It never rains.....

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There's a saying: "It never rains but it pours"...and it comes to my mind not only because we are in the middle of flood season here near Byron Bay, but because after a couple of months of no interest in my ads for travel companions, suddenly I have several enquiries. Not only that, but now there seems to be the real possibility that I may be able to spend some time riding a motorcycle during my explorations.
So this tantalising opportunity has arisen...and yet it makes planning even more complex!
Now I have to see whether the motorcycle tour will get me to the places I want to go...and whether it will even run,,,and whether it'll run on dates that I can join it,,, and if other possible travel companions who are interested in my general journey are interested in this option as well... etc etc

These are the difficulties of planning a complex journey remotely via the internet!! Maybe I should have adopted the strategy of my earlier journeys and just headed off to let fate deliver what it would. However, since I have very specific goals in mind, I'll continue on with the complexity this time...and let fate deal with that too.

I got very excited when I was contacted by the guy offering me a possible spot on his motorcycle tour...and he hadn't even realised that I've been a rider for 40 years!(You'd reckon the fact I have a leather jacket on in my photo could have been a hint!).
But then I started feeling guilty that I'd been in negotiation with another very genuine guy about doing a more normal tour of Arunachal Pradesh, and I didn't want to let HIM down. I finally resolved it with the realisation that I'd probably need to use both their services (if I could) if I was going to do the things I wanted, anyway.

The motorcycle tour offer is from a local Assam guy, who's decided that the time is right to start up such a tour...and I can't help but think he's right. The scenery is reputedly stunning, the Indian Enfield is an appropriate bike for those roads (i.e slow!), and what better way to get close to nature and people than by riding through some of the country?! Since he's just starting it up, he's offering it with no bike hire costs, just food/petrol etc. So it sounds like a bit of a trial run...possibly with the hiccups that trial runs/ first expeditions often have: but that'd be part of the adventure! And it'd be kind of nice to help an Indian fellow motorcyclist set up such a thing because I wrote to one of the western companies that organise rides up to Ladakh etc suggesting Assam (and how I'd be happy to be a guinea pig...), and didn't even get a reply. Maybe they already have enough on their plate.
I reckon his biggest hurdle will be getting the word out...and getting pillion passengers...because he wants 4 rider and 4 PILLIONS. But not all riders travel with partners, and most riders don't want to be pillions when they could be riding...nor do travellers necessarily want to team up to be a pillion with a rider they may hardly know, for a couple of weeks. Still, I have my fingers crossed it'll all come together - it'd be nice to be able to say I was on the inaugural ride!!

On the more practical front, I now have my visa, am getting a bit fitter and more flexible, and am organising money, medicine, and mosquito net.

Unfortunately, I've also discovered that the NSW DET , for whom I work as a teacher, has now filtered all of travelblog.org - so that no student in any NSW public school can access it. It seems so ludicrous that they'd block such a useful educational site - but they just seem to apply a blanket filter to all blogs and wikis - because they "can't guarantee the quality of what might be put up". Apparently the fact that kids can be bombarded with ads on commercial sites isn't a quality issue!! I could see the sense in it, if someone could show me an offensive travelblog here - I've not found one!! Still I'd best not rant too much or I'll be in trouble.
So plans for our students to follow my journey here seem to be " up the creek", unless I can persuade people higher up the chain of command to change the filter.

Now I just need to keep fingers crossed I can get some more permit and /or riding companions.

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Comments

[shahwar hussain]

maybe we will meet in NE
Hi, been through your blogs wanting company and the offer of a motorcycle ride. I am sure you will enjoy the motorcycle ride very much. I am from Assam but live in Delhi and hopefully I might run into you in April. I and a friend are taking a 25,000 km motorcycle trip through all the north eastern states from March (Inshallah) and it would be great if we meet. If your students can read your blogs about NE India it would be simply great. We have a very different lifestyle and culture and there is very little in common with the rest of India. Enjoy your trip.. Cheers Shahwar

[Bianca]

Aha!!! But here I am, a student reading the travel diary of Mr Richardson. I'm sorry it took me so long but I have only just checked my school emails. What with exams and holidays. Sorry sir.