An Extended Weekend Escapade to Garo Hills, Meghalaya! - xBhp.com : The Global Indian Biking Community

Dragon · 06-16-2009, 07:27 PM

Day - 1
The trip was actually planned a long while ago, but something or the other cropped up and was postponed a couple of times. Finally, on the 14th of May 2009, I enquired from Devilboy if he was willing to hit the road the next day. The Devilboy, being a die-hard biker, agreed though tentatively, due to finance and time. Therefore, I told Devilboy to be ready the next day, in case we really decided to do the Garo Hills trip. It was about 8 pm when Devilboy’s friend from Williamnagar, named Kyle Marak paid a visit and gave us a rough drawn map with landmarks and distance. Then we anticipated the required items to be taken in the trip at the 11th hour.

Ok!
Riding gear – checked
Driving license - checked.
Pollution certificate - checked.
Registration certificate - checked.
Bike servicing – Well who cares? Whatever may come, we were Ready!
Cash from ATM – Nah! We are gonna loot the highway robbers & militants instead…..lol..
Leave from Office – Who cares! Yeah! Who cares for the approval of leave & Leave Station Permission! ;-) (That’s the xBhp spirit, right?) Ha ha ha….

15th of May 2009 started in a hectic manner with both of us winding up unfinished work in the office. Then, we put in our application for one day leave for 18th May 2009 and also permission to leave station, in case we were not able to return before that. With adrenaline pumping faster we didn’t bother to wait for the approval of the leave and off we went for a last-minute shopping spree for things that we might need on the trip.

Then at 14:00 hrs we started off from Shillong, myself on my Pulsar-80 and the Devilboy on his FZ-16. The start was slowed down a bit due to the onset of monsoon rain, but we were ready for that. Our first stop was Nongpoh, halfway between Shillong and Guwahati, where we had tea and snacks. By this time, it had stopped raining, so we throttled to keep pace with time.

When we crossed over to Assam, the roads became wider, straight and single lane, so we lapped up the kilometers and stopped only to rest a bit for a leak and then had food at Dhupdhara. It was about 20:30 hrs by then and the highway was getting darker with sleepy towns. A short discussion followed whether to halt for the night at Devilboy’s hometown which was about 25 to 30 Kms, considering the dangers of night travel due to insurgency and night robbers or to take the risk. We wanted to test our endurance, so I asked for Devilboy’s 3 Kgs iron chain and tied it around my waist in preparation for any unwanted dangers. Then we headed straight for the next stop at Paikan, had a cup of tea, a glass full of soft drinks (beer) to refresh our throat and hit the road again. Paikan is a popular stop for interstate buses & trucks plying overnight. All the while we were in Assam we were out of cell phone network as both of us had only pre-paid connections and roaming facility are not allowed on them in the North-eastern states of India.

From Paikan to the Assam-Meghalaya border, the ride was a breeze, the road was smooth and silky. At every turning and bridges, there were properly lit indicators and road sign. Devilboy was saying “Damn, never traveled on such a smooth road, feels like I am gaming “Need For Speed””. On entering Meghalaya again, at around 23:00 hrs, we were face to face with rough, narrow and winding roads and had to slow down a bit with only 20 to 30 Km/h. Road and especially bridge conditions were terribly bad in some places. In between, Devilboy, who was in the lead, got a bit of a fright when he came face to face with a dark brown cow in the middle of the narrow road, and that too just after a very sharp and blind turning, in the middle of the dead night and thick jungle. He felt his heart throbbing as the area was also militants infested.

Finally, at about 01:00 hours of 16th May 2009, we finally hit Williamnagar and met my sister, who is working there. All the while that we were on the road, she stayed awake for giving us necessary directions on our cell and also to wait for our safe arrival. She arranged a room at a Guest House and took the trouble to arrange toothbrushes, toothpaste, towels, candles, soap and not to mention the warm and delicious home made food.

It may be mentioned here that so far we did not snap any pics as we had concentrated on reaching our first destination as soon as possible. Though we were tired, sleep was far away from us because of the thrilling ride. After having food, we chatted for a while before calling it a day, while a cock was strolling on the verandah crowing out loud because the sun was almost ready to spring out of the horizon. Cock-a-doodle-doo….

Coming Soon.... Day - 2 with Pics!

