Re: Mizoram Monsoon Sweep Ride

Day 6: Rawpui to South Vanlalphai


A few kilometers off from Rawpui, we stopped at the Pangzawl Market for tea. It was 6am in the morning but people were already up and about.

After tea, we were on the road again riding through the hills with deep gorges on one side and tall hills on the other. The clouds covering the valley below were a spectacular sight and we stopped for many Kodak moments. The roads were small and narrow and with the overgrown bush growing towards the road, it became even smaller.


Sadly most of the pictures and videos taken on this trip got corrupted and I also lost a good 80% of the videos. It�s the same feeling that you get when you realize that you have a puncture in the middle of nowhere; with no tools to take off the tyre nor did you carry any pump/sealant. Yes, that helpless, frustrating, heart breaking, mind boiling feeling that engulfs you; yet with that slight hope of some help coming along.That�s how I felt too. I could recover some of the files with the help of a friend, but most are lost. Lesson Learnt. Next time, back up the files on the move.

Veering off the highway, we were on the backroads again. This was a lovely stretch with many waterfalls flowing across the road. It looked like a mini Leh � Ladakh Highway. With South Vanlalphai not far away, we took our time on the road and Andy and I took turns in riding around and taking photos and videos for each other. I think we could have made a neat documentary, especially with all the good �ol songs from Andy�s playlist.


On reaching Hnahthial, there was a bird sanctuary just next to the Petrol Pump. We couldn�t visit it then but hopefully soon again. We stopped for lunch and a bit of power nap at Hnahthial. The eateries or food shops are very differently set up in Mizoram. The shops are not crowded with tables and chairs but they are roomy with just a few tables and chairs with wooden sofas on the sides of the room/shops. In the interior parts, I had doubts on which was a home and which was shop. They look just the same.

Riding on, we reached Darzo, my most awaited point of the ride. There was a big river that we had to cross by either a hanging bridge or a ferry. There was a new bridge under construction for small cars but it was not functional at that time. The path going down to the river bank was muddy and full of deep ruts. When we reached the river bank, there was no one around. We could see the ferries but no people around us. Being monsoon, the rapids were flowing ferociously and we thought that the ferries would not be functioning because of the strong river current. We didn�t want to turn back either because going back means riding uphill on the slippery and deep rutted path. But, if the ferries weren�t working, we would have no choice but to ride back up again and cross from the suspension bridge. Being a little worried and a little skeptical about the crossing, we did what we could do best to take our minds off it� started posing and clicking pics. Thankfully, after a few minutes, the ferry guys showed up. Phewww!! What a relieve! They helped us push our bikes onto the ferry and were also kind enough to take videos of the ferry ride for us. I was holding on for a bumpy ride across the river but it turned out to be pretty smooth and riding off the ferry felt like we were Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman on their Long Way Round ride.


I still look back quite often to this part of the ride. It was such a good moment for me. The sight of the ferries on the river bank, the ferocious muddy river, the suspension bridge and the thick forests was an experience on its own. And it also made us feel like Rambo would come out anytime with a Bazooka from other side of the river.


Leaving Darzo Kai, we kept riding uphill to South Vanlalphai. The road was small and narrow with the bushes brushing your arms in the corners. You could hardly see two turns ahead, most them were blind turns and two cars can hardly pass each other. We saw a huge rock on the road which had just tumbled down from the hill-side. Hmmmm I guess the ferry guys were late for reason


On reaching the top of the mountain, there was a view point from where you can see the endless chains of hills and mountains with the river deep between the valleys and the clouds hovering above the hills. Mizoram is full of these views and they get even better in South Mizoram. These are something which words can�t really describe. You have to see them for yourself and feel what it�s like to experience such great sights and amazing views.


We met Andy�s friend on the outskirts of South Vanlalphai and spent some time in his farm. After that we headed to the Rest House which Andy�s friend had booked for us.

The view from the room was just amazing: the field, the hills, the fog was a sight you will never get tired of seeing. The tap in the bathroom had a mind of its own though. We waited for warm water from the geyser but finding the tap-combination for the warm water felt like trying to open a vault. No matter how much you try to turn the water levers, warm water would just not pour out. I could feel the water pipe from the geyser was warm but the water would not just come out. I never knew it could be so hard and we ended up having a cold bath again. I finally understood the saying, �So close yet so far� in it�s truest form on this day.


