[bsenroy]

Day 2: 29 December 2023
Ayodhya to Muzaffarpur
Distance: 428 kms
Fuel consumed: 15.8 L


Started from Ayodhya bright and early, and by that i mean foggy and later than usual. Today the entire ride was to be along the NH27 via Basti, Gorakhpur, Deoria and Gopalgunj. I started off with a bit of trepidation, considering the low visibility and the erratic traffic on the highway.


Rode non-stop from 6:30 to around 10:30, covering some 220 kms before I stopped for a break, a few kms after Kushinagar. A few kms before entering Kushinagar, Noor, by beloved motorcycle, clocked over 10,000 kms. The road quality was mostly good, with flyovers in smaller towns and by-passes over larger cities like Basti and Gorakhpur. Flyovers were under construction in Kushinagar, and a particularly long one over Gopalgunj. Looks like they should be operational in another year or so, thereby cutting down travel time even further.


At this point, it had been over two days since I had seen the sun. Imagine trravelling for close to 1000 kms and seeing nothing. The fog was that bad. On top of that, the road dust mixed in with the condensation from the dew and covered all of me and the motorcycle in a layer of mud and grime. At one point, a passing truck kicked off some sand which settled on my visor and in a bid to wipe it off, I managed to leave a thousand scratches, thereby ruining the brand new visor.


1000 kms of the ride came up on a flyover about 60 kms from Muzaffarpur and fortuitously that is also when the sun came out and for the first time in 2 days I had sunshine. A few kms down the road I came across the bizarre sight of an ex Air India Airbus A320 parked on the side of the road on a lorry. Later in the day, I learned that this particular entourage had been travelling across northern Bihar leaving behind a trail of clogged roads in its wake, at one point getting stuck under a flyover in Motihari.


Reached Muzaffarpur by 4:00 PM and checked into the wonderful Royal Phular Hotel in the heart of town. One of the oldest in Muzaffarpur, I found this hotel at par with many five star properties in metro cities. The premises were spotless, the staff were extremely helpful, and best of all, there was basement parking (only for motorcycles). If you are driving in your car, they will park your vehicles in an empty plot across the road from the hotel, where there are security cameras and a guard. Cannot recommend this hotel enough. Rs 3,000.


I could have easily made it to Darbhanga on this day, reducing my travel time on the final day, but I chose to stay in Muzaffarpur to eat some of the city’s famed mutton delicacies. My motorcycle runs on petrol and I run on mutton food details in the photo captions.


Fogged out at Ayodhya


Fogged out at Basti


Fogged out at Gorakhpur


Covered in grime.


10,000 kms with Noor comes up at Kushinagar


Breakfast time.


Fresh off the kadhai chicken curry, rotis and omelette.


Clusters of small shrines dot the landscape in eastern UP and western Bihar



Slipping onto a village toad for a quiet break.






1000 kms of the trip. Somewhere in Bihar.



And finally the sun comes out.


Things you see on the highways!






All this for 40 bucks.


My room at the Royal Phular Hotel. Cant recommend this place enough.


Amar Meats in Laxmi Chowk, seeking out Mutton Taas. Taas is created by frying strips of marinated mutton in fresh pressed mustard oil. While champaran/ ahuna mutton is the rage these days, I found this rustic dish to be hugely appealing to mu palate. Had two plates. While you can have it with rotis/ rice, it is traditionally served with muri (puffed rice).


Cannot vouch for the Manchurian. Or the videos.

[androdev]

Wow, discovered your thread just today. The pictures are just amazing - the rural/interior and the food pics bring back fond memories! Thanks for sharing!

[bsenroy]

Originally Posted by androdev

Wow, discovered your thread just today. The pictures are just amazing - the rural/interior and the food pics bring back fond memories! Thanks for sharing!

Thank you my friend.

[SupMeteorStorme]

@bsenroy

Lovely trip write-up. I enjoyed your trip report and the foggy pics. But more than that, I have been on a YouTube/Google journey all evening trying to find Ahuna Mutton and Mutton Taas near me.

Any tips for riding in such foggy conditions?

Happy riding and keep the food stories coming.

[bsenroy]

Originally Posted by SupMeteorStorme

@bsenroy

Lovely trip write-up. I enjoyed your trip report and the foggy pics. But more than that, I have been on a YouTube/Google journey all evening trying to find Ahuna Mutton and Mutton Taas near me.

Any tips for riding in such foggy conditions?

