Any Which Way You Can

Thursday 1st March
Vannalli to Bailuru
Distance: 42.78 km
Total Distance: 20019.98 km
From our little rocky camp spot we can enjoy watching the sea, sun and fishing fleet.

We actually find a road to Kumla without needing to backtrack which is a treat especially as we cycle through more fishing villages and see a lively fish market.

Back on the Highway 66 and we see 2 cycle tourers approaching. It’s Sarah and Mike. We met this Irish couple last September in Osh when they had abandoned their backpacking after a year to see some of the World from a bike.

Since Osh they’ve done the Pamir Highway, Iran, Oman, the UAE and then flew into southern India. OMG it’s so good to see them again and hear their stories! After several hours (well about 5 actually) we finally head off in our opposite directions.

I soon find a back road away from the Highway but it’s recently been relaid with large, loose stones so it’s quite hard going but we finally find a little spot of waste land to set up camp.

Friday 2nd March
Bailuru to Maravanthe Beach
Distance: 58.09 km
Total Distance: 20078.07 km

Today there’s a highlight at the beginning of the day – a beautiful Temple.

Murudeshwara Temple in Bhatkal Taluk is famous for the world’s second tallest Shiva statue. Built on Kanduka hill, this temple is truly remarkable for certain extraordinary features not seen in any temple in the world. Located between Honnavar and Bhatkal, the temple is surrounded on three sides by the waters of the Arabian Sea, and from the hilltop the scenic landscape that unfolds in front of our eyes is breathtaking.

Murudeshwara Temple is world renowned for the 123-feet Lord Shiva statue and a modern Rajagopuram or tower at the entrance of this ancient temple. This Rajagopuram is the world’s tallest, standing at 249 feet. Inaugurated in May 2008, this mammoth structure is the latest addition to Murudeshwara Temple. The gopuram has 22 floors and is the only gopuram to be fitted with elevators. Visitors can go to the topmost floor and have an aerial view of the Arabian Sea and the statue of Lord Shiva. Another exclusive feature of this temple is the life- sized statues of two elephants at the base of the gopuram. Murudeshwar Beach, which is near this temple, is a popular tourist destination and is among the most beautiful beaches of Karnataka.

And the beautiful Maravanthe beach to end. Between is the hellishly dull NH66. Hopefully tomorrow we’ll find some smaller coast roads to follow.

Saturday 3rd March
Maravanthe Beach to Padukere Beach
Distance: 56.25 km
Total Distance: 20134.32 km
Our camping spot last night was a bit of a delight. A beautiful beach for a lovely refreshing evening dip.

Plenty of clean water from a pump to rinse ourselves and our clothes and even oodles of fast food shacks so we had tasty chicken with fried rice. Delicious. Today the Highway 66 was not only dull but a bit taxing with a lot of heavy traffic trying to squuze passed us. So just after Kundapura we returned to a back road on the coast and then discovered after questioning loads of locals that we could avoid the inland detour around 2 estuaries north and south of Haradi by taking the Hangarkatta – Bengre ferry.

This meant we cycled down the spit of land to Hude. All very pleasant and then we found a very basic fish restaurant but the food was very tasty.

Onward and another possible inland detour was avoided when we spotted the Malpe – Padukere Bridge which isn’t on Maps Me but was on Google. Malpe beach was absolutely jammed with people – it’s full of stalls, attractions, camel rides, jet skiiing etc.

There must’ve been 6 coaches parked there in addition to all the cars. Further south there’s a pier out to Fishing Point, another draw for the visitors. There’s a pretty statue at the end. Before crossing Malpe Bridge we cycled passed the fishing harbour which was absolutely rammed with boats.

We have no idea how they all got their catch ashore nor how they manage to extricate themselves in the early hours when they go fishing! We find a camp spot near a temple and have a late evening dip.

There are hundreds of crabs on the beach, many quite large so we go crab chasing. They’re quite comical with their sideways crabbing motion and eyes on stalks.

Sunday 4th March
Pudukere Beach to Mukka
Distance: 39.03 km
Total Distance: 20173.35 km

Today we follow the spit of land from Pudukere to Maluru with miles of beautiful beaches and so many temples.

We stop at Kapu Lighthouse and find ourselves surrounded by a group wanting photos. Why, oh why, do they want photos of random strangers. It’s soon time to return to the Highway and we stop in Mulki for lunch and find ourselves unable to resist the allure of the Kingfisher.

Ten bottles later, and definitely the worse for wear, we head off looking for a camp spot. Clearly our mental faculties were non-existent and we didn’t take our intended route back to the beach and ended up by the roadside setting up our tent.

It was a spot populated by numerous mosquitoes and totally sheltered from any breeze so we were swelteringly hot.

Monday 5th March
Mukka to Made near Madikeri
Distance: 48.88 km
Total Distance: 20222.23 km
Last night was possibly our worst camping night for awhile. It was so unbearably hot that we were drenched in sweat and in desperation we opened the tent doors but then Daz couldn’t sleep because of being bitten numerous times by mosquitoes. Ahhh so little sleep plus a hangover from our ‘Kingfisher’ session.

Today we headed towards Mangalore but didn’t bother to check out the town but instead took the bypass heading inland. After 30km we stopped to hitch. We’d tried earlier but weren’t successful and a helpful chap suggested we cycle to the Madikeri toll. So we did that and Daz simply asked truckers as they came through the toll booth and within minutes we had a lift. We stopped to eat but about 3 hours and 114km later our very kind truck driver dropped us in Madikeri. Excellent.

Then we cycled off to the Bus station to meet Rajen, our workaway host. He had told us his ‘off the grid’ farm was impossible to find and that it was far easier to meet him in Madikeri and he’d give us a lift. Oh how we laughed when we realised that his pickup truck wasn’t big enough – he thought we had conventional bikes. So we dumped our kit in his truck and cycled back 9km to the village of Made which we’d driven through with our truck driver an hour earlier. Then at Made we turned left and into the ‘outback’. Initially it wasn’t too bad – a narrow, uphill lane with potholes. But then Rajen, who’d been waiting for us at key points, directed us down a dirt, rocky track. The downhills were just about manageable but probably the toughest to date but we struggled hugely on some of the ascents, having to push our trikes with our cleats skidding on the rocks.

Thankfully we didn’t have the panniers on too so at least our trikes were at their lightest! Finally we arrived at the ‘homestead’, met by Saskia (from the Netherlands) another work-awayer and 2 huge Mudhounds (they’re like very tall greyhounds). We’re also with Amy, a Brit work-awayer, who Rajen picked up in Madikeri today. She had to wait ages for us to arrive and then escort us into the ‘outback’. This workaway was recommended by Lottie and Ryan, a British motorcycling couple we met on the Pamir Highway. So we’re looking forward to great things but I know one thing for sure – I’m not cycling out of here!

Tuesday 6th March – Darren’s birthday
Made Village workaway

Today we start with millet porridge for breakfast, I thought only budgies ate millet!

Rajen’s farm is 16 acres of which 2.5 are set aside as an organic coffee plantation. This morning we’re all off into the coffee plantation to clear undergrowth that has sprung up since the last monsoon. Fortunately Rajen kits us all out in spare work clothes, wellingtons, gloves and the compulsory machete. Off we go carrying water, packed lunch, fuel, strimmers and tool bag.

The undergrowth actually towers over the coffee trees and is densely packed. It’s difficult to see which are coffee trees, and should remain, and which are ‘weeds’. Rajen and Saskia are working the weedwackers (strimmers) and Daz has a chainsaw.

Mine and Amy’s job is to clear out and pile all the cut undergrowth so Rajen and Saskia have a clear area to work in. The heat and humidity make it hard going. The sloping ground, stubs of cut brush and exposed root masses make it especially treacherous!

We spend about 3 hours in the plantation with a small picnic break then finish off with a refreshing dunk in a nearby stream with rockpools. There’s even a small waterfall to cool off under… bliss!

Back at the house it’s siesta time then in the late afternoon we walk with Rajen to inspect a stream which has a pipe to take water to his vegetable garden. Unfortunately the flow is inadequate due to the lack of rain. It’s been unseasonably hot for several weeks and there’s been no rain. In fact the temperatures now are those expected at the end of the summer, just before the monsoon but it seems summer has come early, too early, and the coffee plants and vegetable plot is suffering. We are going to build a small dam so that a pond is created, the water hose submerged and an increase in water pressure results. That’s the theory anyway. We dig up soil and fill some sacks to build the dam. We manage to get the water level up, but only a little bit, there’s too much water escaping still. It’s getting late so we retire back to the house for Daz’s birthday celebrations.

Rajen has planned a ‘cook-out’ barbeque tandoori chicken, baked potatoes and tomato salad. All washed down with a couple of beers… happy birthday Daz. Delicious!

Wednesday 7th March
Made Village workaway

More weedwacker adventures but just for Daz and me. Amy is feeling ill after yesterday’s exertions in the heat and Rajen and Saskia are painting a floor. With no-one to clear away the undergrowth we are cutting it’s slow going.

After struggling to clear and cut our way through the undergrowth I realise my strimmer isn’t working properly. So we decide to check it later and I clear for Daz – a much more productive arrangement. In the afternoon Rajen and Saskia head off to Madikeri to shop and to meet up with another volunteer who is arriving by motorbike.
Whilst they are away me, Daz and Amy have another go with the dam. We reposition it slightly downstream, at a narrower point, and use some bin liners and mud to block the side flow. We soon have a nice pool of water backed up. So there’s a healthy inflow and pressure but the out-flow, some 100 metres, away is a sporadic dribble.

Daz thinks there may be an airblock but also wants to increase the dam height but Amy and I finally convince him to leave the dam alone and hope any ‘blockage’ clears overnight. Then we head back and cook our dinner and try and work out how to prepare the dogs’ dinner. By 9pm we’re all desperate to go to bed but apparently Rajen’s only 20 minutes away, so we feel we should wait up. By the time they get back it’s almost 10pm. Francesco, ‘Fran’, the Spanish motorcyclist has had to abandon his bike back down the lane as it was too tough for him to ride! What follows is madness – an unpacking frenzy, tutorial on how to prepare the dogs’ dinner, and how to run the place in the absence of Rajen and Saskia because they’ve decided they’re definitely off to Mysore tomorrow and will probably be away for 2 days. So everything we haven’t been shown (most things!) we’re told now when we’re all too tired to ask questions.

