Sunday, April 26, 2009

Day 48 - April 25 - Kohima to Kazianga

April25 at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging

Was thinking of heading towards Mokhochong, but i have kinda spent too many days around south north east. So heading directly to Arunachal Bomdila from here. Thought of taking NH36 to Nagoan and then Tezpur so that i can get permit for Bomdila. Called up Koushik for suggestions. He suggested NH39-37 which was safer route. Plus will reach Tezpur in the evening and Offices are closed for Sunday tomm. So he suggested checking out kaziranga in the mean time which falls on the way. So Kaziranga it is.

All this decision making got me delayed till 9:30 to start. Have to hurry up to Kaziranga before the forest office closes else will not be able to get elephant safari tickets.

Was thinking roads all through Nagaland is good but was disappointed. The road to Dimapur was competing with roads in Manipur! Plus the cone set adjustment was real screwed up give the forks a lot of play. Was real irritating riding on the bad roads with the misaligned cone set. Din really wanna stop in the middle of the road and do it myself. Not in Nagaland i thought. Thankfully after a few Kms the road gets to new ones. Two lane twisties for a change. All the while getting down the mountains towards the planes.

Reach Dimapur and fuel up. Expected a dusty crowded city but it was a nice Highway town. Din go into the actual town. Saw a mechanic shop and thought of getting the cone set adjusted. It had lot of play and he had to tighten it quite much. The chain seems to be loose again just in 150kms. On checking the chain is worn uneven and loose and tight at places. With it getting unreliable i decided to chain sprocket set replaced. Used up the spare i had brought alone. This takes a good one hour and its One pm when i am free. Looks like getting early at Kaziranga will be difficult. Soon i am out of Nagaland and in Assam. Yeppie i made it alive out of Manipur and Nagaland will all my things with me:D. yeah i know i am still in NorthEast! The roads on the Assam planes were just awesome. Was riding at 110+ in no time. Felt good to talk to wind again. Been almost a month since riding those speeds. soon got tired of facing the winds and slowed down to 90s. The roads was pretty awesome which was really unexpected considering the roads of south Assam around silchar. Just when i was settling in the GQ mode, the roads got bad. Knew it was too good to be true. Few kms of bumby road and the road got good again. This time it was pretty on either side as well and passing through a forest and then through the tea estates. The path on either side of the road was like green lawn. Beautiful road though. Make it to Namolighar by 3 PM in not time and take left on NH37 towards kaziranga. Nice roads continue.

Reach Kohra and to find the Forest office close by 3PM! Came to know the elephant rides are conducted by a private operators also at Bagori 10 kms west. Settled in a highway resort kinda place Chikuni Bhavan and booked the elephant safari tickets for tomm's Five am slot. Walking on the dark highway for food from the resort was fun.

Looks like Bandh today also in Kohima... Had to literally eat what they had, cos anything i asked they would say market bandh. Duh'haa!


Found this guy crossing the road.


Typical BRO signboard...


Finally some good roads...


A fresh land slide being cleared!


Its bye bye Nagaland. Boy they really want people to come!


The new and the worn front sprokets..


Bike on racing stand!!


Beautiful Assam roads...




Checkout the lawn on either side...


Some riding between the tea estates...








Reached the Kaziranga Tourist complex...




wanted to check out this path for the 'Mah miri Ting' but turned back as it was isolated and din wanna get mugged!...


No comments: