Day 4: Champhai – Rih Dil - Champhai
The rain and fog kept playing intermittently this morning and it was affecting our mood to ride. We kept waiting till it would stop but then, it would start all over again. Andy wasn’t feeling well today But the view from our room of the Champhai paddy fields and the road to Zokhawtar made us head strong to ride out. We started at 11 AM from the Circuit House to the Petrol Station but found out that the Petrol Station would open only after 12PM since it was a Sunday. Eventually, people started queuing for fuel and we got into conversations with them. Most of them were a little hesitant that we could go to Zokhawthar, which is the border village of Mizoram and Myanmar, as the road construction has been stopped which meant many landslides, deep slush and muck all along the way.
View from the Circuit House
PC: Andy Vee
View from the Circuit House. As you can see, in the previous picture it was cloudy while in the above picture it has cleared up a bit. The weather changed every 15 mins.
PC: Andy Vee
View of Champhai Town from the Circuit House
The Petrol Pump. We were the first ones 
The Petrol Station opened at 12:30 and we got our fuel. Andy wasn’t feeling so good so he sat this one out. It’s about 30kms to Zokhawthar and we were told it would probably take 3 hours to cover because of the road conditions.
I started off for Rih Dil and kept asking for directions whenever I reached a junction. People were very helpful but I was surprised that everyone looked confused whenever I asked about the route to Zokhawthar, no one could tell me the way. I had to ask them about the Border and Rih Dil and that’s only when they could give the directions.
The road from Champhai to Zokhawthar is pure Impulse territory. It was all broken roads, landslides, deep slush, mud and muck. After riding through so many landslides the previous night, I was a bit more confident now. And man, this bike kept surprising me on how much it can do and how much beating it can take. I didn’t slow down for the slush and the ruts but it never complained, it just took them with aplomb and kept propelling me closer to Zokhawthar; smoothly and with a big grin on my face.
I met a guy riding those geared scooties here. No matter what I asked him, he gave me one reply - NO! Tried all my dumb charades skills to make him understand my questions but still, all he could reply was no. So finally I said thank you. And he said, No! 
It was only when I reached the outskirts of Zokhawthar that I came to know why people were confused and couldn’t give me the directions . It was all my fault. I had been asking them about Zorakthar. I don’t know why or how but I was asking for Zorakthar instead of Zokhawthar the whole time. I was too confident that I didn’t even check from GoogleMaps for the route or the name of the place. I was just ready to get lost. Ahh the bad side of reading too much about wandering :P I’m just thankful to God that there weren’t any villages or hamlets by that name Zorakthar or I would have reached somewhere else that day. Lesson learned.
You will find resting/waiting sheds like these when you ride out of Aizawl and take the backroads.
The mandatory Selfie .. to prove that I was there
Finally I was at the Indo – Myanmar border. I had to show my ID and entered my details at the check-post and was told to return back by 5PM. A bridge connects India with Myanmar, half of the bridge is in India and the other in Myanmar. Once I crossed the bridge, I had to give my details at the Myanmar end too before I could push off.
on the Indian side. Photography and videography weren't permitted on the Myanmar side at the border.
The Border Guard took this pic for me. Thank u Brother 
Wow! So I’m in a foreign country now! Yes, even though it‘s not filled with skyscrapers and flashy cars zooming by, It felt good. Riding in Myanmar means you have to ride on the right side of the road. I had to keep reminding myself to ride on the wrong side of the road. Yes!!! We get to ride on the wrong side of the road without being fined by cops! :P We can be our true Indian selves here!!
Rih Dil Lake is about 3 kms away from the border and is located in the northwestern Chin State. It is a beautiful natural lake covered with greenery all around. There are a couple of eateries too where you can get some good snacks, drink and food. The lake is about one mile in length and half a mile in width. It is about 3 miles in its circumference and the depth is about 60 feet. It has a heart-shaped outline. Rih Dil occupied an important status in the traditional religion of the Mizo people. According to the ancestors of the tribals, it was a corridor to their heaven called Pialral. All souls destined to Pialral must pass through the lake.Due to its cultural importance it is often said 'the largest lake in Mizoram is Rid Dil, but is in Burma'.
The returning time was stuck on my head and I decided that I should be on my way to the crossing by 4PM at any means. One of the local guys befriended me there and he was giving me company while I was waiting for my snacks to be served. We were talking and when I checked the time it was already 4. The guy kept telling me it was okay and that I had plenty of time on my hand but I kept pestering that they should hurry with the food. After the snacks, I put my rain gear on and the guy kept asking me why am I in such a hurry. I keep telling him that I need to be at the crossing by 5PM. I rushed to the bike, turned the key and saw the time on the console, it was only 2:45 PM. The time on my phone was in 24 hour mode and I had been using that for a long time. I knew how to read it, really, I do!! I saw 14:15 when I first looked at the time and the sight of that ’4’ struck me that it was 4:15 PM. And that’s why the rush. I felt like the dumbest person that day. It was something like this:
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Anyway I left Rih Dil and spent some time at the market near the crossing
This dry fry chicken costed me 300/-
Mitsubishi Jeep
Now that's a long one
Saw this flashy Yamaha Fino. It comes like this from the Company
Really wanted to ask for test ride
Exiting Myanmar and back to India
I left Zokhawthar and as I was heading back to Champhai, I reached a place where a landslide had just taken place. The road was covered with with mud, rocks and what not. At the edge, the accumulated mud was about two feet high. I was left with two choices: go back to Zokhawthar or take the risk of climbing over the edge of the landslide and carry on to Champhai, if the bike doesn't slip and fall off into the valley. I waited for a few minutes for other cars to come by but there was none. I guess the bad roads got some more screws loose in my head, and I decided to go over the landslide. So, I had a landslide in front of me, a deep valley to my right and a mind trying to push fear away. I went over the line I would take to get over the landslide a thousand times in my head, What to do in case I get stuck and how to bail in case the bikes slips into the valley. I thought about all that so much till I decided to not think at all and just do-la-ka-do. So, I cranked the self starter, tapped into 1st gear and gave it a go. I proceeded towards the Landslide, eased on with the throttle and ...... it was over and about in just around 5 secs. I stopped to check if my mind was playing tricks on me while I was free-falling down the valley but no, I was really over the landslide. My loud shouts of Yahooooos almost caused another landslide so I rode on feeling all gung ho until I rode into a slush which almost swallowed the bike and I. Gung-ho feeling washed down and I was back to being a normal rider. But really, I don't know how I how got over the landslide so easily. It was all God's love and Grace. Thank you Jesus.
I reached Champhai at around 5:30 and as planned, we decided to eat out for dinner. The rain stopped and we took a walk to the market. It was a nice refreshing walk but we couldn’t find any place to eat. Andy was saying that this town used to look like a typical cowboy town before, with horses and carriages tied outside the shops since it was the main town close to the border. Thankfully we found a bakery that was opened and we bought some bakes from there. The owner was kind enough to give some on the house.
The Champhai Circuit House