Aryan · 06-16-2009, 10:27 PM

Topic Approved.

It was lovely reading your experience Devilboy & Dragon. Now, if you could please post some pictures.

I have ridden to the Garo hills a few times, but didn't really ride during the night-time, like you guys!

anthonydcruz · 06-16-2009, 11:24 PM

If only you had clicked some pix especially of the dark brown cow. Anyways cow thingy really gave me goosebumps along with the thick jungle. What an escapade loved it. Waiting for the pix.

bibekjyoti.de · 06-17-2009, 10:12 AM

hmmm... escapade term is very popular now a days....

anyways post the pics

Devilboy · 06-17-2009, 11:36 AM

@Dragon: Hey buddy, glad you made it for the first day writeup.... good work. working on the water marks of the 2nd day's pics now....

@ALL: Sorry guys, We were short of time and the road was unknown, the highway at risk with chances of ecnountering robbers or millitants groups, so we could not take many pictures on the 1st day's journey.

And those few were not worth uploading. But second and third day will be uploaded soon. just hold on.

Quote:

Originally Posted by anthonydcruz

If only you had clicked some pix especially of the dark brown cow. Anyways cow thingy really gave me goosebumps along with the thick jungle. What an escapade loved it. Waiting for the pix.

Yep should have, but time was a constrain. Moreover, who knows the lonely cow could have charged at us or the flash...

. Unfortunately the picture is only loaded in my memory, cant digitised it to share with you guys...

That was really a scary encounter for me, especialy in a dead-dark jungle with deadly curve roads.

ken cool · 06-17-2009, 02:41 PM

Phew! So many night rides these days on xBhp... Do you guys always move around with 3kg iron chains around your waists?

Dragon · 06-17-2009, 02:53 PM

He he he... Nice query ken cool. At times its necessary to carry the 3 Kg chain around cos the route is infested with highwaymen & militants. Luckily, there was no need to use it. ;-)

Dragon · 06-17-2009, 07:25 PM

Hi xBhp Friends! Here comes the much awaited pics of our Garo Hills Trip!

Enjoy the Pics & Do leave Your Footprints behind!

The making of a Future Super-Biker!

WedLock of Bikes???

The Grimy, Muddy & Dependable Machines!

Flowers at a Greenhouse at Williamnagar!

Safety First! Even while feeding the famished tummy at Williamnagar!

The Machines & Lids too need Rest!

Devilboy, negotiating the treacherous road!

Devilboy, Enjoying the dirt track!

Dragon & Devilboy!

Posing on a bridge near Nangalbibra!

Dragon & Devilboy parked near Rongdong Falls, Siju!

Devilboy & Dragon with the Simsang River in the backdrop!

Hey! Hold on tight! There's a cliff behind you!

Thats being super-careful else those jacked jackfruit bang Devilboy's head!

Beautiful, Curvy Simsang river, muddy due to recent rain!

The FZ Monster staring at the Simsang River!

The Pulsar is snoring, it seems!

A Thatched Shack in the middle of nowhere!

Fostering the spirit of Brotherhood with a couple of Fosters!

Bye & Thanks at Rongdong Falls viewpoint!

Road to.... Where???

Wot the heck is Devilboy doing with his side-stand on???

Oh oh oh.... Undescribable...!!!

Devilboy, taking a break on the muddy road!

Wow! A Biker's Dream Road, Right???

Looks like a bridge, Right? Seems so!

Break, break and yet another break!

The Darkening Sky!

Sorry Folks! Forgot where exactly this Pic was taken! LOL....

These are the pics that were taken on Day-2 of our Trip! More to follow! Meanwhile, enjoy these for the time being!

Thank You!!!

Aryan · 06-17-2009, 07:33 PM

Dragon, thanks for those pictures mate.

Dragon · 06-17-2009, 07:34 PM

You are most welcome, Dude! Hey Aryan, That was superfast! I just posted the pics man!