We had dinner at the friend�s place with his family. They cooked fresh fish from their farm. It was a good meal and we came back for a good rest

Re: Mizoram Monsoon Sweep Ride

nice write up and beautiful pics there...

I can see that you do see lot of movies

Re: Mizoram Monsoon Sweep Ride

Thank you so much @NE_DAYS . That's great! You should visit this place bro. It's beautiful. Will be uploading the remaining days soon. Watch this space for more

Thank u@Sathiyaraj. And yes, I do watch a lot of movies

Re: Mizoram Monsoon Sweep Ride

"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."

This is amazing and so true!

Re: Mizoram Monsoon Sweep Ride

Wow read your log from day 1 simply amazing brother. The terrain you riding is fit for Impulse and believe me there was some mouth watering pics where I was feeling like to ride. One question though, how much altitude did you climb to?Any problem you faced while riding her?

I have always dreamt of being there in there in the North East, I think I need to plan soon now.

Very good keep riding, ride Hard, ride Safe & ride Long

Re: Mizoram Monsoon Sweep Ride

Your travelogue made for wonderful reading.

My team of 5 riders rode to Leh in 2012 and had had planned a grand Seven Sisters Sojourn in Dec this year, to take in all seven states of the NE. Sadly, members started cancelling one after the other till only 3 of us were left. Not wanting to have a depleted team, we have postponed the ride to next year.

Re: Mizoram Monsoon Sweep Ride

Wow. I've always wanted to ride in the east. You just gave me a virtual tour. Thank you for taking the time to write this. Really appreciate it.

Re: Mizoram Monsoon Sweep Ride

What a Fan bloody tastic adventure! I want to ride a motorbike in mizoram now! Thanks for the story and awesome pics. Really get the feeling of being there with you..

Re: Mizoram Monsoon Sweep Ride

Hooked to this thread! The North East has always been a mystic place to me, and the generosity and care that the local people have for fellow humans is just astounding! You, my brother, have just restored my faith in humans! Brilliant planning, awesome off road madness, and oh boy oh boy! I jump like a school kid everytime i see an offroad patch too! This is etched on my bucket list!

Btw, what languages do they speak there, just asking for info. (Sorry if i sound like a noob!)

Re: Mizoram Monsoon Sweep Ride

Day 7: South Vanlalphai to Saiha

The Rest House which we stayed in didn’t provide food, thankfully we always carried snacks with us before setting off for the day. We still had snacks from the previous day and a can of beef curry. Andy lit a fire, warmed the curry and it was a good breakfast of bread, buns, beef curry and cucumber

Leaving South Vanlalphai, we stopped at Sangau for tea and bought some sweets for the kids along the way – Andy’s idea The route from Sangau to Phawngphui was just majestic. Beautiful landscapes,waterfall crossings, uneven terrain and mossy roads. This was the most beautiful stretch of the ride for me. We stopped many times to admire the view around and before us. We took many videos (which got corrupted, still trying to recover them) and many breaks as well.

Sangau


























Helping out a punctured scooty. The only time Andy's electronic pump needed to be taken out

We had planned to go up the Blue Mountain but sadly it was too slippery and muddy for this time of the year. I will definitely come back for this. We had lunch at this little village, Siachangkawn, which was at the foot of the Blue Mountain. We could see only a portion of it as it was foggy and covered with clouds. The funny thing was that I wasn’t so much in awe of the Blue Mountain, or commonly known as Phawngphui. This was one of the places that I had really looked forward to ride to but it didn’t feel special and I was wondering why. After our lunch and some pics, we started off for Siaha again. While riding towards Siaha, we went further away from the Blue Mountain, but it could always be seen in the RVMs. And the further we rode from it, the more majestic it looked. Then it struck me. When we were at the foot of the Blue Mountain, I could only see the sheer width of it and I couldn’t really see its top or its beauty. It was only when I looked from a farther distance that I could really see the Majestic Phawngphui rising high into the sky and romancing with clouds. I guess that’s how life is too. When we have hurdles or dips in life, all we can see is the big wall in front of us. But if we can take a step back, look at them from a different perspective, they actually make life more beautiful and worthwhile. Guru mode on :P


