My Big Escapade - Destination Unknown...: Day 39 - April 16

April16 at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging

Woke up and saw the bright sunlight through the window. Damn! did i over sleep again? Checked the time and it was 5 am! Yeah i am pretty east of the Delhi time :) Any way got everything ready by 6.15 and went down to wait for the care taker, who comes in some time. Ask him to hop on the bike along and take me to check out the Bangladesh border and the gate. The border was visible right from the hotel's balcony! Road to a point where the border ran right parallel to a road. Then we went to border post where we could see the Bangladesh post with the flag. Stealthily took pix of. Though later was told by a guard to take permission first. Any way i am done. So head back to the hotel and it 7 already. Have to catch the Army escorted canvoy from ManuGhat to Agartala. Its 2 hours for 55 kms. But din wanna take chances as the next canvoy was 2-3 hours delay.

Get going and ask around for Fatikroy and this road went into quite some villages and at one point the road got rediculasly thin at like 4-5 feet! Wondering if i am on the right road and i may miss the convoy. After much asking around, i made it to kumarghat. Now both my bike and myself were very hungry. Filled up fuel and boy do the people stare right in front of you. Kinda looks like they are angry. But mostly its the case of 'not so bad once you get to know them!' as in they are polite enough in giving directions. I had no proper food yesterday and thought would some how find something at Manu. Reached there by 8 am. Pretty early. Found a hotel and 3 parotas and peas curry it is, had em lazily as i had time and could avoid the catching attention of the people and i am stuck there. People of Tripura are mostly of Bengali culture and speak bengali too. After food i go a little ahead and i see a few buses waiting for the convoy escort. I go and stop at the front and there was still like 15-20 mins. Now I have no where to go and people approach me and i get interviewed from like 20 people. Politely and patiently answered to the point. Even a couple of Karnataka people spoke to me. It was going on and on till a guy told be to go and wait at a lil ahead. On reaching there a guard stopped me and checking the luggage and said 'you can go'. Huh what alone? is it ok to go without the convoy? and he was affirmative! Even Mr SK Das, the Inspector at Agartala said so. So without wasting time i rode towards Agartala. was kinda tensed about entering a sensitive area alone. But there were very few isolated patches as there was always light traffic. Any way made it to Agartala by 11.30. Was hosted for lunch at Mr Das's residence. Me having trouble with food since yesterday, hogged on the delicious home cooked food. Thanks for the hospitality Mr Das.

Started towards Neermahal which was supposed to be like 50 60 kms. Its off the main road to the west towards the border. Riding continuously make in like a hour or so by 2.30pm. Kinda early than i thought but can as well use some rest. Its a pretty big and nice room at SagarMahal, with lake view and NeerMahal visible on the other side of the lake. And all this for 124 Rs only!! Thats my cheapest stay of the whole trip! Any way we have to cross the lake in the boats and caught the last boat for the day. The water was covered with the lotus kinda plant with big round leaves and quite a few birds around. Too fast for me to click in zoom mode. The Neermahal looks pretty from far but pretty boring and small inside. But the breeze in the evening time was very pleasant. Get back to the lodge early and its few calls and done for the day.

Plan is to head to Aizwal, Mizoram tomm. Have to see if i can get myself to champai.

Unakoti Tourist lodge at Kailashaher