06-16-2009, 07:27 PM	#1 (permalink)
Dragon PulsArian Dragon! Join Date: May 2009 Location: Shillong, Meghalaya, India. Posts: 204	An Extended Weekend Escapade to Garo Hills, Meghalaya! Day-3 Pics posted! Day - 1 The trip was actually planned a long while ago, but something or the other cropped up and was postponed a couple of times. Finally, on the 14th of May 2009, I enquired from Devilboy if he was willing to hit the road the next day. The Devilboy, being a die-hard biker, agreed though tentatively, due to finance and time. Therefore, I told Devilboy to be ready the next day, in case we really decided to do the Garo Hills trip. It was about 8 pm when Devilboy’s friend from Williamnagar, named Kyle Marak paid a visit and gave us a rough drawn map with landmarks and distance. Then we anticipated the required items to be taken in the trip at the 11th hour. Ok! Riding gear – checked Driving license - checked. Pollution certificate - checked. Registration certificate - checked. Bike servicing – Well who cares? Whatever may come, we were Ready! Cash from ATM – Nah! We are gonna loot the highway robbers & militants instead…..lol.. Leave from Office – Who cares! Yeah! Who cares for the approval of leave & Leave Station Permission! ;-) (That’s the xBhp spirit, right?) Ha ha ha…. 15th of May 2009 started in a hectic manner with both of us winding up unfinished work in the office. Then, we put in our application for one day leave for 18th May 2009 and also permission to leave station, in case we were not able to return before that. With adrenaline pumping faster we didn’t bother to wait for the approval of the leave and off we went for a last-minute shopping spree for things that we might need on the trip. Then at 14:00 hrs we started off from Shillong, myself on my Pulsar-80 and the Devilboy on his FZ-16. The start was slowed down a bit due to the onset of monsoon rain, but we were ready for that. Our first stop was Nongpoh, halfway between Shillong and Guwahati, where we had tea and snacks. By this time, it had stopped raining, so we throttled to keep pace with time. When we crossed over to Assam, the roads became wider, straight and single lane, so we lapped up the kilometers and stopped only to rest a bit for a leak and then had food at Dhupdhara. It was about 20:30 hrs by then and the highway was getting darker with sleepy towns. A short discussion followed whether to halt for the night at Devilboy’s hometown which was about 25 to 30 Kms, considering the dangers of night travel due to insurgency and night robbers or to take the risk. We wanted to test our endurance, so I asked for Devilboy’s 3 Kgs iron chain and tied it around my waist in preparation for any unwanted dangers. Then we headed straight for the next stop at Paikan, had a cup of tea, a glass full of soft drinks (beer) to refresh our throat and hit the road again. Paikan is a popular stop for interstate buses & trucks plying overnight. All the while we were in Assam we were out of cell phone network as both of us had only pre-paid connections and roaming facility are not allowed on them in the North-eastern states of India. From Paikan to the Assam-Meghalaya border, the ride was a breeze, the road was smooth and silky. At every turning and bridges, there were properly lit indicators and road sign. Devilboy was saying “Damn, never traveled on such a smooth road, feels like I am gaming “Need For Speed””. On entering Meghalaya again, at around 23:00 hrs, we were face to face with rough, narrow and winding roads and had to slow down a bit with only 20 to 30 Km/h. Road and especially bridge conditions were terribly bad in some places. In between, Devilboy, who was in the lead, got a bit of a fright when he came face to face with a dark brown cow in the middle of the narrow road, and that too just after a very sharp and blind turning, in the middle of the dead night and thick jungle. He felt his heart throbbing as the area was also militants infested. Finally, at about 01:00 hours of 16th May 2009, we finally hit Williamnagar and met my sister, who is working there. All the while that we were on the road, she stayed awake for giving us necessary directions on our cell and also to wait for our safe arrival. She arranged a room at a Guest House and took the trouble to arrange toothbrushes, toothpaste, towels, candles, soap and not to mention the warm and delicious home made food. It may be mentioned here that so far we did not snap any pics as we had concentrated on reaching our first destination as soon as possible. Though we were tired, sleep was far away from us because of the thrilling ride. After having food, we chatted for a while before calling it a day, while a cock was strolling on the verandah crowing out loud because the sun was almost ready to spring out of the horizon. *Cock-a-doodle-doo….* Coming Soon.... Day - 2 with Pics! __________________ "Ride Hard OR Stay at Home". Last edited by Dragon; 06-26-2009 at 07:22 PM. Reason: More Pictures added to the Thread.