Ever since we left Aizawl, the roads had been narrow and windy. After leaving Siachangkawn, the roads started becoming wider; I could see the road and a couple of turns in advance so I started letting my guard down. And right at the next turn, I almost went head on into a truck. I had let off my concentration for a minute, took for granted of the wide road (by wide I mean enough for two cars to pass each other), didn’t look ahead, took the turn too wide and all I could see was a big blue wall coming towards me. I froze for a second and then swerved back; thankfully the truck driver swerved too and I could hear his truck go clanking on the uneven shoulder of the road as he shouted, hopefully not but definitely explicits :P , at me. That was close. Whew! Ka Lawm e Unaupa (Thank u brother in Mizo). I’m sure if it would have been somewhere else, that truck would have never moved and come barrelling down straight at me. Thank u Jesus !

There was a landslide at one point and the JCBs were clearing the way so we had to wait for a while. I had one last look at the Blue Mountain and took a mental picture of it. Mental pictures make a lot of difference from the the virtual pictures that we normally take. Whenever we take a mental note of anything, Pictures in this case, they stay in our minds longer and we tend to absorb more from them than from the digital pictures. I had just realised that. Thanks Batman After the landslide was cleared, we were given the signal to go. With all the enthusiasm of a kid we started our bike and throttled off to Siaha.. but............Just a few metres from that point, my bike stopped responding. It was just like a power cut in the middle of a good movie. The Accelerator Cable broke. It was long overdue for a change but I just wanted to see how far it would go. Took out the spare cable, fixed it and we were back on the road with blaring music in the back of our minds.

The stretch just before reaching Siaha felt like I was In a dream. Serpentine roads, foggy atmosphere, green hills on one side,a view of the fog covering Siaha on the other, humming ’Wild Angel’ and a much wider road; what a feeling it was. That stretch of road took all the fatigue of the day’s ride away.

We reached Siaha at around 6pm and were taken to the Government Tourist Lodge where Andy’s friend had made some reservations for us. We checked into the room, had bath, a good dinner and the snoring war began. Mangtha! (Goodnight In Mizo)

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Thanks @PUN_DIT . That feeling gets you higher than anything else

Thank you @Shivanshu bro. Well I didn't really calculate that but Aizawl is 1,132 ASL, so i guess we can give or take a few as we travel around the state.

Yes bro, plan and leave. Don't think too much. Once you are on the road, things will just fall into places.. pieces too sometimes. :P But that's all part of the experience

Thank you @icemang. I would love to ride to Leh too one day. But i want to ride to all the North Eastern States first SO you have got everything planned for the North East ride. All the best. Do add me on Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/phillip.marbaniang ) , i can suggest you some alternate routes and detours to make your ride even more breath taking

Thank you @madhav766. The pleasure is all mine Do stay tuned for more a few more days of write up left

Thank you @HarryD . Hahahha you should. You might not want to go back home :P The pleasure is all mine. If that is so, then my mission is accomplished. Thank you again


Thank you brother @Jon Niranjan Paul. Do plan soon and maybe we can hit the trails together too You should definitely do this. You will be even more amazed of this beautiful place and the varied cultures and landscape of our country. Much better than queuing at the ATMs

Hhahah no not at all. The local language is Mizo but they speak English and a little bit of Hindi too

Re: Mizoram Monsoon Sweep Ride

Sure thing Phil! Showed your Tlog to my better half as well, she is raring to go! I'll surely PM you, once we have segregated time from work. I really don't want to just rush through all those beautiful mountains and not be able to seen anything! Love your Tlog, keep them coming! Keep us folk down south raring to head to the North East! Cheers brother!