Happy riding and keep the food stories coming.

Thank you. Did you have any luck finding Bihari mutton in Hyderabad?

About riding in fog, i maintain a 'follow dont lead' philosophy. I identify one vehicle, usually a car, that is driving well, keeping in its lane, maintaining a stable speed, and i follow that car. If there is no such vehicle then i reduce my speed and keep my peripheral vision on high alert in case someone comes in from the side or the median.

What i also equally important, is the gear. i prefer to wear a waterproof jacket over my riding jacket. If this is not waterproof, the condensation will seep in and chill you to the bone. i have also invested in a good pair of winter gloves. And lastly, i keep a microfiber cloth handy as you will need to wipe your helmet visor regularly.

[bsenroy]

Muzaffarpur to Siliguri
Distance: 408 kms
Fuel consumed: 15.37 L

After riding through the fog for pretty much two straight days, I was encouraged by the fact that Muzaffarpur was witnessing a windy evening. I was under the impression that today’s ride was going to be an easy one, and I wished for little or no fog to make my journey even more memorable.

Woke up to a dull morning. There was fog, but nowhere near the levels I had witnessed in the previous two days. Today’s route was: Muzaffarpur - Darbhanga - Araria - Dalkhola - Kishankunj - Islampur - Siliguri. I wanted to avoid the under construction NH 327 which branches off from Araria. It is shorter, but huge chunks of it is under construction, and I am told that the diversions lead to regular traffic snarls.

Set off from my hotel at 7:30 am after a hearty breakfast consisting of a dosa, an omelette, some wedges and a whole lot of fruits. The bike was refuelled the previous night, and now the human must be tanked up as well.
For most part of the day, it was smooth sailing. The roads were mostly good and soon I was leaving behind towns in the rear view mirror. I was excited about the Kosi bridge, but intense fog around the river pretty much ensured that I saw nothing of it.
Soon I was in Araria, and after 2.5 hours and 250 kms, it was time to take my first break. And this is precisely where I made the biggest mistake of the day. Instead of continuing on NH 27 towards Kishanganj, I turned towards the chaotic NH 327. The entire stretch of 45 odd kms from Araria to Bahadurgunj is a series of muddy diversions. It is also here that I noticed that after 11k kms, the grip on my road oriented stock Ceats was gone.

The rear was fishtailing wildly on stretches where there was mud on the surface. As careful as I was, the inevitable happened around 12 kms after Araria. A local auto overtakes me dangerously on the left side, I panic brake, the rear gives away, I fall face first into the mud and watch my motorcycle slide 10-15 feet in front of me. The full riding gear on me and the Zana crash guards on the bike do their job, and I am immediately back up on my feet. Occupants of another auto, a much civil one, kindly help my bike up. Everything is okay, except for a bruised ego.

The next 30 kms are hell, owing to the worsening road surface and the nervousness resulting from the fall. This 45 km stretch takes me 2.5 hours. Thankfully, it gets better after Bahadurgunj. Only one side of the highway is open, but the roads are good, and looks like the other side should be open to traffic in a month or so.

By now, it is close to 2:30 PM and I felt like the proverbial rats were organising a kabaddi tournament in my stomach. Some time around 2:45 pm, I crossed over into Bengal, stopped at the first line hotel I could spot and ordered a ‘Mangsho Bhat’. A meat thali. The slow cooked mutton healed my bruised ego, and very soon I was back on the saddle for the last hour or so of my ride.

Home, sweet home, and worried parents were reached at 4:30 pm.


A less foggy morning. Somewhere between Muzaffarpur and Darbhanga



First sign of home.


The landscape in rural Bihar is




Somewhere near Araria.


Mechi River




Texture of a River in winter




Home is getting closer.


Stopping for lunch at the first 'line hotel' in Bengal


And what a lunch it was!






Tea gardens. This means home cannot be far behind.




Such a beauty!




Two turns away from home. The whole town has dressed up for me, obviously.

[phamilyman]

Lovely photos. Boys are happiest with their favorite toys!

Congratulations on investing in the best anti-depressant known for men!

[Siavi]

Lovely pics. Must have been extremely cold!
How did the bike perform? Did you face any issue after the fall?

[rajeevsulu]

Lovely ride you are doing, my friend. Awesome pictures, especially, the food ones. Have a good time!!
Cheers
Rajeevsulu

[SupMeteorStorme]

Originally Posted by bsenroy

... a series of muddy diversions. It is also here that I noticed that after 11k kms, the grip on my road oriented stock Ceats was gone.

