London to Mumbai by Road 2016 – Revisited
Day 58 – 24 October 2016
Dhabas, Repairs and a Battle with Mosquitoes
After a much-needed good night’s sleep in Dimapur, Team Kontiki woke refreshed and ready for another day on the road.
A hearty breakfast set us up nicely for the journey ahead, and at around 8:30 am we left for Nagaon in Assam, approximately 170 kilometres away.
The weather was warm and pleasant, making for comfortable travelling conditions.
Of course, no day on a long overland journey would be complete without at least one small challenge.
Soon after leaving Dimapur, we managed to take a wrong turn and found ourselves heading in entirely the wrong direction. Fortunately, we realised our mistake fairly quickly and managed to get back onto the correct road without losing too much time.
As we continued through the countryside, we began to see something that is a familiar and much-loved feature of Indian highways—dhabas.
For anyone travelling across India, dhabas are more than just roadside restaurants. They are institutions in their own right, serving freshly cooked meals, hot tea, and plenty of local hospitality to travellers, truck drivers, and families alike.
Every time we passed one, there was a temptation to stop.
Eventually temptation won.
At around 1:00 pm, we pulled into a local dhaba and decided to sample the regional cuisine. The food was simple, fresh, and surprisingly good. After weeks of travelling through foreign countries, being able to enjoy authentic Indian roadside food again felt wonderful.
Lunch over, we continued our journey, only to have another quintessential Indian experience a little later.
The local police stopped us.
The sight of a large British motorhome travelling through Assam naturally attracted attention. The officers asked to see our passports and wanted to know more about our journey.
Once they realised we had driven all the way from London, their curiosity quickly turned into admiration.
After a brief chat, they returned our documents, wished us good luck, and sent us on our way.
As the afternoon progressed, however, our attention returned to a more pressing concern—Kontiki.
Although the suspension repairs in Imphal had improved things considerably, we still felt something wasn’t quite right. Several times we pulled over to inspect the shock absorbers and suspension components.
The roads were gradually improving, but the punishment Kontiki had endured in Myanmar and the North-East had clearly taken its toll.
Eventually, at around 4:00 pm, we arrived in Nagaon and headed directly to a workshop owned by our contact Gurpreet Sehmi.
Gurpreet had already helped us tremendously by arranging repairs in Imphal, and once again he came to our rescue.
The mechanics carried out another thorough inspection and quickly identified the culprit. One of the shock absorbers kept working loose despite the recent repairs.
While the motorhome was in the workshop, we decided to tackle several other small issues as well.
The spare wheel retaining mechanism was repaired and strengthened after its recent escape attempt on the roads of Nagaland.
Our horn, which had been behaving unpredictably, was also fixed.
By the time the mechanics had finished, Kontiki was once again in much better shape and ready for the miles ahead.
We thanked Gurpreet and his team for their assistance before heading to our hotel for the evening.
The hotel itself was adequate rather than memorable.
The rooms were comfortable enough, but there was one major problem.
Mosquitoes.
And plenty of them.
Within minutes of entering our rooms, it became clear that we were not the only guests staying there.
Out came the mosquito spray.
Then came the mosquito coils.
Soon our rooms resembled a small chemical warfare exercise as we attempted to establish control over the local insect population.
Thankfully, the combined attack proved reasonably effective.
After a quick dinner, a few relaxing drinks, and a final check on tomorrow’s route, Team Kontiki called it a day.
Tomorrow we would continue westwards towards Guwahati, leaving the hills behind and moving steadily closer to Mumbai.
One thing was certain.
After surviving Russian borders, Chinese bureaucracy, Myanmar roads, and Indian mountain passes, we were not about to be defeated by a few mosquitoes.
Distance travelled: Approximately 170 km (105 miles)
Route: Dimapur, Nagaland to Nagaon, Assam
Weather: Warm and pleasant
Highlights: Enjoying lunch at a traditional Indian dhaba and meeting the local police
Most memorable moment: Watching curious police officers turn into enthusiastic supporters of our journey
Vehicle repairs: Shock absorber adjustment, spare wheel latch repair, and horn repair
Special thanks: Gurpreet Sehmi and his workshop team for their continued support
Accommodation: Hotel in Nagaon, Assam
Challenge of the day: A determined army of mosquitoes at the hotel
Mood of the day: Relaxed, reassured, and pleased to have Kontiki back in good shape
Join us tomorrow as Team Kontiki continues through Assam towards Guwahati, carrying on with the final stages of our extraordinary London-to-Mumbai road adventure.
