[GolakaGo]

The weekend was approaching and winter was bidding farewell. The clear sky was making way for the heavy clouds to relieve themselves. The dry road will soon be wet and slippery. Hence, a much-needed ride was to be hatched.

WhatsApp buzzed, and a plan was fixed. Three of us turned up: Meban on the Big Bore 4v Hero Impulse, Meru aka Bull on the Triumph Scrambler 400x, and I on the BMW G310GS. It’s been some time since we rode out together and we were all raring to go. Destination – HAFLONG, Assam. There are about three routes to reach Haflong from Shillong. We decided to take the Saphai Route from Jaintia Hills while going and return via the Nagaon Route.


DAY 1: Shillong – Shangpung – Kupli Dam – Umrangso – Haflong

We met on the outskirts of the city at around 8AM. It was a warm sunny morning with the chilly winter air breezing through our helmets. The ride to Shangpung was a nice and easy ride, with each of us getting used to our bikes after a long hiatus from long-distance riding. Shangpung is about 100 kms away from Shillong and we stopped to refuel there, as we were not certain about the availability of fuel stations beyond that.


Refueling at Shangpung

We had a brief stop at Raliang to pack lunch and rode on till Saphai. The roads were top-notch, winding from one hill to another until we reached Saphai.




This Village's name rhymes with 'Beer'

We took a short detour to reach the bank of the Kupli river with a front seat view of the Dam. This was our lunch stop. 'Bluetooth device connected' (Hehe i know you read it in that voice ��), and some good old rock songs lent a background music for us.

We were happily munching on some delicious protein when suddenly, we heard a grumble and rumble that sounded louder than our stomachs. Some flash too, but sadly not the paparazzi! In no time, the sky opened up and gave us an unexpected shower. There was no place to hide, and we hurriedly scrambled to get into our rain gears, moving with the agility of a 16-wheeler truck trying to make a three-point turn on a single-lane road.













The Kupli Dam has Meghalaya on one end and Assam on the other. Crossing the bridge means you are crossing over from West Jaintia Hills in Meghalaya to the Dima Hasao District of Assam. We rushed out of the riverbank and rode across the bridge with a feeling of crossing over the sub-continent. The rain gave us a hearty welcome to Assam and accompanied us for the next few kilometers while we crossed Umrangso. The road from the bridge to Umrangso was under construction and we had a good time letting the suspension have some fun, coupled with some slides thrown in at certain turns.

After crossing Umrangso, the road funnelled into a single lane road to Haflong. These are my favourite kind of roads. Single-laned, weaving through the scenery, one hill at a time, trees lining up on either sides, and witness the changing view with almost every turn. These were roads that once upon a time took us from village to village, district to district and state to state. It’s like going back in time. Back to when ABS was what you had on your tummy, when steering sideplay was like practicing Mr Miyagi’s Wax on Wax Off, and when pumping it up meant 2-3 pumps on the brake pedal to bring the vehicle to a halt. If you asked me, I would say that this is poetry in motion. These roads bring out the poet in you, every turn churns out lines of appreciation with the engine humming along to the ever-changing terrain. But the romance was cut short with Bull charging through the turns like a BrahMos on a mission. Meban and i followed suit and we darted through the hills like a swarm of mosquitos zipping across a room giving a round of applause. It was absolute fun! Wooo!!! I’d take morontic over romantic any day!








Wet, Wetter, Wettest!





We reached Haflong early in the evening. We stopped at the Synod View Point and also visited Haflong Lake. After that, we headed straight to Hotel Elite. After freshening up, we went for a stroll to the market, which was within walking distance. I was taken by surprise at how clean the market was. Meban got a pair of slippers and we bought some momos on the way back to the Hotel.








The Market


Momos!

[GolakaGo]

Day 2: Haflong-Nagaon-Shillong

We started the day quite lazily as we dragged ourselves out of bed. It was a bright sunny morning and we left the Hotel by 9:30AM.


The Dima Hasao Autonomous District Council Gate


We stopped by at Jatinga Village, which can also be called the Valley of Death.. for birds. Jatinga is globally recognized for its mysterious phenomenon known as "bird suicides." During this event, various bird species, including the migratory birds, become disoriented and are attracted to artificial lights, leading to collisions with buildings and other structures, which results in their deaths. This phenomenon occurs between September and November. The number of birds affected by this phenomenon has decreased in recent years due to changing weather patterns. Sadly, we were too early for this year.. and too late for the previous year to witness this phenomenon For more information you can go through this article - The Mystery Of Jatinga’s Suicidal Birds | INDIAN CULTURE (https://indianculture.gov.in/snippet...suicidal-birds)









After some poses at the Jatinga gate, we got back on our bikes and proceeded with the journey. We rode for a few kilometers before touching the four-lane highway to Nagaon and eventually to Jorabat. It would be an easy mile munching day for the 400x and the 310GS but, the Impulse with its offroad setup would be screaming all the way. Hence, we decided that Meban would start ahead, and Bull and I would start 15-20 minutes later and try to catch up. This way Meban gets to maintain his ideal speed and we get to push our bikes as well. We did that for the entire way. Whenever we caught up with the Impulse, we’d stop for a break and then start again after 15-20 minutes.


Maibang Tunnel


One of those breaks

The road from Haflong to Nagaon was fantastic! Wide, winding, four-lane with minimal traffic. This was my first long ride on the bike, and I was getting to understand it and finding its sweet spot. The one thing I would want to work on this bike is the suspension. I love the long-travel nature of the suspension, but it is tuned too soft, which takes a toll on the handling. A thicker grade oil or maybe stiffer springs would improve the handling character of the bike immensely and make it more fun off the road as well.


Another one of those breaks


Chicken strips over KFC!

The Nagaon-Jorabat stretch and I have a love-hate relationship. It’s straight and long, fast yet slow. In simple terms – boring. So we wrung the throttle to the max and tried to cover the distance in the quickest time. We stopped at Jorabat for a late lunch. We hung out there for quite some time. Though Bull and I had stopped several times, this was Meban’s first stop since we left Jatinga. Home was a 2hrs ride away so we took our time here, and had an easy cruising ride back home.

[Aditya]

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