Monday, January 9, 2017

Dirang to Sela Pass Tawang back to Tezpur - Day 7 - Page - 7

C2C Dirang 2 Sela Pass Tawang back to Tezpur Day - 7  (Page - 7)


On arriving at Dirang in the night I went out to the town near in search of an ATM to take cash.

The hotel manager insisted in being paid in advance the room rent. 
I had 2 Cards, but the hotel did not have payment facility through card.I had used the day's quota of Rs.2000/- cash withdrawal per day in 1 card on the previous day to put fuel as most of the fuel pumps were insisting only on cash payment and weren't accepting card. Now I wanted to try out my 2nd card in the ATM.

Unfortunately for my bad luck I found out that the only ATM had some network related issues and wasn't dispensing cash. I saw a group of people standing dejected looking faces and I wasn't any different.

I came back to the hotel at night hoping that in the morning the ATM would be open & I could withdraw money. But unfortunately the ATM wasn't open yet.

I did not know how to resolve the issue. And then came these 4 strangers who were once again GOD sent to help us in our distress.

Have a look at the beautiful scenery outside from the balcony of the hotel where we had stayed. Spectacular valley, flowing river, orange orchids with fresh & juicy oranges. Mouth watering indeed.









We always have prayed and we have prayed even more when we are in distress and GOD has always helped us.

He sent help to us at Bhagalpur when we were completely lost in wilderness of the village roads in the deep dark of the night.

He has sent so many people to us in many of our earlier travels also and we can never forget.

Strange are the ways of GOD. 

He sends you the all the help through absolute strangers!!

We saw a team of 4 on the night when we had just arrived at the hotel and they saw the chirpy little Shrimeenakshi and found her speaking in Tamil and liked her a lot and came to know we are from Chennai. 

We became good friends as language always breaks the barrier.

Incidentally 2 of them are from Bangalore and I spoke fluent Kannada and one of them speaks fluent Tamil and 1 from Chennai and 1 from Delhi.

They realized the problem I was facing with the cash withdrawal at ATM and without even my asking they went to their room and brought out a bundle of notes in smaller currency and I can't believe they gave me Rs.5000/- and said I would be needing it and I could return it back to them later.

Can you believe it!!! Giving Rs.5000/- to a total stranger!!! GOD's must be Crazy!Here I was standing at the hotel parking in the night wondering how to pay to the hotel manager who was insisting in getting paid in advance.

I was without much cash in hand due to the Government's restriction on ATM cash withdrawal limit and the only ATM in Dirang having network issues and all of a sudden GOD's were showering money on us out of nowhere.

What was even more comforting was these guys also happened to know a common friend in H.V.Kumar Sir and I was wondering well who doesn't know HVK Sir?

We had a long chat with the 4 new friends about our earlier 4 road trips to Bhutan, Nepal, Indo-PAK Border at Rajasthan etc.

They too shared their own experiences and told us that every year they get together ad most often they use a bike and this year they decided to use a taxi and told us that they had planned to go further to the interior parts of Arunachal Pradesh.

They assured me to take the money on the previous day and to return back without any rush on my return back to Chennai city. 

I sincerely thank these 4 friends who were GOD sent who were kind enough to help & support. 

We pray to them and their families and wish them all the very best.



Having the breakfast we bid good bye to the 4 friends and we left from the hotel towards Sela Pass & then towards to Tawang.

As the climate was so severely cold in the night as well as in the morning, I had an issue with the car. It started without any issue but its engine was racing too fast. I realized that due to the extreme cold air and lack of oxygen, the ECU was pumping a lot of petrol into the engine making it race too fast.

I already was using a high powerful car Palio 1.6 GTX which is raw power 1600 cc and all of 100 bhp. 

No wonder it is called the Pocket Rocket!!

I was a little concerned as it was like sitting on a wild free horse which wasn't responding and wanted to race too fast and braking it and controlling it was becoming very difficult. I was like a cowboy trying to calm a bronc.

I paused and kept the engine running hoping that a heated engine will calm down the symptom of rich mixture of petrol going inside the engine and well after some time things became much better.








We passed a Military Memorial and we decided to visit it on the way back.















The climb up the hills to Sela Pass & Tawang was very difficult and challenging. Extremely bad roads, extremely cold and we were approaching almost 13700 feet above mean sea level MSL.

The oxygen content in the air was also heavily depleted and we were all feeling breathlessness. 

The wind chill factor was very high. I am sure the temperatures very close to 1 / 2 Deg C. 

But the best part was it was a very sunny & warm day.








Finally here we are at the SELA PASS in Tawang. From here Tawang is just 70 KMs away. There is a Lord Shiva Mandir Temple here. We visited and prayed.








A BRO Signboard says you are at an altitude of 13700 feet above MSL!!


WELCOME TO TAWANG.



























From our home in Chennai we had come driving all the way to SELA PASS in Tawang covering 3330 KM by starting from Chennai on 21st Dec and reaching Tawang on 28th Dec.


