07-Mar-2008 -- This is the 10th point in a journey by motorbike in India to visit 16 confluence points. The story starts at 22N 86E and this visit follows on from 21N 79E. The next point in the series is 21N 81E.

We left the hospital guest house at Nagpur at 7.45am and found the road out of the city without too much difficulty. The road east was very good and we followed it until we reached the village of Sakoli due north of the point. We then turned south and the road crossed a river and then forked. We decided to go south-west and came to the village of Sakra on the west side of Seoni tank – a reservoir approximately 5 x 2 km. As we needed to be on a promontory on the east side we returned to the fork and headed for the east bank. The road did not seem to go close to the reservoir but we found a track leading through another small village that ran west to the reservoir. Unfortunately we were still too far north and had to retreat to the village and aim further south. The paths grew narrower and several times we followed paths which led only to isolated fields. Eventually we came to the woods near the point and after riding along narrow tracks between vicious thorn bushes we eventually abandoned the bikes and walked the final 120 m to the point, arriving at 11.40 am. The point itself seemed to lie in the centre of a large thorn bush but eventually the zeroes were persuaded to line up without being ripped to shreds by the thorns.

Degree of Challenge:
2 –Roads to within 2 km but then tricky route finding near the lake and a final short walk through rough woodland. (1= very easy - drive to the point; to 5= a death march – glad it is over)

Scenery:
2 –In woodland almost on the banks of an attractive reservoir (Scale: 1= not interesting at all; 5= take your breath away)

Culture-social factors:
2 – Another small village on the way to the point. The area is use for cropping and grazing. (Scale: 1=dull; 5= most stimulating)

After completing the formalities we walked the short distance to the reservoir and then returned to the bikes. Lunch was a cold drink and fruit from vendors back in Sakoli before heading east again back to the state of Chhattisgarh.

We had hoped to do the next point that evening but it took more than 2 hours to find a bed so we missed the light. There are not many hotels in small Indian towns and it seemed that all 3 were full in Raj Nandgaon that day. John did not fancy camping and nor did I. It made us blind to the deficiencies of a room that was offered to us behind a family diner 10 km back along the road we had come. They did have good food and the coldest beer you could wish for – heaven!

The story continues at 21N 81E