Re: Mizoram Monsoon Sweep Ride

Thanks for a nice TL with ample photo. Welcome to all the people you met in Aizwal and thank you for publishing their photo and names. Please give your feedback on your bikes ability trading this terrain and any suggestions for other riders.

Re: Mizoram Monsoon Sweep Ride

You're welcome bro. 'really looking forward to the rest.

&
Nope, I carry the same name even in whatsapp, that's ChaoSaDDict!

Re: Mizoram Monsoon Sweep Ride

Thanks [MENTION=57323]krishna77[/MENTION]

My pleasure [MENTION=72712]sharathchandra[/MENTION]. It's truly a beautiful place. I hope I can do it justice with this TL

It's my pleasure [MENTION=84050]MukundRao[/MENTION]. Thank you too. And it 's Aizawl not Aizwal, its a very common mistake .. hehe Yes buddy, that will come later in the latter days.

Thanks [MENTION=48174]chaosaddict[/MENTION] . Oh okay I will buzz you then. Thank you and hope you will like it.

Re: Mizoram Monsoon Sweep Ride

Day 3: Aizawl to Champhai

We started off at about 7:30AM to Champhai. AndyVee accompanied me for the entire sweep ride.



You may wonder what the Sweep Ride is all about, and no, it�s got nothing to do with the Swachh Bharat Movement

The Sweep Ride will take us from Aizawl �Champhai (East Mizoram) � RihDil Lake (Myanmar) � Champhai � Khawbung - Biate �Darzo - South Vanlalphai (South Mizoram) � Sangau - Siaha � Lawngtlai � Lunglei� Thenzawl � Aizawl. So if you look at the map, we will be covering North (you enter Mizoram from its Northern side), East and South Mizoram, and hence the name � Sweep Ride, as we will be doing a long-way-round ride and we will be riding in the monsoon so � Mizoram Monsoon Sweep Ride. We couldn�t go to theWestern side because this part is a little hard to ride in the Monsoon as most of the road will be very slippery and as told, the roads are like steps. Come winter and West Mizoram will be conquered too.. hehe

The route:



https://www.google.co.in/maps/dir/Ai...d23.727107!3e0

About 20kms outside Aizawl in Tuirial, we encountered a Landslide. We passed a long queue of stationary cars until we saw the landslide. The trucks ahead were stuck but our bikes could go through. I have ridden over mud and slush before but this was different. Man was it slippery. The bike was sliding from side to side and I felt like I was in Shakira�s �Hips don�t lie� video. We slipped and slid our way through and thankfully we didn�t drop our bikes. That was quite a preview of what the ride had in store for us. We stopped at the Tuirial Market to catch our breath and off we went again.


If you want to see how slippery it was, check out this video towards the latter part


Heading onwards, the roads became narrower and the turns, sharper. The road condition was good and we had a good ride. We stopped at Seling for a Lal-chai break and then were on the road again. The views and sights along the road were just amazing. It looked like it was straight out of a vacation postcard. And if that postcard had Andy, me and the bikes on it, it would have fetched millions.. hehehe.. The hills, the clouds, the valleys made good company for the ride.



We took a break a thatched house by the side of the road. It was the only house in that area and �Lone House� was written on its door. That just immediately triggered a slideshow of all the horror movies I had seen and maybe, we could�... just�.... be�... in one right now. After a few minutes, it started raining� thankfully there was no thunder and no dark background music to add to the effect of watching too many movies. Hehehe .. We sat there for a while and then rode to Keifang for lunch.


One of my favourite dishes I had in Mizoram was San Piao. This is a Burmese dish of soupy rice added with chicken or pork and chips. I had it just once and the taste still lingers. I heard we can get it in some parts of Shillong too, San Piao hunting soon!

After Keifang, every 5-10kms we would be crossing a landslide in deep slush. Only thing missing was Rambo coming out of the paddy fields.
It was along this way that we saw the �shops-with-no-attendants�. These shops are by the roadside and they sell vegetables. The vegetables are kept in the shop without any attendants and the prices are marked on the veggies. There is a box or either a container in which you put the money for the farmer to collect later. I had seen a post on Facebook regarding this but to see them with your own eyes is something else. And it�s not just one such shop but quite a few. Honesty and trust still prevails here.



The road condition was not so good in this stretch but enough to get your adventure mode on. We took our time and rode slow and cautiously. We stopped whenever we felt fatigue set in but mostly whenever we crossed bridges. I don't know why we did that, it was dark and we couldn't see anything around us, but we stopped at every bridge for a short rest. I guess it's the sound of the river and the insects .. The sounds which we are not used to anymore.


