Day 2: The first day started off at 7 am, while some of us were still walking in our sleep. However, the lethargy was soon swept away as we heard some sweet sounding machines heading our way. We soon figured that there was a Kawasaki Ninja ZX10r, a Triumph Street Triple and a Suzuki Hayabusa which had come to see us off. Being flagged off from Bhubaneshwar, we then headed to Ranchi, our destination for the day, more than 500 kms away.
Driving as a convoy, we were covering good ground on the well paved roads in Orissa. The road train of 20 cars then first stopped at a local village, where some really enthusiastic and charming people handed out snacks, appreciated our efforts, felicitated our friends from Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan and waved us off with smiles.
We then came across intersections where people were waiting with garlands and petals to be showered on us, making us feel like royalty. A little while later, we stopped again for a cultural performance by a few talented college students at Baripada, where they enthralled us with their graceful moves.
As we slithered through Orissa, taking B roads, we were surprised at the quality of the tarmac even in remote areas. Post lunch, we marched on, kicked some dust at a few places where the roads were still being paved to reach Seraikela, a town in Jharkhand historically famous for its cultural wealth, royalty and the world renowned, rare and beautiful Chau dance.
Even here, school kids, who waited for us all evening, greeted us with their sweet smiles and hoped their town and hospitality goes rightfully on the cultural world map, banking on increased tourism, which events like the BBIN rally hope to enhance.
Passing through Jamshedpur, we snaked into Ranchi, well past midnight. As we called it a day, it was for the first time that I begun to realise how rich our country is and how giving and welcoming are our countrymen. This being just the beginning, I switched off the lights for an early start tomorrow, where the bunch will head north and drive into Bihar’s capital city, Patna.
Day 3: Excited at the prospects of what lay ahead, we were flagged off by the governor of Jharkhand, outside the palatial Raj Bhavan in Ranchi. A tricked out rally spec Gypsy and a Baleno took time out on a Monday morning to lead us out of the city.
Once on the outskirts, the cars stopped for a fuel break and was then picked up by a police jeep, which looked rickety, but was leading the pack at a comfortable 100 kph. Travelling through a relatively flat and featureless geography, we were cruIsing on the smooth four lane highway, until we came across a sparkling body of water nestled between some rolling hills. Since we weren’t stopping, I clicked a few pictures from the moving car and was told by my co-driver that it was the famous Jhumri Talaiya. With about 120 kms more to go, we crossed into Bihar and soon realised why motorists dread driving on the roads here.
The surface was poor, potholes atleast a foot deep were dotted at regular intervals and with jaywalkers, adamant truckers and swerving bicycles and motorcyclists, driving here took all my concentration. It got worse as the sun went down, where finally after some time, some respite came in the form of a four laned expressway that took us straight into Patna. The drive today was rather uneventful compared to yesterday, and save for a couple hilly section which cut through some dense forests, it was all flat and straight.
Tomorrow we drive to Siliguri, from where we will hit the hills and things will start to get pretty, serene and adventurous. Stay tuned. Till then check out some more images here:
