The 2nd edition of the
ASEAN-India Car Rally (AICR) was held from 25 Nov to 21 Dec 2012. Starting from
Yogjakarta (Indonesia), the Rally passed through Singapore, Ipoh, Hat Yai,
Phuket, Bangkok, Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, Ho Chi Minh, Pakse, Savanakhet,
Vientiene, Chumphone, Sukhothai, Hpa An, Nay Pyi Taw, Mandalay, Ka Lay, Kohima
and Guwahati (India). India Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and the Heads of
State of all ASEAN nations witnessed the ceremonial flag-down at the Rally’s final
stop in New Delhi.
The following is a daily account of Leslie
Chang who is the leader of the Singapore team.
Photos: Ernest Chua / TODAY
Mandalay to Ka Lay, 14th Dec 2012
It was going
to be a super long day, so the Singapore team had to get out of bed at 0500
hours. Our eyes could hardly open when
Rajul (standing in the center of this group shot) walked to our cars to send us
off. Rajul is a Singapore-based business
man and his company, Goehka Bandoola Group, is the appointed distributor of
Mahindra cars in Myanmar. To show our
support for Rajul, our team worn this white attire which is printed with
Bandoola logo.
Led by
India’s Tarun Vijay, all the country team leaders gathered outside the Mandalay
Palace for the flag-off ceremony.
The
condition of the roads posed as a challenge for us.
Our female
crew members were also faced with the problem of looking for toilets.
When we
arrived at Larbo Village for our scheduled lunch halt, we were overwhelmed by the
warm welcome of the villagers.
Unfortunately,
Car # 18 found the enthusiasm from the villagers a little too overwhelming. The villagers were crowding to take a closer
look at the rallyists (in Car # 18) who are celebrities in Myanmar.
As the crowd
was getting uncontrollable, the Organisers instructed Car # 18 to drive
off. This resulted in some villagers giving
chase to the departing car.
The
remaining crowd appeared disappointed; and for the safety and security of the
convoy, the Organisers ordered all rallyists to return to their respective cars
and prepare to leave the village immediately.
The entire
convoy indeed left Larbo very quickly but to our dismay we did not manage to
take our lunch.
A further 10
km away from Larbo, the convoy had to come to a stop as many were not given the
chance to ‘discharge water’ due to the aborted lunch halt.
Meanwhile, our
convoy leader Hormazd (wearing event yellow shirt) is seen here discussing the
various options with the escorting officials.
Shortly, Hormazd
made an impromptu call for all rallyists to dig into their existing stockpile
for lunch. MP Vijay kindly offered
biscuits to fellow participants.
Gilbert from
the Philippines team seemed contented with his banana.
Members from
the Singapore team had bak-kwa in their cars.
But it was
the Thais who fared the best with their great variety of foods, including
sticky rice, which were nicely spread on this ‘buffet table’.
After our
most unforgettable lunch of the Rally, we proceeded on and throughout the
journey we encountered more hilly roads.
Upon the arrival of the convoy at Kyaw Ywa Village for our tea break,
the Organisers and the
local officials were more prepared to manage the crowd. Actor Lu Kyaw (with dark glasses) is seen
here being escorted by security personnel.
Pan
Htwar (with black cap) and Zar Htwe (with SMSA Cap) were also given space
during the break.
This time
round, even the cars were parked in an orderly
manner.
The
convoy continued driving after the tea break.
Although the hilly roads were over, the road conditions remained
difficult.
The drive
was even more arduous when night descends.
Nevertheless,
the cheers from the locals on a cold winter night were more than sufficient to
warm our hearts.
We finally arrived at Ka Lay around 2000 hours. Before we called it day, we had to queue at
the refuelling station (with only 1 pump working) and attended a dinner
reception in the Town Hall. Although we
hit the sack close to midnight, we were comforted by the thought that we had
concluded the most challenging sector of the Rally.
Ka Lay to Kohima, 15th Dec 2012
On this cold December
morning, Poh Heng was presented the black shawl by the local authority at the
flag-off venue.
Driving through the valleys
of north western Myanmar, our visibility was hampered by thick fog.
We also had to take extra
precaution and look out for missing planks or exposed nails/bolts when crossing
the numerous old metal bridges.
The convoy arrived at the
border town Tamu and, more significantly, it marked the end of our travel
within ASEAN countries.
We bade our goodbyes to Myanmar (and ASEAN) at the Iron Bridge Gate
Checkpoint.
At the other end of the metal bridge, the army and immigration officers facilitated
our entry into India.
Minutes later, we were welcomed
by the officials from local authority of Moreh which is a border town in India.
Driving from one town to
another, thousands of students lined the road to welcome the convoy. English-worded signboards are a common sight
in this part of India.
The text “A gap of 3 years is
recommended between pregnancies….” can be seen in the signboard on the left.
(click on the picture to enlarge)
For those with keen eyes, 4
mistakes can be spotted in this banner.
A grand lunch
reception and cultural performance were
held at Imphal where Tengguo represented the Singapore team to receive souvenir
from Chief Minister of
Manipur, Mr Okram Ibobi Singh.
Meanwhile, Leslie is seen here looking
curiously at the bullet-proof tyres that were fitted on the Chief Minister’s
car.
On this note, we observed that the Indian
placed high importance on security.
While on the move, the convoy was escorted by military personnel at all
times.
It was getting dark and the route was
mostly uphill climb as the convoy moved into the next state known as
Nagaland. Upon arrival in Kohima, we
parked our cars at an open field and were ferried by coaches to dinner and
different hotels.
Our overnight stay in Kohima was best
remembered as an evening of friendly host, great music and a fantastic party.
Kohima to Guwahati, 16th Dec 2012
Kohima is the capital of
Nagaland. The image below provides a clearer picture of the open field, which is located in the
heart of Kohima, where our cars were parked last night.
The flag-off ceremony created much fanfare on an otherwise quiet and
chilly Sunday morning in this hill station.
We found that most of the girls in Kohima are exceptionally beautiful,
wearing distinctive eye liner applied in similar style.
As we arrived at the next town known as Dimapur, more ladies continued to
charm us.
A tree-planting ceremony cum lunch reception was held at Numaligrah.
Our progress for today was constantly slowed by cheering crowds as we
moved from one village to another.
Occasionally, we witnessed some villagers raising their hands to welcome
us.
But we were most surprised to see the elephants in some villages raising
their trunks to welcome us.
During a short break at the fringe of Kaziranga National Park, the
Singapore team posed for one more group shot.
Maintaining the high level of security, the India government provided
helicopter to escort the convoy for today’s route.
For the later part of the afternoon, we drove on the newly completed
highway leading to Guwahati.
For the second night in a row, it was another good evening. This time, we
were spoilt by the pleasant outdoor atmosphere and great Indian food.
Guwahati (Official
Flag Down), 17th
Dec 2012
The Official Flag Down was held at the Sarusajal Stadium.
Last night, the 1st nominated car from each country were transported to Delhi by train. Seen here driving Car # 23 (the 2nd nominated car for the Singapore team), William waved to the VIPs and dignitaries during the drive-past parade.
The grand ceremony showcased performances by traditional dancers and school children from Guwahati.
However, it was the world-class display of precision riding by Assam Police Panthers that stole the show.
Cheered
by the massive crowd, the team leaders ran a Victory Lap in honour of the
ASEAN-India spirit.
Finally, here is one more look at the joyous Singapore team.