06-16-2009, 10:27 PM	#2 (permalink)
Aryan Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: New Delhi/ Shillong Posts: 18,274	Topic Approved. It was lovely reading your experience Devilboy & Dragon. Now, if you could please post some pictures. I have ridden to the Garo hills a few times, but didn't really ride during the night-time, like you guys! __________________ ...in search of that perfect world - My Travel Blog :) Last edited by Aryan; 06-17-2009 at 11:49 AM.

06-17-2009, 10:12 AM	#4 (permalink)
bibekjyoti.de Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Changes every month Posts: 313	hmmm... escapade term is very popular now a days.... anyways post the pics __________________ MH43 to WB53 - Its done http://www.xbhp.com/talkies/tourer/1...ld-friend.html

06-17-2009, 02:41 PM	#6 (permalink)
ken cool Super Moderator Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: New Delhi Posts: 4,677	Phew! So many night rides these days on xBhp... Do you guys always move around with 3kg iron chains around your waists? __________________ The Wheel was a great invention; Two Wheels with a Motor in between was even better! BMW Motorrad Days 2011 Xbhp's Indo-French Kashmir-Ladakh Tour

06-17-2009, 02:53 PM	#7 (permalink)
Dragon PulsArian Dragon! Join Date: May 2009 Location: Shillong, Meghalaya, India. Posts: 204	He he he... Nice query ken cool. At times its necessary to carry the 3 Kg chain around cos the route is infested with highwaymen & militants. Luckily, there was no need to use it. ;-) __________________ "Ride Hard OR Stay at Home".

06-16-2009, 11:24 PM	#3 (permalink)
anthonydcruz Resurrect Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Malad, Bombay Posts: 387	If only you had clicked some pix especially of the dark brown cow. Anyways cow thingy really gave me goosebumps along with the thick jungle. What an escapade loved it. Waiting for the pix.

06-17-2009, 07:25 PM	#8 (permalink)
Dragon PulsArian Dragon! Join Date: May 2009 Location: Shillong, Meghalaya, India. Posts: 204	Hi xBhp Friends! Here comes the much awaited pics of our Garo Hills Trip! Enjoy the Pics & Do leave Your Footprints behind! The making of a Future Super-Biker! WedLock of Bikes??? The Grimy, Muddy & Dependable Machines! Flowers at a Greenhouse at Williamnagar! Safety First! Even while feeding the famished tummy at Williamnagar! The Machines & Lids too need Rest! Devilboy, negotiating the treacherous road! Devilboy, Enjoying the dirt track! Dragon & Devilboy! Posing on a bridge near Nangalbibra! Dragon & Devilboy parked near Rongdong Falls, Siju! Devilboy & Dragon with the Simsang River in the backdrop! Hey! Hold on tight! There's a cliff behind you! Thats being super-careful else those jacked jackfruit bang Devilboy's head! Beautiful, Curvy Simsang river, muddy due to recent rain! The FZ Monster staring at the Simsang River! The Pulsar is snoring, it seems! A Thatched Shack in the middle of nowhere! Fostering the spirit of Brotherhood with a couple of Fosters! Bye & Thanks at Rongdong Falls viewpoint! Road to.... Where??? Wot the heck is Devilboy doing with his side-stand on??? Oh oh oh.... Undescribable...!!! Devilboy, taking a break on the muddy road! Wow! A Biker's Dream Road, Right??? Looks like a bridge, Right? Seems so! Break, break and yet another break! The Darkening Sky! Sorry Folks! Forgot where exactly this Pic was taken! LOL.... These are the pics that were taken on Day-2 of our Trip! More to follow! Meanwhile, enjoy these for the time being! *Thank You!!!* __________________ "Ride Hard OR Stay at Home". Last edited by Dragon; 06-17-2009 at 07:33 PM.

06-17-2009, 07:33 PM	#9 (permalink)
Aryan Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: New Delhi/ Shillong Posts: 18,274	Dragon, thanks for those pictures mate. __________________ ...in search of that perfect world - My Travel Blog :)

06-17-2009, 07:34 PM	#10 (permalink)
Dragon PulsArian Dragon! Join Date: May 2009 Location: Shillong, Meghalaya, India. Posts: 204	You are most welcome, Dude! Hey Aryan, That was superfast! I just posted the pics man! __________________ "Ride Hard OR Stay at Home".

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