Day 2 - Solo Ride from Kolkata to Land of Thunder Dragon

Day 2
03/11/2011

It was 4.30am in the morning, when I opened my eyes. I looked outside of the dhaba, it was total foggy, I could barely see things 4 fts away. I started packing up things and was ready to hit the road within 5.15am. After checking the tyre pressure I hit the road. The NH31 was butter smooth 4 lane highway except near Kisanganj, it merged to a single road. As the fog was getting away slowly I was able to maintain a speed of 80-85 all along the way. I planned to stop the day’s first break at Siliguri for breakfast. Around 7.30 I reached Siliguri and stopped at IOCL petrol pump near Orbit Mall, Siliguri. I filled up my empty stomach with biscuits, cashews and tea. I was quite relaxed that I will reach Phuentsholing within more 3 hours but did not know what actually was going to happen. Just when I finished my breakfast and fag break and just about to head inside the petrol pump I saw the rear tyre is punctured. Oh GOD!! How this can happen? I maintained 85-90 just before Siliguri and the tyre did not complained anything. To my utter luck I got a puncture repair shop just opposite the pump. I just gave a big thanks to ‘HIM’. It took around 1.5 hour to rmake my steed ready to roll. I was sure I will not make it to Phuentsholing before lunch time I was bit disappointed. So decided to take the Sevoke road as it is better to enjoy the ride than waiting in the queue in the lunchtime. It was already 9.15am. I started rolling again. The roads of Siliguri was bit congested at that point of time in the morning. Within a while I was out of the busy roads and hit the smooth open NH31 through Sevoke Bridge. The ride through this stretch was amazing, I maintained around 95-100kmph. The scenic views at both the sides, the open road and the cold breeze made it more attractive. It stopped me to unleash the photographer inside me after crossing every 8-10kms. Crossed Birpara, Jaldapara and from a place I turned towards Hasimara which leads to Phuentsholing. The condition of this road was like hell. It was my utter surprise how the road connecting two countries can be like this. Around 1.15 pm I reached Phuentsholing.

I thought I would have to wait for 45minutes as the RSTA office opens at 2.00 after lunch, but I almost forgot the BT Time is 30mins ahead, so I had to wait only for 15 mins. The permit process took only 10 mins to complete. I have submitted Rs. 128/- for my bike for duration of 11days. The lady there in the RSTA office was very helpful and was too curious to know about me. Hope she’s thinking I was a madcap riding all alone to see her country.
Within 2.30pm completing all the formalities I was ready to enter Bhutan legally. I decided to stay at Phuentsholing not in Jaigaon to test how it feels staying in a different land. I searched for sometime and found a good hotel in a reasonable rate – “Bhutan Hotel”. The parking here in Bhutan is a pain. I parked my bike in a distance of 500mtrs from hotel and carried all my luggage to my room at 3rd floor!!! Anyway I got freshened up and had my lunch from the room service and had a talk with my parents and better half. After a sound sleep till 6 in the evening I went outside to see the streets of Pheuntsholing and capture them in my lens.

Came back to hotel around at 8.30pm and ordered my dinner. After having my dinner cleared all the bills of the hotel as I was supposed to leave the hotel at the early morning around at 5.00. The whole Phuentsholing city went surprisingly quite as the time rolled. Had a fag and went to bed at around 10 with a wish to have a great day ahead.