The World Is A Much Kinder Place Than What Its Generally Given Credit For

Me: "Sir yahan pe ATM kahan hoga" (Where Can I find an ATM here)

BSF guy: "Yahan Moreh mein toh koi ATM nahi hai" (There are no ATM's here in Moreh)

Me: "Aas pas koi ATM hai. Mere jeb mein sirf 120 rupaiye hain aur mujhe raat ko hotel room book karna hai yahan" (Is there some ATM nearby. I have just 120 Rupees in  my pocket and I need to get a hotel room for the night)

BSF guy: "ATM toh aapko Imphal mein hi milega" (The nearest you'll get an ATM is in Imphal)

Yes many good stories start by "I only had x amount of money in my pocket" and this one is no different. Here I was standing some 500 meters from the Burma border in Moreh with Rs 120 in my pocket and the nearest ATM some 100 Kms away in Imphal. The funny part is that I was actually coming from Imphal after checking out of the hotel late in the morning. Even more funny is the fact that since clearing the hotel bills had left me with Rs 120 in my pocket I had gone to an ATM just outside the hotel and seeing a queue of some 8 people waiting to withdraw cash, I in my impatience decided to hit the road and withdraw cash from some ATM on the way. Seems practical enough except for the fact that I conveniently forgot about withdrawing cash. In my defense I can only say that riding on the roads can be such a high that often it makes one forget a lot of things.

So here I was on the side of the road lighting up a cigarette and taking stock of my situation (Statutory warning: Cigarette smoking is injurious to health). I was screwed. Moreh was one place I was eager to explore (See the entry on Moreh here) but Rs 120 would not even get me a hotel room, let alone other things. I could try if the hotels would accept cards but when the nearest ATM is some 100 Kms away, one can make an educated guess that it would be a near impossibility. Heading back to Imphal was also difficult as it was already past 4 and the security situation in Manipur ( read entry on Manipur here) makes it impossible to drive on the roads once its dark. I was totally screwed. The thought that "The Clueless Rider" was such an apt name for my trip suddenly struck me. I did manage a wry smile at that.

They say when death is staring at you, your whole life flashes before you. Let me give you another pearl of wisdom from my travel experiences. "When you end up in a soup, you identify the point which led you into this situation and starting from that point in time, your life flashes before you". Standing there on the side of the road all images were flashing before me. The queue outside the ATM, the hustle and bustle of the Imphal city, getting out of the city and riding through the Imphal plains, paddy fields on both sides of the road and a mountain on the horizon in front of me, reaching that mountain and starting the ascent to the mountain which in another 65 - 70 odd Kms will take me to Moreh, the innumerable police and Assam Rifles checkposts (some 6 to 8) in that 70 Km odd stretch where I had to stop and prove my identity and intentions. Suddenly the flash of images paused at one particular police checkpoint and I knew I had found the rope to cling on and get out of the swamp.

There is a Tamil community settled in Moreh (Read that story here). On one of these checkposts, I had met a Tamil guy on his way to Moreh and we had struck up a conversation. Pretty normal when you are dressed up in a biker attire and the fact that my motorcycle had a Tamil Nadu registration just helped matters. He had invited me to visit the Tamil Sangam office when I was in Moreh. I had other things in mind and I made a mental note that I would pay him a short courtesy visit the next day on my way back. But desperate times call for desperate measures and I had to seek the help of the Tamil Sangam. The earnestness in his invite just gave me the confidence that my night stay will be taken care of and I will have a wonderful story to tell people about once I am back and trust me the story just gets better.

Hope is a wonderful thing. In a split second I had everything sorted out. I have Rs 120 in my pocket. I'll ask the Tamil Sangam for a place to put up for the night. Spend not more than Rs 70 on dinner. The next morning keep aside Rs 10 for the entry ticket to Burma. (You can take your vehicle till the first town Tamu some 12 Kms inside on the Burmese side of the border without any documentation processes). Skip breakfast. Head back to Imphal with Rs 40 in your pocket in case of any emergencies. This time make sure to withdraw cash from the ATM even if a hundred thousand people are in queue. Check into hotel and eat like a pig. With the comfort that this small ray of hope provided, I headed to the Tamil Sangam office in Moreh.

I reached the Tamil Sangam office and there were two men seated inside. I told them my sob story and about the Tamil guy I had met in the checkpost and requested them to help me out. They said their secretary is about to them and I waited for him indulging in some small talk with these guys. Soon the Tamil guy I had met on the checkpost arrived and very shortly after that the secretary too arrived. He too lamented about the fact that there are no ATM's in that town but added that SBI ATM was going to be open next month. I replied that I might not be staying here for a month. I only planned to stay one day here. I don't think he got my humour but he did get my predicament and a room was arranged for me. The generosity did not stop there. I was provided dinner by them, the next morning I was provided breakfast by them and they even sent one of their workers to accompany me to Tamu in Burma the next morning. Even the Rs 10 entry ticket was paid by the Tamil Sangam.

But there's more to the story. A man named Anand Rao had accompanied me to the restaurant for dinner the previous night. Over dinner and after dinner we had a conversation on the history of the town, the political and millitancy issues in these parts and a host of other things. As I was about to head to my room, he took out a 1000 rupee note and handed it to me. I was overwhelmed. I told him that I did not need the money as my needs have been more than taken care of. He insisted by replying nonchalantly that they pay more ransom money to the millitant groups and the police there and its a non issue and it will be helpful in case of some emergency on the way back. I kept the money not because I needed the money that much but more because I needed this memory. All my requests for details about his bank account to enable me repay the amount by online transfer later on fell on deaf ears.

The next morning as I was about to leave, I tried convincing the Tamil Sangam secretary for a bank account number so that I can transfer the money back. I don't know what he understood but he told me there is no need to transfer the money but to write an application that "Rs 1000 for George Aikara so and so on a all India bike trip in Moreh on 3rd and 4th Sep2013". I wrote that application and was about to start my bike when a guy comes in and hands me another Rs 1000 note. I clarified that I had already got the money yesterday from Anand and I did not need more cash. The Secretary responded that Anand gave that on personal capacity and this 1000 rupees is from the Tamil Sangam. This time I just refused. I thanked everyone profusely and left off to Imphal.

I had come in with Rs 120 in my pocket and I was leaving with Rs1120 which could easily have been Rs 2120. If you ever happen to be in Moreh, do visit the Tamil Sangam and ask them about me. I will remember them fondly throughout my life and I hope they do too. Also if you happen to meet Anand Rao, please buy him a beer.

And yes the SBI ATM might have come up in Moreh by now, but carry enough cash anyway :)

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.

You can find more information on my Facebook page and Instagram account