicken momos and some local cuisine: Chicken Thekthuk and another Chicken dish I don’t recall the name of. Our homework suggested that another traditional Tibetan dish, Churpa- made of fermented yak cheese- was “not for the faint-hearted”. The owner of the restaurant suggested not opting for it; but we were bent on “at least trying”, so he brought us a sample; the smell was so strong that we decided against even “trying” it. After a good lunch, we bought for our families some souvenirs from the local shops. In the evening, while looking for snacks, we spotted Greenwood Restaurant. Elated to find a yak dish being served- we didn’t think twice before ordering. We had Yak Chubta, Pork Chilly, tea and coffee. After all these, only a light, courtesy dinner at the hotel sufficed. Oh, in the evening, we also visited Tawang Emporium- something I wouldn’t remember after two days- because handicrafts were sold as souvenirs at, what appeared to me, higher prices compared to the shops at the Old market. Three nights and two days in Tawang is more suited for “holidaying” rather than “touring” really- nevertheless, we enjoyed the rest very much.

Day 6:  We were to descend as well as cover a long distance, all the way down to Bomdila. We left at around 7.30 in the morning after replacing the car tire, and figured out the location of the birthplace of HH Dalai Lama VI from confused directions obtained the previous day. Upon reaching, we found no other tourist but us. We looked around, couldn’t find much but breathed in the fresh morning air while enjoying the silence. The road to Bomdila was the same as we had taken during our onward journey. However, it beats me how dramatically the scenery had changed over the previous few days- I figured out it was because of the snowfall, the change in cloud configurations and the changed direction of travel which exposed us to a different view. My assumption that the return journey would be boring couldn’t have been more wrong. We stopped possibly as many times as we did on our way to Tawang- to appreciate the dynamic nature of Nature. It was indeed a treat for the eyes! On the way to Bomdila, we stopped for a while at Dirang to visit a Hot water spring. One can definitely give it a miss. But it was here that we spotted some birds and got a wonderful view of a village across the river. We stopped a couple of times at a random roadside shop to watch the India-vs-Australia semifinal, to grab a plate of hot momo, to buy half-a-kg of locally grown oranges (which turned out to be surprisingly good!) and to sip a cup of tea. When we reached Bomdila, we concurred with our driver’s suggestion to stay away from the market, just next to the monastery. We got ourselves rooms in Doe-Gu-Khil Guest House at relatively very cheap rates- we could have certainly stretched our budget but the awesome view from the excellent rooms could hardly be given a miss. After watching Team India lose to Australia, we drove down to the Bomdila main market in the evening, had beef momos at the widely-recommended Sikkim restaurant and took a stroll. We bought a packet full of small cubes- made of yak milk- which we were told was a “time-pass” snack. These cubes turned out to be a complete waste: hard, absolutely tasteless and annoying! Totally recommend not to buy. Like other towns in Arunachal, Bomdila shops shut at around 7 PM as well. We headed back to our hotel rooms where we had our dinner. The night was exceptionally cold, but two layers of blankets, closed doors and windows and carbon-dioxide for a few hours were able to protect us.

Day 7: We got ready by 6.30, savored the charming view of the picturesque town from the room and walked up to the beautiful monastery, where lamas were chanting and praying.  Sunshine on our shoulders made us happy. Having spent some time there, we left Bomdila. Covering incessant curves, the Bolero kept descending. It would be unfair not to mention the hilarious, mostly ‘PJ’-ish force-rhymed BRO (Border Roads Organization) signboards on the way. We had seen them in Ladakh, and elsewhere. And BRO quotes never fail to entertain. “Be gentle on my curves”, “After Whisky, Driving Risky”, “Do not rally, enjoy the valley”, “Speed thrills, but kills” and so on. But the best happened to come from where you’d mostly not expect: the State Bank of India. Its board read “Bank on Safety, Return is assured.” After descending on the plains and entering Assam, the speedometer remained inclined to the right for most part of the journey. At Tezpur we had a long lunch because the car needed some attention. Crossing the mighty Brahmaputra, we headed for Kaziranga. By around 5, we were in Kohora, the entry point to Kaziranga National Park, home to one-horned rhinoceros. On the way, in the fields next to the road, we could see rhinos and deer. We zoomed in our cameras to get a better view. Where we stayed was equipped with very basic amenities. We soon learnt that we were required to queue up for booking the elephant safari next morning. Thankfully, we stayed close to the booking counter- so we walked down to the place at around 6.30 PM. There was already a queue. We joined. At 7, an officer came in and informed that there were only 55 seats available and would be allotted on first-come-first-serve basis. Foreigners would be given preference. There were separate queues for gents and ladies, and they would be called alternately. Each person could book a maximum of 4 tickets. We did the math while waiting in the queue- if everyone opted for 4 tickets, we wouldn’t get the elephant safari. Lady Luck was on our side. I was the last one to be called in and we were the last ones to successfully get the tickets booked. By some random algorithm which I am now thankful to, we were allotted the very first slot of rides. We finished our dinner at the only dhaba open in the locality then and went back to bed early.

Day 8: We woke up very early and reached the elephant riding point at 5 AM; the safari started at 5:15. We rode the elephants and made our way to watch rhinos. Our elephant, Barsha Rani, took slow strides. It wasn’t a dense jungle that one would imagine. It was mostly grass- the kind inhabited by rhinos, deer and lions. The grass grew taller as we went deeper but it still was very different from Kanha or Jim Corbett. We started with deer but spotted numerous rhinos on our way. Up very close. Shooting with cameras from all angles. To our complete satisfaction. We were dropped at Riding Point #2. Our car was waiting to pick us up. We went back to our hotel to collect our belongings and leave for Guwahati. Torrential showers delayed our start. But we were thankful for getting the first safari slot because had we been allotted the next slot, we would have been drenched completely, and clicking pictures would have been a luxury. We sped off through the wonderful roads in the pleasant temperature, taking suitable breaks in between to feed us with Puri-Sabzi and tea. In Guwahati, we chose a place close to the railway station, in the popular Paltan Bazaar area. We ‘zomatoed’ and found a traditional Assamese place for lunch- Khorika restaurant. The Assamese thali included quite a variety of dals, vegetables and fishes. We also ordered chicken and duck in bamboo shoots. The strong smell of bamboo shoot happened to stay onto our fingers till dinner! In the evening, we took an auto-rickshaw to the famous Kamakhya temple and spent some time there. The long queue made us disinterested- nevertheless, we strolled in the compound, watching devotees engage in weird rituals, animal sacrifice and worship of young girls. Religious practices fascinated me, yet again. Having tried enough of local cuisine in both Assam and Arunachal, we decided to visit the Pizza Hut for dinner. We left with our stomachs full. That’s all we needed because our eyes and hearts had already been full from the splendid beauty of Mother Nature.