[San Phrangmung]

Originally Posted by PhrozenFire

Bring it on San Phranmung! A part of the country I have always wanted to visit. Looking forward to the TL

Hey its beautiful over here. Don't wait too long, come over before all the tourist does.

[San Phrangmung]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

MX6, WW2 was very unkind to many Indians who were working - like your grandpa - as administrators, doctors, engineers, teachers, office workers, etc - in Burma, Malaysia & Singapore. They had a tough ordeal trekking to India after the Japs annexed the entire region (right up to present-day Nagaland), and many perished. Till the '70s, we used to get "Burma rice" and the Chettiar community of South Tamil Nadu made its fortunes trading in rice and teak wood in the pre-Independence days. The huge mansions that dot the Chettinad regiin of TN (Karaikudi, etc) have pillars and roofs made of the strongest teak wood possible imported from Burma.

Even today, in the MN-Burma border town of Moreh/Tamu, you can apparently get dosas from a Tamil-run restaurant!

Drive on the Stiltwell Road is indeed something to die for!

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Tell us more about the road via Jairampur to Pangsu Pass.
I suppose you had a ILP to enter Arunachal - and over and above that, you had to take the ILP at Jairampur? Is it issued easily or only selectively - I note that your ILP was issued for attending a festival.
For Namdapha WLS, is it a separate permit or is Pangsu also covered within Namdapha WLS area?

I have to hit Moreah as well. The area is in boil right now because the Manipuri's would not part with Naga regions under their rule since independence.

From Jagun we can go to either Miao and Namdapha, or take a right to Jairampur and Nampong the last Indian settlement. Beyond that its Army camp and jungle.

I had visited the area during the yearly Pangsau Pass festival for which they had arranged for these quick 3 day temporary permits. Othewise to visit Namdapha or any other area one had to make the normal permit at Mohnabari Airport, Dibrugarh.

I had visited Miao and Changlang way back in 1995-96 standing on bus stairs filled with men & animal! Then the roads were nothing but jungle tracks. The road upto Nampong however was in good condition, i travelled in a Maruti 800 to the Burmese side. And i believe the conditions have improved in the last three years as they have cleaned up and walled the WW II war cemetery as well.

[kaushik_s]

@MX_6, man, that's an amazing story about your grand father. Wish that it was documented somewhere. It would've been a great read about such an adventurous journey that too during war time. I can see an Epic movie made out of it.
@San_Phrangmung, please bring on the log with photos of the journey fast. Eagerly waiting. Some 3 years back I was to take this road to Jayrampur (and probably to Namdapha after that) but had to return back from Digboi due to a stupid Bandh called by some organization.

[MX6]

@San Phrangmung and Kaushik_s

War had affected the group of travellers that most couldn't talk about much of their travails. How they reached itself is still surprising. My grandmother heard many of the stories from my grandfather the short time he lived after reaching India. But they'd go speechless midway. My grandma forgot most of the place names. I used to hear them as childhood stories. Most of them would be about their house back in Burma and Singapore. It seems they ate out of plates made of gold! They buried most of their wealth there and carried what was possible.
My grandma used to say that many who walked across used diamonds as buttons in their shirts, wanting to carry some of their wealth back.
My grandma is no more. So with her most of the stories have also gone. When I went to Singapore and Malaysia, I tried to trace some path based on stories of my grandma. I also tried meeting some Tamil families who've been there for ages. The whole place has transformed in over 65 years. Atleast 3 persons claimed to know my grandfather. But there's no evidence or proof. Mere stories exist now.
Nevertheless those stories I heard are real. My brother too did quite a lot of research and met one person aged over 90 in Singapore. He showed a group photo of a community they set up there. A photo that's over 75 years old. Most of the faces couldn't be made out clearly. Everyone looked like our grandfather.
We moved on. But one day, I will try to retrace that path.

[San Phrangmung]

Once touchdown in Dibrugarh, it was time to look for a vehicle to take me to Nampong in Arunachal Pradesh. The counter guy had rate charts for the usual place like Sibsagar, Tinsukia, Digboi, Duliajan but not Arunachal.

So he called someone from outside and a cabby offered me a ride for almost as much as the air fare though. Had to take it as there were no buses to the place anyway so off we went and he picked up another fellow for company while coming back. The road to Arunachal and border areas are not considered safe by taxi drivers because of car thieves.

On way there were stops to have lunch and unload otherwise the fellow drove fast enough for me not being able to take many clear shots from the moving car. We crossed Makum, Tinsukia, Digboi, Margherita, Ledo and Jagun the last Assam town before entering Arunachal in Jairampur.

The Stilwell's road starts from near Ledo in Hells Gate where you see the sign snap.

At the check post there i got my Inner Line Permit made and headed for Nampong. It was dark by then and the winter festivities were in full swing when we arrived,

Last shots are from the festival grounds.

