Darjeeling, Sikkim, Bhutan, Assam on Bikes : Part-1 : Planning!

So, right after getting Leh'd in July 2011, all we could think of was one more such ride, which should be bigger and better! We even thought of going to Ladakh again, as we hadn't covered Spithi, Zanskar, Tso Moriri, etc. But then we thought about exploring North East India, as we hadn't known many people who went there on bikes. We then started our research and booked tickets in April only. We booked flights from Bangalore to Bagdogra on 20th October, and the return flight from Guwahati to Bangalore on 4th November. Once the tickets were booked for our 16 day ride, the 5 of us started to talk to our managers first to ask for leaves! Every Software Engineer knows how hard it is to get leaves more than 5 days at a time! That too, I had joined Cisco just 7 months ago. However, I informed my manger about the 16 day leave, and surprisingly, as I informed him well in advance, he told me I can take it if I have sufficient leaves! So that went silky smooth, thanks to my manager! Similarly, others also got the leaves approved and once it was done, it was time to start our detailed research! 

Our actual plan after days of research was to cover Darjeeling, Sikkim, Bhutan, Arunachal Pradesh and even Meghalaya if possible, and return from Assam. Our expectations while planning was that, one can cover at least 150-200 kms everyday. Little did we know about the roads of North Sikkim!

The exchanging of mails from the outlook, browsing for all the possible good places, reading as many travelogues as possible... Our Ladakh days were back! 

On October 8th, we sent our bikes through Blue Dart. We knew the guy, as he had safely sent our bikes during our Ladakh ride. It cost us around 20,000 Rs for 4 bikes.

Time to give a little intro about us! The 5 of us were - Myself - Yashwanth ( CBR 250R) , Santhosh (Classic 500), Sharat (Thunderbird 350), Shrinath (Pulsar 180), Sandeep (Pillion). 

One will realize how much they are attached to their bikes, during times like these. We had to spend 12 long long days without our bikes!  Commuting in buses and auto rickshaws are such a headache!

I had bought my CBR just 5 months ago. So I had to get it serviced again before sending. I also had to buy a rider's jacket, cramster saddle bag, knee guard, etc. Others already had those stuffs with them from our Ladakh ride. After buying all the required things and keeping many gatorade sachets with all of us, our bags were packed and ready! 

Finally, after counting down for months, the day came, when we were about to spend 2 unforgettable weeks of our lives! October 20th!