Surprising and challenging Meghalaya..

December 4, 2024

It's a matriarchal society in this part of India and kids take their mom's family name..

After bidding farewell to my hosts, I hit the road after being treated to yet another hearty breakfast. Though I had requested that no breakfast be served, I was served a generous meal nonetheless.

The day began with a bit of downhill riding, followed by a scenic stretch alongside the lush green river near Ranikhor. Soon, the climb into the mountains overlooking the river began.

As I progressed, the highway seemed to vanish into what could only be described as a disaster zone. The ongoing highway construction made me feel as though I had been transported to Mars.

Thankfully, I was riding MotaaCycle, whose wide tires handled the rugged terrain remarkably well. To be honest, calling this a “road” would have been an overstatement.

Throughout the journey, people stopped to talk to me, including several construction workers toiling on the highway. One of them had worked in Karnataka, my home state, and spoke Kannada fluently despite it being completely different from his native language.

Construction workers live in this "alien" land for months away from families..

I was fortunate to have some packed naan and local oranges I had purchased earlier, which I shared with the workers.

The terrain grew increasingly challenging, but I thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

By around 4 p.m., as the light began to fade, I started searching for a place to spend the night. While chatting with some construction workers, I discovered I had a flat tire. On inspection, I found a shard of rock had pierced the tire. Fixing the flat delayed me, and by the time I was done, it was dark.

I accepted the highway workers’ invitation to stay in their temporary tent. They prepared a simple vegetarian meal for me, and I spent the night in their company.

The construction workers’ warm hospitality reminded me that, despite the alien terrain, I was still firmly grounded on planet Earth.

Today's ride: 66 km (41 miles)
Total: 1,543 km (958 miles)

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