SHOCKER ANNOUNCEMENT & REQUEST BY MY WIFE, WE WILL NOT PROCEED TO TAWANG:

JO BIBI SE KARE PYAR OH KAISE KAREGA INKAR

Throughout the climb up the very steep hills through the extremely bad & broken roads she had been scared badly of very high altitudes. She was holding on tight and keeping her eyes shut and praying.

The deep gorges by the side of the road were really very scary. One mistake or miss turn or driver error meant a long way down!! 

Even seasoned drivers have to drive carefully here. 

Although she knows my driving skills and believes in me and my ability for having brought all of us so safely till here, she was still feeling very jittery and wasn't at all feeling comfortable.

It was the steep heights and the depth down below!!! Even though me & my 2 kids were pulling her leg, we realized after some time that it wasn't any more funny on her. 

As the temperature was also extremely cold, high altitude with howling winds she wasn't feeling comfortable at all and she kept saying it will become worst once we reach Tawang and at night it will surely be terrible with all the snowing etc. I tried initially to reason with her but decided not to go against her wish.

My little daughter Shrimeenakshi was also suffering from cold & chest congestion and was coughing badly and wasn't feeling comfortable and too well.

My wife literally pleaded and requested me to turn back from Sela Pass Tawang back to Dirang and back to Tezpur.

Here I was just 70 KM short of Tawang city, almost there but could not make it. 

I could have put my foot down and forced but I did not.

One really needs to respect other's feelings too after all she is my better half and has equal say in this trip and has always partnered with me in each and every road trip and braved everything so far till now.

I also understood some people have issues with heights and some have issues with little spiders, mouse, lizard, cockroaches, bugs, closed lifts, water body etc and become very uncomfortable. 

Well it is some kind of a phobia.

I remembered a popular brand of cookware in which a popular bollywood actor says, "Jo Bibi Se Kare Pyar, Kaise Karega Inkar?" 

Meaning "He who Loves His Wife How can he Refuse?"

I too love my wife so much and without any protest I agreed to turn back from Sela Pass and told her maybe next time!! (Well there wont be any next time)

Well the smile on the face showing the great relief was worth the miss to Tawang!

I agreed to my wife's request of turning back from Sela Pass back to plain grounds and told her we will turn back. 

She was so relieved and held me tightly and said I am very sorry because of me you aren't able to go up to Tawang which you wanted to.

I said forget it. You are more important to me than Tawang! 

I said it is destiny that brought all of us under the welcome Arch of Tawang which said Welcome to Tawang. I said we are already in Tawang. 

We only missed some places in and around Tawang City. 


GOOD BYE TAWANG. 

SO NEAR YET SO FAR - NO REGRETS. It is destiny! 

Just 70 KMs away from the Welcome Arch, having come 3330 KMs from Chennai South India all the way to the Welcome Arch of Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh and almost China Border.



On the way back we saw a lot of ice from the previous day's snowing.

Both my children were seeing such snow for the first time in their life time and it really was a thrilling experience for them.

Both of them really enjoyed a lot playing around lifting & throwing the snow in-spite of it being so bitter cold and so much cold wind blowing. 

When in pleasure you forget the pain.















We visited the Military War Memorial on the way back.
























Step Farming which is what my children wanted to see, how farming is done in mountains.






Go Green with Solar Power!


We came back to the same hotel in Dirang which we had vacated and remembered to pick up the mobile charger we had left behind when checking out.






We were coming down the hills back to Tezpur now.










We stopped at this junction where we saw a water falls coming down the hills and water flowing. My kids & wife wanted to get out and go near to enjoy.

We were enjoying and saw 3 bikes and all with KA Karnataka Number plates. I was so happy and they too saw a TN Plate Car and one of them stopped and we hailed him.

He was happy and shared that they were on a long road trip of their own and had come all the way from Bengaluru to Bhutan & Arunachal Pradesh etc. Awesome. Took a snap with this friend & fellow roadie from South India. 

He was happy to see us also having come a long way from Chennai. Such meetings are always brief and life goes on.


Hilarious Moment with a PIG.

In this picture below see a full grown wild pig. While we were enjoying the water in the falls we decided to move on and looked at the car and also saw the approaching PIG in the direction of the car.

While we were contemplating whether to stay outside the car or to get back inside the car, I saw my kids and my wife run like crazy back to the car. They all would have got GOLD Medal with that sprint.

Well the PIG also wasn't giving up, we saw it too had increased its pace and started rushing at the car. 

You should have seen the way Little Shrimeenakshi and Uthamkumar and my wife managed to get in into the car and slammed their left side doors. I too had managed to get back inside my door. All of a sudden the PIG had vanished.

While we were straining to see we saw the PIG hiding behind our car. Luckily we did not step out. The PIG came to our right side rear door and crossed to my front right side and went and stood in front of our Car.

We were wondering what next?

Well after some time it looked up at us and then moved away fron the back side of the car. What a hillarious moment.

Even today we laugh and fall of remembering the incident with this PIG.




We drove on and came across a cluster of huts on the road side and a cute and beautiful child with her grand mother I suppose.

