a bridge decorated with prayer flags, on the way to Tawang
We leave Assam behind for the next NE India state, Arunachal Pradesh, home to the largest Buddhist monastery in India, Tawang. We plan to cover the distance, some 430 kms, in two days, also because we climb from Brahmaputra level to around 3100 m, deep in the Himalaya mountains.
the beginning of the road, still flat – and with yet another traffic sign warning for school kids
The Assam part of the journey is easy, good roads, and flat. We pass rice paddies, and a tea estate, where the tea is being harvested – the tea leaves at plantations we encountered earlier, in Bangladesh and in Tripura, had already been plucked. But most of the route is not very exciting. Until we reach the so-called three states point: left the border with Bhutan, and straight ahead that with Arunachal Pradesh. And this is indeed a border, at least for us.
one of the tea estate workers plucking tea
tea plantation in the Assam part of the trip to Tawang
with the tea being harvested
the border crossing with Bhutan – which we didn’t take
and this is, as far as I understand, the border river with Bhutan
The Border
The Indian government is very sensitive about people entering Arunachal, which of course has a long border with China, one that it has fought a disastrous war over in 1962. Indians wanting to visit need an ILP, an Inner Line Permit, and for foreigners things are even more complex. We need a PAP, a Protected Area Permit, which can only be obtained in Guwahati and in Delhi. We had our travel agent take care of this, but it took a few weeks to come through – and at a whim, it may also just be refused, no reasons given.
At the AP border we hand over copies of our passports, visa and PAP. There is somebody accepting the paperwork, but unfortunately, the man who needs to check the PAPs – presumably of a higher rank – is temporarily unavailable, so we need to wait. In the meantime, lots of Indians all pass through, having presented their own permits. After half an hour we are miraculously cleared, and we can continue.
the border with Arunachal Pradesh, where we need to show our permits
we are not the only ones, a group of Indian bikers also need to stop at the border
it is pouring down, for much of the journey
and low hanging clouds obscure any mountain views
prayer flags at a stupa are not so colourful, in this weather
most of the road workers are also taking a break
although part of the colour problem is also the discolouring of the flags, I think
the road is a rare piece of relatively flat terrain
children attacking the local store
To Dirang
From here it is only going up. In the rain, that has been falling steadily. And the clouds, occasionally as patches of mist across the road, but most definitely hanging over the mountains, making this potentially spectacular drive a rather grey and monotonous one. Even the colourful Buddhist prayer flags, that accompany stupas, bridges and other special points, are not their usual brightness, in this weather. Worse, because of the rain and mist it takes us a good ten hours to reach Dirang, at 1500 meters altitude. In the dark.
Dirang the next morning,in the sun
outside Dirang the agricultural terraces
and the occasional hut for the workers
a small bridge, once again full of prayer flags
but in the sun shine the colours are much better expressed
a prayer wheel along the road
a stupa, probably honouring the grave of someone important
with no less than five prayer wheels
snow and ice in a distant stream high up the slopes
and more serious snow on the mountain tops occasionally visible
To the Pass
Luckily, the next day it has cleared up, and we begin early on the next leg, the last 130 kms, which lead over the 4170 m high Sela Pass, to Tawang. Now the prayer flags do provide colour to the landscape, which is generally green. Every so often we pass a stupa, or another small Buddhist spot, equipped with the ubiquitous prayer wheels, one or two, sometimes more. And gradually we start seeing more snow, first only in some distant valleys high up the mountains, but after a while more serious cover. The pass ahead is shrouded in mist.
On the road we need to negotiate lots of rocks that have come down from the mountain, possibly the result of the light earthquake we felt this morning. Also, some slush, remains of earlier snow fall, starts to appear. In fact, is has started snowing, lightly. At one point the road is blocked, by the cars ahead of us, many of which are applying snow chains, or at least some rope around the wheels. We do, too. This takes some time, but nobody seems in a hurry – very un-Indian, on the road. People are helping each other, and when everybody is provided, the convoy sets in motion, and slowly moves up.
the road conditions become worse
with sludge making the surface very slippery
the convoy of mostly tourist cars has come to a halt
and many drivers apply the snow chains for the rest of the climb
The higher we get, the more snow has accumulated along the road, and the messier the slush becomes. The heavy rain of yesterday obviously has translated in lots of snow higher up. After five minutes, one of our chains runs off; with concerted effort, also from the people behind us, who cannot pass anyway, we manage to refit the chain. The convoy continues. Only to be stopped another ten minutes later, where the road is once again blocked by cars, that cannot go further. Apparently, one vehicle in front has broken down, and another is only now applying ropes around the wheels. Once again, nobody seems worried, everybody patiently waits for the blockage to be resolved. How that is going to happen? I have no idea, and there is no information forthcoming from our driver – who, we have already noticed, stops talking as soon as things do not go to plan. We are still four kms from the pass.
Trouble?
And then, suddenly, the assembled community bursts into action. What happened? A car came down from the pass, with the message that the pass is closed. And there are many more cars coming down now, I recognise all those that had been ahead of us earlier on. Of course, they cannot get past the blockage, either. But somehow, that blockage start to move. The car that, allegedly, had broken down, now manages to turn. But cannot continue down, because all the other cars are now also trying to turn, which is rather tricky. Ten centimetres too far, and you drop off the asphalt, in the snow; ten centimetres on the other side, and you drop down the mountain. Yet, we all mange to turn, somehow, without mishaps. And then we all continue, in convoy, now back to Dirang. In the meantime it is three pm. We wasted the entire day.
But what is worse, no Tawang. With a fixed schedule, prebooked hotels and the lot, there is no flexibility in the program, there is no trying again tomorrow.
next: Tawang, after all
and then it is all over; back down the mountain as the pass is closed
A horrible trip!!!!!!!
It wasn’t too bad, Thea, but perhaps the balance effort vs reward was somewhat skewed. And only because of the weather, on other days I am sure this would be a beautiful drive. Like we did, a few days later!