The rear was fishtailing wildly on stretches where there was mud on the surface.

Glad to know you're ok after the fall. Was this solely because of road oriented tyres or are your tyres old?

Enjoy your stay and keep sharing images (especially of local food delicacies).

[bsenroy]

Originally Posted by SupMeteorStorme

Glad to know you're ok after the fall. Was this solely because of road oriented tyres or are your tyres old?

Enjoy your stay and keep sharing images (especially of local food delicacies).

It was a combination of both + i panicked.

I have since gotten my tyres changed to Ralco Speed Blasters. You can see the difference in the tread patterns in the photo below. The stock Ceats are perfect for highway runs on dry surfaces. not so much over loose gravel, wet roads. I remember the rear end fishtailing wildly back in Feb 23 when i was in Jaisalmer, riding over slightly sandy roads.

[windiesel]

Originally Posted by bsenroy

About a month or so earlier, Royal Enfield broke the covers off what is now the Super Meteor 650, and it was immediately clear to me that given the considerable weight of the machine and the longer wheelbase, it might not be the right bike for me after all. so I went back to the one I had been considering all this while - the Interceptor 650, in the Mark II livery.

I'm in a similar quandary rt now! I have a Meteor 350 and a Triumph Speed 400...but in my heart of hearts I have lusted for an Interceptor all along! While the lack of Alloys kept me from biting the bullet earlier, now the talk of an incoming Classic 650 makes me wait. However if the Classic 650 too is going to be based on the Super Meteor platform (like the Shotgun), I doubt it very much that it's going to be less than 240kgs, a deal breaker for me, in which case, it IS going to be the 218 kg Interceptor with Alloys.

[bsenroy]

I was fortunate to have grown up in Siliguri. Darjeeling is 2 hours away on a good day, and Gangtok is 4. Embark on a 15-kilometer journey in any direction, and you'd be immersed in a tapestry of verdant tea estates, dense forests, meandering rivers—nature's untamed bounty that is the Dooars, the Terai region of northern Bengal. But, I've realized I've spent more time away from here than actually living in this city. That also means I've explored Uttarakhand, Himachal, Rajasthan, and Ladakh more than my own backyard. It's time to change that now.

So yesterday, I decided to go for a quick spin in the neighbourhood. This is a route that gives you a cross section of the essential Dooars experience. Hills, tea estates, forests, rivers, food and honestly, great roads. The route:




Beginning of the mountains at Sevoke. This is NH10 that continues on to Gangtok. A few kms upstream, at Teesta Bazaar, the road branches off to Kalimpong. A few kms from this point, the road also turns right over Bagh pul / Coronation Bridge as NH17 and continues for about 480 kms to Guwahati.


Bagh pul / Coronation Bridge, built in 1937.


Notice the muddy waters of the Teesta. At this time of the year, the water should be a stunning shade of aquamarine, but the rampant road cutting, and dam building and the general 'development' upstream is slowly and steadily wreaking havoc in the delicate mountain ecosystem, washing off hills. The recent floods in Sikkim, as devastating as they were, were just a preview of what might come our way if we continue on this destructive path.


Noor on the bridge. I dont think i was supposed to stop here. i saw a policeman take a photo. i might be getting a challan :(


Crossed over to NH17 towards Malbazaar and Chalsa. Stopping at the view point to take in the sight. The school i studied in was about 12 kms from the bridge, so many a schoolday was bunked to sneak off there and climb down a rather vertical set of stairs to the riverbed below and do teenage stuff, the first puff of cigarette, the first few swigs of cheap beer. Many, many memories were refreshed.






Rungamuttee Tea Estate, one of the many in the Dooars. Most the the tea here is turned into CTC, which is used to make the kadak cutting chai that we get in tea shacks across India.


Bridge on the Neora River. There is a vistadome coach that runs from New Jalpaiguri to New Alipurduar on this track, making it one of the most scenic rides in India. highly recommended.


Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary








Riding through Gorumara National Park. Kept my eyes peeled for elephants and rhinos, but saw only cows and crows.


Jaldhaka river. the name literally translates to 'covered by water'. Rivers in the Dooars - Teesta, Torsha, Mahananda, Raidak, Dayna - are a sight to behold in the monsoons.


