London to Mumbai by Road 2016 – Revisited
Day 57 – 23 October 2016
A Thoughtful Farewell and Another Tough Day on India’s Roads
Another scorching hot day greeted Team Kontiki this morning in Imphal.
Our plan had been to leave early, around 8:00 am, and make a good start towards Dimapur, approximately 230 kilometres away. However, breakfast was interrupted by a completely unexpected and heartwarming surprise.
Just as we were finishing our meal, Mr Amardeep Cheema, the owner of the Tata Service Centre that had helped repair Kontiki the previous day, arrived at our hotel.
And he didn’t come empty-handed.
Amardeep had brought each of us a traditional shawl as a gift and a gesture of good luck for the remainder of our journey.
We were genuinely touched.
In many parts of India, presenting a shawl is a sign of respect, goodwill, and blessing, and for someone who had only met us the day before, it was an incredibly thoughtful gesture.
It was yet another example of the kindness and hospitality we had encountered throughout our travels.
After thanking Amardeep sincerely and taking a few photographs together, we finally set off at around 9:00 am.
Unfortunately, the roads ahead quickly reminded us that we were still travelling through one of the most challenging regions of India.
The route from Imphal towards Dimapur wound through mountains, deep valleys, and dense forests. While the scenery was beautiful, the road conditions were anything but.
Huge potholes appeared without warning.
Sections of road were broken and uneven.
Sharp bends followed steep climbs and descents.
In many places, there were deep drops into valleys below, leaving little room for error.
Driving a large motorhome through such conditions demanded constant concentration.
Progress was painfully slow.
In some stretches, we were averaging no more than 15 to 20 kilometres per hour, despite spending most of the day on the road.
Then came another moment of drama.
At one point, something caught our attention in the mirror.
To our horror, we realised that the spare wheel mounted underneath Kontiki had broken loose.
Had it fallen completely free, it could have caused serious damage or even an accident.
Fortunately, we spotted the problem in time.
We immediately stopped and carefully recovered the wheel before it detached completely.
It was another reminder of the punishment Kontiki had endured over the rough roads of Myanmar and north-eastern India.
Despite having recently repaired the suspension, the constant pounding from potholes was still taking its toll on our faithful motorhome.
Thankfully, after securing the wheel properly, we were able to continue.
The remainder of the journey was slow but uneventful.
Hour after hour, we crawled through the mountains, negotiating rough surfaces, avoiding potholes, and admiring the spectacular scenery whenever we had the opportunity.
Eventually, after what felt like a much longer journey than the distance suggested, we reached Dimapur at around 7:30 pm.
The day had been physically and mentally exhausting.
Dimapur lies in the state of Nagaland, one of India’s most unique regions. Unlike much of India, the majority of Nagaland’s population follows Christianity, and English is widely spoken alongside local languages.
The atmosphere felt noticeably different from other parts of the country we had visited.
By the time we arrived, all we wanted was a shower, a meal, and a comfortable bed.
Once again, we checked into a hotel for the night and gratefully brought another challenging day to a close.
As we reflected on the day’s events, we realised how fortunate we had been.
A loose spare wheel, dangerous roads, and relentless potholes could easily have caused much bigger problems.
Instead, Team Kontiki had once again overcome the challenge and moved one step closer to Mumbai.
The road remained difficult.
But so far, so were we.
Distance travelled: Approximately 230 km (143 miles)
Route: Imphal, Manipur to Dimapur, Nagaland
Weather: Extremely hot and sunny
Highlights: Receiving farewell gifts from Amardeep Cheema and entering the state of Nagaland
Most memorable moment: Discovering and recovering the spare wheel before it detached completely from the motorhome
Challenge of the day: Mountain roads, deep valleys, and huge potholes limiting speeds to 15–20 km/h
Accommodation: Hotel in Dimapur, Nagaland
Mood of the day: Tired but grateful, encouraged by kindness and determined to keep moving forward
Join us tomorrow as Team Kontiki continues westward across India, leaving the mountains of the North East behind and edging ever closer to Mumbai on our extraordinary London-to-Mumbai road adventure.
