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
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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 route that goes from Jaintia Hills while going and the Nagaon Route while returning.
Shillong – Shillong – Shangpung.
We met on the outskirts of the city at around 8 AM. 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 again 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.
Refuge and Shanggrage
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 is pronounced as ‘Beer’ with a heavy Khasi Accent
We took a short detour to reach the bank of the river with a front seat view of the Dam. This was our lunch stop. We were happily munching on some delicious protein when suddenly, a grumble and rumble sounded louder than our stomachs. 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 gear, 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 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, 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. We darted through the hills like a mosquito through a room, giving a round of applause. It was absolute fun! Wooo!!! I’d take morontic over romantic any day!
Law, Water, 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!
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