04 Apr

Biking across Northern Thailand- Part 1

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What was supposed to be a 400km ride turned out to be a late night biking expedition covering 530kms, as we rode 60+kms in wrong direction. All was well till noon, when we stopped for lunch at Mae Sariang. Post lunch, we should have taken Route 105, instead we continued on Route 108. A few display said this road heads to Chiang Mai and that didnтАЩt ring a bell to any of us. Only later, our pilot Sumon pulled over, cross checked his map, consulted our support team (who had take right turn) and decided that we need to go back. Without a whim we rode back all the way to┬а the city where we had lunch. We should have added another 200 curves to our count by then,┬а because of this extra ride.

It was evening by now and we still had another 230kms to cover. We fuelled up and began riding, this time in the right direction.
Soon it became darker and suddenly, we found ourselves on dirt track. This feels like India- we told ourselves. Our speed dropped to single digit and we negotiated the bad road slowly, maintaining gap between bikes to let the dust settle. We were very close to Burma border, with our road running parallel to it. There were hardly any vehicles other than hours and there were no lights or shops or anything else. Pitch dark, deep forest and 100 more kms to go.

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Enchanting Sikkim

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Sikkim is a state in East India in the Himalayan foot hills. We started our journey from Delhi, where we took Deccan Air flight to Bagdogra, which is the nearest airport to Gangtok and is around 4 hours drive. At the airport, we took a local cab service (that we had booked in advance), the driver was waiting for us at the airport and thus began our tour of the exasperating Himalayan abode.

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рдХреЗрджрд╛рд░рддрд╛рд▓ рдпрд╛рддреНрд░рд╛ – рдЧрдВрдЧреЛрддреНрд░реА рд╕реЗ рднреЛрдЬ рдЦрдбрд╝рдХ

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рдЕрдЧрд▓реА рд╕реБрдмрд╣ рдпрд╛рдирд┐ 18 рдЬреВрди 2017 рдХреЛ рдиреАрдВрдж рддреЛ рдЫреИ рдмрдЬреЗ рд╣реА рдЦреБрд▓ рдЧрдпреА рдереА рд▓реЗрдХрд┐рди рдардгреНрдб рдХреЗ рдХрд╛рд░рдг рд░рдЬрд╛рдИ рд╕реЗ рдмрд╣рд╛рд░ рдирд┐рдХрд▓рддреЗ рдирд┐рдХрд▓рддреЗ рд╕рд╛рдд рдмрдЬ рдЧрдПред рддрдм рддрдХ рдХрдкрд┐рд▓ рднреА рд╣рдорд╛рд░реЗ рдХрдорд░реЗ рдореЗрдВ рдЖ рдЧрдпрд╛ рдФрд░ рдлрдЯрд╛ рдлрдЯ рд╕рд╛рдорд╛рди рдмрд╛рдВрдзрдиреЗ рдореЗрдВ рд╣рдорд╛рд░реА рдорджрдж рдХрд░рдиреЗ рд▓рдЧрд╛ред рдареАрдХ рдЖрда рдмрдЬреЗ рд╣рдо рдлреЙрд░реЗрд╕реНрдЯ рдСрдлрд┐рд╕ рдкрд╣реБрдВрдЪреЗ рдФрд░ рдкрд░рдорд┐рдЯ рдХреА рдПрдВрдЯреНрд░реА рдХрд░рд╡рд╛рдИ ┬арддрдерд╛ рдХреИрдВрдкрд┐рдВрдЧ рдЪрд╛рд░реНрдЬреЗрдЬрд╝ рдФрд░ рдЧрд╛рд░реНрдмреЗрдЬ рдЪрд╛рд░реНрдЬреЗрдЬрд╝ рдЬрдорд╛ рдХрд░рд╡рд╛ рдХреЗ рд╡рд╛рдкрд╕ рдЕрдкрдиреЗ рдХрдорд░реЗ рдкреЗ рд╕рд╛рдорди рдЙрдард╛рдиреЗ рдкрд╣реБрдБрдЪ рдЧрдПред рдЯреНрд░реЗрдХ рд╢реБрд░реВ рдХрд░рдиреЗ рд╕реЗ рдкрд╣рд▓реЗ рдлреЙрд░реЗрд╕реНрдЯ рдбрд┐рдкрд╛рд░реНрдЯрдореЗрдВрдЯ рд╡рд╛рд▓реЗ рдЧрд╛рд░реНрдмреЗрдЬ рдЪрд╛рд░реНрдЬреЗрдЬ рд▓реЗрддреЗ рд╣реИрдВ рдЬреЛ рдХреА рдЯреНрд░реЗрдХ рдХреЗ рджреМрд░рд╛рди рдЖрдкрдХреЗ рджреНрд╡рд╛рд░рд╛ рдлреИрд▓рд╛рдпреЗ рдЧрдП рдХреВрдбрд╝реЗ рдХрдЯрдХрд░ рдХреЗ рд▓рд┐рдП рд╣реЛрддреЗ рд╣реИрдВред ┬ардпреЗ рдЪрд╛рд░реНрдЬреЗрдЬ рд░рд┐рдлрдВрдбреЗрдмрд▓ рд╣реЛрддреЗ рд╣реИрдВ рдЕрдЧрд░ рдЖрдк рдЯреНрд░реЗрдХ рд╕реЗ рд╡рд╛рдкрд╕ рдЖрдиреЗ рдХреЗ рдмрд╛рдж рдЕрдкрдирд╛ рд╕рд╛рд░рд╛ рдХреВрдбрд╝рд╛ рд╡рд╛рдкрд╕ рд▓реЗрдХреЗ рдЖрдпреЗ рд╣реЛрдВ рддреЛред рд╕рд╛рд░реА рддреИрдпрд╛рд░рд┐рдпрд╛рдВ рдкреВрд░реА рд╣реЛрдиреЗ рдХреЗ рдмрд╛рдж рд╣рдо рдЕрдкрдиреЗ рд╕рдлрд░ рдкрд░ рдирд┐рдХрд▓ рдкрдбрд╝реЗ рдЬреЛ рдХреА рд╕реВрд░реНрдп рдХреБрдВрдб рдХреЛ рдкрд╛рд░ рдХрд░рдХреЗ рд╢реБрд░реВ рд╕реЗ рд╣реА рдЦрдбрд╝реА рдЪрдврд╛рдИ рд╕реЗ рд╢реБрд░реВ рд╣реЛрддрд╛ рд╣реИред