We stopped at Khawzawl for tea and it started raining again from there. The closer we got to Champhai, the harder it poured. That was quite a welcome we got. Thunderous claps and piercing high-fives on the face from the rain. We reached the Champhai Circuit House at around 11PM - drenched, cold and hungry. To add to that, the kitchen was closed. We had to make do with some biscuits and light snacks we carried for the ride as our dinner.


One thing I learned is that whenever you ride out, it's always good to carry some snacks. Especially if it's to a place which you are not familiar with. You might get stranded somewhere or might be too late to get any food. Dominos might be too far away too. So always carry some snacks or chocolate creamed biscuits; or like I like to call them - Power Biscuits.

Re: Mizoram Monsoon Sweep Ride

Wonderful. Adventurous trip there.

North East India is just so beautiful. I so much want to ride to N.E sometime soon

Re: Mizoram Monsoon Sweep Ride


Thank you [MENTION=28012]bobisbacktorock[/MENTION]. It really is beautiful and there is still so much to explore. Make a plan and let me know. I'll help you out with as much as I can

Re: Mizoram Monsoon Sweep Ride

Day 4: Champhai – Rih Dil - Champhai

The rain and fog kept playing intermittently this morning and it was affecting our mood to ride. We kept waiting till it would stop but then, it would start all over again. Andy wasn’t feeling well today But the view from our room of the Champhai paddy fields and the road to Zokhawtar made us head strong to ride out. We started at 11 AM from the Circuit House to the Petrol Station but found out that the Petrol Station would open only after 12PM since it was a Sunday. Eventually, people started queuing for fuel and we got into conversations with them. Most of them were a little hesitant that we could go to Zokhawthar, which is the border village of Mizoram and Myanmar, as the road construction has been stopped which meant many landslides, deep slush and muck all along the way.

View from the Circuit House
PC: Andy Vee


View from the Circuit House. As you can see, in the previous picture it was cloudy while in the above picture it has cleared up a bit. The weather changed every 15 mins.
PC: Andy Vee


View of Champhai Town from the Circuit House


The Petrol Pump. We were the first ones

The Petrol Station opened at 12:30 and we got our fuel. Andy wasn’t feeling so good so he sat this one out. It’s about 30kms to Zokhawthar and we were told it would probably take 3 hours to cover because of the road conditions.

I started off for Rih Dil and kept asking for directions whenever I reached a junction. People were very helpful but I was surprised that everyone looked confused whenever I asked about the route to Zokhawthar, no one could tell me the way. I had to ask them about the Border and Rih Dil and that’s only when they could give the directions.

The road from Champhai to Zokhawthar is pure Impulse territory. It was all broken roads, landslides, deep slush, mud and muck. After riding through so many landslides the previous night, I was a bit more confident now. And man, this bike kept surprising me on how much it can do and how much beating it can take. I didn’t slow down for the slush and the ruts but it never complained, it just took them with aplomb and kept propelling me closer to Zokhawthar; smoothly and with a big grin on my face.


I met a guy riding those geared scooties here. No matter what I asked him, he gave me one reply - NO! Tried all my dumb charades skills to make him understand my questions but still, all he could reply was no. So finally I said thank you. And he said, No!


It was only when I reached the outskirts of Zokhawthar that I came to know why people were confused and couldn’t give me the directions . It was all my fault. I had been asking them about Zorakthar. I don’t know why or how but I was asking for Zorakthar instead of Zokhawthar the whole time. I was too confident that I didn’t even check from GoogleMaps for the route or the name of the place. I was just ready to get lost. Ahh the bad side of reading too much about wandering :P I’m just thankful to God that there weren’t any villages or hamlets by that name Zorakthar or I would have reached somewhere else that day. Lesson learned.


Finally I was at the Indo – Myanmar border. I had to show my ID and entered my details at the check-post and was told to return back by 5PM. A bridge connects India with Myanmar, half of the bridge is in India and the other in Myanmar. Once I crossed the bridge, I had to give my details at the Myanmar end too before I could push off.


Wow! So I’m in a foreign country now! Yes, even though it‘s not filled with skyscrapers and flashy cars zooming by, It felt good. Riding in Myanmar means you have to ride on the right side of the road. I had to keep reminding myself to ride on the wrong side of the road. Yes!!! We get to ride on the wrong side of the road without being fined by cops! :P We can be our true Indian selves here!!

