Here is the link to my previous blog entry
http://thecluelessrider.blogspot.in/2014/04/manipur.html
I am more of a night person. Its cooler, quieter and activities which may be described as immoral in the daytime seem more acceptable once its dark. Even if the immoral activities that I long for elude me, I still like to walk around in a new place at night time. The good people are all asleep and the wicked ones carry on with their activities in the cover of darkness. There is always a fear, a fear that there is something dangerous lurking around the corner waiting to pounce on you. Shady bars, groups of men couched together talking in hushed tones, in languages you don't understand when you pass by them in dingy street corners, specially in places where you clearly stand out as an outsider is one hell of a high few drugs can match upto. For all the beauty Manipur is blessed with - the security situation prevalent in the state really screws it up for everyone. Imphal - the capital city shuts down by 5:30 to 6 pm and after that one has nothing to do except for sitting in hotel rooms and wait for the sun to come up the next morning. I am not very particular about following the rules laid out and I do bend them once in a while to suit myself. But one look at the menacing looks of the Manipuri policemen carrying sophisticated weaponry and I know this is not really the place where I would be bending rules for frivolous purposes. The only silver lining in this mess is that the hotel waiter can get you alcohol from the black market to your room. Even though Manipur is a dry state, alcohol is very easily available and even the black market prices for alcohol seem reasonable (in fact cheaper) if you are used to buying alcohol in say a Mumbai or a Bangalore.
So everything was according to plan. Roamed around in the city the next morning. Went to Loktak lake some 40 odd Kms away on the morning after that. Came back to Imphal before lunch time. Headed to a cyber cafe to check out routes and other stuff to my next destination Silchar. But somewhere deep down I did not have enough of Manipur. Every traveler I believe is a journalist at some deep level and Manipur is one hell of a place to get a good story. I was still looking for my story here. I started researching about Manipur sitting in that internet cafe and I stumbled upon this town called Moreh. 'Moreh is a small town some 100 odd Kms away from Imphal on the Burma border' is the first thing I read from one of the articles I stumbled upon and by the time I finished reading more articles about Moreh I was sold.
Firstly I came to know that one could take their private vehicles to Tamu - the first town on the Burmese side of the border some 8 Kms inside without any documentation formalities. The third foreign country my bike would enter - leave apart everything else, this prospect itself was enough to get me going to Moreh. Then there is this Tamil Sangam in Moreh. There are some 400 odd Tamil families residing in Moreh and how they ended up in Moreh is a very interesting story. I will elaborate this story in my next blog post. Also the more I read about Moreh, I came to know that insurgent groups over there in the border areas control the allegedly flourishing drug trade across the borders. This town also claims to be more cosmopolitan than the rest of Manipur as Burmese alcohol is openly sold in the shops over there and the shops don't close till 8 or 9 in the evening. Considering the rest of Manipur closes by around 6 this was pretty interesting to note. Some articles also mentioned that there is a burgeoning sex trade in Moreh with women coming from Burma offering their services. Don't get me wrong. I was not keen on availing these services but somewhere the dark side of things intrigue me.
Drugs, sex and alcohol. One I indulge in regularly, one occasionally and one hardly. In no particular order mind you. I'll just leave it to your imagination. Sitting in that unimpressive cyber cafe I was already imagining myself sitting in a bar in Moreh, with hot women dancing around the table and people snorting cocaine on the other table. Somewhere I also imagined loud gunshots outside the bar where armed men on horses are fighting each other. Yes I was still wearing my cowboy hat and finishing off my beer when that hot waitress comes seductively with the bill. I tip her handsomely and leave for my hotel room. Something broke this lovely dream I was having sitting in that internet cafe but I was convinced that this is the place where I will get my story.
