That noon I had a unique meal. Chicken parts cooked inside a beer can with Poori and dhal. They put pieces of chicken inside the can with some onions and spices and cooked it on the grill. The grill was an old drum cut in such a shape so you could place the can on top and fire it from below. On my way I found a beautiful hut in Passi ghat to sleep.
It was a windy night, winds so wild, even with the sleeping bag I shivered. The next morning, I moved through Aalo to reach Tato about 50 kilometres before Mechuka. It got dark and I hadn't found a place to camp. It was starting to rain and got colder. As I rode slowly looking around for a place, an Adi Mishmi man stopped his bike and asked me what I was looking for. I said I was wandering for a place to pitch my tent, and so Thakkar Nyogen took me along with him. After reaching his house he said there is no need to camp and I could sleep in his house for the night.
With a fireplace to welcome, I had a quarter bottle of old monk which I and Brother Thakkar shared. His father, father's friend, mother and wife sat around the fireplace having a conversation. They served me boiled chicken with rice for dinner and gave me a place to sleep. The next morning I woke up, tea was served and I rode towards Mechuka.
The place is heaven. Such beautiful valleys. The mountains looked like curtains, still holding on to the last year's snow on its crown. Some people I met on the way told me I could camp anywhere in Mechuka. After reaching I had poori with aloo bhaji and an omelette at a hotel run by a person from West Bengal. They said I could ride very close to the snowy mountains and I started riding. There was a gurudwara on the way and just after about 20 kilometres the roads ended. The army had a camp and that was the end, I returned. It was such a pleasure to ride, so calm. Just me, my ride and the roads twisting and turning. I rarely saw people after leaving the town, and the town itself might not have more than a population of 5000 people. I bought a beer and some chips and sat beside the river, breathing in as much as possible from nature around. Rode back, had a chowmein and camped next to the river. Nature, I love living in it. Just listening to the music of wind and water.
The next morning I started back to Aalo. I was set on the road at 6 30. On the way, I thanked Thakkar Nyogen's family, ate rice, dhal and omelette in Tato and I started riding down the mountains slow and steady. I was mostly off the seat. I simply stood on the footrest and throttled through. There was a roadblock due to a landslide and as I waited for it to clear, I met a man from Kerala who worked in Mechuka with BRO and was heading home for a vacation. The block cleared and I rode on. A couple passed me on a Pulsar 220 and after about 60 kilometres I saw them pulled over.
I stopped to ask what happened and he said the bike wouldn't start. Tried push-starting but still wouldn't work. There was no engine oil. " It could be a seizure," I said. A local person offered us a rope and I towed them. Yes the Platina with me and my luggage towing a Pulsar 220 with two people sitting on it. Rode about 8 kilometres to the nearest workshop and the mechanic said he would need a day to repair it. The couple were from a village near Mechuka and were going to Aalo for a medical checkup. I told them I could tow them till Aalo and took them along for another 18 kilometres. On reaching Aalo we stopped at a garage he knew of. The first thing he did was buy me Amul flavoured milk and ordered momos. While the mechanic opened the machine we had a plate of momos each. I left with a goodbye and tried to get back to the hut near Passighat where I had spent the night on my way earlier.
It was getting dark and the hut seemed quite far at that stage. I was wandering for a place when I saw a man working on a fence and a place to camp on his opposite side. I rode ahead and asked if I could camp. He said "Go ahead, no problem. If anyone asks, tell them you've taken my permission." His relatives stayed just opposite where I camped. I pitched the tent and put my head down for the night. It was not a long ride but a tiring one. Standing on the pegs for a long time is tiresome.
While I rested 3 boys came upon a scooter and sat close by. I woke up and went to them, asked if I could join. They were happy to allow me to, even gave me a beer, played the guitar, and sang some old Hindi songs. This was the best "Hum peene wale hai peene do, ham jeene wale hai jeene do". One was a married man with 2 kids and the other two boys in their 10th. They usually came there in the evenings and had a good time. After they left I tried to sleep but the hunger wasn't letting me. Luckily I had some packets of Maggi. I made a fire, cut the beer can and cooked Maggi. Wonderful feeling. The slight buzz with the booze, hot Maggi and the cold weather.
The next morning I started towards Passighat and sat by the hut that I wanted to reach yesterday. My internet pack had expired and the recharge wasn't happening. I paid the recharge shop guy and took his number. The place I camped had no signal and I had some work on the internet. I called the guy and he did it immediately, I finished my work and moved towards Nagaland.