Thursday 8th March
Made Village workaway

Rajen and Saskia are off early today to go to Mysore, about 130km away. Unfortunately the truck has a flat so Rajen’s not in the best of moods and neither is Daz, who is tasked with changing it, when he finds that the spare is flat too and he has to inflate it with a foot pump. Once Rajen and Saskia have left we plan our day. Amy is still housebound so we take Fran to the plantation for more weedwacking. Daz strimming, Fran and me clearing. In the afternoon we plant some soy beans and haricot beans but the soil is in terrible condition even with crumbled elephant dung in it. Daz and Fran inspect the dam and pipe. Fran suggests moving the hose pipe from the garden back into the stream because there’s several drops in the stream bed. Amazingly now the outflow is considerably lower than the dam a better pressure results and after a few spurts the airblock is cleared and there is constant water. They move the hose back to the garden and now there’s water for the growing vegetables. Then Daz and I prepare dinner – not easy because there doesn’t seem to be an awful lot of ingredients but we manage to produce something edible. Fran and Amy appear to have an aversion to ‘the kitchen’ or at least meal preparation. Fran has been travelling for 2 years and has done numerous workaways, whilst Amy, a sustainability consultant from London, is just taking a 3 month break and this is her first workaway. Amy is a self-confessed hippy – apparently there’s a modern genre of hippy who differs from the stereotypical hippy of the 60s. They are into climbing, vegetarianism or veganism, sustainability, yoga, meditation and knitting……..Fran and Amy return from the simple daily tasks of nwatering the plants and washing down the solar panels ‘declaring them excellent ‘meditative’ chores.

What hippy bollocks – we would describe them us ‘mindless’ chores – perhaps it’s their meditative state that accounts for the inordinate length of time it takes them! BTW what’s the difference between mindless and meditative???? Still this workaway is proving informative. We learn about polyamorous relationships (a couple of lovers on the go) and non-binary (those who don’t associate themselves with women or men and are referred to as ‘they’ (although as a singular I insist ‘it’ would be more accurate).

Friday 9th to Monday 12th March
Made Village workaway

Friday, Rajen is still away so we all go into the plantation, more weedwacking. But today we teach Amy and Fran how to use the strimmers, not a light undertaking when handling a bladed strimmer is tough enough in normal conditions but strimming in the plantation is the toughest job we’ve ever done. Once we’ve taught them the basics on level, scrubland we let them loose in the plantation.  Well I clear and try and give Amy more instruction whilst Daz does the same for Fran. They are slow and hesitant initially but their confidence soon grows and they do about 3 hours which is no mean feat. We all take a dip after to cool down.

In the evening it’s Amy and Fran’s turn to produce their first meal. It’s really tasty but the kitchen resembles a bomb site with no pan unused. Rajen and Saskia finally return at about 9 pm. They are tired so we don’t berate them over the fact they didn’t bring any of the supplies we asked for.

Saturday we spend all morning in the blazing sun digging holes for the planned arrival of 4 banana trees and 12 papaya trees. Well Fran, Daz and I dig holes whilst Amy strims and clears the area. Twelve holes 24”x24” by 18” deep… on a slope! Bloody hard work. So hard that me and Daz take the rest of the day off.

Sunday. Saskia leaves today. Rajen is taking her to Madikeri and Fran joins them so he can get some Internet connectivity in town – oh did I mention there’s no Internet connectivity at the farm?. For us and Amy it’s more weedwacking. Daz strims whilst me and Amy clear. During our cooling down dip we spot a watersnake swimming about. We are quite relaxed as it decides to hide under some rocks on the otherside of the pool. After about 10 minutes it suddenly darts out towards us. Needless to say we all shoot out of the waterhole like rockets!

Monday – another day in the plantation. This is our 7th day and 6 of them have been in the plantation. It’s a bit demoralising because it’s a really tough job and hard to make any significant progress. Today Daz strims again; he’s really confident on the strimmer and works quickly but manages not to cut down the important trees. I’m pretty good and quite quick and confident but I hate trying to spot the ‘good trees’ so if I clear for Daz we get more done. Fran runs the other strimmer whilst Amy clears. Tomorrow we’re expecting the banana and papaya trees to arrive as well as another volunteer. We’ve checked distances, days available and places we want to see and we’ve decided tomorrow is an opportune time to hit the road. Probably after work though.

Tuesday 13th March
Workaway, Made to Mysore
Distance: 17.54km
Total Distance: 20239.77km
We had various ideas about how today would play out. We had actually worked out that we ‘NEEDED’ to leave by the 14th but had decided to tell Rajen we’d leave on 13th after work because we felt we could happily lose all of Tuesday afternoon and evening to ‘faffing’. However Rajen had some chores already planned for Tuesday so our exit strategy went more smoothly than expected. Rajen was expecting the fridge engineer in the morning and he needed to be picked up at the top of the lane. So on the trip to fetch him we took my trike.

We unloaded at the top of the rough track and then I was supposed to cycle the remaining 12km to Madekeri but I managed to get a lift after only 5km – a major result since the remaining 7km were all uphill. But without panniers it was easy cycling and a doddle flagging a lift whilst cycling. So by 11,30am I was already in Madikeri. Meanwhile back at the farm Daz was loading his trike and the panniers ready for a lift into Madikeri once the fridge engineer had completed his work. Before all that we said farewell to Fran and Amy as they set off to the plantation for more bushwacking.

It’s actually been a rather odd workaway where neither Rajen or Saskia felt the ‘need’ to share information about running the place and then both disappeared for extended periods. In a ‘normal’ home this wouldn’t be a problem because power, water, rubbish etc are all fairly straightforward. But ‘off grid’ with power from solar panels with an electricity system with some peculiarities, water from local wells, a generator to run grinders and the washing machine, 2 Mudhounds to look after and a cat in heat it was kind of fraught.
By lunchtime Daz was in Madikeri with his trike and our panniers and after a quick lunch we started hitching.

Within 5 minutes we had a lift that took us to Hunsur (50km) and after a 5km cycle to the other side of town we quickly had a lift to the outskirts of Mysore. Our truck driver loved us and wanted a ‘million’ selfies and even wanted to pay for our çay.

By this time it was getting late and we attempted to hitch the ring road of Mysore. We weren’t particularly successful. Hitching in India has often turned into a ‘committee’ activity. Initially we might start by ourselves but we’re soon surrounded by ‘helpful’ observers who initially want a close study of the ‘white foreigners with weird….. bicycles / tricycles but then can’t resist interfering when they realise that we’re trying to get a lift. Often they tell us we won’t get a lift or suggest a better place to stand. But if we persist they soon try and help get us a lift by whistling/shouting/haranguing potential lift givers and soon find us a lift.

Anyway we’d already had several ‘committee’ meetings and had moved along the ring road accordingly (yup poor positioning) and finally a young guy said the ring road was a really tough place to get a decent lift and we really needed to be on the Mysore to Gundlupet Highway and immediately flagged down a truck to take us 10km around the ring road to the Highway. This sounds simple but remember every lift requires a large, mostly empty truck and a driver prepared to waste his time in the loading (and subsequent unloading) of 2 trikes and baggage – so not a quick undertaking. Once on the Gundlupet Highway we try to hitch but it’s already getting dark. We try for a couple of hours but it’s soon too dark to spot the right vehicles and for them to see us and even though we have the assistance of another committee from the wholesale market next door we finally give up. One of the main problems is that the road from Gundlupet to Gudalur, through 2 wildlife sanctuaries, closes to all traffic at 9pm (so that the wildlife remains undisturbed on their night prowls) and so the truck drivers are loathe to waste their valuable time with us and our kit. Fortunately we know there’s covered hardstanding and water available in the wholesale market so when we decide hitching isn’t going to work that’s where we go to set up camp.

Oh, the reason we are hitching is we want to get to Ooty, a hill station further south. If we cycle we’ll run out of time and not make it to Trivandrum for our flight. After Ooty the plan is to cycle back to the coast 300 km away and continue south.

Wednesday 14th March
Mysore to Ooty
Distance: 1.5km
This morning we’re up at 6.30am and stop for a quick cup of tea and biscuit at a stall, still within the wholesale complex, and by 7am we’re standing on the Highway by the exit to the wholesalers hoping to catch a truck coming from either the Highway or wholesalers.

By 7.05am we have a lift to Gundlupet. At 8am we’re on the Gundlupet / Ooty junction hitching but there’s barely any traffic heading to Ooty, or the nearer town of Gudalur, and the handful of trucks we see are fully loaded. After about 45 minutes we go to a cafe for breakfast, watching the road for potential lifts – nothing. Oh dear this could be a problem. We return to hitching mode having not seen a single empty truck for 1.5 hours. Then a truck stops but he appears to be fully loaded but the driver seems determined to take us. I’m usually the one that’ll override Daz’s pessimism but I’m really not keen. But the driver is practically trying to move our trikes single-handed and we haven’t even unloaded them yet. DOH! There is some available space at tbe front of the truck but it means lifting the trikes and kit up and over the sides of the truck. It’s a nightmare.

Men have appeared from nowhere desperate to move everything on to the truck with no regard to where they grab and yank our trikes. On top Daz and the driver are trying to move the tarp and the network of ropes, that crisscross the load on top. Finally everything is up top and secured in some way and having tipped our helpers (the driver insisted) we hit the road. We hope we’re going to Ooty but who knows? This truck is probably only marginally faster than our cycling speed but at least at this pace we get to enjoy the views through Bandipur National Park and into Mudumalai National Park. We see deer and a mongoose but no tigers or elepants but I have a close up and personal experience with a monkey as it climbs into the cab through my open window to steal some sweets. Definitely a girlie scream moment – much to the driver’s amusement!
In the centre of Mudumalai National Park our driver stops and decides we’re getting off. We want to continue to Gudalur but he’s adamant we unload.

