– ODO- 15083 – 15252km
– Location- Forest north of Khamphat, Myanmar
– Weather- 25-33 Overcast Until 10am
I slept the whole afternoon waking groggily to get an overpriced veggie burger in my overpriced hotel. I slept well all night regardless. The bed was firm and the ground floor room faced a quiet courtyard where a large tent, tables and chairs were being disasembled from a wedding. I woke early with blocked ears and a deep cough but my nose had stopped running.
The road from Imphal wound up into low hills of thick green. Once the morning grey burnt off each ridgetop was peaked by small clouds of fluff and wisps grew from the humid forest slopes. The road was in better condition than I’d been prepared for. Still under construction in places and down to a single lane but mostly smooth. Unlike other national highways in India it seemed much steeper on short sections. By the time I reached the highest peak the cloud was curling over the back of the ridge. I tasted the change in air as I entered
and the road turned downhill.
The closer I got to the Myanmar border the more soldiers lined the road and the more checkpoints I had to stop at. Some were clearly marked with “Foreigners Register Here” on hand painted signs but others were less clear. I took to slowing down (good practice around heavily armed soldiers regardless) and waiting for a wave and a whistle to present my papers.
The town of Moreh on the Indian side had a fancy hotel where I’m now sitting to eat my last paneer tikka masala and lots of shops for water and supplies. I’m going to feast here and wait for the worst of the heat to pass before crossing the border. Tomorrow I’ll report back on the process and my first 24 hours in Myanmar.
