Returning to Thailand after a gap of one and a half year meant many new things and sights to explore. Plus there were the others in the list that were missed the last time. But than no time is ever enough I guess as we already plan our next trip for the things we could not cover this time around. Anyways as for this trip, it started with the as usual late flight of Indian Airlines which could not have been avoided as that's the only direct flight to Bangkok out of Gauhati. The early morning flight became luncheon and a [View Full Entry]

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Upper Assam, which should be called the true face of Assam is rich in natural resources, enough to support it as an Independent Country. This is where the Assamese Nation was born and the language was authenticated and recognised by the Royal British Government. This is also the place where the first Assamese book and newspaper was published by the American Baptist Mission. This is where Oil was found and home to the first oil Refinery in ASIA. And this is where the Allied Forces were able to stoll the advances of the Imperial Japanese Army during the last Great War [View Full Entry]

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Nampong is a border town with a tiny population but if all goes well, this is going to be a huge huge trade centre in a few years. Hope that the road conditions on the Burmese side gets better as well and some day the Shans on the other side could visit their far flung cousins in Assam and vise versa. [View Full Entry]

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Here are a few snaps from Nampong at daytime. [View Full Entry]

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Nam in Thai means water so there is a place with the same name in Thailand too. But the twist is this that the Nam-Pong i am writing about was named by Tai's too. To be precise by the Tai-Khampti and Tai Shan-Ahoms. The Pangsau Pass Festival was organised in Nampong recently which I was fortunate to be a part of. It's going to be a yearly event so you guys gear up to come over next year. [View Full Entry]

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Finally I crossed another border after more than a year's break. The crossing on Thailand side was missed in Mae Sai due to stupidity on my part by listening to the tour guide but this time around I was all by myself with a Suzuki at my disposal. The Myanmarese side is nothing here compared to Thai-Burma border but the trip would take one back into the past. Time stands still on this part of the world and remain so for years to come. The roads are the same that were made during World War II. Only the years have gone [View Full Entry]

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The North Eastern part of India is a mixed entity sort of a small US in a way its inhabitants are made up. Like the American Indians were the first to set foot in the US and then followed the European settlers that got mixed up and make up the todays US, the seven states of North East had various tribes arriving through the deep jungles of Hukwang Valley in Myanmar and finally crossing the Pat-Kai range through the now infamous Patkai Pass and settle all over the Siang / Luiet or Brahmaputra valley and the surrounding hills. [View Full Entry]

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My forefathers came to Assam way back in 1226 somewhere through this area so the visit to the pass was a emotional one for me. In 2005 I was at the Thai Burma border near Tachilek in the Shan territory at Mae Sai near Chiang Mai and this time around it was the Assam - Burma border in the Kachin township of Pangsaung. [View Full Entry]

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Just as the American soldiers today are fighting the "current" enemy in Iraq-Afghan quarters.....may many years ago they were fighting the Japs in the deep jungles of Asia in a region known as Assam. The battle of Assam was won long back, but the bodies of the young men who saw this beautiful world for the last time fighting for their country still lie abundent here. Time goes on as another young man takes his last breath fighting another unnecessary battle, but He will atleast fly back H O M E....... [View Full Entry]

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As prmised was in Cal for 31st [View Full Entry]

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