Admittedly there is a road through the park to Ooty which is only 36km whilst continuing to Gudalur and then Ooty is 67km. Perhaps he thinks he’s doing us a favour. But regardless we’re left standing on the side of the road having tipped more people who allegedly helped unload but actually left Daz hanging onto his trike by himself trying to lower it to the ground crew. The driver also wanted money! So Daz is furious but we resign ourselves to the 36km ride and then find ourselves chased down by Park Wardens. They won’t let us cycle – apparently it’s the elephant corridor. We argue our case saying we’ll cycle at our own risk. As we argue a huge amount of traffic passes us, including mopeds, that we find it difficult to believe the elephants will single us out. They tell us to get a Tour Jeep but we explain about our limited funds and they’re infuriated that we’re in India without money. We explain that’s why we’re cycling but the staff are incensed.

We’ve been ordered not to move and we wait for Park Officials and their minions!

They then decide we can’t cycle in any direction and since we arrived by truck we must leave by truck. We’re absolutely furious but when they mention the police and detention we decide we best shut up.

And so we wait and flag down another fully loaded truck and put our trikes on top of his slate blocks and 17km later we’re in Gudalur. In Gudalur we stop for lunch and its served on a banana leaf.

Then our newly recruited ‘committee’ soon find us a lift the Ooty. We have to sit in the back of the truck with our trikes and we soon find ourselves in need of our jackets – wow we haven’t worn our jackets since early January.

There’s even some rain – another rare phenomenon. We climb 1500m through beautiful Eucalyptus and pine forests and extensive tea plantations. It’s a really beautiful drive.

Finally we arrive in a rainy and cold Ooty and after considerable deliberation decide on somewhere to stay. We want to go out to dinner but Daz discovers most restaurants shut at 9pm and the hotel receptionist tells us Ooty shuts at 10pm – clearly a wild party town – NOT. But we find a Chinese that’s open so it’s crispy beef and sweet and sour pork for dinner.

Thursday 15th March
Ooty
A day off and we’re off to visit the Botanical Garden (very nice).

The Rose Garden (magnificent in May, I’m sure, when all the roses are in bloom).

and then a walk around town, lunch and then a delightful find – a really bar! Full of locals. It’s almost too dark to see our hand infront of our face, great for hiding the token woman.

I’m sure they don’t approve of women in bars and yet they’re delightfully stoic probably happy to consider it proof that ‘Whitey Man’ can’t control his woman! Reminds me of the Fast Show sketch “Women – know your limits!!”.

Friday 16th March
Ooty to Madukkarai
Distance:  100.24 km

Total Distance: 20339.91 km

It’s a late start this morning but after about 3km climbing out of Ooty it’s a 40km descent through acres of beautiful tea plantations. It’s a fantastic ride with numerous hairpin bends but Daz does have a near miss when a bus pushes him off the road – well evasive action takes him off the road. We lose about 1800m in height but gain approximately 1 deg C per 100m.

We cycle through Keeti and Coonoor, stopping frequently to admire the fantastic views over the valleys of tea. In Mettuppalayam we stop for lunch and then we push on. We’ve already done 60km and we’re debating whether to stop but we’re in a built up area with no decent camping spots and there’s a huge black cloud over to our right with thunder and rain in the distance. So we try and out cycle the storm front and before we know it we’re in Coimbatore.

Cycling through Coimbatore is a bit manic, it’s rush hour chaos but finally we’re out the other side. A few more kilometers so we hit the 100km marker and then fortuitously we spot a petrol station with loads of parked trucks.

Initially we just plan to get water but there’s a dark corner hidden by trucks so we set up camp. There’s toilets and water for a decent wash so actually a bloody good find.

Saturday 17th March
Madukkarai to Ollur
Distance: 96.70 km
Total Distance: 20436.61 km
Well we might have had plenty of water and toilet facilities but the sleep element was sadly lacking. It was soooooo hot and a bit noisy. When I got up I discovered someone had lifted one of my crocs, which we leave outside the tent door at night. I looked all over for it but no joy. Bloody gutting – why didn’t they take the pair – at least then someone could benefit!

Not much to say about today except we received an awful lot of attention – cameras everywhere we looked and then about 3pm the extreme heat (low 40s we think) finally broke with a huge rainstorm. We were soaked but it was so refreshing – about an hour earlier the sun had driven us into a shaded underpass to get a break from the relentless heat. In fact the residual heat from the road turned the rainwater warm as we spashed through puddles.

During a dinner break we miss another torrential downpour.

Late afternoon we spotted a building with grounds – ‘ The Samaritan Sisters’ – it was a hospital run by sisters treating those with skin disease. We thought they’d let us put up our tent in their grounds – after 20 minutes, answering various questions, the Mother Superior said “ No, find a hotel” – clearly they haven’t heard the one about the Good Samaritan. Off we went and spotted a Roman Catholic Church with extensive grounds. Unfortunately the Father was holding the service but we waited and it was another “No” – unless we could get the police to vouch for us!!!!

So eventually we ended up in a cement factory – so much for the Christian spirit and looking after your neighbour!!

Sunday 18th March
Ollur to Cherai
Distance: 51.85 km
Total Distance: 20488.46 km
The guys at the cement works come with breakfast, a bag of donut balls. And here they all are!

We left the Highway yesterday evening so we’re slower today following the country roads. Plus we’re stopped twice by journalists asking about our journey. I think we should have rehearsed this after our interview in Miramar because when Daz is asked his impressions of India he says “large and hot”! Not very inspiring but he is feeling out of sorts today, a bit poorly/sicky,  is it the heat, the 2 long days or the donut balls???

We head to the ferry at Azhikode and cross to Munambam. We’re now on a long split of land with the sea to our right. The wind has really picked up, a very stiff onshore wind.

We spot a bar and stop for a beer. Initially relatively quiet it soon fills with groups of men – I, as usual, am the only woman in the bar and possibly a 20 mile radius. It turns out to be a fortuitous stop because whilst we’re indoors a storm blows in and the wind makes a 180 degree turn. The coconut trees in the car park are a blur of motion causing concern amongst the coach drivers, worried about falling coconuts. When we arrived the car park was mostly empty except for a line of mopeds, now it’s full of coaches. The storm blows over, the wind drops and we cycle on. Then we realise we’re actually in a very popular venue for local Indians – Cherai Beach. There are more coaches, tuk-tuks and cars and when we stop to look at the beach it’s incredibly crowded – it’s such a short beach that there’s not much space for all these people but I think the Indians prefer large groups – there’s safety in numbers.

A few more kilometers and we’ve left the chaotic mob behind and we see a camping spot just off the main road under some palm trees – camping under coconut trees is forbidden. We quickly set up camp, already raindrops are starting to fall, and we’re worried it’ll turn into a deluge. But there was no need for concern, the light rain continues as we head into the sea for a dip! It’s the temperature of a warm bath – almost impossible to believe that this volume of water can be heated to such high temperatures.

It’s dark now and as the light rain continues to fall we watch the incredible lightning displays both to the north and south of us. Stunning forks of lightning,streaking across the sky for great distances, unable to ground due to the sea.

Monday 19th March
Cherai to Kochi
Distance: 10.71 km
Total Distance: 20488.46 km
This morning we have an audience of 2, sat on a nearby upturned boat, watching our breakfast/pack-up regime. But actually I think they’re just waiting to go out fishing because they’re soon seen launching their boat.

We follow the coast road but the sea is obscured by a sea wall which must be almost 20km long.  We turn inland and cross several causeways over large areas of water.  Our first sightings of the Kerala backwaters.

We’re on the outskirts of Kochi when we’re stopped by another newspaper journalist/photographer – I think that’s the 5th in as many days!  We head for Kochi centre and the home of our warmshower hosts, Katrin and Roland. They live in a fabulous apartment with views out over the bay. Time for a lovely shower and some relaxation.   Roland works for a top end construction company, Sobha, currently involved in the initial stages of what will be the largest water front development in Kerala. When he returns from work we go out to dinner.  Katrin and Roland have done several cycle tours one lasting 10 months from Alaska to Ushuaia – we love hearing about this particular trip because we hope to do this sometime in the future.

Kochi – Tuesday 20th to Thursday 22nd.

Tuesday – We have a list of chores to complete here in India because we think it’ll be considerably cheaper than Japan.  First breakfast – OMG Katrin has bought us bacon because we mentioned we miss bacon. Bacon and eggs and toast for breakfast – very western but so very, very good after months of porridge or curry.  Then it’s the dentist for a check-up and clean. Then a notary to renew our proof of ID. Next finding a decent bike shop so we can re-thread the hole for a bolt that secures my rear mudguard. We find a bike shop and they assure us they can definitely ‘fix’ our problem so tomorrow we will return with our trikes.  Then it’s a Decathlon visit; socks, bike lock, pants and gloves all need replacing .

Bus trip back from  Decathlon .

That’s 4 chores which sound relatively simple but have taken nearly 4 hours and we’re pooped and drenched in sweat. Back at the flat there are 2 new cyclists from Iran, Nima and Habibi. Every year they take a 2 month break to cycle, this year’s trip is India, Indonesia and SE Asia.  They’re flying out of Kochi to Medan (Indonesia) tomorrow so they’re busy getting boxes and packing their gear. Meanwhile we get a ferry to Kochi Fort to meet Ryan and Lottie.

We first met these guys on the Pamir Highway, just shy of Murghab when we shared a wild camping spot by the river. The last time we saw them was in Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan just before our flight to Kathmandu, so early September.   We’ve kept in contact and shared travelling ideas because they stored their motorbikes in Kazakhstan and then flew to India. They’ve been in India nearly 5 months and are desperate to be reunited with their motorbikes. Their future travelling plan is in disarray after they were refused a full visa for Russia. Originally the plan was to return to Kazakhstan and their motorbikes to explore Russia and Mongolia before wending their way home.  Now any forward exploitation of Russia is reliant on getting a transit visa and in addition the adventurous couple aren’t ready to go home and are considering Vladivostock to Japan/South Korea by ferry and then shipping their motorbikes to Australia and then working in Australia. Over several beers we discuss travel options and talk about our experiences in India and our workaway in Madikeri. It’s great to see them and the afternoon passes quickly but the last ferry leaves at 9pm so we head home.

