Guwahati to Bhalukpong

16 April 2011
Today we ride. Excitement was paramount. It felt wonderful to tie the luggage after so long. We left Nilu's house at 6:30 AM. Gyan and Mamaji joined us near Gyan's home. This was the first time all seven Buccaneers were together. It was a high riding through the roads of Assam. But strangely, we were going at a very slow speed. The ones in the lead were thinking why the riders behind them were not gaining. The riders at the back were thinking why the ones in the front were not speeding up. Enough of the thinking, I gave the throttle. Assam has a lovely weather to ride in. Cool breezes accompany you everywhere. Another reason was that we were trying to stay clear of Dutta. The road condition at the byepass was excellent. But it grew bad as we reached Rajiv Chowk. It continued this way till the mighty Brahmaputra was crossed. That was another high feeling. They say this river holds more water than the Ganges and holds a very high current.
We were on NH-52, a new highway for me. Its a superb highway. The surroundings are very green. Being the only non-Assamese of the group, i asked the others what was the greenest time of the year. The reply was all around the year. Even though we were on plain ground, the road was meandering. So, there were lots of opportunities for our scraping Guru, Nilu. The only trouble are the groups of goats frequently crossing the road. We covered 60 kms quickly and then stopped at a roadside stall for tea. Omelettes were also ordered. Our destination was not far. So, we took it easy. The hydration pack I was gifted from Nishant Jha proved to be very useful.
As we moved on, Nilu's 200 started giving trouble. It was found that all the engine oil was missing. So, it had to be periodically topped up. Then the main stand started clanging against the body. We stopped at a local mechanic to get it fixed. We stayed for only 10 minutes, but we had attracted a large crowd in that time. Riders with their gears and loaded motorcycles tend to have that effect on people. It feels good to bring some excitement into their erstwhile boring lives.
We moved on to group up with the others. The others were smoking when we got there. Then, we found that the building just behind them was the National Rural Health Mission. Maybe, they knew it. We reached Tezpur by noon. PayengDa got the tyres of his rented bike changed as they had badly worn out. Nilu and Gyan went in search of their respective showrooms for minor jobs. I also searched for a Bullet mechanic, but they had no spares. So, the rest of us sat down besides the tyre shop thinking of what to do next. There was only one thing we could do. Doley and I went to get beer from the nearby shop. Dansberg 15000. The variety of beer in this trip was only increasing. We brought four bottles back to the tyre shop and waited for the rest to appear. The freedom of having beer by the roadside. The passing crowd wasn't bothered in the slightest. By this time, Gyan had also returned again proving his superhuman sniffing powers.
Nilu's expression was a sight when he returned. Its also recorded in one of Mamaji's videos. This was another trend on the trip. Whenever, Gyan and I were left alone, we were found some distance ahead at a theka.
We stopped for lunch at KF Lounge nearby. The lounge was a luxurious but affordable place. More beer bottles opened here. They also allowed smoking. You can't get such places in Delhi and Mumbai anymore.
After leaving the lounge, we took the turn towards Bhalukpong. The road started out well until we reached a roundabout. The way straight on was a muddy road. This was the road to Arunachal Pradesh. We knew we would be in for a dirty ride, but we had not expect to run into it so soon. We swerved and skidded our bikes forward. PayengDa had just had a close shave with a cow on the road. His leg guard had saved him.
The road did smoothen out later on, but only briefly. The closer we were got to the border, the greener it got. We had to make it to the border before 5 PM. We arrived there at 4:30 PM. All people crossing the border must carry the Inner Line Permit and sign up. Photography is strictly prohibited. But Mamaji didnt knew and was recording a video. He was promptly caught and made to turn off the camera.
Our hotel was only a short distance ahead. The last 35 kms had been tiring. But we reached to find a disturbing news. The agent had not informed the hotel manager about our bookings. We just lay around waiting for the manager to get in touch with the agent, but the call was not able to get through. It often happens in that region. But finally, things were sorted out and we went into our rooms. Each room was a different size. Without wasting any time, we freshened up and quickly gathered downstairs in the open lawn to start the evening assembly.
One of the three Blender's came out. I was tired from playing bartender for too long and this time, Gyan did the duties. We asked the experience of the new riders. After days of guffaws, this session was passing out slowly. But one man stood up to the occassion. Dutta, or John, as he's called henceforth. A stray cat was attracted to our table. And John got more attracted to the cat, or pussy. He then said something unthinkable. Meow. All of us were startled for a second and then burst out laughing. It didn't take long for the bottle to finish.
The manager now asked us to get our motorcycles down the flight of stairs into the garden, for safety purposes. Grand Theft Auto was high here being the border town. I was reluctant at first but when every other machine was parked in the garden, I gave in too. We went to sleep excitedly. Tomorrow we would be riding in one of the wildest terrains.