Fin

The final push to Guwahati should have been a straightforward affair. It was, for most crews, but José and Maria lost their electrics just outside the campsite. Luckily, the fix did not take too long and they were soon on their way to the Indian border.

We went through the Bhutanese arch and were back in the sub-continent.  Unlike Jaigon, the Indian town on our entry border, it was relatively orderly.  

The Indian immigration office is a couple of kms into India.  It consists of a small shed like building, which normally has one officer in it with a desk, chair a ledger and a pen - really.  As they knew we were coming, they had added an extra desk plus officer complete with his own ledger and a pen!  They had even out new plastic cloths on the desks for us and acquired a blue plush sofa. Both men were very jolly, however, and we were processed very quickly.  

The first part of the drive through Assam was quite beautiful.  Rice being harvested, tea gardens, lots of children going to school and what seemed like a gentle pace of life unfurling before us.  The road surface was generally good and, although the contrast to Bhutan was great, the chaos was manageable.

There are large road works as you approach Guwahati, a new four lane highway is being constructed.  Some bits are finished and offer easy driving, others - not so much. Just before we reached the bridge over one of the mighty rivers of the world, the Bramaphutra, there was one almighty messy tangle of traffic.  Several lanes all trying to cram onto the two lane bridge.  The jaguar of Dougie and Kate overheated - we were only surprised that more cars didn't. The police were doing their best to be helpful though and saw cars through.  Gerry and Joyce Acher were responsible for a three car shunt. Well, more of a soft nudge really. The occupants of the rear car were so overwhelmed at seeing their pretty Model A that they bumped the car in front, which kissed the front car.  No damage was done and good humour remained.

The rally end was at the Radisson Blu, the best hotel in town. But, rather miserably, they would not let us put up a finishing banner.  Black mark Radisson. Cocktails and a gala dinner were enjoyed in the garden, prettily lit with candles, and we were entertained by superb local tribal dancing.

Spirit of the rally was won by Paddy and Richard.  In truth, it was a very difficult decision as so many crews could have won. They were presented with a splendid metal dragon and a mug with a picture of the  Bhutanese Royal family on.

The finishing medals, as befitted an unusual rally, were not medals at all.  We had arranged to have Bhutanese festival animal masks made for every participant and all the support team. The full sized masks, as you can imaging, were very bulky, they had their own secret van to transport them with us from Thimphu to maintain the surprise.  

That's it.  The end.  Our rally family will split in several directions tomorrow. What wonderful, unforgettable experiences we have enjoyed together! What larks we had on the way! To have had the privilege of driving through the hills of India and across mystical Bhutan has given us all memories that will bring joy to our hearts forever.  Such things we have seen and experienced. Some of the toughest roads in the world with a backdrop of unfathomable, majestic beauty and some of the most gentle, happy, hospitable people you could ever meet.  From the plains of India to the highest passes we've enjoyed every minute of it. To hear so many experienced crews declaring it the best rally ever is high praise indeed and sharing such a unique journey will tie us to together for ever.