And just time to celebrate Iranian New Year before bed.

Wednesday.

Cooked breakfast and not a curry or porridge in sight.

Our visit to the bike shop to rethread the hole is a frustratingly long and fruitless endeavour.   Initially they refuse to accept the only solution is to rethread the hole and when eventually they accept this solution they take us to a nearby engineering workshop with a drill press.  

However I’m convinced the drill piece isn’t long enough to fit down between the rear swingarm to the offending hole. Eventually they mention another engineering shop where the guys are more helpful.  I want to visit it but apparently it’s closed. But I insist. We’re incredibly fortunate that a passing local cyclist, Ashwin, has stopped by to offer his assistance and remains to act as interpreter.  The 2nd engineering workshop isn’t closed and when we bring the trike he uses a handheld rethreading bit and 5 minutes later the job is done. Then there’s a wild goose chase to another bike shop who, according to Ashwin, has mirrors.  It doesn’t and nor can they fix an arm onto my existing mirror but at least a visit to the next door car wash means our trikes are clean.

Finally a visit to a tailors to repair my shirt, our pannier straps and make a Japanese flag. We need to get back to the flat, the Iranians are leaving at 4.30pm.  We’ve done 3 tasks and it’s taken over 6 hours. We’re hot, tired and our patience has been sorely tested. We see off Nima and Habibi. I’m so happy as they believe they can help us travel across Iran. So many cyclists have said that Iran is fabulous but being British we’re not allowed to tour Iran without a guide – a very expensive proposition.  

We spend a quiet evening with Katrin and Roland. Roland’s been away for 2 days visiting other sites and he looks pretty tired, I’m sure working in India with the Indians is not for the faint-hearted. It must be super stressful because even with strict process guidelines and supervision, it only takes a moment of inattention, and the Indians revert to their former slack processes.  

Thursday.   This morning we visit Roland on site.  We see the mock-up of the finished site, 12 towers up to 30 floors high, built in a ‘U’ shape with all the services required by a community; parking, doctor, dentist, school, swimming pool, shops and beautifully landscaped communal grounds.  Sobhan is the premier construction company in India and also has numerous projects across Asia.

The show flat, €400-600k for a 3 Bed apartment with sea views, is absolutely stunning. Then we visit the site where the workforce are preparing the concrete piles (over 600 piles, 52 meters deep) which will support this build of over three million tonnes.  There’s only mud here, no underlying rock at the lower depths, and once the holes are drilled, the hole is reinforced with steel shuttering and then concrete is poured in.

Once all the piles are complete a concrete pad will be laid on top, forming the base of the build. Roland thinks it’ll be 3 years until the first 3 towers are complete and yet their apartments are already sold out.  After our site visit it’s back to the Bazaar to find replacement buckles for our Ortlieb bags. Unfortunately the extreme weather is making the plastic buckles brittle and we’ve had a number of breakages. Last job of the day – a waxing session (for me, not Daz). I’ve been a proponent of waxing for – well nearly 30 years – but being waxed in the UK is a very different experience to that given in other countries and I’ve been waxed in Cyprus, France, Spain, Turkey, Kyrgyzstan and now India.  Of course the main hurdle is language whereby it’s impossible to determine their interpretation of a bikini wax until the dirty deed is underway. So in preparation for a wax my dignity is left at the salon door and I prepare mentally for a degree of pain and acute embarrassment. Sadly even this was insufficient preparation for this waxing session. It took 2 beauticians to attend to me, not because I’m closely related to a yeti, but because that’s what the salon deems appropriate. One beautician initially seemed to be simply there in an advisory / supervisory capacity but she soon bored of this role and decided her time would be better spent waxing.  So each had a leg and applied wax and ripped off the hair at their own rhythm, whilst I was in my own personal hell little realising I was still in the honeymoon phase. Already questioning my decision and wondering whether an emergency exit was required, they moved on to the bikini wax. In the UK a bikini wax refers to the removal of hair around the edges of a bikini. The briefer the bikini, the more hair removed but it definitely relies on the premise that a bikini is an article of clothing aka panties, knickers, G-string etc. I’m sure you all get my drift. In India clearly the ‘bikini’ is code for nudity and a ‘bikini wax’, especially with a tandem team, is more invasive, painful and longer than a cervical smear.  Enough said – it was horrendous and I don’t think either was particularly skilled in the ‘art of waxing’, I’ve certainly had better. So perhaps it’s time to invest in laser treatment!

All chores complete, we were incredibly chuffed.  A very busy but constructive stay in Kochi. For dinner Katrin had prepared a whole chicken cooked whilst sitting on a steamer full of beer and herbs, (the chicken, not Katrin!) a more upmarket version of chicken cooked on a budweiser can! It’s served with pickled salad and German potato salad. Absolutely delicious.  

Friday 23rd March

Kochi to Alleppey

Distance: 67.91 km

Total Distance: 20591.16 km

It’s a very sad day today – we must leave Kochi and our incredibly warm and generous hosts Katrin and Roland.  Our last breakfast of crispy bacon and eggs, a frenzy of activity, hugs goodbye and we’re off.

It’s actually an easy ride to Alleppey, almost completely flat with no wind and there’s water lagoons everywhere – the backwaters of Kerala.  

In Alleppey we find the ferry terminal, we want the Alleppey to Kollam ferry but we need to check departure times and whether they’ll take our trikes. The ferry is at 10.30am. They will take our trikes and it’s 400 Rupees each and 200 for each trike.  An opportunity to experience and enjoy the backwaters. Eight hours of enjoyment we hope ; it’s 80km. After checking the ferry for tomorrow we have a very late lunch and then head to the beach to camp.

We soon find a nice spot but we’re a little concerned by the wind.   It usually drops in the evening but today it seems to be getting stronger – we hope there’s not a storm blowing in.

Saturday 24th March

Alleppey to Kollam to Eravipuram

Distance: 10.3 km

Total Distance: 20601.46 km

Wow, last night was our most horrendous todate. We were worried about the wind and had decided to put the fly up to reinforce the tent. Unfortunately this cut the draft in the tent and the heat soon built up to unbearable levels.

We open the doors and still it’s too hot. So we take the fly off and for a while we relish the cooling breeze. But then an hour or so later I am awoken by Daz slapping at the large number of mosquitoes in the tent. Time to shut the doors. Then as we start hunting down the mossies it starts to rain. We dash outside and put the fly back on. We are now back in a baking oven. We sweat all night long and even when we wake in the morning we are still drenched.  To top it all off at the start of the night we had the police visit us to say it’s not safe and we needed to move up the beach.

Too tired and too late we manage to explain we will be okay., they leave a phone number just incase! Later, in the dark, as we prepare for a dip in the cooling sea Daz notices a man walkng up to him. I’ve just gone ahead across the beach. Daz says Hi and the man responds then reaches across and gropes Daz’s tackle! Daz swears at him and pushes him away and he saunters off. Daz joins me on the beach, but the wind has whipped up the waves and it’s a steep drop so we don’t even get to cool of! Back at the tent we occasionally see some odd men moving about in the tree line. Obviously a meeting point for the local deviants!

So we are up early due to the heat and feeling tired we brew up and have some porridge, no bacon for us today!  We cycle back into town and then shortly after we load our trikes onto the ferry. There’s no ramp, it’s only a small passenger ferry so we have to take all the bags off and manhandle the trikes through the narrow doors.

But we are soon settled and at 1030am we set off. It’s a pleasant journey, except maybe for the noise of the engines. A breeze occasionally cools us off.  The ferry should take 8 hours to cover the 80 km distance. We see lots of birds and locals swimming in the waters along the shoreline. Sometimes we are going fast, but when it’s narrow the speed is cut.

Rural houses and boat houses slide by. Fishermen in small canoes and tourists on day boats. We stop twice, once for lunch then once for chai. Then with about 7 km to go the ferry lurches to a halt with a high pitched whine from the engines. We are adrift in the middle of a lagoon. It seems there’s some fouling of the propellers.   We limp to the nearest shore then two of the crew strip off and get in the water.

Numerous dives later they have cut away the rope, cloth and plastic that has become entangled. Daz starts a round of applause but none of the Indian passengers join in, they’re obviously not impressed.

We reach our destination just as the sun is setting and after disembarking with the bikes and luggage we stop at a local restaurant to get some food. The plan had been to do some backwater canoeing tomorrow but we both decide it’s going to be too much trouble to head back up the coast to Munroe island, especially as the last ferry will have sailed and we would need to camp and get the first one in the morning.  So we decide to head towards the coast again and a little ways south. We finally pitch our camp on some waste ground in a small village after an off duty policeman flags us down.

He knows the guy that has the house next door and we get water. It’s a bit public, and we get quite a few visitors to start, but hopefully we’ll have a quiet night!

Sunday 25th March

Eravipuram to Varkala

Distance: 21.05 km

Total Distance: 20622.51 km

A nice easy ride to Varkala this morning, well it would have been if we’d stayed on real roads, instead we choose a MapsMe dashed black into a dashed white.  Initially it’s fine, a bit narrow, but it’s fun and we’re practically cycling along the cliff edge.

Then we have a few sections where we need to carry or push the trikes.  The worst being a short but very steep concrete ramp, I’m supposed to pull but I can barely walk up the ramp without skidding back on my cleats. And we’re there, the very beautiful Mint Inside Hotel, only to discover that there’s no hot water and no air conditioning in our room and our 5th night is only available in a deluxe room which will cost as much again as 4 nights.  So we eventually decide to push on and find something more suitable. We settle on Basuri beach resort which sounds much more plush than it actually is but there’s aircon, hot water and the essential WIFI (although it’s a weak signal, exacerbated by frequent power cuts. They’re short but so disruptive).

