Chariduar Tawang Highway Waterfall.

 Chariduar Tawang Highway Waterfall.

A tourist spot where most of the tourists stop to take a break as well as photo shoot.

There was a large crowd having a good time and photo shoots.

We also took plenty of them 😊

 Tipi Orchid Museum and Research Centre.

From Bhalukpong, as you enter Arunachal Pradesh through a grand welcome gate built across the road, the first attraction is the Orchid Research Centre at Tipi Town.

The Orchid Research Centre was inaugurated in 1972 with the aim to carry out research on orchids.

Places to visit in The Orchid Centre are: Orchid Information Centre, Orchid Forest, Laboratory, Cactus House, Ornamental Orchid House 1, and Ornamental Orchid House 2, Orchidarium and A shop selling knick-knacks and memorabilia connected with the Orchid Research Centre. 

The orchid forest is densely packed with evergreen rainforest trees with equally dense undergrowth. You feel as if you are in a forest, as indeed it is a real forest. We did not see many orchid blooms, just as we had not seen them in the various glass houses.

 One of the main attractions is the Orchidarium. It is a glasshouse with of fiberglass roof, a display gallery around and a central pond with a fountain. It was inaugurated by Shri B.K. Nehru on 26.12.1972. The house accommodates about 1000 exotic orchids displayed in pots, hanging baskets, etc. Curious and attractive blooms of the species and hybrids of Paphiopedilum, Dendrobium, Cattleya and Vanda groups are a feast to the eyes of visiting tourists.( as given on their website).

Unfortunately, we were there at the wrong time. It was not orchid season, with the result that we did not see many orchid blooms, be it in the orchid forest or various well-protected and maintained glass houses or their pride of place, the Orchidarium. But as they say one can not have everything one wishes for.

The place is well-maintained, clean and nicely signposted. It would be heavenly to visit this place in the thick of orchid season, when this place is full of orchid blooms and a riot of colours.

At Tippi Orchid Museum and Research Centre.

At Tippi Orchid Museum and Research Centre.

At Tippi Orchid Museum and Research Centre.

At Tippi Orchid Museum and Research Centre.

At Tippi Orchid Museum and Research Centre.

At Tippi Orchid Museum and Research Centre.

At Tippi Orchid Research Centre. Near Orchid Forest.

Selfie at Orchid Forest at Tippi Orchid Museum and Research Centre. Near Orchid Forest.

In the orchid Forest .

At Tippi Orchid Museum and Research Centre.

In the orchid Forest .

At Tippi Orchid Museum and Research Centre.

In the orchid Forest .

At Tippi Orchid Museum and Research Centre.

Orchadium at Tippi Orchid Research Centre.

One of the main attractions of the center is the orchid glass house. This is made up of fiberglass roof, display gallery around and a central pond with fountain. It was inaugurated by Shri B.K. Nehru on 26.12.1972. The house accommodates about 1000 exotic orchids displayed in pots, hanging baskets etc. Curious and attractive blooms of the species and hybrids of Paphiopedilum, Dendrobium, Cattleya and Vanda groups are a feast to the eyes of visiting tourists.

At Tippi Orchid Museum and Research Centre.

Out of season, even these we tended and well looked after plants are without blooms  😒

At Tippi Orchid Museum and Research Centre.

Out of season, even these we tended and well looked after plants are without blooms  😒

Knick-knacks and gift shop. At Tippi Orchid Museum and Research Centre.

Fox tail Orchid photo spot at Tippi Orchid Museum and Research Centre.

Fox tail Orchid photo spot at Tippi Orchid Museum and Research Centre.

Prashanti Cottage​s., Bhalukpong.

 Prashanti Cottage​s.

From Guwahati, after a long, tiring drive of almost 6 hours, we finally reached  ​Bhalukpong. 

Our vehicle turned into a narrow, insignificant lane, and I wondered what was in store for us. 

At the end of the lane was Prashanti Cottages.

A resort owned and operated by the Assam Tourism Department. It is a fair-sized property, located on the banks of the Kameng River and surrounded by tall evergreen trees. It was a calm and peaceful surroundings. After checking in we were directed to our cottages. Main accommodation consists of eight cottages, four each parallel to each other, separated by a well-maintained, lush green lawn. At one end of the lawn, there is a play station for children and a machan. From this machan, as Bhalukpong is right at the foothills, there is an excellent view of the Kameng River and the Eastern Himalayas. Unfortunately, the river seems to have changed its course slightly as the river span near the machan had no flowing water.​ One can imagine, when the water flowed right under the machan how wonderful it must have looked. 

Cottage buildings appeared old, but were well-maintained, and all the electrical fixtures were in working order. The cottage had a well-furnished sitting room and a bedroom with an attached bathroom. All the rooms were quite spacious.

​ The reception and dining hall were in one big building. The look of the Reception could do with a lot of improvement.

Breakfast and dinner were good. The staff well well-mannered and courteous.

Nice place to stay.

 Chapora Fort.

* * * * Stars for the natural beauty and the 360-degree all-around view from the fort.

* * * Stars for management and public convenience.

The coastal defence planning, particularly at an estuary (a place where a river enters the sea)  from the 14th to 15th century onwards, called for the construction of a fort.
Such a fort not only offered protection to the coastal areas, but more importantly, it also insulated inland areas from enemy attacks by denying the enemy inland entry through the river. Based on the same doctrine, Chapora Fort is strategically located on a high hill feature on the southern bank of the Chapora estuary.
 Fort has an all-around clear view from its commanding height.
The complete hillside and the fort are surrounded by lush greenery and look beautiful. The view from the fort is simply amazing. 