Rih Dil Lake is about 3 kms away from the border and is located in the northwestern Chin State. It is a beautiful natural lake covered with greenery all around. There are a couple of eateries too where you can get some good snacks, drink and food. The lake is about one mile in length and half a mile in width. It is about 3 miles in its circumference and the depth is about 60 feet. It has a heart-shaped outline. Rih Dil occupied an important status in the traditional religion of the Mizo people. According to the ancestors of the tribals, it was a corridor to their heaven called Pialral. All souls destined to Pialral must pass through the lake.Due to its cultural importance it is often said 'the largest lake in Mizoram is Rid Dil, but is in Burma'.

The returning time was stuck on my head and I decided that I should be on my way to the crossing by 4PM at any means. One of the local guys befriended me there and he was giving me company while I was waiting for my snacks to be served. We were talking and when I checked the time it was already 4. The guy kept telling me it was okay and that I had plenty of time on my hand but I kept pestering that they should hurry with the food. After the snacks, I put my rain gear on and the guy kept asking me why am I in such a hurry. I keep telling him that I need to be at the crossing by 5PM. I rushed to the bike, turned the key and saw the time on the console, it was only 2:45 PM. The time on my phone was in 24 hour mode and I had been using that for a long time. I knew how to read it, really, I do!! I saw 14:15 when I first looked at the time and the sight of that ’4’ struck me that it was 4:15 PM. And that’s why the rush. I felt like the dumbest person that day. It was something like this:

<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(29, 33, 41); background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">

Anyway I left Rih Dil and spent some time at the market near the crossing

I left Zokhawthar and as I was heading back to Champhai, I reached a place where a landslide had just taken place. The road was covered with with mud, rocks and what not. At the edge, the accumulated mud was about two feet high. I was left with two choices: go back to Zokhawthar or take the risk of climbing over the edge of the landslide and carry on to Champhai, if the bike doesn't slip and fall off into the valley. I waited for a few minutes for other cars to come by but there was none. I guess the bad roads got some more screws loose in my head, and I decided to go over the landslide. So, I had a landslide in front of me, a deep valley to my right and a mind trying to push fear away. I went over the line I would take to get over the landslide a thousand times in my head, What to do in case I get stuck and how to bail in case the bikes slips into the valley. I thought about all that so much till I decided to not think at all and just do-la-ka-do. So, I cranked the self starter, tapped into 1st gear and gave it a go. I proceeded towards the Landslide, eased on with the throttle and ...... it was over and about in just around 5 secs. I stopped to check if my mind was playing tricks on me while I was free-falling down the valley but no, I was really over the landslide. My loud shouts of Yahooooos almost caused another landslide so I rode on feeling all gung ho until I rode into a slush which almost swallowed the bike and I. Gung-ho feeling washed down and I was back to being myself. But really, I don't know how I how got over the landslide so easily. It was all God's love and Grace. Thank you Jesus.


I reached Champhai at around 5:30 and as planned, we decided to eat out for dinner. The rain stopped and we took a walk to the market. It was a nice refreshing walk but we couldn’t find any place to eat. Andy was saying that this town used to look like a typical cowboy town before, with horses and carriages tied outside the shops since it was the main town close to the border. Thankfully we found a bakery that was opened and we bought some bakes from there. The owner was kind enough to give some on the house.

Re: Mizoram Monsoon Sweep Ride

Nice captures! Carry on!

Re: Mizoram Monsoon Sweep Ride

Terrible roads, but what lovely landscape. Just curious, what is the price of petrol in Mizoram and Burma?

Re: Mizoram Monsoon Sweep Ride

Thanks brother

The roads in Mizoram are very consistent. if it's bad, it will be bad all along and if it's good, it will be good all the way. Most of the roads are good except at few places and if you take the seldom used back roads.

When I was there, Petrol was 60/- per litre in Mizoram. Couldn't get the fuel price in Myanmar though.

Re: Mizoram Monsoon Sweep Ride

Day 5: Champhai to Rawpui

It was a misty morning and it stayed that way for almost the whole day. Leaving Champhai, we hoped it won't pour down as much as it did when we arrived. It was a cool breezy morning with a slight drizzle, on and off. All in all, it was a fresh start for the day.


On the outskirts of Kelkang, we met a modern day cowboy on the road Yes, with his four horses meant to carry the veggies from the fields to the market. It was a really nice encounter, us meeting the ‘cowboy’ and the bikes meeting their 'original' inspiration.