She was really worth clicking.

Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.

The child too saw my children and you could see that when children see each other their reactions are different than when adults see each other. 

The granny encouraged the baby to say TATA and Good bye to us.





We could see the long range of mountains far away with snow. Himalayan range of mountains?













We were headed to Tezpur which was 82 KMs away. The time was 9 PM.




We wish to inform every one here that the road from Dirang back to Tezpur was so lonely and through mountains.

Roads were extremely bad filled with pot holes and we did not have any other vehicles either ahead of us or behind us. I also did not want to rush and spoil the car and its tyres and suspension. I drove slowly and steadily.

It was really an eerie feeling of being so lonely in the deep darkness.

We came across a Temple dedicated to Goddesses Durga Ma Mahishasurmardini. 

We stopped here and I got off and offered our prayers to the GOD and sought her blessings for a safe passage.

I also saw couple of other vehicles that came from the opposite side and passed me and also had stopped and they too offered their own prayers.

It is a belief and trust. 

For a believer there is no need for a proof, for an unbeliever nothing will prove. 


We are exiting from Arunachal Pradesh into Assam State.




We crossed Bhalukpong at 10 PM.


Finally we were very close to Tezpur. It was just 24 KMs away. The time was 10.50 PM.


We reached Tezpur at night on 28th December 2016 by 11.30 PM and found a hotel The Fern Residency. It was really awesome & wonderful experience in the hotel.

We were tired after the long journey from Dirang to Sela Pass Tawang back to Dirang and to Tezpur.


Starting Odometer Reading at Dirang on 28th December 2016 at 8.30 AM was 62872 KM.

Closing Odometer Reading at Tezpur on 28th December 2016 night at 11.30 PM was 63198 KM.

Total distance traveled from the hotel from 
Dirang to the hotel in Tezpur was 326 KMs.

To visit to HOME PAGE - 1 click on the link below;

http://maheshnatarajan.blogspot.in/2016/12/chennai-2-cheerapunji-preview-page-1.html


To visit to the FIAT Palio Restoration & Refurbishment Page - 2 click on this link below;

http://maheshnatarajan.blogspot.in/2016/12/restoration-rebirth-of-fiat-palio-16-sp.html



To visit to the CHENNAI TO KOLKATA Page - 3 click on this link below;


To visit to the KOLKATA TO BONGAIGAON Page - 4click on this link below;

http://maheshnatarajan.blogspot.com/2017/01/kolkata-to-bongaigaon-day-4-page-4.html

To visit to the BONGAIGAON TO TEZPUR Page - 5 click on this link below;


To visit to the TEZPUR TO DIRANG Page - 6 click on this link below;


http://maheshnatarajan.blogspot.in/2017/01/tezpur-to-dirang-day-6-page-6.html

2 comments:

  1. Tawang's excellence connects with your eyes and moves towards your spirit. The area of the land in itself is intriguing with Tibet to its northern side, Sela scope of West Kameng toward the east and Bhutan in the southwest heading.
    Car rental hire services in andaman
    Andaman holiday tour packages

    ReplyDelete
  2. We are urgently in need of kidney donors with the sum of $500,000.00 USD (3 crore) and Also In Foreign currency. Apply Now!,For more info Email: healthc976@gmail.com , Call or whatsapp +91 9945317569

    We are urgently in need of kidney donors with the sum of $500,000.00 USD (3 crore) and Also In Foreign currency. Apply Now!,For more info Email: healthc976@gmail.com , Call or whatsapp +91 9945317569


    We are urgently in need of kidney donors with the sum of $500,000.00 USD (3 crore) and Also In Foreign currency. Apply Now!,For more info Email: healthc976@gmail.com , Call or whatsapp +91 9945317569




    We are urgently in need of kidney donors with the sum of $500,000.00 USD (3 crore) and Also In Foreign currency. Apply Now!,For more info Email: healthc976@gmail.com , Call or whatsapp +91 9945317569


    We are urgently in need of kidney donors with the sum of $500,000.00 USD (3 crore) and Also In Foreign currency. Apply Now!,For more info Email: healthc976@gmail.com , Call or whatsapp +91 9945317569


    We are urgently in need of kidney donors with the sum of $500,000.00 USD (3 crore) and Also In Foreign currency. Apply Now!,For more info Email: healthc976@gmail.com , Call or whatsapp +91 9945317569


    We are urgently in need of kidney donors with the sum of $500,000.00 USD (3 crore) and Also In Foreign currency. Apply Now!,For more info Email: healthc976@gmail.com , Call or whatsapp +91 9945317569

    We are urgently in need of kidney donors with the sum of $500,000.00 USD (3 crore) and Also In Foreign currency. Apply Now!,For more info Email: healthc976@gmail.com , Call or whatsapp +91 9945317569

    We are urgently in need of kidney donors with the sum of $500,000.00 USD (3 crore) and Also In Foreign currency. Apply Now!,For more info Email: healthc976@gmail.com , Call or whatsapp +91 9945317569

    ReplyDelete