We shower and relax go out to dinner and then have a WhatsApp session calling anyone that’s available – it’s lovely to hear from friends we haven’t seen in months and catch up on the new gossip.

Monday 26th March

Varkala

OMG why is there always so much to do and why does it all take so much fecking time.  We were well behind on the blog and then there’s prepping for our flight (cleaning all our gear and bags and trikes) and trying to pin down an initial Japan plan.  It seems that we booked a flight months ago so we could see Tokyo in blossom but by the time we land it’ll have been and gone and we suddenly discover Tokyo International Airport is 70km north of Tokyo.  Gosh what 2 fantastic discoveries! So a new plan is required. Arghhhhhhhh.

But at least after ‘choring’ (just made up a new verb) until 6pm we do actually leave our room for a sunset dip and dinner.

Tea with dinner?  No, definitely NOT!   It’s beer but served in a teapot because none of the restaurants have a licence to serve alcohol.  Several years ago the death rate through drunk drowning went through the roof for the Indian tourists, so now, in theory none of the restaurants serve alcohol.  The reality is that they all do!

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday

Varkala

May the chores continue – and yes they do!   We even make ourselves a new flag.

We do have time to enjoy the beach, swimming (surviving!) in the huge surf and savour a  number of nice restaurants along the front.

Friday 30th March

Varkala to Trivandrum

Distance: 45.20km

Total Distance: 20667.71km

The imminent flight to Japan is already starting to worry Daz, he was awake at 4.20am and three hours later he’s imagined any number of scenarios, none of them good, and his hands are shaking and he feels like crap.  Today we cycle to Trivandrum. It’s only 45km and for some, me for example, it’s relatively painless, but Daz can’t seem to rid himself of thoughts of tomorrow’s flight. Just before our Trivandrum hotel we find a carwash and our trikes get a good clean and at the hotel there are some final trike adjustments to be made, then it’s time to relax – if only!!!!

The room is super hot, and even with the windows open and the fan on full it’s too uncomfortable to sleep much. On top of that the bloody mosquitoes are having a feast! Thank God/Shiva/Ganeesh (him with the elephant face)/Budda and any other deity that gets worshipped here this is our last night in India.

Saturday 31st March

To Trivandrum Airport

Distance:  4.25km

We were awake super early and after a quick shower, we cycled to the airport in the dark.

We’ve only got one headtorch between us as all our lights (and mirrors!) have been detached and packed. Daz uses it in red light mode and puts it on the back of his head. We’ve never tried this ‘cycle direct to airport’ approach so fingers crossed it works.  Our flight isn’t until 9.55am and it’s only 5.45am so we’re pretty sure there’s plenty of time to get everything sorted. How wrong could we be! We speak to the assistants and explain we’re flying with Sri Lankan air to Japan and customer services have accepted the trikes as mobility devices (and we have emails to prove it). Last December we started researching flights to Japan and how other cyclists and trike users approach the problem.  Initially it seemed Sri Lankan air had a reasonable sporting equipment policy but after weeks of trying to pin them down for specific details they then decided our trikes had to go by cargo flight. Then another trike rider said she’d been on numerous flights and simply cycled to the airport and said the trike was a mobility device. We researched Sri Lankan air mobility device policy (mobility devices are free of charge) and the definition of mobility device.  We then wrote to Sri Lankan air and requested carriage for our mobility devices. We told them trikes were used by people unable to ride conventional bikes because of multiple sclerosis, parkinsons, back problems, balance problems, walking difficulties and a plethora of other conditions. They agreed to take them.

After waiting over an hour they want all our bags and the trikes scanned. Pushing the trikes through the xray scanner was fun, at first they said they wouldn’t fit, and as they haven’t been scanned check-in won’t accept them. But Daz gets them through.

Then we actually get as far as the check-in desk – looks like they’re going to take them but they need a copy of our emails to discuss with the sender.  More time passes and they tell us they’ll take the trikes but only as excess baggage. 30 kilos at whatever rate equals 61,515 rupees – £684. Yup a fortune.

We try everything but they won’t accept anything written in the emails and we’re running out of time. It’s 0845am and check – in is due to close. Finally resigned we offer up our credit card only to discover they won’t take payment by credit card only cash.  OMG we can’t even withdraw that amount of cash in one day. The minutes tick by as we wait for head office in Sri Lanka to accept a credit card payment. It’s gone 9am now and word comes back that it’s cash or nothing. By now we are very stressed, I shed a tear, Daz pulls his hair and still they refuse us. At this rate we’re going to lose our flight, in fact we’re convinced we are going to miss our flight because we can’t produce 61,515 Rupees.  We walk dejectedly over to the ATM and bizarrely our Halifax Credit card decides to be the card that just keeps giving (maximum withdrawal is 10,000 per transaction) and in conjunction with another card we have the cash, 7 ATM transactions in total.

Then it’s a panic to check the cash (they count it twice! Slowly!), finish our check-in, wave goodbye to our trikes and then get to the gate. At immigration there’s another problem – it’s 09.20am and customers need to clear Immigration 45 minutes before their flight.  The staff are so busy complaining and arguing with each other about check-in not informing immigration that there’s a further delay. And finally the security checks – when I empty my pockets into a tray the security man examines my bike computer and hands it back. I go to be scanned and the woman scanning finds the computer and says it must go through the Xray machine. I go back to x-ray machine, shove my way to the front, put my computer in a tray and return to the body scan / frisk. Another queue to push passed.  And then off to find my bike computer, whilst Daz, desperate to move on, keeps telling me it’s in my pocket, where I put it when the security man rejected it! Arghhhhhhhhhhh!

We board our plane with about 10 minutes to spare.  Fifty minutes later we’re in Colombo and realise our 7pm flight to Japan has been delayed until midnight.   So we spend over 12 hours in the departure lounge probably managing only 20 minutes of sleep.

We seek solace in a bottle or 3 of duty free red wine.  After an endless day we’re called forward to the gate but it’s another long wait until we board. We’re absolutely shattered but sleep is hard to come by.

Friday 16th February

Outskirts of Ratnagiri to Madban

Distance: 56.12 km

Total Distance: 19543.48 km

Ratnagiri Bar – ceilings are very low

We were sad to leave our rather nice apartment this morning but at least we’d had a good rest.  

View from our terrace.

Daz was clearly more rested than me because I struggled to keep up with him today but I’m sure tomorrow I’ll be stronger or he’ll revert to his usual shabby form (just kidding).  We didn’t see much today and were too far from the coast to see the sea.

We did pass numerous mango orchards and spotted a white and grey bird of prey and a monster kingfisher with a huge beak.  I’ll be googling those when I get some Internet! Internet search complete:

Stork billed kingfisher

Black stork

White throated kingfisher

Black shouldered kite – possibly

Black drongo with a long forked tail

Entertaining moment today was a bus driver pulling over and leaving his bus to take photos of us, whilst his passengers waited.  

Saturday 17th February

Madban to Varachichawadi

Distance: 60.33 km

Total Distance: 19603.81 km

Yesterday Daz and I had decided we should make an effort to miss some of the heat of the day and so should start a bit earlier than our typical 9-10am starts.  Daz always one to show his commitment to a new plan made sure we were ready for an early departure by ensuring we were both awake by 0530am. Nice! Last night, as we were finishing our end of day routine, we suddenly realised we were in the midst of a cloud of, what Daz called, flying ants.  They were all over the tent and us, crawling through my hair and up our T-shirts. Vile! An emergency decamp into the tent was required which also contained a large number of the horrid beasties and was the temperature of a furnace. So as the sweat started to erupt we set about murdering the beasties and then discovered their wings all over our bed and sleeping bags.  It’s the first time we’ve met this critters and hopefully our last.

Wings from critters all over our panniers.

So, as per the new plan, we set off at 8am to pleasant temperatures and scenery.  By the time we stopped for an early, but absolutely delicious, lunch of Punjabi Thali at Devgad we had done nearly 30km.  

Sadly the temperatures or the hills or our tough morning or our big fat bellies meant we were absolutely shattered after lunch and the going was slow, very slow.  But we did attempt 2 shortcuts which are always an adventure because you just never know what to expect.

And neither shortcut was a road more a track of rocks or sand or potholes.  But these detours into unpopulated areas means we spot more wildlife and today we saw a toucan amongst other pretty birds and we disturbed a group of storks or cranes paddling in a pond.  

We also saw our first Indian snake. A green tree snake.

Finally we reached Varachichawadi and had just enough energy to buy some vegetables and get some water before finding a camping spot for the night.

Sunday 18th February

Varachichawadi to Outskirts of Venguria

Distance: 61.07 km

Total Distance: 19665.78 km

Today we achieved another early start – 8am on the road.  We’re only losing our 2nd cup of coffee and a leisurely breakfast with extra Kindle time.  What we’re gaining – an additional 2 hours of slogging away on our trikes.

No wonder by the time we’ve had lunch we’re so shattered.  Today we detoured into Malvan which was truly unremarkable and lunch was in Parule. Before Parule we did circumnavigate half of the new airport currently under construction –  Sindhdurg Airport.

The runways must be over 5km long – massive. (We later discover this is part of India’s corruption. A minister will buy land and then decide to build an airport and eventually resell his private land at inflated prices.  Meanwhile an airport is built in the middle of nowhere without any supporting infrastructure – no big towns, hotels or restaurants). And our camping spot today is a quarry just before Venguria.

Entertaining moment: Road sign with following warning:  Don’t mix alcohol whilst driving’.

Monday 19th February

Outskirts of Venguria to Moira

Distance: 55.21km

Total Distance: 19720.99 km

Last night I woke at 2am and my sleeping bag was really damp and this morning we find our tent is soaking wet.  All our kit is damp and because the quarry is full of red sand we end up with bags, kit, tent and clothing covered in red dirt.  

We fail to achieve an 8am start but do set off before 9am having had 2 coffees. The terrain is much easier today and we soon cross the bridge into Goa and it’s like stepping into a different world.  

