Day 20: Plan: Kohima Imphal Kohima
Day 20:
Kohima-Imphal-Kohima
The hotel I stayed was Blue Bayou and they had a dormitory which was very economical & very comfortable.
As I had to do just about 280 odd kms to reach Imphal and back so I thought I may as well have my breakfast and start & the package included breakfast too. I had my breakfast and started from the hotel and just a few meters down Storm Shadow started switching off. I again started it and rode instantly it switched off. There was some issue with the wiring I guessed. I then tried locating a workshop to get it checked. I asked the locals and found out that there was a workshop close by. I requested a few guys to help me out and one of them agreed to help me tow the bike till the workshop. I reached the workshop and to my luck had to wait for about 30 minutes to open. I requested the technician to check the wiring thoroughly. Yesterday a lot of time was wasted waiting for the convoy and stuff and today this I thought.I did not want the bike to stop somewhere in the middle of a no man's land so the best option for me was to get it checked perfectly and then only begin the journey ahead.
It took the technician a while before the issue was figured out. Finally it took him a couple of hours to fix it all well. It was about 11 by time I started from Kohima. I knew there was no way I could come back to Kohima before Sundown. I was in touch with Bobo Khai from Royal Riders Manipur in Imphal. A lot of people had told me many stories about Manipur but this is one guy who gave me confidence to visit and ride to Imphal.
The roads were in moderately decent to bad conditions but the surroundings were very scenic. I finally reached Imphal by about 4:00 PM but by this time the front shock absorber was leaking oil quite bad and taken a hit. So I went to the KTM service center in Imphal as the shocks on Storm Shadow was of KTM Duke. To my bad luck the service center had no oil seals. The manager there was a nice chap, he called up KTM guys at Dimapur Nagaland and confirmed that they had it. So I could only get it fixed in Dimapur which was 200 kms away.
As I had no option, I went ahead into Imphal. I called up Bobo bro once I reached Imphal and parked myself in a restaurant. I was hungry so I ordered some soupy noodles and it was just awesome. By the time I finished Bobo had ridden down. I offered him to order some food but he refused politely.
We then rode and he helped me check in into a nice cozy hotel and said that he would be back in an hour. As I was tired I freshened up and then waited for Bobo to call me. He was one damn punctual guy. Exactly in 1 hour he showed up at the hotel. We then went into the city to have a little tour of Imphal. We then met Murfi Edie. We sat by a street side tea stall chatted, had red tea and spring onion pakoras. It was an awesome time.
We then took leave from Edie and I told Bobo that I wanted to eat a typical Manipuri dinner. We then went to a local Manipuri food joint and had awesome dinner.
Post dinner Bobo took me to his home. All the while I saw people lighting candles and lights by the street. It was Irabot Day.
More information about Hijam Irabot https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hijam_Irabot
We then spent a little while at Bobo's home and then he dropped me back to the hotel. Wow it really was an awesome day. I felt happy that I got delayed this morning else I would not have had enough time to spend with Bobo & Edie and instead would have ridden back to Kohima. I would humbly request people to visit Manipur without listening to what rumors people around are spreading. The people and the place both are simply awesome.
Before I went to bed I got a message from Gaurav Bhai from Delhi that Grey Stallion had reached New Delhi Station and that tomorrow he would pick it and get it dropped off at Kawasaki ASC.
Route taken : Kohima, Senapati, Imphal .
Road conditions: Moderately decent to bad.
What caused the delay: Time spent at the workshop in Kohima.
Kms Done: 137 kms
Destination tomorrow: Imphal- Tezpur.
Kohima-Imphal-Kohima
The hotel I stayed was Blue Bayou and they had a dormitory which was very economical & very comfortable.
Panoramic View from the Balcony
Views of Kohima from the Hotel Balcony
Happy Me after a very Good Night's sleep
Breakfast time
Hotel where I stayed in Kohima
Commonwealth World War II Cementry
As I had to do just about 280 odd kms to reach Imphal and back so I thought I may as well have my breakfast and start & the package included breakfast too. I had my breakfast and started from the hotel and just a few meters down Storm Shadow started switching off. I again started it and rode instantly it switched off. There was some issue with the wiring I guessed. I then tried locating a workshop to get it checked. I asked the locals and found out that there was a workshop close by. I requested a few guys to help me out and one of them agreed to help me tow the bike till the workshop. I reached the workshop and to my luck had to wait for about 30 minutes to open. I requested the technician to check the wiring thoroughly. Yesterday a lot of time was wasted waiting for the convoy and stuff and today this I thought.I did not want the bike to stop somewhere in the middle of a no man's land so the best option for me was to get it checked perfectly and then only begin the journey ahead.
It took the technician a while before the issue was figured out. Finally it took him a couple of hours to fix it all well. It was about 11 by time I started from Kohima. I knew there was no way I could come back to Kohima before Sundown. I was in touch with Bobo Khai from Royal Riders Manipur in Imphal. A lot of people had told me many stories about Manipur but this is one guy who gave me confidence to visit and ride to Imphal.
The roads were in moderately decent to bad conditions but the surroundings were very scenic. I finally reached Imphal by about 4:00 PM but by this time the front shock absorber was leaking oil quite bad and taken a hit. So I went to the KTM service center in Imphal as the shocks on Storm Shadow was of KTM Duke. To my bad luck the service center had no oil seals. The manager there was a nice chap, he called up KTM guys at Dimapur Nagaland and confirmed that they had it. So I could only get it fixed in Dimapur which was 200 kms away.
As I had no option, I went ahead into Imphal. I called up Bobo bro once I reached Imphal and parked myself in a restaurant. I was hungry so I ordered some soupy noodles and it was just awesome. By the time I finished Bobo had ridden down. I offered him to order some food but he refused politely.
We then rode and he helped me check in into a nice cozy hotel and said that he would be back in an hour. As I was tired I freshened up and then waited for Bobo to call me. He was one damn punctual guy. Exactly in 1 hour he showed up at the hotel. We then went into the city to have a little tour of Imphal. We then met Murfi Edie. We sat by a street side tea stall chatted, had red tea and spring onion pakoras. It was an awesome time.
With Bobo Khai & Murfi Edie
We then took leave from Edie and I told Bobo that I wanted to eat a typical Manipuri dinner. We then went to a local Manipuri food joint and had awesome dinner.
With Bobo Bro having Manipuri Dinner
Thank you Royal Riders Manipur
Post dinner Bobo took me to his home. All the while I saw people lighting candles and lights by the street. It was Irabot Day.
More information about Hijam Irabot https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hijam_Irabot
We then spent a little while at Bobo's home and then he dropped me back to the hotel. Wow it really was an awesome day. I felt happy that I got delayed this morning else I would not have had enough time to spend with Bobo & Edie and instead would have ridden back to Kohima. I would humbly request people to visit Manipur without listening to what rumors people around are spreading. The people and the place both are simply awesome.
End of day 20.
A small view of day 20 ride https://youtu.be/0Dkqd0q6AUI
Before I went to bed I got a message from Gaurav Bhai from Delhi that Grey Stallion had reached New Delhi Station and that tomorrow he would pick it and get it dropped off at Kawasaki ASC.
Grey Stallion at New Delhi railway Station
Route taken : Kohima, Senapati, Imphal .
Road conditions: Moderately decent to bad.
What caused the delay: Time spent at the workshop in Kohima.
Kms Done: 137 kms
Destination tomorrow: Imphal- Tezpur.
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