Day 8: Ziro Valley Villages

After yesterday's excitement, today we visited some more Apatani villages in ziro valley - namely Hari, Haja and Reru. The houses were similar to those from Hija, though not quite as uniform and we did not get an invite inside today. The villages were quieter during the day as most people were out cutting wood or working in the fields. The locals were friendly nonetheless and those kids that were learning English in school were very keen to try theirs out. Some of the flooded Paddy fields were covered in a red algae-like plant, that contrasted with the backdrop of lush green bamboo and pine forests shrouded in rising mists.

Further along the route we met a guy who claimed to be the general secretary of the region (we later found out he was no longer in the position), who jumped in the jeep to show us some local sights. He talked manically, gesticulating wildly, bursting in to song sporadically... he was plainly quite mad, but very amusing. After a lunch of paratha and potato curry followed by masala tea in a roadside cafe, we turned back for Ziro. Tomorrow we head on to Daporijo, the start of the Tagin tribe region, passing through Hill Miri territory.

- David