This is Gajoldoba, there the waters of the Teesta are diverted into canals. This barrage, and the nearby wetlands create a perfect habitat for migratory birds. Over the years I have spotted mergansers, common and red crested pochards, falceted and tufted ducks, bar headed and greylag geese, in addition to endemic species like spot billed ducks, storks, bronze winged and pheasant tailed jacanas and a whole assortment of raptors like peregrine falcon, marsh harrier, pied harriers, steppe eagle, tawny eagle, and even the occasional golden eagle. But this year, there was an eerie silence over the wetlands. The boatmen who take the birders around tell me that the October floods breached the levees, and wiped off the reedbeds and grasses where the birds nest and that sustains the food chain the birds, and ultimately the humans depend on. Again, I wonder, what is this price that we are paying for so called 'development'.


In the fish market by the river i spot the Goonch catfish. IUCN lists these as a 'vulnerable' species. Gooonch can be found across Himalayan river and can grow to monstrous proportions; some specimens have been measured at over 10 ft in length and tip the scales at over 200 kgs. In the Kali rover of Nepal, villagers talk in hushed tones about goonch swallowing children whole.


The market by the river is also a great place for food. Everything here is fried to your liking - fish, eggs,chicken, crabs, prawns, and if you are lucky, even the occasional vegetable.


But I am a simple man. I like my Mangsho bhat, and freshly caught river fish fried to a crisp.


And just like that, a most wonderful day of riding and exploring is over.

[A350]

Awesome trip reports. I had driven pretty much the same route 6 years back in an XUV 500 on my way to Bhutan. Interestingly enough I bought an Interceptor couple of years back to re do these trips on a motorcycle but couldn't find the time or the fearlessness required . Will keep watching your thread and maybe i will be emboldened enough to take my bike out of NCR.

[bsenroy]

Last weekend, my spin in the neighbourhood was mostly in the forested and riverine foothills of the himalayas. But this weekend, I wanted to head out to the hills, in fact, to the Queen of the Hills itself.

If I were to take the Hill Cart Road, Darjeeling is barely 2 hours away. But that is no fun. It is imperative that you take a longer, and more scenic route. So a decision was taken to go to Darjeeling via Mirik.


Route map for the day


Staring off in a dense fog.


But soon, the sun is out


An unexpected pop of colour


First sign of the hills.


On top of the hill is Kurseong. On top of the ridge after that is Darjeeling


Looking at Kurseong from the plains


Started from home around 8 AM and after a leisurely cruise through the deciduous sal forests, started the climb to Mirik right after Marionbari tea estate. A number of the tea estates in the Dooars are still named after the erstwhile memsahibs, like Ellenbarrie and Ethelbari.

Actually I could write a long essay about unique place names in the Dooars. Pakhihaga, for example. In Bangla it quite literally translates to ‘where the bird shat’. Then there is Mathabhanga; ‘where the head was broken’, and Rajabhatkhawa; ‘where the king had rice’.

Anyway, I digress. I reached Mirik by 9:30 AM, via Dudhia, Tingling and Sourenee. After a quick plate of momos and a steaming cuppa, I was off towards Darjeeling via Pashupati, Sukhia, Lepchajagat and Ghoom.



And the climb begins


A bridge over a faroff river




Mirik Lake


The sudden appearance of Mt Kanchenjunga stopped me dead on the tracks!


Twisteys to die for


At Ghoom, this road meets the Hill Cart Road (NH 110) at the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway station. At 2225 m, Ghoom was, at one point, the highest railway station in the world. It continues to be the highest railway station in India.

Headed into Darjeeling and got lost in the maze of one ways, no entries and no parking zones. So went ahead and had a late lunch at Glenary’s as is the norm, should you visit Darjeeling.



The guardian deity of the Eastern Himalayas


Looking towards Nepal






At Lepchajagat, looking at Darjeeling.


Basking in the glory.


Somewhere between Lepchajagat and Ghoom


Beautiful machines.



Doing their duty for over a century


This shed is a little crazy



Behold, the queen of the hills.




When in Darjeeling, go to Glenary's and eat the pork roast.

On the way back, i was planning to take the NH 110 as the descent is gentle as it follows the train line, but a truck had broken down and the traffic was diverted through the Rohini Bypass road, also called the Shubhash Ghising Marg, and it was scary how steep the hairpins were, and there were so many of them. White knuckle stuff, meanwhile Darjeeling boys in scootys were breezing past me like it was nobody’s business.



Hills bathed in golden light.


Until next time