Re: Mizoram Monsoon Sweep Ride

Day 8: Siaha – Lawngtlai – Lunglei

It was a bright sunny morning as we left Siaha and started riding down to the outskirt and towards Zero Point, our stop for breakfast. I forgot the name of the bridge which was halfway to Zero Point but the road from Siaha to the bridge was simply fun to ride on. Its corners were much gentle and I could see ahead in the turns. After all the slow riding, I throttled to my heart’s content. It was the first time I crossed 50kmph after riding within Mizoram for the past 5 days. And it was also in this stretch that my speedo stopped working. I think it got a shock too :P


We stopped at Zero Point for tea and got some eye drops for our eyes. It started raining before we left Zero Point and we kept riding in the rain for almost the whole day.

We crossed the mighty Chhimpuitui River again which separates the Mara Land from the Lai District. It was still raining when we crossed the bridge so we kept riding on after a short stop.

We reached Lawngtlai at around mid day and the road just before entering Lawngtlai was fantastic. Andy thumped on in full blast as i tried to keep up. We took some pictures at the Areopagus which was situated at the middle of the town. The Areopagus was build as a memorial for Paul's Areopagus Sermon from the Bible. There was a family that Andy knew in Lawngtlai and we visited them. We spent some time there and then left for Lunglei.


We filled fuel from a petrol station that looked like it was part of the Rain Forest Challenge. The surface of the Petrol Pump had mud and ruts, but it looked really good.. in all the wrong ways.. hehe


It rained the entire way to Lunglei. The closer we were to Lunglei, the heavier it got and also it became foggier. On reaching the outskirts of Lunglei, it was so foggy that we could hardly see anything that’s of a bike’s length away. The Spot LED made riding in the fog even worse as it was like riding in high beam. So I covered it with one hand. The Flood LED was much better in fog. That’s why a pair of both is essential if you’re doing night riding and they should be connected separately. On-coming traffic made it harder and there were times when I was riding with just guesswork. Thank God my guesses were right or else we would have ridden off a cliff. I wish my guess as could be as good during the employment exams too. :P

We reached Lunglei at 7pm and met Valpiuia, Andy’s friend from Lunglei, and his friends at his Bike Spare Parts and Accessories Shop. They took us to our lodge and dined with us. No geyser here so it was a cold bath after getting drenched in the rain. This just keeps getting better :P

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Woohoooooo! Hope to see you folks soon!! Sure, anytime! That's true, keep more time in hand so that you can take your time and absorb as much as you want while riding through the hills. Thank you so much [MENTION=66157]Jon Niranjan Paul[/MENTION] bro Cheers!!!

Re: Mizoram Monsoon Sweep Ride

if i had powers like Electro, I'd reach through the computer right now and give you a bear hug! once again, awesome Tlog! Helmets off, respect to you!

P.S: How are you managing to ride with the demonetisation going on?

Re: Mizoram Monsoon Sweep Ride

Day 9: Lunglei – Thenzawl

Today's ride would be the shortest ride of the entire trip. Lunglei to Thenzawl is just around 78kms. So Andy suggested we take the ride as slow as we could Lunglei is one of the main towns of Mizoram. I have always heard of this town and had always wanted to see how it looked like. Thankfully we woke up to a sunny morning and could see a part of the town as we rode through it.
Just outside of Lunglei, Andy made a quick ATM stop. While I was waiting for him, the Serkawn Christian Hospital was just across the road was and it’s glow board read, ‘Serkawn Christian Hospital – We Treat, God Heals’. That’s as simple as it gets Sadly, I could not recover that picture from the lost files.


We left Serkawn and rode for about a kilometer or so when Andy stopped and remarked that he had forgotten his specs in the ATM Booth. Ivolunteered to go and get it so I rushed back to the booth and looked for it everywhere, even in the dustbin, but I couldn’t find it. I asked the shops next to the booth if anyone found the specs but they replied in the negative. Being totally dependent on specs myself, I knew how much they mattered and how much they could ruin a ride, or even a walk around the house for that matter. So I disappointingly headed back to Andy to tell him that I couldn't find his spectacles. The moment I stopped the bike, he looked at me with a very serious look and remarked again, ’You should have seen it on my face!’. I didn't get him at first. And then .. he pointed at the 'thing' on his face. Yes dear friends, he was wearing them the whole time. He didn’t realize it; I didn’t realize it nor realised to see it well rested between his ears either. And I went back to frantically search for them. We had a good laugh and then got back on our bikes again. And it started raining again

One more thing, Andy and I have been riding together, whenever we can, for a few times now. And whenever we ride, it would always rain. Not the drizzle kind or the 5 minutes heavy downpour followed by a bright sunny day. No, it always rained like crazy and would last 80% of the ride. So when you ask me why ride in the monsoon? Well it was just destined to be so.


