Day 6 - May 6 (contd.):
The super-hero of the trip. It has, until now, taken us to amazing territories without a hitch or cry, in comfort and style. Just love this Mahindra.
We started back from the lake around 12 noon when most of the tourist vehicles had left. It was biting cold and the wind was picking up.
We were planning to reach Lachung that evening so we could go to Yumthang and Zero point the next day.
Chungthang is the Y-point where the road on left goes to Lachen and Gurudongmar, and the road on the right goes to Lachung and Yumthang.
We came down to Chungthang, but soon faced a roadblock there. We were told that there was a big landslide on the road to Lachung and it would take about 24 hours to clear that up. Many tourists were trapped on the other side of the landslide at Lachung.
Since there was no point waiting for 24 hours, we dropped our Lachung plan and decided to go to Gangtok. We were thinking of visiting Nathu La.
Next started the ordeal of getting Nathula permit. It was a long, very frustrating and tiresome process.
That evening after we checked in to a hotel near Sikkim mall, I dumped my luggage and set out to find information about the permits. The next couple of hours frustrated me.
One after another, every travel operator who I talked to simply laughed on my face when I told them that I intended to take my own vehicle to Nathu La. Gathered information that only a special government permit or an army permit for a private vehicle would be able to take us there.
Came back dejected to the hotel, and my friend and I started calling up other friends/contact who knew anyone in the army. The first three attempts proved futile and we made no headway. Finally, I called up a friend in my office who had mentioned years ago that he was friends with two brother who were Lt.Colonels. This was out last chance with the army channel. Explained to my friend our situation.
Came to know that the permit office opens early, around 7 am. I intended to go there as early as possible, and also to visit the State Secretariat nearby in the hope of getting a government nod, in case the army channel did not work out.
Day 7 - May 7:
The place was in utter chaos. All the tour operators and agents were crowded at different windows and office and I had a hard time even to find the minimum information about where to start and whom to approach. Finally figured out who the permit office was, but his room was way too crowded for me to even enter.
Forms: its very difficult to even get hold of a blank form. I was told that some of the travel agent shops on the roadside have blank forms. Went to one of the shops. Same story here. They wouldn't give me a form as I was not going through them. Then I offered to pay them the entire fare as if I was going with them. But still they didn't give me the form because it was supposedly "against the rules".
Permits are issued one day in advance for the batch of 70 Sikkim tourist vehicles for going the next day. However, this does not guarantee anything. If the army decides the next morning that conditions are not suitable for tourist vehicles (could be weather or China factor), all permits stand cancelled for that day, and tourists have to get permits again for another day.
The army is the final authority here.
After getting frustrated at the tourism permit office, we walked down to the Sikkim state secretariat. We reached there by 9:30. Office opens at 10, so we waited. The grounds and the inside of the building was alarmingly clean and tidy. No trade union posters, no beetle juice on the wall corners. It was spic-&-span. Even the toilets were clean and well-maintained.
We are talking of a government office here, in a state in India.
Being used to the state of West Bengal's government office timings, here I was surprised to find that bureaucrats here actually started arriving to work quite a few minutes before 10 am. Bravo !!!
We went to the room where they issue Nathu La permits and talked to an officer. But frustration met us here too. We were informed that the tourism dept in the Secretariat issues permits only for motor bikes, not cars, and they could do nothing.
At wit's end and not knowing what to do next, it was it this time that my friend's army contact, a certain Lt Colonel A.U. called me. He said that he had enquired about Nathula and got feedback that the road to NL was too dangerous, and thats why private vehicles are not issued permits. I told him about my travels to Ladakh and Marsimik La and Kaksang La etc. and tried to convince him that I could handle the terrain in my 4WD vehicle. Not sure if he was convinced, but he promised to try, no guarantees.
We walked back from the secretariat to the tourism office. I was simply hanging around the tourism office when I noticed that the permit issuing officer was working in his office alone after all the crowd had gone by now. So I knocked on his door. He ushered me inside and was all willing to talk, now that the mad rush of the morning was over. I put before him my case and pleaded. I asked him what prevented a private citizen with a private vehicle to drive anywhere in India. He said, legally nothing, but the Sikkim government has a rule that the 70 allowable permits are issued only to 70 tourist vehicles, so as to give them employment. I begged for an extra permit. Finally, after a long time and argument, he conceded some ground, and told me that he would give me permit to drive till Changgu Lake, after which I must park and switch to a tourist vehicle and complete the Nathu La leg, and that I would still have to pay the full tourist fare from Gangtok. Well, this was much better than expected, so I immediately agreed. He then immediately called one of the tourist vehicle drivers who was hanging around and instructed him of the arrangements. I handled over the photocopies and photographs and finalized the details for the trip the next morning.
This partial success albeit called for a small celebration. We walked back to the hotel and were relaxing in a celebratory mood, when suddenly my Whatsapp pinged. Casually checking, I saw the following. It was a message from my friend's army contact, Lt. Col. A.U. It read as follows (person and unit names masked):
"Go and meet Major V. of XX Headquarters XX XXXXX Division. He has been spoken to by my senior office Colonel D.B (IC No. xxxxxx). Go and meet him with your id proof. Give reference of telephone conversation with Colonel D.B. (Colonel XX Headquarters XX Corps). His IC number will be required for the passes which will be made for tomorrow. Hope this helps".
We immediately jumped up, thanked Lt. Col. A.U., and in a minute behind the wheel to search where XXXX Division HQ was located. Luckily it was just 10 minutes from the hotel. At the gate, showed the Whatsapp message to the sentry and were told to go in to Major V.'s office. We walked into the office and mentioned about Col. D.B. The Major was a young and suave fellow, probably in his late 20s. No more questions asked, he immediately gave the permit form to fill up, stuck two of our photos, entered my vehicle number, stamped them and our permit was ready for a FULL ALL THE WAY drive from Gangtok to Nathu La. Afterwards, he offered us tea, and we talked for a while about many things.
Getting out from there, we called up the tour operator with whom we had previously made the arrangements, and cancelled.
The next morning, after a light breakfast, we set up. We had a reach a certain point by 9 am where they check permits. Imagine the surprise on the face of the policeman when he saw just one private vehicle among the sea of yellow sticker vehicles. He asked how we got the permit. I simply smiled.
Finally, on the road to Nathu La.
On yellow "LTD" among all yellow registrations.
.
Reached Changgu Lake.
You can ride these yaks.
Lots of snowfall all around. The final approach to Nathu La was paved. Fantastic job from BRO as usual.
Madhuri and Madhubala Lakes on the way.