The road from Kelkang to Kaulbung was a gravel road winding through forests. The green surroundings, the gravel road and the two of us riding side by side was a spectacular feeling. When you ride outside of Aizawl, there are waiting/resting sheds after every few kilometers. These sheds have been most of our stopping breaks where we can just sit down, lie back and relax.


We reached Khuangleng by afternoon and had our lunch there. Lunch was always good; Good Food! From there we rode on to Khawbung where we stopped for a 'Thingpuisen' (Red Tea) break and were suggested to take a short cut to Biate. This short-cut turned out to be one of the best trails I’ve ridden so far – mud, slush and gravel through the middle of nowhere. Being an offroad enthusiast, the sight of bad, broken and no roads gets me real high. And riding through these trails was a treat for me. It is such a good feeling when you are riding in lonely places. Yes the silence does creep in but more than that, being amidst nature and riding along with a good buddy brings about a sense of serenity towards one's perception of things. That's why after a long ride, you keep longing for more. Or might have already planned for the next trip while on your way back from the current ride that you are on. It's like meditation, but extended for days.


After 5 hours of riding in the forest trails we finally reached Biate in the evening and re-connected with the Old Lunglei Highway. It felt so good to see a hamlet after riding for almost half a day through lonely trails. The kids (neither mine nor Andy's ) who were so excited to see the bikes made tiredness disappear; yeah, much better than redbull.


My bike’s chain was really dry and we found a Workshop in Biate where we could oil the chain. I learnt that when you’re riding long distance in the monsoon, it’s better to carry an extra can of chain lube as the chain tends to become dry after every two days. The rain, puddles and muck keeps washing the lubricant off and leaves the chain dry.


Leaving Biate we rode towards Keitum. We took our time on the road, stopped for pictures, took breaks and just sat on the road with music blaring from Andy’s Bluetooth Speaker Bar. I realized these breaks are more enjoyable than the ride at certain stretches. Riding long distance is more about riding with your heart rather than with your mind. Like Andy said, too much calculations kind of takes the fun away from the ride as you tend to become tense and over-think. It’s nice to just stop when you are tired. It’s better to reach 1-2 hours late rather than keep stressing yourself. That takes all the fun away from the ride.



We were riding in the night and the LEDs were doing a great job illuminating the road ahead of us. I had just one of each but a pair of Flood and Spot LEDs is a boon for long distance night riding. A good illumination on the road means a cooler head to ride with.


Andy rode over a snake and was feeling bad about it until he realized that his phone had fallen off from the side-box. We turned back in search of the phone but thankfully it fell off just a few turns away. I failed to see both the snake and the phone though I was riding in front, hence,Need better lights!

We reached Keitum around mid-night and were trying to find a place to eat. All the shops were closed but we came across a person who called up one of the owners of the shops and they opened just for us. People here are very friendly and helpful, if they see you stop by the roadside, they will stop to offer their help and if needed, they will wait and help till your bike/car is fixed.

If you look closely, you can see an outline of me. Need fair and handsome cream! heheh

Our plan was to reach South Vanlalphai but it was still a long way to go and we were tired after riding the whole day. So we decided to stop at the next Waiting Shed for the night. We rode till Rawpuii and stopped at the waiting shed there, happy to finally get to rest for the night. But man! We were in for a rude surprise visit. It seems the wild mosquitoes, or commonly known as Vaihmite (Vai-mee-tae) in Mizoram, were quite fond of bikers too as they gave us unwelcomed tags through-out the night. We slept for 2 hours after which we couldn’t take any more of the high 5s and tags of the Vaihmite. Got up and hit the road again at 5 in the morning.

Re: Mizoram Monsoon Sweep Ride

Those are some really beautiful pictures. what are the good to routes to bike on in the North east?

Re: Mizoram Monsoon Sweep Ride

Wow.. What an adventure

Re: Mizoram Monsoon Sweep Ride

Thank you [MENTION=85949]road.ro[/MENTION] .WEll that depends on where you ant to go and what types of roads you prefer

Thank you [MENTION=61751]rajpal[/MENTION] . It was great fun and a good learning experience for me

Re: Mizoram Monsoon Sweep Ride

Awesome bro..you are sunch an adventures riders. Your writing biking skills are too good..thanks for the updated on mizoram. This is good guide for me to explore mizoram later.
By the way complete the writing soon.