INDIA: MONKS, TRIBES & RHINOS IX

Posted February 19, 2008

Had our first taste of Indian bureaucracy today. We were staying in an ‘inspection bungalow’ with a great view over the village of Dumporijo and were quoted one price before checking in, however on check out, the rate suddenly doubled for tourists. Anyway, we ended up reaching a compromise, but were nonetheless left with a bitter taste in our mouth.
 

It also spoilt a great start to the day. A local gentleman, by the name of Kali Paja, had spotted us walking around the evening before, and had kindly invited us for breakfast. We were treated to delicious sweet potato, roti, aloo and fruit. He showed us his family photo album and gave us some tips on Tawang, where he had spent 5 years. He came across as a very gentle and sincere man. He’s promised us food traditionally cooked in bamboo next time, so we hope to be back soon!
 

En route to Along, we noticed scars of brown deforested mountains in amongst the lush green ones. It was clear that the scale of deforestation was for commercial purposes with timber going beyond the villages of Arunachal Pradesh.

By sheer coincidence we bumped into the tour operator we had met in Delhi. He was escorting two Americans on a tour of AP, and we had a few drinks with them. The guide came across as very passionate about Arunachal, and we picked up some more useful tips on how best to conduct our future tours. More food for thought.

– Rahul

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