[San Phrangmung]

Originally Posted by kaushik_s

@San_Phrangmung, please bring on the log with photos of the journey fast. Eagerly waiting. Some 3 years back I was to take this road to Jayrampur (and probably to Namdapha after that) but had to return back from Digboi due to a stupid Bandh called by some organization.

You never know who might calle for a bandh & when as every few kilometers ther's diffrent group with their own agenda. Its always safe to keep extra days and ration in hand when travelling in this region.

More pics coming up of the journey to the other side next day.

[kaushik_s]

Originally Posted by San Phrangmung

You never know who might calle for a bandh & when as every few kilometers ther's diffrent group with their own agenda. Its always safe to keep extra days and ration in hand when travelling in this region.

More pics coming up of the journey to the other side next day.

Yeah man, this Bandh culture is ruining the state. Every other day you'll hear that someone, somewhere has called for a Bandh for some obscure reason. There should be some steps taken by Govt. and also by people to negate the ill effects of such Bandhs. Sorry for going off topic and please carry on with your travelogues.
Also do post about Road condition (from one point to another), distance etc. It would be great if you can insert the photos along with the text. It's very easy to do actually. Once you upload your photos then you'll see the list of your attachments as a drop-down menu when you click on that attachment button arrow (next to the smiley button in the editor). So just move your cursor to the position in the text that you've written and press the photo from that list on the dropdown menu of the attachment button. Now you'll see that an HTML tag like [ATTACH ] img num [/ATTACH ] inside your text where your cursor was. This means that your picture is now inserted in between the texts. The un-inserted photos will appear at the end of the travelogue like it's happening now. Hope this helps.

[San Phrangmung]

Thanks, i am finding it difficult to write caption as during insert the photo thumbnail don't show up but just the file name. I have to open up each phot seperately while writing caption which is time consuming so skipping it for the time being.
But will try to insert whenever possible.

[Sutripta]

Originally Posted by MX6

Thanks HVK. I have nurtured a wish over the past few years. My grandfather came walking from Singapore to South India. Before people jump up, let me clarify, he didn't walk over water.
During WW2, he walked across to johor, walked mostly of malaysia, managed to get in to trains, buses, trucks, any vehicle and when they weren't there, he walked. He walked across Thailand, Burma, Bangladesh etc where there were no transportation.
It was a miracle how he reached south of India crossing the perils of jungle and war.
I wanted to go through that route sometime in this life to understand what all he'd have undergone.

Hi,
Interesting. Similar case with my grandparents (Rangoon to Calcutta). My mother (incidentally, born in Rangoon), along with her sisters came over on the last ship to leave Rangoon for Calcutta.

After many years of being refused visas, ultimately managed to get it a few years back. Went to Burma so that she could see where she had spent her childhood.

Like you, wanted to retrace their journey. But beyond Mandalay, tourists are discouraged. Bhamo and Mytkina are out of bounds.

Regards
Sutripta

[San Phrangmung]

Hey Sutripta, so we all have a good reason to visit Burma some day, all the way down to Rangoon.

The entry point will be Moreh in Manipur though not Pangsau.

[Sutripta]

Originally Posted by San Phrangmung

Hey Sutripta, so we all have a good reason to visit Burma some day, all the way down to Rangoon.

The entry point will be Moreh in Manipur though not Pangsau.

Hi,
Moreh was where the ASEAN rally entered Burma. However, you and I cannot!

I have visited Rangoon, Bagan, and Mandalay. It is the north I'm interested in.

Regards
Sutripta

[San Phrangmung]

Northern Burma is much like north east and few tribes are the same. If you have travelled to eastern Arunachal the experience would be similar landscape wise.
Do you have a Burma thread here, post the link if there.

[hvkumar]

Let me post some photos from different parts of Eastern Arunachal (taken during my drive there in Apr 2009), sorry Sam to hijack your thread:

Yasali Village on the road to Ziro, Arunachal


Near Ziro, Arunachal


Near Panging, on the way to Pasighat, Arunachal


Different part of Arunachal, the side closer to the Burma border, this one near Namsu (beyond Tinsukhia)


Same area as above, closer to China border near Kibithu


All the above photos were taken by my co=passenger K Srinivasan

[San Phrangmung]

Not at all i would welcome more related information on the area.
I have plans to visit Walong, Kibithoo, Namsai circuit. That marking 'East of Northeast' in the helipad is to be seen.
Recently remains of a young pahari sepoy from northern hills who died during the Chinese attack was accidently discovered here by BRO while clearing landslide.

The area has so much history and beauty, cant leave it unseen.

I have just one problem, i dont want to take any ferry crossing. Hope its all land route this side.

[hvkumar]

The Tinsukhia-Namsai-Parshuram Kund-Hayuliang-Walong-Kibithu is a lovely circuit which I drove through last year.

Follow it in the following link, which has my travelogue of that circuit:
kumar'snortheastdrivingholiday-eastofthe - hvkumar

No ferry crossings in this route.
When I went, the Tinsukhia-Tezu route was closed, now it may be open, shortens the journey, since you do not have to go via Namsai and Parshuram Kund.