One of the bikers I met in Anini, Ghanashayam dropped me a message asking me to catch up when I passed Dibrugarh. After reaching Passighat, I pinged him. It was evening already when I reached Dibrugarh and I wanted to just meet and push off to find someplace to tent. For the first time in the whole trip, I was out of weed for 5 days. Otherwise, I simply got it from somewhere just like that. Not even intentionally sometimes. Ghanashayam sent me the location of his college and I gave him a call upon reaching Dibrugarh.
He had left his meal halfway to come and pick me. He said I could stay for a couple days at their place since they had a camping plan the day after. He took me to the restaurant and introduced me to Sanjeevan and Bikash. They studied together and were having a good time. They poured me a drink and offered me some food. Oh! it was heavenly to eat some good restaurant food after a long time. The last time I remembered having such a meal was in Hyderabad. The party went on for the next 3 days. Reshav was another biker I met in Anini, he rode all the way about 40 kilometres with his friend Shubam to catch up. One more biker whom I had met in Anini joined as well. People came, People went, and booze simply kept coming. It started with royal stag, then beer, then DSP black and more beer and went on and on.
We sat at the restaurant till 9 pm, then went to Ghanashayam's place. A three-bedroom house shared by 4 or 5 boys. Even the house owner's son lived with them and not with his family who lived just one floor below. I cooked chicken fry and the party continued till 4 30 in the morning. Finally, when my body couldn't take any more liquor, I neatly went to the washroom, threw up and went to sleep. With a bad hangover, I didn't have the energy to move the following day. Felt so weak, I made some porridge after cleaning the kitchen. It was a mess.
Ghanashayam bunked his college and we went, bought some pork. I made pork, while Reshav made rice. By noon more booze started coming in, two full bottles of 100 pipers. We started drinking again and it continued till everyone crashed in their beds.
The next day we got ready and went camping. Yeah! We rode to the side of the River Brahmaputra by the old route people used to take before Bogibil Bridge was constructed. They didn't allow me to spend on anything. Even if I did pay for anything they returned it back immediately. Since they were all from Dibrugarh they knew a lot of people and they knew each other very well too. I was happy with the way they lived. Talks and pulling each other's legs, fooling around, not like the modern generation who even at a get-together just sit with their mobile and internet.
We rode about 80 kilometres to reach a farmhouse which was the camping area. After a drink, we loaded up some firewood, went by the river, made a fire and pitched our tents. People kept joining and around 9 pm there were about 20 to 25 people having a blast in the middle of nowhere. Beef fry, pork and chicken barbeque, music and unlimited booze. Yet again we had no clue what time we slept. We woke up around 7 am, went to the river for a swim, packed up and went back to the farmhouse and more booze was brought in. Jinmoy who was a lecturer made rice and cooked boiled pork with this special leaf quite famous in the northeast, Lai Xaak. I couldn’t drink anymore, still managed to just pour a small and kept sipping it. Around 3 pm another group in an XUV joined us, they also lived with Ghanashayam. They went directly to the river and started barbeque.
All of us who had camped the previous day and were on bikes decided to ride back. We reached the room and rested. Sometime later, the XUV gang returned with another 2 bottles of booze. I was done. It took me to my days in college when once we were drunk continuously for about 5 days. Wake up drink, eat, sleep, repeat. I folded my hands and said I can't drink anymore. One of their friends, guruji prepared duck meat. I had my dinner and slept.
Guruji asked me to call him before I left, and invited me to join him for breakfast at his place. I packed up and called him. Looked like he was held up, so I didn't want to disturb him. Lunch was at Reshav's place. We rode about 40 kilometres, reached his place for a perfect Assamese meal. His mom was so happy to serve me. She kept bringing in more items and I kept eating. There was rice, pork, fish, Loki stuffed with potatoes fried in oil, Lai Xaak, the standard leaf of the place and dhal made with Ou Tenga, a wild vegetable that elephants eat. Whoo, I was hungry and that was a sumptuous meal.
His mom gave me a Gamcha as a token of remembrance as I left. It was my third from the trip. It is an honour to be gifted with one. The first from Manas’ house, the second from Bairagi baba temple and the third here. I thanked them and started towards Dzuko valley. Since I started late, I was only able to reach Jorhat. Oyo displayed a room at 450 but upon reaching there with my entire luggage the person said they were not with Oyo anymore and the room rate was 600. Luckily he guided me to a cheaper place. I loaded again and reached the lodge. At first glance, I knew that the person was a Malayali. They had leased the lodge for business. I took the room at 350, placed my luggage and went out, had a plate of momos and returned to sleep.
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Thankful to them all, Thankful to the One! Much metta
I was truly honoured to host you at my place. I'm so glad that you mentioned me and my family in your travelogue. Moreover my mother is expectedly happy to read your words of appreciation. I hope for a reunion again but this time at your place 🙂
ReplyDeleteDefinitely Bother, The doors to our house will be open for Assam!
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