December 17, 2024
All downhill (?) and elephant sightings
Mairang to Guwahati:
Today's ride felt tougher than usual, even though it was entirely(?) downhill. The route took me through mountains, forests, and similar terrain. I rode on and on, having many interactions with villagers—some faces and interactions stayed with me long after.
As I headed towards Assam, I kept dreaming of chapatis or something more substantial to eat.
But, all I could find so far was a rice meal. Hoping this would be my last plate of rice, I ate this in frustration. After this, I limited my stops only for a quick cup of hot tea.
I passed through small villages, some of which had their weekly market today. In one such village, I encountered a motorcycle seller who could be Amazon.com on a bike..:-)
Eventually, I entered Assam at around 4 pm and rode through thick teak forests. So, I was dreading encountering elephants or other wildlife during dusk time.
That all went fine until I noticed villagers gathered, gazing toward the horizon over their fields. Curious, I stopped to ask what they were watching, already suspecting the answer.
A herd of wild elephants was passing through their village. Lucky me! I joined the kids and adults, riding as close to the herd as safety allowed. Seeing this group of around 40 pachyderms felt surreal, like being on another planet. I silently thanked my stars for safely encountering these magnificent creatures.
By the time the elephants had disappeared into the forest, dusk had fully settled while I still had miles to go. I kept riding until I encountered another group of villagers waiting for yet another (or the same ?) elephant herd. (Un)lucky me!
It dawned on me that this region was teeming with elephants. This brought mixed advice from locals about the safety of passing through these areas at night.
For some reason, I decided to change out of my wet shirt and put on a used windcheater I’d picked up in Nongstoin. The difference was like night and day. I wondered why I hadn’t used this method before—a trick I’d often relied on to warm up during winter biking and backpacking back in the Boston area. With this small adjustment, I could handle the evening cold much better. I’m still learning.
That evening, I rode in the dark for a good three hours and I made it safely to my destination, Guwahati. All said and done, I again had about 6000 feet of elevation gain. That explained why I was feeling like $π°}...
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Surprisingly, just three months ago, I arrived in this part of India knowing no one. Now, moving on to the next destination or exploring further feels almost impossible, as I keep getting 'stuck' in every village. The warmth and generosity of the people here make it hard to leave. Perhaps I could return someday to spend weeks or even months in each of these places.
Today's ride: 102 km (63 miles)
Total: 2,004 km (1,244 miles)
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