We stopped at Tlawng kai for lunch and we spent a good amount of time here. We had a good lunch at rested there for quite some time. Andy bought some veggies for home and we set about on our bikes again.

Our breaks were just as important as the ride and We were very close to Thenzawl so we took our last stop before Thenzawl. Parked the bikes on the side and Andy’s Soundbar came out again. The speaker box had become a very important accessory of our ride and thanks to Andy for that. No sooner, old rock music was playing from the ‘bar and we were dancing our fatigue away on the roadside. Andy’s got some killer moves, by which a truck driver who was so awestruck by Andy’s performance almost rammed two sumos who were coming from the opposite direction. Realising that our talents were better off in a closed arena, we pushed off again.

Along the way, a scooty overtook us with his Rossi’s style of cornering and I don’t know what happened but Andy got fired up. That was the first time I heard Mongkun (Andy’s Bull) being revved her heart out with the backfire in tune. It just went dhhhuuuttt dhhhuuuttt dhhhuuuttt dhhhuuuttt dhhhuuuttt dhhhuuuttt dhhhuuuttt pthaaaaaaaak pthaaaaaaaak pthaaaakkk dhhhuuuttt dhhhuuuttt dhhhuuuttt dhhhuuuttt.. man you should have heard it for yourself! It was pure music iron music. I'm sure the scooty guy was more of a pop music guy beacause once he heard that iron bull coming he so gave way that even a bus could’ve passed him.

We stopped at Haulawng for tea and there’s one thing which I want to share. The toilets in Mizoram have the best view ever! They are located in the back of the house/shops and the view is just breathtaking. You can just sit for hours on end.. hehe Most of the good landscape pics in this Tlog were taken from the toilet :P hhehe

After tea we headed to Thenzawl where we met our friends there. Hruaitea and Rinkima rode from Aizawl down to Thenzawl to spend the night with us so that we could hit Hruaitea’s Motocross track – Dirt Ranch 65 – the next day. We also met Rindika here who was one of the first guys from North East India to take the Novice Trophy in the National TVS One Race Series.
We halted at the Thenzawl Tourist Lodge for the night. It was a nice big place that was made since the British times and it had smaller cabins around it. Co-incidently, Rindika’s friend’s birthday was on that day and we had quite a party before getting back to the JCB (snoring) competition for the night.

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Hahahaa

You can try, but i think your PC's monitor is a little possessive and wouldn't let you do that. hehe.. Thank you once again brother.

Oh no!! This trip was done way back in July.. hehe caught a lil of the procastination bug so i'm updating it now

Re: Mizoram Monsoon Sweep Ride

Day 10
It was a bright sunny morning as we left the lodge and headed to the market for our breakfast. Andy will be heading back to Aizawl, which is about 92 kms away, and the rest of us will be hitting the Motocross track first and then leave for Aizawl in the late afternoon.


Dirt Ranch 65
After our rounds on the track, we stopped at a small stream to freshen up. Hruaitea and Rindika had a good time dipping in the stream.



Bidding our farewell to Rindika, we headed back to Aizawl which will be a nice 92kms ride back to the City. It started raining again and we stopped at Hmuifang for some snacks. Hmuifang is the venue for the annual Anthurium Festival and the Thalfavang Kut hosted by the Dept of Tourism, Mizoram. It also has a resort located at the peak of the mountain with a few rooms and a cafeteria.
We also rode through the Black Man's Cliff, a very steep windy road which, if you happen to ride off the road; you can make a call to two of your friends, explain to them what is actually happening, hang up, take a couple of selfies and you might still have a few metres left before you hit the ground.