Suddenly there are tourists everywhere, zipping about on mopeds, scantily clad clearly heading for the beaches. We stop for lunch in Mandram and realise a lot of the advertising boards are in Russian – I guess a lot of these tourists are Russian.   After Mandram we head to Mapusa and then on to the small village of Moira. About a year ago when we were hot air ballooning over Cappadocia we met Sonny.  He’s an architect, artist and house renovator who spent many years in LA but has now settled in Goa.  He has the most stunning house with incredible pieces of art outside and some loft conversions and his Gallery, The Cube.  And we’re staying here – how incredibly lucky are we.  It’s just so beautiful.

 

later, chatting to Sonny we discover why the last few days have been so horrendously tough with moments when we literally felt as if our hearts were about to explode through our chests.  We’ve been cycling through 37degC heat but the humidity now is around 88%. Physically this is probably tougher than the Pamir Highway and so unpleasant because we’re never completely dry. We wash at night but within seconds we’ll start to sweat and once we close ourselves into the tent to avoid the mossies it’s a full scale sweat eruption.  And our clothes never dry out. It’s really unpleasant.

Tuesday 20th- Friday 23rd February

Moira

We are truly blessed by our stay.  The apartment is stunning and Sonny’s man, Mutta, keeps bringing us meals.  This is breakfast and lunch Day 1 of ………365… .if only:

It’s going to be tough to leave – perhaps Sonny won’t notice if we just move in……. forever.  Tuesday we just relax, sort out our very dirty kit, and get our laundry done. We also finally finish Game of Thrones – series 7 done at last.  Since we started watching Game of Thrones we’ve both read the books but the TV series goes beyond the books and OMG what an ending!

Sonny’s beautiful art and Gallery

Wednesday we head off to enjoy a ‘typical tourist day’.  We visit Monjim Beach and then walk along the beautiful beaches to Ashvam Beach and Mandram Beach. 

The sea is warm, the beaches well looked after with numerous food and drink shacks. We stop for food and / or a beer and watch all the sun-worshippers.  

 There’s a ‘thong’ thing going on with the Russians here so Daz certainly has numerous cheeky moments!

Finally we walk into Mandram Town and then head home.

Thursday – we had plans to cycle today but instead end up on a research frenzy of Japan.   Japan wasn’t really on our radar until we met Maggie, the kimono collector, who hosted us on a workaway in Rivel in January 2016.  She sparked our interest and from subsequent searches we’ve realised Japan is an incredible place, especially for cycle tourists. As a result a major plan change is afoot.  Plan evolution:

1. Originally we couldn’t find an easy way to get to Hokkaido (buses and trains aren’t trike friendly).  So we had intended to cycle north from Tokyo for several hundred kilometres and then loop back south. A 3 month stay was planned, leaving Japan by ferry for South Korea, at the end of June.  Six weeks in South Korea acquiring our Chinese and Mongolia visa from Seoul (always a ‘weak link’ in the plan when gaining a Chinese visa is so unpredictable). And then a ferry to China, cycle into Mongolia, back into China and then a detour into Taiwan and Hong Kong and finally into Vietnam.
2. As above but we discovered a ferry from just north of Tokyo up into Hokkaido allowing us to cycle the full length of Japan.
3. The ferry to Hokkaido meant either a possibility of skiing in one of the world’s top skiing destinations – admittedly at the tale end of the season, or seeing spring in Hokkaido. But a decision was required – an early ferry to Hokkaido to ski or cycle north from Tokyo to see the spring and then book the ferry south to Tokyo.  Unfortunately we’d been told early ferry booking was required hence the extensive research. Whilst researching this decision we realised that a 3 month stay in Japan was depressingly restrictive. Plenty of time to cycle the full length of Japan but not enough to ski, experience several workaways, climb Mt Fuji, skidive and have time for friends who are coming over.  So we’re hoping to extend our stay to 6 months.

The implications of this single change are considerable and have led to a very ambitious but complicated plan.  Leave Japan at the end of September. Spend 2.5 months in South Korea. Leave our trikes in South Korea and fly to Hong Kong for Xmas/ New Year housesitting or workaway.   Fly or sail to the Philippines for further housesitting / workaway or sailing adventure (there’s Internet sites for yachts looking for crew). Fly to UK, apply for China and Mongolia visa and spend a month or so seeing friends.  Return East in March on the Trans Siberian Railway to Vladivostock and then take a ferry back to S. Korea. A crazy and convoluted plan but it’s so exciting.

To celebrate we watch Dunkirk – good movie.

Friday.   Today I’m successful and we’re out the door by 0730hrs.  Why so early? Well we’re heading to the Salim Ali Bird sanctuary and the birds are at their most active before the serious heat of the day.  From Moira we cycle to Pomburpa Jetty crossing to the Chorao Jetty.

Then we head off and eventually find the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary. The guide recommends a boat trip so off we go with the Goan Forestry Commission into the Mangrove swamps.  

Our guide spots so many birds we’re like 2 crazy tennis fans unable to keep pace with the action and often unable to spot the bird in question – frustrating for us and the guide.

But we see so many birds and it’s fantastic :

Common Kingfisher,  Stork-billed Kingfisher, White throated Kingfisher Black capped Kingfisher,  Osprey, White bellied sea Eagles, Brahminy Kites, Storks, Grey Heron, Green Heron,  Sandpipers, White breasted Waterhen, Eurasian Curlew, Long necked Curlew, Black Headed Ibis, Cormorants,  Great Egret, Indian Pond Heron, Intermediate Egret, Terns, Snipes,

We also see shoals of small fish leaping from the water – amazing!

From the Bird sanctuary we get the ferry to Ribandar and then cycle into Old Goa.   Old Goa, this city was constructed by the Bijapur Sultanate in the 15th century and served as capital of Portuguese India from the 16th century until its abandonment in the 18th century due to a plague.

Under the Portuguese, it is said to have once been a city of nearly 200,000 where from, before the plague, the Portuguese traded across continents. The remains of the city are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Old Goa contains many churches including the Se Cathedral (the seat of the Archbishop of Goa), the Church of St. Francis of Assisi, the Church of St. Caetano and, notably, the Basilica of Bom Jesus which contains the relics of Saint Francis Xavier, which is celebrated every year on 3 December. These churches were built by Portuguese Catholics.  Nowadays the city is more of a village and is quiet except for the tourists visiting the churches.

From Old Goa we get a ferry to Piedade on Divar Island, cross this small flat island and catch the Diwar Ferry to Naroa.   From there it’s an undulating ride home our progress hampered only by a long wait at a train level crossing we have to wait at it’s an undulating ride back to Moira.

In the evening Sonny has arranged a ‘Breadism’ event in his Gallery and we have offered to help as a thank you for his generosity.   Daz helps run the bar and I provide emotional support. There’s a stringed duet providing a classical flavour whilst a chef expounds the value and joy of real bread. And the ‘real’ bread tastes amazing – if only we had a loaf each.  And the red wine isn’t too shabby either.

Saturday 24th February

Moira to Odxel

Distance: 40.90km

Total Distance: 19809.32 km

Well it pains me, more than you could ever know, to leave Moira but that’s what we must do.  We say farewell to Sonny, his 2 boys, Miles and Ki and of course our ‘feeder’, Mutta.

Off we go into Mapusa, buy fuel, and despite Sonny’s advice head to the ‘strip’ between Baga and Candolin.  

It’s packed with bars, restaurants, hotels, tacky shops and tattoo parlours. We even check out Candolin beach but it’s absolutely packed with sun loungers and tourists.

This 8km of beach ‘paradise’ is clearly a tourist mecca with numerous jet skiers and para sailing experiences. It’s a bit naff to be honest but I’m sure it has a wild night scene.  From here we detour considerably to a Big Bazaar – we love a spot of super shopping. Then we cross the bridge to Panjin and Miramar beach. It really is rather pretty; beautiful old buildings, statues, and a harbour with several casino boats. We’re stopped by some journalists, filmed and interviewed.

Here’s a link to the TV news we appeared on

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2112421895442243&id=483908701626912

Seeing the strip and sports’ bars earlier had reminded us that we had planned to watch a 6 Nations Rugby game. Today it’s Wales v Ireland. Unfortunately Miramar is the wrong place to be, no bars and certainly no Sports’ Bars so we resign ourselves to a quiet Saturday night and eventually manage to find a small beach to camp.   

Sunday 25th February

Odxel to 4km before Agonda

Distance: 69.68km

Total Distance: 19879.00 km

Last night’s camping spot turned out to be party central so whilst we’re trying to sleep there’s people arriving, car doors slamming, car and moped lights shining into our tent and then very loud chatting right next to our tent.  Daz politely asked the closest group to give us more space and possibly overcome by guilt they soon drove off to find another spot. However that left a smaller group who got louder as the beers and rum were consumed. I think they finally left at 11pm.  Any plan to make up for lost sleep was rudely shattered when the young lads who’d watched us set up the previous evening came over at 7am to play footy with empty beer cans until we made an appearance and they could watch us cook and pack up.

There’s also the fishermen already in from a night’s fishing, sorting out their nets.

So both very tired and grumpy we headed off for the day.  After taking the Highway to skirt the estuary above Vasco de Gama we returned to the smaller coastal roads from Cansaulim to Cavelossim.

Then, due to route disagreements,  we pushed on but unfortunately found ourselves with hills, no water and no viable camping spots. Our early finish, much like this morning’s lie-in, failed to materialise and instead desperation found us picking a naff camp spot next to the main road at about 6pm and cooking in the dark.

Monday 26th February

4km before Agonda to Agonda

Distance: 8.72 km

Total Distance: 19887.72 km

Our ‘naff’ spot last night wasn’t actually too bad.  The parked bus that we’d hidden behind did leave at 7am but we still managed another dozing session.  Today we start with a very, very ambitious ride – 3 km down the road to Kola beach. Recommended by Vikki.  Our route in is probably the less popular of the 2 two access points. Once off the main road we do find ourselves on a very rough track which leads to a very small area where a few several mopeds are parked.  

