Chasing a dream to Land of the Rising Sun

'The land of the rising sun' Arunachal Pradesh is a pristine beauty and riots of lush green forests. Yet much unexplored, this part of the world offers you the serene and virgin beauty of nature. Debjani Aich explored this beautiful destination- a long-awaited trip from her childhood imagination.

-  Debjani Aich

The hairpin bends turn sharper as you drive up. The lush greens give in to an onslaught of barren grey under a cobalt blue sky. Frequent bends and boulders force the vehicles to slow down. It's the sheer excitement of a dream coming true that helps braving this journey of a nightmare. Looking outside, I can see the queue of vehicles along the snaking road to the hilltop, which has been beckoning me for ages.

I was 18 when Nabaneeta Dev Sen planted the seeds of this dream trip in my mind with her book, Truck Bahon-e McMahon-e (A truck ride to McMahon). Arunachal began haunting me since and I made countless trips to Sela Pass, Bum La Pass in my dreams. I don't feel like a traveller anymore. I feel like going back to places I have known for years, yet craved to be in. My excitement runs like a savage stallion as pass through Bhalukpong, Bomdila and Dirang to reach Tawang. I can't wait any longer to see the McMahon Line.