After all the best stories always involve drugs, sex and alcohol. The prospect of gunshots (which is very real in Manipur) would only spice up the whole story. So I did head up to Moreh the next day. I did get my story and boy what a story. Its probably one of the best stories I'll ever have in my life. One I will irritate my grandchildren with. I'll come up with that story in my next post but I can tell you one thing
"The best stories do not involve drugs, sex or alcohol. The best stories are created when people are kind to one another"
http://thecluelessrider.blogspot.in/2014/04/manipur.html
I am more of a night person. Its cooler, quieter and activities which may be described as immoral in the daytime seem more acceptable once its dark. Even if the immoral activities that I long for elude me, I still like to walk around in a new place at night time. The good people are all asleep and the wicked ones carry on with their activities in the cover of darkness. There is always a fear, a fear that there is something dangerous lurking around the corner waiting to pounce on you. Shady bars, groups of men couched together talking in hushed tones, in languages you don't understand when you pass by them in dingy street corners, specially in places where you clearly stand out as an outsider is one hell of a high few drugs can match upto. For all the beauty Manipur is blessed with - the security situation prevalent in the state really screws it up for everyone. Imphal - the capital city shuts down by 5:30 to 6 pm and after that one has nothing to do except for sitting in hotel rooms and wait for the sun to come up the next morning. I am not very particular about following the rules laid out and I do bend them once in a while to suit myself. But one look at the menacing looks of the Manipuri policemen carrying sophisticated weaponry and I know this is not really the place where I would be bending rules for frivolous purposes. The only silver lining in this mess is that the hotel waiter can get you alcohol from the black market to your room. Even though Manipur is a dry state, alcohol is very easily available and even the black market prices for alcohol seem reasonable (in fact cheaper) if you are used to buying alcohol in say a Mumbai or a Bangalore.
So everything was according to plan. Roamed around in the city the next morning. Went to Loktak lake some 40 odd Kms away on the morning after that. Came back to Imphal before lunch time. Headed to a cyber cafe to check out routes and other stuff to my next destination Silchar. But somewhere deep down I did not have enough of Manipur. Every traveler I believe is a journalist at some deep level and Manipur is one hell of a place to get a good story. I was still looking for my story here. I started researching about Manipur sitting in that internet cafe and I stumbled upon this town called Moreh. 'Moreh is a small town some 100 odd Kms away from Imphal on the Burma border' is the first thing I read from one of the articles I stumbled upon and by the time I finished reading more articles about Moreh I was sold.
Firstly I came to know that one could take their private vehicles to Tamu - the first town on the Burmese side of the border some 8 Kms inside without any documentation formalities. The third foreign country my bike would enter - leave apart everything else, this prospect itself was enough to get me going to Moreh. Then there is this Tamil Sangam in Moreh. There are some 400 odd Tamil families residing in Moreh and how they ended up in Moreh is a very interesting story. I will elaborate this story in my next blog post. Also the more I read about Moreh, I came to know that insurgent groups over there in the border areas control the allegedly flourishing drug trade across the borders. This town also claims to be more cosmopolitan than the rest of Manipur as Burmese alcohol is openly sold in the shops over there and the shops don't close till 8 or 9 in the evening. Considering the rest of Manipur closes by around 6 this was pretty interesting to note. Some articles also mentioned that there is a burgeoning sex trade in Moreh with women coming from Burma offering their services. Don't get me wrong. I was not keen on availing these services but somewhere the dark side of things intrigue me.
Drugs, sex and alcohol. One I indulge in regularly, one occasionally and one hardly. In no particular order mind you. I'll just leave it to your imagination. Sitting in that unimpressive cyber cafe I was already imagining myself sitting in a bar in Moreh, with hot women dancing around the table and people snorting cocaine on the other table. Somewhere I also imagined loud gunshots outside the bar where armed men on horses are fighting each other. Yes I was still wearing my cowboy hat and finishing off my beer when that hot waitress comes seductively with the bill. I tip her handsomely and leave for my hotel room. Something broke this lovely dream I was having sitting in that internet cafe but I was convinced that this is the place where I will get my story.
After all the best stories always involve drugs, sex and alcohol. The prospect of gunshots (which is very real in Manipur) would only spice up the whole story. So I did head up to Moreh the next day. I did get my story and boy what a story. Its probably one of the best stories I'll ever have in my life. One I will irritate my grandchildren with. I'll come up with that story in my next post but I can tell you one thing
"The best stories do not involve drugs, sex or alcohol. The best stories are created when people are kind to one another"
About Me:
A 7 month motorcycle ride that took me to every state in India, parts of Nepal and Bhutan and one town in Burma. These blog entries are inspired by this trip. Stories about people I met, stories about places I saw. Things that intrigued me, things that amused me. They say traveling changes you, they say traveling inspires you and they say a lot of other stuff. I don't know. I think a gun on the head is a better way to change people. I just hope that my travel stories entertain you
Right now I am in the process of writing a book based on this trip and figuring out the difference between a writer's block and procrastination.
Right now I am in the process of writing a book based on this trip and figuring out the difference between a writer's block and procrastination.
You can find more information on my Facebook page and Instagram account
