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

 

Bike Run to Mawkdok Gorge (Photo Feature)

Mawkdok Gorge is about thirty kilometres from this town, a cleft in the earth that looks for all the world as though a giant has struck the Earth with a titanic axe. It's been a while since I've been there. It's been a while since I went on a bike run. I decided to give myself the pleasure.

This is likely going to be the last time I go for a run on this bike. It's not too old for a motorcycle, eight years, but at just 125cc it's underpowered for my needs. Also, I'm getting tired of Yamaha's cute little trick of keeping any particular model in production only for two or three years. Five years after that, spare parts become a real problem. No wonder the Hells Angels call Japanese bikes "Jap-scrap"; it's the companies with their money-grubbing who are to blame.

My next bike will be a 500cc Enfield Classic Desert Storm, but it's going to take a few months before it's delivered. You don't actually get them off the shelf, believe it or not. But it's worth the wait.

In the meantime, here's the Run to Mawkdok Gorge, in photos.

Let me know what you think.

Part 1: The machine and the man

Part 2: Leaving the city

Part 3: The Highway

 Part 4: Mawkdok Gorge

Notes: 1. The aeroplane is a MiG 21, set up for display outside the Eastern Air Command Air Force Headquarters where I used to work until 2007.
2. The fire was set by the forest department in order to burn off old  dead undergrowth.