Re: A short Bike Adventure of East of North East

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Re: A short Bike Adventure of East of North East

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Re: A short Bike Adventure of East of North East

Nice start. Bring on the rest!

Re: A short Bike Adventure of East of North East

great...good to see a north-east triplog

Re: A short Bike Adventure of East of North East

Nice teasers!! Its always good to see travelogues of the less explored side of India

Re: A short Bike Adventure of East of North East

The log is bit long wrinting in parts

The Railway Planning
Since, we didn't want to get bored ridding the Bikes on boring plains of UP and Bihar with potholed filled highways (assumption). So we planned to go to Dibrugarh, the Eastern Most Railway station of India, on train along with bikes and then from there to different places. Dibrugarh Rajdhani was the best bet, takes ~38 hours (₹ 3000) , rest others take >53 hours + delay. Due to sheer laziness we couldn’t book the Rajdhani in advance. Hopping to get a tatkal ticket :P.
In the first week of Feb, we got a cheap flight deal of ₹ 3500 from Guwahati to Delhi (Return). Hoping to send our bikes from Guwahati to Delhi via train or Gati. We booked the tickets immediately.
Just 3 days before the trip, I went to NDLS to enquire about parcel of bike. Shockingly I came to know that Delhi Railway stations have a peculiar rule; Bikes can only be transported if the RC is on your name, you have a confirmed ticket and only as luggage not parcel. The rule says it can only be transported by the train you booked not by any other but the date isn’t guaranteed :P. The bike will be transported on any day which the Railway Babus decide. From here we were on the mercy of the Babus.
On 19^th Feb Thus, tatkal ticket for Rajdhani slipped out of our hand in 5 mins, WL38 L. Disheartened, we booked Brahmaputra mail scheduled 2340 Friday on Premium Tatkal (Sleeper birth at ₹ 2400). Rajdhani would have Reached on ~ 5.00 22nd Sunday and Brahmaputra on same time but 23^rd Monday. One day straight wasted K
We went to the railway station at 1500 PM to perform all the Sarkaari procedures for our bikes. My friend doesn’t have a bike on his name. So I lent him my budhi (old) pulsar (4^th owner). Railway prepares a summary list of all the luggage material. The babu told us that since the journey is end to end so our Bike will easily come in the list. At 2300, to our horror, we came to know that our bikes are not on the list. These will be sent on the next or the next to next day or whatever day the babu decides the priority. We pleaded the babu to send the bikes on the same train via some “Jugaad”, but he went furious on hearing “rishwat”. Such an imaandaar babu but not the right day. We told him about our planning and vacation , he consoled us that he will definitely send our bike the next day. Frustrated we boarded the longest train of our life without the Bikes, The Brahmaputra Mail.
Second day wasted

Train(Friday – Monday )
Prior to this, the longest train I boarded was Delhi to Sangli, Maharashtra in my childhood(~36 hours). But this will be my record which I’ll never intend to break :P .
The Sleeper coaches were full of Railway Protection Force jawans going for Initial training to Guwahati, obviously all without tickets.
The train was so slow, not only it stopped at every town, village, kasba, Dhabha but randomly at anywhere just to give pass to other fast trains or anyone who wants to cross the fatak.
While chitchatting with fellow passengers we came to know that Brahmaputra Mail never reaches on time and the last train was ~12 hours late 52 hours --> 64 hours

Random stoppage somewhere in UP


in Bihar
Since the bikes would arrive on the next day (hopefully), we had one day to explore nearby areas. We called fellow xBhpian Bindass Axomia for visiting one day areas in the vicinity of Dibrugarh. Per his suggestion we zeroed Parshuram Kund, Arunachal. To visit this we decided to disembark at Tinsukia instead of Dibrugarh.
To our relief the train was only 4 hours delay. Reached Tinsukia at 0800. Went straight to Bus station to get Bus/Shared Conveyance to Wakro/Parshuram Kund.

Day 1-Parshuram Kund and back to Dibrugarh



The awesome roads of Assam which I never expected



Flow of Lohit



Parshuram Kund is near the turn of the river



Mutated Black Pigeon (I guess :P)



Parshuram temple



The not so awesome road condition of Lohit district, Arunachal



The dry orange orchid

Arunachal is perhaps famous for oranges. We had the sweetest oranges of our life over there. Ridiculously the Price was Rs 2 per piece

Parshuram Kund was quite simillar to Garjiya temple Ramnagar it's just that here the river is glacially fed unlike Kosi river.

Day 2-Receiving the Bike and then to Burma border
The train was scehduled to arrive at 5.30AM. It took us 4 hours to take our bike from the railway station thanks to the Railway Babus. Even after making us wait for so long he was demanding ghus. Too k the bike out of the station at around 9.30.



The mighty Brahmputra being crossed by a Tata sumo in not so mighty way.

Went to hotel packed our bags and then straight towards Burma border. Route was the old Stillwell Road
Dibrugarh -- Tinsukia--Makum--Digboi--Margherita--Ledo--Jairampur(Arunachal-Assam Border)--Nampong -- Burma Border. Plan was to visit Lake of No reurn on the other side of the border.
Unfortunately at Arunachal Border, security checking guys told us that the date to visit the lake is 10th,20th,30th of a month and today was 24-Feb





Coal mines in Ledo





The famous World War-II Cemetary of Jairampur and ruined graves.

Stilwell Road was built by the Americans during the WW-2 for supplying raw materials to/fro from Kunming, China to Assam.
Nampong is the last Indian town on the Stillwell Road. The road was the best I have ever seen on hills.
On the way to Nampong I saw the most beautifull Tea Gardens of my life, but unforutnately I coudn't stop by to click pictures.
We were at the Easterm most end of India, so by 5.15 PM it gets completely dark. We were in a bit of hurry to reach the border before sunset.

Re: A short Bike Adventure of East of North East

Nice write-up but I am not able to see some attachments.

Re: A short Bike Adventure of East of North East

Pics are not visible, please correct it.

Also, about following parts:

Are you sure?! I thought if you want to put the bike as luggage, then only you need a confirmed ticket. It can surely be sent as parcel even if you are not accompanying it. That's the definition of parcel, a thing without anyone traveling with it.

Also, if you had tickets and booked the bike as luggage, still your bike was not loaded? This is a surprise. Usually for a ticket holder that wants to put the bike as luggage, a spot is almost guaranteed, unless there are very few trains on that route.

RC book in owner's name and only owner can collect it, yes, that's the rule.

Waiting to read the blog with pics. Keep it going.

Re: A short Bike Adventure of East of North East

Except the 1st 2 pics, I can see all.


Sent from my phone. Kindly avoid it while riding.

Re: A short Bike Adventure of East of North East

Edited the Post. Some problem with pics uploading. Now corrected.
[MENTION=11096]animeher[/MENTION]:
1. Yes, you can not parcel a Bike from Delhi railway station. This is a Delhi only rule. It was introduced to prevent the transportation of stolen bikes form Delhi to other places.
2. Indeed only 2 trains to Dibrugarh from Old delhi railway station. Rajdhani which I couldn't book goes from NDLS. In total 3 trains from Delhi.