We’re actually above the beach and having abandoned our precious trikes and luggage descend some steps to an incredibly beautiful beach. This is ‘PARADISE’. There are just 2 small beach hut complexes here. Definitely an exclusive, tucked -away piece of paradise.   

After several hours enjoying the sun, sea, fresh-water lagoon and beer we eventually summon sufficient motivation to head into Agonda. Obviously another tourist hot-spot because there’s a street full of hotels, restaurants, shops and beauty spas.

Having stopped for lunch we then head off to the most southerly point of the beach – a spot marked by I-Overlander.   It’s obviously well known because there are several camper vans already parked up and it’s here we set up for the night.

Not a horrendously taxing day but it’s our last in Goa so we just want to enjoy it!

And what a fantastic sunset!

Tuesday 27th February

Agonda to Todur

Distance: 58.91 km

Total Distance: 19922.68 km

This morning, slightly the worse for wear (yup too many beach beers), we head off leaving the camper vans and their residents to what appears to be a very lazy schedule – yes aren’t we the judgemental ones.

Yesterday evening when Daz went back into the village for water he was flagged down by an Indian who showed him an Indian news article. Yup those journalists from Miramar have only gone and got us on Indian TV – fame at last.  He was also flagged down by a Geordie who we met last September on the Langtang Trail. Today we return to the Highway 17 because there are large river estuaries that we need to loop round.

After 20km we leave Goa and enter Karnataka which we’ve been told is even more beautiful than Goa and flatter.  So fingers crossed. Our temperature gauge hits the 40s today but we need to check the humidity.

After passing miles of land fenced off by the Karwar Naval Base we finally find a little piece of land for our tent. Sadly no nearby beaches for a dip.

Wednesday 28th February

Todur to Vannalli

Distance: 54.52 km

Total Distance: 19977.20 km

Today we continue on the Highway for about 20km which is a huge construction site.  We turn off for Ankola and the remainder of the day is on back roads with 2 ferry trips to reach Vannalli.  

For one of the ferries we have a bit of a wait and we still haven’t had lunch yet. Finally the ferry arrives but lands on the sand bar beside it. So we cycle down a rocky ledge onto the beach then up onto the landing ramp. Bit like being on exercise with the Royal Marines!  

On the other side there’s still no food just another hill. It’s not until 4 pm we manage to find somewhere to eat!!

For most of today’s cycling we have been videoing large segments so that we can put together a “video day in the life of”. Hopefully Daz will be able to put something together from the 4gb of video!! Finally we find a small rocky track leading to a private Cove.

Private until about 630pm  when it looks like we are surrounded on both hillsides by people out to see the sunset! Once they disappeared we head for a refreshing and cleansing swim.

Sunday 21st January

Jaipur to Malpura

Distance: 88.79km

Total Distance: 18493.14km

Friday we left Jac in Delhi to catch her plane whilst we took a train back to Jaipur.  In Jaipur we met Chinmay, our warmshower host. Unfortunately he was in a mad rush packing for his trip to Bombay and his marathon so we politely made our excuses and said farewell to him and his lovely family. But not before sampling another wonderful curry lunch with his mum and dad.  We managed 3km before we decided we needed some downtime. The last 3 weeks sightseeing has left us drained.  We found a fantastic guest house with comfy mattresses and real duvets (a rarity in India) and our one night stretched to 2. We had just decided another day off was in order but fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your perspective,  our guesthouse was fully booked.  So we hit the road and had an uneventful day but we did see something of interest and certainly clocked up some decent mileage.

Our recent sightseeing trip has left us feeling rather disillusioned and out of sorts.  We had expected to be blown away by Varanasi and the highlights of the Golden Triangle but instead we were left wondering why these sites attract so little respect.  The Ganges, the Holiest of Holy Rivers,  is a dumping ground for bodies, ashes of cremated bodies, human and animal waste and any other rubbish.  Varanasi is also filthy, filled with beggars, poverty, underfed and uncared for animals, touts and salesmen of one type or another constantly harassing us and ignoring our polite “no, thank yous”.  And these elements continued as we travelled to all the “unmissable “ sites until we were left questioning who recommends these places, why and what are we missing that we’re left feeling underwhelmed,  depressed, appalled and irate!  Hence, I think the desire to hide away for another day.  But it’s actually been good to get back on our trikes although there was nothing inspiring about our route (yup another recommendation – “Cycling from Jaipur to Udaipur is unmissable “ (well not so far!).  But I’m occupied on ‘puppy spotting’.  Remember Mace?  Well we did phone the Delhi dog shelter because I was considering taking him back.  But he’d been adopted!  So I’ve been busy looking for a replacement.  An abandoned, undernourished pup or even a friendly street dog who feels we need adopting and fancies a bit of travel!  Anything to provide a diversion from our current India experience.

We find a camping spot just off the road and pitch the tent. Not caring that we can be seen by the multitude of passing traffic.

Monday 22nd January

Malpura to River Khari

Distance: 65.41km

Total Distance: 18558.55 km

Nothing much to say about today.  The scenery so far is proving rather uninspiring, mainly scrub and ploughed fields.  But today I did spot an abandoned puppy.  It turns out she’s a real squealer – 2 local Indian women decided to capture her for me and she was squealing like a banshee even before they touched her and she’s squealed when both Daz and I had to chase her down and pick her up.

Her name is now Bron, another star of GoT!  We’ve found quite a nice camping spot for the night, which are proving easier to find than places to eat! We need to stock up on boring noodles, so that when we fail to find food in truckstops we won’t starve!

Currently when we do find an eating place that’s open, we say have you got any food, they nod their heads, then we list every dish we’re happy to eat, they nod some more and then nothing happens.  They have no food!!

Tuesday 23rd January

River Khari to Bhilwara

Distance: 39.22 km

Total Distance: 18597.77 km

A little bit of a disturbed night. Bron was a little whiny sleeping outside the tent and kept waking us up. But we didn’t have any other visitors so that’s a good thing.  Today the wind has picked up considerably, our first windy day since Tajikistan. And it’s a headwind and our speed slumps.

After about 30km we come to a small town and stop to see a temple and have a bite to eat. Then we round the corner out of town and the wind has picked up some more. With the sleepless nights and fighting against the wind we are so tired. So it’s thumbs out time to see if hitching will work in India.

With over 2000 kilometers to get to Trivandum we are hoping to hitch across some of the boring bits, which currently appears to be India in its entirety! Let’s hope this works. We get one truck that stops, but it’s full of gravel. Finally with about 5 minutes left on our self allotted time a small truck stops and even though the guy doesn’t speak any English we make him understand we want the next big town. So we throw everything aboard and hitch for 50km. Bonus.

Our kindly truck driver.

Just around the corner from where he drops us is a police station. We ask and they say we can camp in their back yard. Quick end to a long day.

Bron getting in some desperately needed shut-eye.  She’s probably only slept.. ……….well most of the day actually.  This travelling malarkey is soooo tiring!

Wednesday 24rd January

Bhilwara to Rajasmand

Distance: 72.25 km

Total Distance: 18670.02 km

OMG I slept so well last night, catching up after the last 2 rough nights but I don’t think Daz fared as well with Bron whining and all the local stray dogs barking or howling!  We’re off to an early start, waved off by a crowd of policemen.  Another unremarkable day but at least we knock out some decent mileage.

Currently we’re finding the scenery uninspiring,  the continual requests for selfies (where everyone expects us to actually stop) is downright rude, presumptuous and annoying and if we stop for food the bill is often massively inflated – today they tried to charge 780 RS for 2 vegetable dishes, 8 chapatis and some boiling water. Typically this is more in the 350RS zone for foreigners.   So we might need to reconsider our cycling plan.  The only requirement is to be in Trivandum for March 31st for our flight to Japan.

At least we find a camping spot relatively easily.

Thursday 25th January

Rajasmand to Chirwa

Distance: 55.00 km

Total Distance: 18725.02 km

Yesterday we bought some cooking fuel but were dismayed to discover it wouldn’t burn so no cooked dinner or brews for us last night.  And this morning we had to pack up and cycle without any breakfast and without a cup of coffee! And it’s cold and damp this morning so Bron starts her day inside my jacket.

So today we had to search for more fuel.  We thought we’d found some but cunningly we decided to conduct a burn test immediately and when the fluid extinguished our burning wick, demanded our money back.  

 Eventually we found fuel but with the breakfast stop and numerous Bron stops (she was desperate to get off the trike and yet once off didn’t seem to need the toilet!), the day disappeared without gaining our hoped for destination; the lake before Udaipur (Udaipur is known as the city of the lakes).

 So we had to stop early; not early in time terms because it was already passed 4pm but early in mileage terms (and we started at 8am!!!).  But today we cycled about 3km where both sides of the road were lined with marble and granite workshops.  

We stopped at one to admire a sheet of moonlight granite.  It was 27 square foot and less than £100. 

We also saw one of the typical sights of India – a tented shanty area by the side of the road.  It’s heartbreaking that people live like this.

But look where we camped – this was just behind us.  Convenient huh?

Friday 26th January

Chirwa to Udaipur

Distance: 23.33 km

Total Distance: 18748.35 km

Today we cycle into Udaipur.  

 First we visit a pet shop to buy worming tablets and anti flea/tick spray for Bron.  We also purchase a lead and some chews.  Then we visit Fatah Sagar Lake.  We’re admiring the views but suddenly everything hits an all time low when there’s a massive argument because someone in the crowd of onlookers decides he should sit on Daz’s trike for a selfie.  We’re really at the end of our tether tolerance wise – we’ve got some problems back in the UK with our rental property and with this additional stress we’re finding it hard to accommodate the audacity of the Indians.  Eventually everyone kisses and makes up and we take Bron for a lakeside promenade – well she has to run to keep up with our trikes but we’re hoping to tire her out so she sleeps later.  I’ve never had a puppy (apart from Mace) but it must be like having a toddler (not that I’ve had one of those either) but constantly thinking about toilet needs, sleep and food and how to juggle them to maximise a quiet easy life for us!  