For the fort, full marks for its scenic beauty and the amazing 360-degree view it offers of the surroundings.
What is wrong is the neglect by the civic authorities.
Signage giving directions to the fort and to the parking areas is woefully inadequate. Parking areas need better management. At the fort itself, the Signage, the information boards are totally faded and can not be read. Fort also needs to be provided with strategically located small gazebo-like shelters where visitors can relax in the shade or be protected from the rain. Will they also think of the Washrooms?

For the fort, full marks for its scenic beauty and the amazing 360-degree view it offers of the surroundings.

What is wrong is the neglect by the civic authorities.

Signage giving directions to the fort and to the parking areas is woefully inadequate. Parking areas need better management. At the fort itself, the Signage and the information boards are totally faded and can not be read. Fort also needs to be provided with strategically located small gazebo-like shelters where visitors can relax in the shade or be protected from the rain. Will they also think of the washrooms?

PRELUDE TO MY HIKING EXPERIENCE. Part - Two.

PRELUDE TO MY TREKKING EXPERIENCE. Part - Two. 

It was mid-June when Anuj had agreed to take me on the trek.

Anuj had agreed, but that agreement was CONDITIONAL.

His first condition was that he was IN CHARGE.

I had to follow and do any and everything he told me to do in furtherance of our trip. 

It was only after I had signed on the dotted line, figuratively, that he agreed to proceed.

Main emphasis being, me being properly kitted, and second, the workout to physically prepare me for the trek.

So far as kitting goes, he started with the shoes and worked upwards, ending with woollen caps.

Which shoes I was using for my morning walks, what type of inner wear and winter clothing I had, and whether I had any woollen tops and caps, so on and so forth.

I proudly told him I was using one of the best bata shoes made specifically for walking. So far as Inners were concerned, I had LUX inner wear of "अंदर की बात है" fame. For winter clothing, I had a "Monte Carlo" wind cheater, and if that was not sufficient, I had THREE "Shillong Windcheaters", the ones we had purchased for Ajeet Anuj and me when we were posted to Shillong in the late eighties. 

Ahuj told me that I needed a proper kit. He warned me that even though I have all that which I said I have, I will still have to spend money, which may run up to Rs 40 to 60K. Anuj knows me well. He knows I hate spending money, particularly if I feel the expenditure is for thongs which I already have or don't need. He may have thought the amount would deter me and I may back out 😁.

I am made of sterner stuff.  I told him I will kit myself as he wanted me to kit.😉

From then onwards, he talked to me every day and overwhelmed me with YouTube videos about trekking shoes, trekking clothing, one about packing, it talked about how to Ranger Roll a T-shirt and pants to save space. 

We were WhatsApping like mad every day. We WhatsApped more than we had done since he had moved to Singapore, 14 years back

The Bata shoes were out. 

He sent me two videos, starting right from opening the Amazon parcel, till they had done a 60 km trek, made by experienced trekkers, reviewing trekking shoes made by Adidas and Puma. Which were ANTISKID, waterproof or water-protected.

I was to get one of them. 

I got one of them. 

The way I got shoes, I also got  

GOKYO Kalimpong Dry Fit Cargo Hiking Pant,

GOKYO Kalimpong Trekking Pants Ultralight Stretch,

Woollen Cap and neck protector, 

What I did not get, Anuj was getting for me.

He also sent me videos about Panch Kedar, Mad Maheshwar, Tungnat and Chandrashilla.

PRELUDE TO MY HIKING EXPERIENCE. Part - 1

 PRELUDE TO MY HIKING EXPERIENCE. 

Part - 1

Anuj has been trekking in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh during the months of September/October since 2017. 

That is the time when he comes to India from Singapore. 

Depending on the leave availability, sometimes it is possible for us to come togather as a family or else, he does his trek and returns to Singapore. 

His first trek was on his own. He had employed two local people, one as a guide and the other to help him with his backpacks.

Thereafter, he did his trekking trips with Kaya, his daughter, by joining the treks organised by trekking organisations Indiahikes and other such outfits. 

Having heard of the beauty, the challenges and adventurous aspects in his colourful descriptions, I have also wanted to do the trekking in the Himalayas. I contacted Indiahikes to enquire about their treks. I was informed that they accept trekkers below 60 years, and that too after submission of a treadmill test report and other medical as well as fitness certificates.

I was already around 75 when I had made the enquiries, and that was that. 

I was bitterly disappointed, but nothing I could do about it, and my age 😒

This year, he had planned a trek for Madmaheshwar, one of the Panch Kedar Trek he had not done and Tungnath and Chandrashila peak from 02 September to  07 September. 

Kaya had very crucial annual exams of her academic career, so he was doing the trek alone. This was the first time, after many years, that he was going alone on a trek. 

I sensed my chance and discussed with Priti about going on the trek with Anuj. To my great surprise and delight, she agreed on the condition that, if I do not get carried away while taking photos and do not get into dangerous situations and if Anuj agrees, I could go 😀 

Spoke to  Anuj and used all my persuasive powers, pleaded and used every stratagem I could think of,till he eventually agreed to take me.

In Part 2, I will cover the preprations, hard work and planning which went on before we actually undertook the trek.