Good Morning Tezpur!
From the name, my mind was visualizing some place in Punjab, or somewhere up north, definitely not a place in the northeast. But in reality, it is one of the cities in Assam and an entry point to Arunachal, especially if you want to go to Tawang. Last night's ordeal had shaken my bike badly and the least I could think of is to get it cleaned up, from all the dust, muck, and leaked oil. This was important, as I will be heading up the mountains from here and garages or mechanics would be a rarity, as I go higher. So the bike should be in a good/clean state for me to troubleshoot, should any need arises. Now I just got up early and topped up the engine oil, which I knew would've burnt out a bit, while doing the highways in the last two days. Once done, I went hunting for a service center to give this bull a shower. This was the 3rd or 4th time when I realized, in cities/towns, shops usually open late, say around 9 or 10, but definitely not around 8. Cleaning up the bike was important and so I decided to wait outside a water service center for say 40-45 minutes. It was nice to sit quietly for a change. I could run my mind through all possible plans for today and the coming days. While I was busy doing the mental simulation of my day and getting excited about what Arunachal had in store for me, the shop opened and my ride got the much-needed treatment... a pressure wash :)
The morning wait, before breakfast.
"BLING!" Close your eyes and then open them in a flash and look at them. That's the sound you would get :D lol
First sight of mountains, before Bhalukpong. Guess lady rain has also come to the party! Things are getting better now!
Hello Clouds! Missed you guys in the last 2 days!
I wish I had more opportunities to shoot portraits of my steed, but it's okay.
Some farmlands in the valleys
The view just gets better and better with each passing stretch of the mountains
Rivers are in full bloom, due to the monsoon, which was ending soon.
Bit of hide and seek with the Sun on the way.
There is something about rivers, that fills your heart... Flowing water out of taps just doesn't compare!
Nag Devta Mandir (temple) in the background.
Tenga military base ahead
A close-up shot.
Spot the bike! It's parked right at the bend.
I could have shot more photos if it wasn't for the rain and the army convoy (of around 100 trucks and buses) that I had to overtake on the narrow, broken, slippery mountain roads. It was challenging and I remember I was floating over the edges while overtaking, scary at moments. 90% of the time, I overtook on wider patches, but there was this 10% of the time, there were no wider patches for an hour. Overall it was a safe riding day for me and got an idea of this route and the niggles. I have some videos from my helmet cam, which I will try and share at some later point. Until then, hold your breath and enjoy the stills that are coming your way.
For the night I made it to Bomdi-La, a town, that serves as a midway stop for everyone traveling to Tawang. This time, I wanted to try something else for the accommodation. I looked around and found a monastery on the top of the hill, so decided to try it there, as the view will be nice. Lucky me, found a room at the Monastery Guest House.
The Guest House Room that I got
A bit of protein and carbs is all I seek in thy land. No seriously! Just serve it hot!
Dinner for the night as well as tomorrow's fuel (breakfast) was made available. It was perfect. The only realization was, the temperature there was around 10-12 degrees (c). Brrrrrrr. My body undergoing an endurance test with the constantly changing terrain, weather, and temperature every day. I had a thermal with me, which I had to layer with a t-shirt to stay warm. Of course, jeans and socks were my armor for the cold night (and the one to come), along with the thick furry blank in the room.
The dramatic lighting in the background is due to the fog. These lights are coming from different houses on the hill
Bomdi-La town at night
This was a library, next to the guesthouse
Last but not the least, an image of the pine (I guess) trees looking up to a clear night sky.
Tomorrow is a big day and I think I was ready for it. Tonight's sleep was essential and rewarding in a manner that I had enough time to rest before I give my best to Tawang!
Until tomorrow.
Sid
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