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The Weekly Frame – Ride through the Bamboo Forests
Shot during my motorcycle ride to the unexplored bamboo forests of Bettamugilalam, which is a part of the...
The pitter patter of the rain outside worked as the perfect alarm. It was not the morning we expected for our debut into the roads of North Bengal, but took it as it came. Off went the rain gears and the packing stuff from our baggage and gradually all was packed tight with bungee cords. After the high fives and thumbs up’s we were all set to cruise through the greasy streets of Siliguri.
Departure Time: 0730 hrs Next Destination: Jalpaiguri (Goshala More), 45 kms from Siliguri.
The place where we stayed in Siliguri
The pleasant morning was very refreshing especially after the bad times we had last night. Deepak was riding as a pillion, poor guy; I wished I could do something other than empathizing with his dejected face! Sooner than later we took up speed and started vrooming though the empty roads, but the smooth roads disappeared soon and we landed amidst gravel roads with huge potholes. The road improved somewhat near Jalpaiguri and I took sight of a short guy in a yellow jacket waving towards me..It was Pinak!
Just out of Siliguri..deserted morning roads
Moving ahead from Jalpaiguri..
Departure Time: 0930 hrs Next Destination: Jaigaon (Town on the Indian Side of the border), 92 kms from Siliguri.
We decided to up the pace a little so that we can reach Phuntsholing on time and get the Immigration Permit today itself. Just after we left the outskirts of Jalpaiguri, we were greeted by the gorging Teesta River coming down straight from Sikkim. The flow was so terrific that we had to stop by the panoramic expanse of the river impregnating the distant cloudy mountains, no wonder so much romanticism surrounds the Teesta.
Mystifying Teesta
The 3 musketeers..From Left: Deepak, Som, Pinak
Spotting the NE Rajdhani Express
Unpleasant roads..curious onlookers!
After driving nonstop for quite some time and crossing the small towns of Dhupguri, Mainaguri and Goyerkata we were actually driving through the Dooars in Bengal. Dooars is the gateway of north east India from Siliguri; it consists of a number of wildlife sanctuaries, viz Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary, Gorumara National Park, Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary and Buxa Tiger Reserve. This was a real breathtaking drive along the vast grassland accompanied by riverine forests interspersed with swamps and small streams. The refreshing rains did make the forests appear more vibrant and picturesque. The roads were less noisy, just the melody of the birds and rustling of tree leaves played on my ears. The significant decrease in traffic was also a respite. The huge welcome board of “Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary “passed a chill through my spine. I have heard so much about this place and its famous one horn rhinos. “How about spotting a rhino on the road itself???” – The zany side of me started aspiring…time to move on! The exciting mosaic of the flora and fauna led us to the tea belt, but not before some bird watching and monkey spotting. The tea gardens of dooars , at the foothills of Himalayas, were extremely tempting with their refreshing smell and before I could capture every moment of the drive in my senses we landed up at the busy thoroughfares of the last town in India, on our way to Bhutan. Jaigaon it was, hustling and extremely erratic with heavy traffic and terrible roads.
Some bad roads on the way to Dooars
What a contrast…Dooars it is!
Looked a lovely hiking trail..Southkhairibari nature resort
Jaldapara National Park Entry Gate
Nearing Bhutan hills..
Awesome view..we watched this 3D !
A stone quarry
Machines lined along tea gardens
Breathtaking views..
Hard Day at Office…
Enroute Jaigaon..roads maintained by BRO
Hashimara…last settlement before Jaigaon
Finally we entered Phuntsholing (border town of Bhutan) after crossing the famous gate at the border. The roads and town planning of Phuntsholing were totally in contrast to that of Jaigaon, even though they were neighbors. It was hard to believe a gate could change things dramatically; I had to console my agony on the Indian roads by simply appreciating the work put in by the people on the other side to maintain their town. After some traffic rule breaking and busting by a police officer, we made it to the Immigration Office.
The Statue of Netaji at Jaigaon..start of pathetic roads till border!
Architectural Splendor..Entry Gate of the Royal Kingdom
The permits were easy to get being Indians, a display of the original passport, a copy of it along with form and a photo session, that was it! Never believed we would get our permits in hand within an hour, after reading about the tiring experiences in many travelogues. We settled in for a hotel opposite the petrol pump, with a parking slot in front. Made a failed attempt to get the road permits from the RSTA Office, but it was already closed. 2-4 pm(BST) is the time it opens in the afternoon. Deepak left for Siliguri to get his bike with a spark in his face and after roaming around the bazaar of Jaigaon and streets of Phuntsholing we dozed off in our cozy hotel room…with no plans in mind for the next day ….
