January 2025 Part 2

 

January 2025 Part 2

 

We travelled from Nazira to Bamunbarrie by car with Chinmoy. When we arrived at his home we were greeted  in the Assamese way with touching feet and being presented with a gamosa. It was the first time of meeting Chinmoys’ new wife and there was no time to get to know her before she caught a bus to take her to work. All the remaining family we had met on our last visit in 2019. The evening started with a beer and gathered around an open fire and as the evening progressed more people arrived to share our company. This was how every evening during our stay panned out. There didn’t seem to be any planning but it was incredibly social. 

Like last visit I had a choice of bikes, a 250cc Suzuki trail bike that I sat on and found the seat too high then I tried the 250cc Husky, a Husqvarna Svartpilen. I think that is an unfortunate choice of name and with twists of a few syllables had me in fits of laughter for hours. Just one to give you a flavour, Svartschpatten is one of my favourites. It fit me well and felt very manageable. The treat for me was going to Arunachel on the bike. Events and beurocracy conspired against me. It was a Protected Area, Gita could go in but not me. I needed a permit and as much everyone tried online no permit was available. It was very disappointing as at the border more bikers had assembled to ride with me. They went on to ride the fabulous winding roads of rural India and I returned to Bamunbarrie with Chinmoy and Jobal who made a recording of the day. It is too long for this posting but will appear in a reel. I enjoyed the Schsplaatven when wound up it performed and handled well. I would have liked to test its potential on some hills and bends.

After biking we paid a visit to one of Chinmoys’s friends in Moranhat and enjoyed chai and some snacks in the Fast Food Cafe which was safe for me to eat at. On our return we stopped to buy fish for the evening meal then retired to the camp fire for another social evening including this time some Bihu dancing. More poor “dad” dancing from me but Gita as graceful as ever.

Another flight and back to Guwahati for a cultural event with Gita’s dance Guru’s Dipjyoti and Depankur. Gita was due to dance but her health and smog in Delhi and Guwahati prevented any practicing but we had booked a luxury hotel the Vivanta Taj close to the venue for convenience. In the evening we had a visit from Chinmoy’s sister, Lakhu and her friend and had a buffet meal.

The next day we went shopping, first to Uzan bazaar for a specific Indian shop then on to a trade faire to pick up Basa’s wife Deepa and with Majoni, Utpal’s wife to go to a book faire to find the company that published Bhonti’s first poetry book, Gita’s sister. Then back to the trade faire for Deepa to carry on selling her homemade products, pickles, preserves and parochial wines. A busy day.

January 2025 Part 1

 

January 2025 Part 1

The first post of the New Year with hope trying to spring a surprise on us. Even so there are events planned to keep the posts flowing with optimism that the weather will play ball with fine, warm weather. We have arrived in Delhi for Christmas with Gita’s mother and sister and the grandkids. There was the Christmas build up with last minute present buying and festivities Indian style. Chinmoy and Lakhu arrived for a few days to meet Isaac, Ivy and the children. It was just like Christmas sharing gifts and there was still a week to go.

 

The next day there was a group visit to the Red Fort. Gita and I had to pay extra for being foreigners. There was a Christmas carnival at the Club across the road from where were staying. Great for the kids with bouncy castle, train rides and trampoline. That evening we were all together playing sitars, singing and reciting poetry. There was not enough room for dancing. It was a very special gathering. The next day Chinmoy and Lakhu depart back  to Guwahati after visits to a number of markets.

Christmas   was spent in the usual child lead mayhem and a buffet meal at the Eros hotel.

 Boxing day was a visit to the nearest Mall for children to play on the facilities there. On the 27^th Ivy, Isaac and children fly off to Goa and we fly off to Dibrughar and have more family engagement in Nazira. We were collected by Bharti, Gita’s elder brother and taken to the family home where Gita was born. Just ready for an early night when Gita’s other brothers and wives unexpectedly arrive. Christmas continues. Over the next few days we were on the Ahom people heritage trail visiting ceremonial palaces, temples, shrines and burial mounds near Nazira where Gita went to school and Sivasagar where she went to university. 

Over the next few days I had my best fun so far in getting Bharti’s eldest son, Rishi’s,  Hero Honda running. It was the one I rode on a family visit in 2014. I didn’t do much as I kept my hands mostly clean. As it had been standing some time it would not run and I diagnosed a carburettor problem that needed a removal and strip on the carburettor. It turned out to be a stuck diaphragm piston. With some persistence I got it free and a bit longer to make it smooth in operation Rishi assembled it.

It started and ran with choke but was not right.  It needed a little fettling, a touch more enrichment of the mixture and a tad more throttle it would start cold without doing  any more than a prod of the kick start. It ran well with no smoke from the exhaust showing all was in good condition. The reason is the atmosphere in Assam is very damp.

During this time of the year washing does not dry after 3pm and it is dark by 6pm. It just does not dry overnight so any ingress of moisture causes corrosion very quickly. The float needle was stuck because of this. To prove the point that it had been a successful job Bharti wheeled out the bike next morning and it started first kick with no fiddling. Rishi had learned allot from me as he did the work and I was

 pleased to do something useful.

Gita’s brothers and wives departed  for home in Guwahati and we soon  travelled to our next location,Bamunbarrie, and Chinmoy and Husky.

JC  January 27^th 2025