Thursday 31 January 2013

Bike trip to Cherrapunjee, 31/1/2013



Cherrapunjee, also called Sohra, a town to the west of this one, is allegedly the rainiest place on earth. It’s also certainly the wettest desert on earth, a place where the denuded topsoil retains neither the rain it receives nor lets much but scrub grass grow. The limestone hills around are riddled with caves and carved with waterfalls, and my assistant and I took the day off work to go on a visit. Both of us had been to these places before more than once, but there’s a fundamentally different experience in going somewhere by motorcycle than there is by car. A biker will immediately know what I’m talking about. For others, well, never mind - for today. I’ll educate you some other time on that.

 So, here’s the photo feature of the trip. We’re planning a further and longer trip in the near future.


The bikes and the riders:


My bike: Royal Enfield Desert Storm

My assistant (and fellow rider)

Your travelogue guide and motorcycle gangster-in-chief

His bike (left and below): Bajaj Avenger



On the road




Mawkdok :

A photo feature specially on a trip to Mawkdok is here. Mawkdok happens to be on the way to Cherrapunjee. 





Mawkdok Gorge



We kept running into this particular tourist family in Cherrapunjee too






Nohkalikai Falls:

This is about five kilometres on the other side of Cherrapunjee. Cherrapunjee itself isn't worth the pixels it's photographed on, so I did not bother.



The dogawful steps down to the viewing point

And talking of dogs...


She was extremely friendly. Came and rubbed herself all over me as soon as I dismounted.

And lest we forget: The cock of the walk

Mawsmai Cave:

This is about eleven kilometres from Nohkalikai, six kilometres beyond Cherrapunjee in another direction. Limestone carved in interesting patterns by rainwater. In the rainy season the interior drips.

Entrance







Not for claustrophobic or fat people
 


Note the stalagmites



A natural chimney near the cave exit

Above and below: exit

The way home:

The undulating treeless plateau around Cherrapunjee, where it's always freezing even in bright sunshine



In the rainy season this, too, is a waterfall.
 May your tyres always kiss the road with the flame of the passion of the ride.

- Bill.

Copyright B Purkayastha 2013

 

4 comments:

  1. Bill, It's incredible but our immediate thought that the countryside looked a lot like Turkey! Lovely pics and as we say here, "iyi yolculuklar" (happy trails - woof woof).

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  2. Beautiful set of photos. I guess how much fun you all had. I looked at those countryside photos and I also thought it resembled Turkey... Thanks for sharing!

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  3. wow, thank you :) great captures ... love the rooster haha :))
    you look well, thank you for sharing

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  4. I enjoyed the pictures of your ride. I just started taking rides on my husbands motorcycle this past summer.

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