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In the land of smiles: Thailand

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I wasnтАЩt prepared for anything which is what conditioned me for everything to come. I canтАЩt explain it. But when I landed at Bangkok, (Suwarnabhumi pronounced Su-wana-poon) a singularly inspiring piece of engineering, I was overcome with various feelings_ euphoria, above all. I needed my visa (on arrival for Indian passport holders), a shower and change. I was backpacking, had no time to waste, had to pack in as much as I could while I was here and I wasnтАЩt going to check into a hotel to distress.

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Adisaptagram – an ancient port town in Bengal

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Currently there is a railway station by the name of Adisaptagram in the Howrah-Burdwan main line which indicates the township of Saptagram. One of the most important remnants which still exists today is a brick mosque protected by the Archaeological Survey of India. The roof has collapsed . There are rich terracotta decorations on the exterior walls and on the three Mihrabs and corner Minarets .There is a stone foundation plaque which states that the Mosque was constructed by Syed Jamaluddin , the son of Abul Syed Fakuruddin of Amul during the Ramzan month circa 936 Hizira(1529 AD).

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рдХреЗрджрд╛рд░рддрд╛рд▓ рдпрд╛рддреНрд░рд╛ – рджрд┐рд▓реНрд▓реА рд╕реЗ рдЧрдВрдЧреЛрддреНрд░реА

рдХреЗрджрд╛рд░рддрд╛рд▓ рдпрд╛рддреНрд░рд╛ – рджрд┐рд▓реНрд▓реА рд╕реЗ рдЧрдВрдЧреЛрддреНрд░реА

