After a night under a big rain in our tent (like if we were punished to left aside our tent for a while…), we took the road to Arunachal Pradesh (claimed by China as the South Tibet…). The road was nice. We crossed a few villages before reaching the state border in Bhalukpong. The military checked our permit, and they offered us tea. Strong security with strong kindness, we like that :-)
The Road: When "Road" Is a Generous Word
Then, the road started to be narrow and to look like the ones of real mountains. It was fine as the view started to be awesome but the road disappeared. We mean that it was not a road anymore, it became a footpath sometimes, muddy as ever and crazy bumpy. It's a challenge to do more than 150km per day honestly!
Sela Pass: 4,175 Metres in a Snowstorm
We achieved to reach Dirang after a crazy day of ride. We crossed the famous Sela Pass which is at 4,175 meters of altitude during a little snow storm. Even with our good mountain clothes, it was really freezing! The landscapes over there are magnificent.
Some guys on a motorbike recommended us a good place to sleep in Dirang. We even drank beers on the rooftop (a long time that we didn't had beers!).
Tawang: The Great Monastery
Next day, we reached the famous Tawang. It was also a long day, going up and down, fighting the bad road, and crossing hundreds of military bases. We were really happy to arrive there with a view of the old monastery (largest monastery in India and second largest in the world after the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet). This place is still at 3,000 meters of altitude.
We took 2 days off to relax, to chill, visit the villages and its surroundings, and to taste Tibetan food :-) And of course, we visited the monastery. We met interesting monks, very friendly and with a perfect English! It was really good, to feel cold and with absolutely no mosquitoes!
Our next update will be about Ziro Valley, still in Arunachal Pradesh.
May 7–12, 2018