London to Mumbai by Road 2016 – Revisited Day 65 – 31 October 2016 New Year Reflections, Kolkata Sights, and an Unexpected Farewell Yesterday was Diwali, the Festival of Lights, and today marks New Year’s Day according to the Hindu calendar. For most years, this is a time when all of us would be surrounded…
London to Mumbai by Road 2016 – Revisited Day 64 – 30 October 2016 Arriving in Kolkata on Diwali This morning began with a touching farewell. After spending the night in the car park of their Reliance fuel station, the Punjabi family who had looked after us so warmly came out to see us off.…
London to Mumbai by Road 2016 – Revisited Day 63 – 29 October 2016 A Slow Crawl Towards Kolkata This morning, Team Kontiki said goodbye to Siliguri and set off at 8:45 am on what we hoped would be a straightforward drive towards Kolkata, approximately 580 kilometres away. The weather could not have been better.…
London to Mumbai by Road 2016 – Revisited Day 62 – 28 October 2016 Tea, History, and More Repairs for Faithful Kontiki After a wonderful evening in Darjeeling, we woke to another cool and refreshing Himalayan morning. Today’s plan was simple but special. We would visit the famous Makaibari Tea Estate, owned by Rajan Banerjee,…
London to Mumbai by Road 2016 – Revisited Day 61 – 27 October 2016 The Toy Train to Darjeeling Today was a welcome break from driving and mechanical worries. For the first time in many days, Kontiki would be staying put while Team Kontiki headed into the foothills of the Himalayas to visit one of…
London to Mumbai by Road 2016 – Revisited Day 60 – 26 October 2016 Into Bengal and an Unexpected Encounter in Siliguri After a comfortable night’s rest in Pathsala, Team Kontiki enjoyed breakfast and set off at around 9:00 am for Siliguri, approximately 320 kilometres away. The weather continued to be kind to us. For…
London to Mumbai by Road 2016 – Revisited Day 59 – 25 October 2016 Across Assam, Currency Troubles and the Mighty Brahmaputra After another peaceful night’s rest in Nagaon, Team Kontiki was up early and ready for the road. Before leaving town, however, we made one important stop. We went to say goodbye and thank…
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…
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…