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рдЬрд┐рд╕ рдирдВрдмрд░ рдкрд░ рдЖрдк рд╕рдВрдкрд░реНрдХ рдХрд░рдирд╛ рдХрд╣рддреЗ рд╣реИрдВ рд╡реЛ рдЕрднреА рд╕реНрд╡рд┐рдЪ рдСрдл рд╣реИ рдпрд╛ рдиреЗрдЯрд╡рд░реНрдХ рдЫреЗрддреНрд░ рд╕реЗ рдмрд╣рд╛рд░ рд╣реИ… рдЛрд╖рд┐рдХреЗрд╢ рдореЗрдВ рд╢реБрдмрд╣ рдХреЗ 4:30 рдмрдЬ рд░рд╣реЗ рдереЗ рдФрд░ рдореЗрд░реА рдЗрд╕ рдпрд╛рддреНрд░рд╛ рдХреЗ рд╕рд╛рдереА рдкреНрд░рд╢рд╛рдВрдд рдиреЗ рдореБрдЭреЗ рдпрд╣реАрдВ рдорд┐рд▓рдирд╛ рдерд╛ рд▓реЗрдХрд┐рди рдЙрд╕рдХрд╛ реЮреЛрди рд╕реНрд╡рд┐рдЪ рдСрдл рдЖ рд░рд╣рд╛ рдерд╛ред рдореИ рджрд┐рд▓реНрд▓реА рд╕реЗ 16 рдЬреВрди рдХреА рд░рд╛рдд рдХреЛ рдЪрд▓рд╛ рдерд╛ рдФрд░ рдкреНрд░рд╢рд╛рдВрдд рджреЗрд╣рд░рд╛рджреВрди рд╕реЗ рдЖрдХрд░ рд░рд╛рдд рдмрд┐рддрд╛рдиреЗ рдХреЗ рд▓рд┐рдП рдЛрд╖рд┐рдХреЗрд╢ рдореЗрдВ рдХрд┐рд╕реА рд╣реЛрдЯрд▓ рдореЗрдВ рдард╣рд░рд╛ рд╣реБрдЖ рдерд╛ рдФрд░ рд╕реБрдмрд╣ рд╣рдо рджреЛрдиреЛрдВ рдХреЛ рдорд┐рд▓рдХрд░ рдЙрддреНрддрд░рдХрд╛рд╢реА рдХреА рдУрд░ рд░рд╡рд╛рдирд╛ рд╣реЛрдирд╛ рдерд╛ред рдкреНрд░рд╢рд╛рдВрдд рдиреЗ рдореБрдЭреЗ рд░рд╛рдд рдХреЛ рд╣реА рдмрддрд╛ рджрд┐рдпрд╛ рдерд╛ рдХреА рд╡реЛ рдХрд┐рд╕ рд╣реЛрдЯрд▓ рдореЗрдВ рдард╣рд░рд╛ рд╣реИ рд▓реЗрдХрд┐рди рдореБрдЭреЗ рд╣реЛрдЯрд▓ рдХрд╛ рдирд╛рдо рдпрд╛рдж рдирд╣реАрдВ рдерд╛, рдмрд╕ рдЗрддрдирд╛ рдпрд╛рдж рдерд╛ рдХреА рд╣реЛрдЯрд▓ рддреНрд░рд┐рд╡реЗрдгреА рдШрд╛рдЯ рдХреЗ рдкрд╛рд╕ рд╣реИред рдЕрдм рд╕рдордЭ рдореЗрдВ рдирд╣реАрдВ рдЖ рд░рд╣рд╛ рдерд╛ рдХреА рдХреНрдпрд╛ рдХрд┐рдпрд╛ рдЬрд╛рдПред рд╕реБрдмрд╣ рд╕реБрдмрд╣ рд╕реЬрдХ рдкрд░ рдПрдХрджрдо рд╕рдиреНрдирд╛рдЯрд╛ рдерд╛ рдФрд░ рдореИ рдЗрдзрд░ рдЙрдзрд░ рдЯрд╣рд▓ рдХрд░ рдЯрд╛рдЗрдо рдкрд╛рд╕ рдХрд░рдиреЗ рд▓рдЧрд╛ рдХреА рддреШрд░реАрдмрди рдмреАрд╕ рдорд┐рдирдЯ рдмрд╛рдж рдореЗрд░реЗ реЮреЛрди рдХреА рдШрдВрдЯреА рдмрдЬреА, рджреЗрдЦрд╛ рдХреА рдкреНрд░рд╢рд╛рдВрдд рдХрд╛ рд╣реА реЮреЛрди рд╣реИред рдореИ рдкреНрд░рд╢рд╛рдВрдд рдХреЗ рдмрддрд╛рдпреЗ рд╣реБрдП рд░рд╕реНрддреЗ рдкреЗ рдЪрд▓ рдкреЬрд╛ рдФрд░ рдХреБрдЫ рд╣реА рдорд┐рдирдЯреЛрдВ рдореЗрдВ рдЙрд╕рдХреЗ рд╣реЛрдЯрд▓ рдХреЗ рдХрдорд░реЗ рдореЗрдВ рдкрд╣реБрдБрдЪ рдЧрдпрд╛ред

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The Leisure Road Trip to Kolkata

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In the morning we got up by 4:30am. All the end moment packing was done starting from camera charger, laptop and mobile charger. We were in a hurry as we had planned to leave by 5:00am and we were running late. Never mind we were ready by 6:15am and left our home sweet home by 6:30am. The Toyota Fortuner which I was going to drive became a small caravan with the facility for breakfast, lunch and some other tits-bits and beverages like a bottle of Coca-Cola, Tea, and Coffee.

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BullтАЩs Retreat – OUTTA THIS WORLD!

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Driving through Rishikesh in darkness, we could not see much except the twinkling diyas after Arti on the banks of Ganga. Though it was pitch dark, it was impossible to miss well lit billboard of the BullтАЩs Retreat ahead of Shivpuri village and we were warmly greeted by courteous Mohinder and staff of Retreat who shifted quickly our baggage to two rooms alloted to us.

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