The Noth East Diary via Nepal
Current status as of now, I am in Hoshangabad. Yes, a place
like that does exist. Its nearly in mid-India close to Itarsi, Madhya Pradesh. Its been 2 weeks into the rainy season and
there isn’t a cloud in sight. Have been traveling on my trusty Pulsar 220Fi for
the past 11 days.
I left Pune on 7th June and have covered Karjat,
Osmanabad, Beed, Pusad before crossing into M.P. via Bhagwanpura. Met a friend at Indore who is practicing law.
I am practically roaming with no where to go and without a destination. I have absolutely
nothing upcoming on my calendar for the next month.
Its 11:30 in the morning, and the hotel boy just informed me
of my check out time. I am in this hotel for the past 2 days. I am about to
leave the comfort of the hotel to ride to somewhere, still the destination is
unsure.
Its now 20th June and I have reached Aurangabad.
Well its not in Maharashtra but its very near to Gaya, Bihar. The bike has been
giving starting troubles for sometime now while speeding. I am not sticking to
the highways, so it’s a bit of relief. I am staying at a local guest house
which my friend booked. There isn’t a single good gas pump here in this tiny
town and I have to either move towards Dehri. My bike’s Fi jets haven’t been
cleaned in a long while and my last ride really screwed it up. I can feel it.
Today’s lunch was on the banks of a huge lake. I was at
Renukoot. The hotel was a typical roadside dhaba. The people around me were
generally truckers and very amused to see me with so much luggage loaded on my
bike and were inquiring my destination. The
sirac is performing very well in this region. Its better to declare the roads
here as non-existant. Have just crossed 50k kms.
Its 23rd and I have somewhat crossed into West
Bengal. Current location is Darbhanga and have plans to cross over to Nepal via
the Open Border and get back into India at Birtamod-Siliguri border. I am terribly
scared to cross over the rivers here. Rains and floods are common here in this
season. I will be staying here to get some paper work done and have some rest.
The hotel here is nearly decent and strangely its name is also ‘Decent Hotel’. However, they did give me a covered parking
behind the 2 floored building, sadly beside the drainage. The food here isn’t so good and I am going to
have lunch outside if possible.
Yesterday night wasn’t so eventful although light showers
did showed up in the night. I had got up twice in the night to check if my bike
was safe. The food outside was quite good and heavy. Had my dinner at Kohinoor Restaurant
and bar and unfortunately they closed quite early. The good part is my permit
is done nearly and I might be ready to leave tomorrow. I will be working on the
bike this evening. The oil desperately needs a change, been running it for the
last 6k kms. As luck would have it, I simply can not get a Motul or Castrol here
for which the nearest place to get them is Patna. I am not going back into
Bihar. Good news is there is a Indian Oil Pump 10kms from here as the owner ‘Rakesh’
told. Hopefully I find something usable there. The chain needs to be tightened;
even the sprocket is nearly gone.
Its 30th and I am at Biratnagar, Nepal. I crossed
over few hours back from India. The jawaans were asking an awful lot of questions
on seeing my huge tail bags, backpack and my gear. My black Probiker jacket has
camouflages with the dust. There is a layer of dust covering the consoles of my
bike and the front fairing. The sirac performed great yesterday evening in the
mud. Had a puncture in the front tire though and had to push back to the hotel.
The chain was tightened but the oil change wasn’t to my liking. Seems like it
might need a change a bit very soon. Going to wash my clothes now, haven’t washed
them since I left Indore. The laundry at his place was of great help. Even this
recorder is blinking the low battery sign, gotcha charge the AAA battery also.
Sadly my P&S Nikon is got getting its battery here. Only able to click 3-4
pictures on the new batteries. Looks like it needs Duracell and I have no idea
how to salvage it here.
I left Biratpur yesterday and have reached this beautiful
valley town of Siddeshwori. It’s the edge of Nepal’s population here. Speaking
of population, I really want to know the population of Nepal. People seem so
scarce here, well to mention, around these parts I have been roaming around in
the streets for the past hour and have seen only around 6 guys only. There are
friendly elders here, no young people here. The climate is great and the air is
clean. It feels so fresh.
Its 6 days here in Nepal and I am totally enjoying the food
here. I have had all sorts of momos, mueslis, porrdidges, curries and soups. I
totally loved Brace Bull, Khumbu Special, Black Russian and Sour Whisky in
cocktail beverages. Well apart from eating and drinking for the past 5 days, I
have been travelling a bit around Nepal. Just want to mention again, the air,
water and weather is so clear here. If I have a chance, it would seriously be
nice to shift in here. By the way, I have been to Makaloo National Park just
north of Siddheswori. Yak and Langurs were most common and was lucky to catch a
glimpse of a grazing deer along with a jungle cat.
 |
| Staple diet or the Rice plate |
 |
| Food of Nepal : Momos |
 |
| The view of the the great mountain |
 |
| Khumbu Region of Nepal |
I have crossed over into India again and have reached Siliguri.
Well I had to push the bike from the border to the town. There was a fault in
the fuse and I discovered I had none to spare. It took me 4 hours on a totally
deserted road.
Today is 12th July and I have decided to do North
East, don’t know if I would be able to do it. My bike is showing some problems
mechanically. Tried calling Antz, a friend of mine from Pune, the P220 guru to
me. My phone isn’t getting coverage. Have somehow contacted a friend of mine
staying at Darjeeling. Good news is I can drop my bike at his place and take
his bike to go around the North East without much problems.
Have been staying at Pankhabhari Guest house for the past 2
days. He would be coming sometime today.
Ajinkya is here finally with his bike, a black Apache (the
edition before RTR). He will be taking my bike and do the repairs while I leave
today. I am much thankful to him for this. The entire wiring needs to be
changed I guess. He is helping me load the saddle bags on the Apache. The bike
is in its top form and the sound purrrr surely is promising.
I am in Tezpur, Assam and its already 20th July.
Have crossed Tista river at Jalpaiguri and after a brief stop for a day at
Tufanganj I had stopped at Bongigaon, Tamulpur and Udalguri. I am here since
yesterday and have got the permit work done for the entire North East upto Dumbuuk.
Little extra money to the right person work wonders and gets the job done
without much hassles. Have even set up for a brief visit into the Kaziranga.
Well just to mention, I just can not begin to explain the vastness of the Brahmaputra.
I am travelling nearly parallel to this epic river since Dhubri. Never seen a
river so huge in my entire life.
Today is 1st August and it’s a great pleasure for
me to inform you that I have successfully reached Jorhat. I left Jakhalbandha
yesterday morning. I am done visiting Kaziranga National Park. I had only heard
praises for this park from my mom. She used to stay in these parts in her
childhood. Have seen lots of one horned rhinos, scores of wide eyed wild
buffalos and hundreds of deers in the swampy land of the Brahmaputra. The
beauty of that place is simply indescribable.
 |
| The Kaziranga National Park : Population |
 |
| Somewhere past Itangarh |
 |
| Rhinos |
 |
| The vast Brahmaputra |
I will go till Dibrugarh where I will park the bike and
travel till Itanagar by other means of transport. The bike has been performing
very will and I am getting a great mileage of over 45. I need an ATM soon or I
have to run dry. The petrol bunkers here are not accepting cards.
Today is 3rd August and I am North Lakkhipur and
I am travelling by a hired car along with another traveler family, Jason and
Shannon Crew. We will be going together till Itanagar. Jasie here is trying to
get to Paki Tiger Reserve. They have been travelling India since April and has
been to Rameshwaram, Kochin, Madras in south till Kargil in the North. Jasie
has been to Mumbai and has trekked a few peaks in the Sahayadri Ranges of Western
Maharashtra. I wish Jason and Shannon good luck with their travels. Well he
just mentioned they have also travelled Siberia, Russia, China and both the
Koreas. Shannon flew in straight into India from Tokyo in April where she was
doing a short documentary on Japan.
Its 6th Aug and I am back here at Dibrugarh.
Itanagar was great. I like the train travels. Its fun and does give a break
from the continuous biking. Should try it sometimes. The bike seemed good and
shiny. Turned out that the gardener had washed the bike. I am so much thankful
to him.
Its morning 8:00AM of 7th August and I am back on
road. This time I am travelling to the station from where I will catch a train
to Tinsukia Jn. And from there to Digboi to see the refinery. My luggage is at the hotel.
I am all exited to see the refinery, never seen one. Had
also heard that my grandfather had worked here for a brief period of time, in
his days. I will stop speaking into this recorder. The people around me in this
train is looking at me wide-eyed.
Its 15th August, Independence Day. I am
celebrating it by riding down to Imphal from Kohima and it seems the police
here are celebrating by doing routine checks and searches. I am stuck here at
this check post for the past 40 minutes. I am still behind 30ish huge trucks
and a few cars. I am the sole biker here with a mountain of luggage tied to the
rear part of the seat of the Apache. Had left Dibrugarh 2 days back. Stayed in
a roadside shelter stone by camping underneath it near Changtongya town.
Yesterdy I was lucky to get to stay in a tiny inn at Senapti town. Quite
serious name for a town, isn’t it?
I have reached Moreh, a border town around a week back.
Since then I have been trying to get to Myanmar side. I now have a letter from
the Burmese govt. granting the permission to me and the motorcycle to cross
over to Tamu. Tomorrow I am going to cross into Burma, overland. I am quite
tensed. Just came to know that many had been turned down by the forces on the
other side. This will be my base camp while I travel into Myanmar. I will be
travelling light.
 |
| Road from India to Burma (Myanmar) |
Its 25th August. I am back from Myanmar after a
near successful visit to other side of life. It so happened on 22nd
Aug when after spending hours begging to let me on the other side, the official
let me in. I was supposed to go straight to Kale and turn back, as per the pre-designated
permitted route, but a small blunder caused me to turn towards Mawlaik. However
after spending around 30,000kyats in just 2 days and having a lot of mixed
experiences and a puncture I was forced to walk further 10kms into Burmese
territory to fill air. Today I am going to rest here at Moreh. Enough
adventures for the week.
Its 26th August and I am really short on cash in
hand. I am on the road back again and after paying off the hotel bill only a
few hundred remain. Need to get to a ATM again. The tank is nearly full of
petrol of around 13litres and I for sure can get to Agartala before needing to
encash myself hopefully.
The plan was pretty simple. Ride steady, Fewer stops the
better. After riding for long hours on the so-called highway I was finally able
to get to Agartala on 27th nightfall. Stayed at a friend’s lodge for
the next 3 days. I sent the bike to Darjeeling on 29th via a trucker
of Madras Transport and I got to Kolkata on 1st September via
flight.
I still had to collect my bike from Darjeeling. Got a call
from Ajnkya that he has received his bike and he is awaing my return. The
entire electrical wiring along with the magnet assy has been changed. The
battery was to be replaced under warranty. Although the bill was a about the
drill a moderate hole in my pocket I
wasn’t ready to ride it across the entire Indian subcontinent to get to the
comforts of my home. Finally, I sent it by transport from Kolkata to receive it
at Pune 10 days after. Thus after a bit more than 3 months the ride was finally
over. I returned Pune on 17th
September after covering more than 3000kms of just North East Region and with a
century on the Burmese soil.
· #
The log was mostly voice recorded and was derived into words using Dragon NaturallySpeaking software.
No comments:
Post a Comment