After the lake we find a brilliant supermarket (few and far between, the norm is a corner shop with crisps and biscuits) and do a massive shop and then head to the City Palace.   Unfortunately dog entry was forbidden so we took some sneaky photos and then did a runner.   

 

We stopped at a hotel to find WiFi and try and sort out our tenancy issues since our Indian SIM, which is usually pretty good, has failed to give us any Internet connectivity over the last 6 days.  Two hours later, non the happier for our UK phone interaction, we head to Lake Pichola, stopping to admire sunset point, before finding a camping spot by the lake.

 We’re literally on the grounds of a temple overlooking the lake, although the view is mostly obscured by trees.   

Saturday 27th January

Udaipur to Rishabdeo

Distance: 66.48 km

Total Distance: 18814.83 km

Last night’s camp spot was a bit of a gem because despite being very close to the road we were above it, so remained undetected.   The downside was it turned out to be the local training spot and the early birds were there grunting and chatting at 0630hrs.  Daz thought if he pretended they weren’t there, they would go away but when I finally admitted defeat I found them doing reps in front of a mirror.  Bizarre.  We cycled back passed Lake Pichola which was very pretty in the early morning sunshine and then out of Udaipur.   

Once out of town we hit the main Highway and it was another uneventful day although the scenery has changed from dry, flat scrubland to hilly, undulating, dry scrub.  Bron has now been with us 5 days and she’s proving to be pretty entertaining and a great distraction.   Initially she squealed like a banshee whenever we got anywhere near but now she wags her tail and is super excited to see us!  We think she might know her name but she’s singularly unimpressed with her lead and locks out her back legs when we use it so we end up dragging her.  This makes us look like bad owners and it’s really rather embarrassing in public. Bad doggie!   Daz says she’ll get used to it or she’ll end up with drag burns up her hind legs and arse! Tonight we stop at another temple. The Guru is asleep but wakes up when we arrive and welcomes us heartily.  We sit and have chai, he shows us the temple and blesses us then just as we are setting up our tent comes and offers us a room with bathroom and toilet… fantastic!  

Such a luxury – I even get to wash my hair.  Creamy cheese pasta tonight for dinner.  Later in the evening we’re introduced to the guru’s father.

 He suggests we join him at prayer at midnight (well we thought he said midnight)  but we politely decline on the grounds we’re rather tired as usual.

Sunday 28th January

Rishabdeo to Adalaj Stepwell, Ahmedabad

Distance: 9.17 km

Total Distance: 18824 km

Sadly our luxury room didn’t equate to a luxurious night.  Bron went into several extended whining sessions – I guess it was separation anxiety.  Normally she’s mere inches from us separated by just the tent’s fly, last night it was 5m separated by stone walls.  She wasn’t happy and neither were we!  Then at about 5am there was horrendously loud banging – I couldn’t work out what was going on but it was a lad summoning us to prayer.  We declined and tried to go back to sleep and whilst I succeeded Daz said his racing heart from the shock factor kept him awake.  Then at 7am we receive another summons and feel obliged to get up.  We’re both pooped and rather bad tempered but we sit through the prayer service and then have chai with father Guru.

 Apparently this temple is famous and attracts people from all over India.  It’s the temple of the snake God, previously a warrior who fought to defend his district in the 15th Century.   Prior to the battle he had just got married and he promised his wife he WOULD return. So despite being decapitated he went on to kill another 19 enemy and travelled 120km (yup headless) to return to his wife. From what we can figure out he then went on to become the snake God. Apparently this is historic fact!!! Anyway many come to this temple where the sacred ash cures cancer, paralysis and other terminal illnesses. Fact!

Eventually we made our excuses and went off to eat breakfast and pack.  We decided that since the scenery was proving uninspiring we’d hitch to Ahmedabad.   Well we’ve hitched successfully many times but today it seemed we were destined to fail.  Quite a few trucks stopped but they were either going the wrong way, their truck was full or the doors were sealed.  So were beginning to give up hope.

Then a vehicle stopped and there was room for us and our gear, and he was going the right way.  But only 20km!  Well we decided 20km would at least give us a change of scenery.   So in went all the gear and us too.  And he insisted we sit on our trikes in the back of the open bed truck.   And off we went.  20km came and went.  1 hour went and then 2 hours and we were still sitting in the back of the truck.

 And incredibly he took us to within a kilometer of a stepwell we wanted to see on the outskirts of Ahmedabad.   He’d taken us not 20km but probably 150km.  

We unload and pay the man 200 rupees for his trouble.  We didn’t offer, the driver insisted but it’s a bargain nonetheless. 

We cycle down to the stepwell at Adalaj.   It’s very impressive and ornate but sadly so full of Indians it’s almost impossible to get to the bottom through the crowds and hard to appreciate it’s beauty!

Stepwell done we cycle back along a street market where I’d seen a large set of scales. We need to weigh our kit and trikes. We get the baggage done but the owner is adamant we cannot weigh the trikes… bummer!  We stop for our lunch/dinner as it’s now 4pm.

Then cycle along some nearby backroads in search of a campsite. As we go down one narrow country lane we spot a commotion in the forest.  Some youths are chasing down a pair of wild boar with net and sticks. Just as we pass they catch one in their net but the squealing is horrific.

  Daz jumps in on the action, photo action that is, Bear Grylls he ain’t!!  They truss its legs and chuck it in the back of a van by the roadside, dinner maybe!?

 Just around the corner we find our campsite.  

Monday 29th January

Adalaj Stepwell, Ahmedabad to Ahmedabad

Distance: 29.86 km

Total Distance: 18853.86 km

Last night we had some strange visitors at 10pm.  They woke us up and insisted we come out to speak to them.  When they realised they couldn’t converse with us they rang an English speaking friend who told us we shouldn’t be out in the ‘forest’ and should be in a hotel.  I felt rather uncomfortable about our visitors so we rang Anil, our Colonel friend from the NSG – nothing like my friend’s bigger and better and more important than your friend.  Thankfully Anil sorted everything out and our visitors left and we awoke unscathed this morning – always a relief.

The tent was a little wet this morning so we have a leasurely start as it dried, then cycled back around to the stepwell to see if we could visit it without hordes of people.  There was barely anyone there and it’s a beautiful stepwell.

From that stepwell we headed to the next Stepwell, Dada Harani Vav, and I spotted a huge set of balance scales for weighing 50 kg bags of flour and corn. I wanted to use them to weigh a trike but Daz was his usual pessimistic self and said we wouldn’t get a trike on the balancing tray.  “Oh thee of little vision”.  I didn’t intend to use the tray but to hang the trike from the hook.  And with some fine balancing (and plenty of interference from all the locals who’d gathered) we finally managed to weigh my trike – 27.4 kg!!  Quite a bit more than we thought. So with my bags weighing 26.28 kg thats a whacking total of 53.68 kg I’m lugging about! No wonder I’m so slow!  

After our weighing session we head to the next Stepwell which is possibly more elaborate than the last.  There’s barely anyone there but we do meet a British couple who spent 9 years sailing the world but have now returned to a more sedentary life in Gloucestershire.   

After the stepwell we head to Satellite, a neighbourhood of Ahmedabad, and our warmshower host Nisarg.  

He’s a spinal surgeon with an oncology specialism.  His wife, Sweta, is a psychiatrist.   However they’re both at work but we’re met and looked after by Nisarg’s father.  This would all be absolutely marvellous were it not for the fact Bron is in continuous meltdown tied up outside.  She makes such a din that she’s eventually allowed in the house – yup she’s turning into one spoilt young lady!  Bron is such a huge problem that despite having a lovely bedroom with ensuite we decide to put up our tent on the patio because Bron will either wreck the house or whine all night.  So that could well be the last of our warmshower hosts unless Bron learns to accept our absence.   Nisarg didn’t finish work until 1030pm so that’s when we sat down to dinner.  He’d been called for an emergency operation and had been at work 15hours.  

Apparently this is the norm in India for those that want to reach the pinnacle of their profession.   In May Nisarg will travel to Bologna, Italy to work at the best spinal oncology department in the world.  

Tuesday 30th January

Ahmedabad to Kharod

Distance: 23.85 km

Total Distance: 18877.71 km

Bron was very well behaved last night so that’s some consolation after giving up an ensuite bedroom.  We were up early because of the noise from the neighbouring temple and then had breakfast with Nisarg and Sweta.  After breakfast we say our farewells and head out of Ahmedabad via the last Stepwell on our list, Jethabhai.

From Baroda, in South; to Patan, in North – Stepwells (or vavs, as locally known) can be found almost all across Gujarat. For hundreds of years, their efficiency in storing water, in response to the semi-acrid climate and seasonal fluctuations, helped the local population strive and survive.

Today vavs represent rich history and act as prominent historical sites for architecture students and tourists alike. It is believed that some of the vavs must have been built at Mohanjodaro during the Indus-Valley civilisation. Ahmedabad, too, has two prominent vavs, both of them an extraordinary heritage site to visit.

Dada Hari ni Vav, a carefully designed 500-year-old, which was originally built under the reign of one of the most prominent sultans of Gujarat named Mahmud Begada. A total delight to eyes, it offers a four-storeyed massive structure, all full of intricately carved walls and columns. The sunlight filtering through was making it look even more beautiful.

Adalaj Stepwell – Set in the quiet village of Adalaj, this vav has served as a resting place for hundreds of years for many pilgrims and caravans along their trade routes. Built in 1499 by Queen Rudabai, wife of the Vaghela chief, Veersinh, this five-storey stepwell was not just a cultural and utilitarian space, but also a spiritual refuge. It is believed that villagers would come everyday in the morning to fill water, offer prayers to the deities carved into the walls and interact with each other in the cool shade of the vav. There is an opening in the ceilings above the landing which allows the light and air to enter the octagonal well. However, direct sunlight does not touch the flight of steps or landings except for a brief period at noon. Hence some researchers say that the atmosphere inside the well is six degrees cooler than the outside.

From there we cycle to the main Mumbai expressway only to be told cyclists aren’t allowed on.  This is after we have already cycled 3 km on it and reached a toll gate. No pleading helps, but they finally allow us to go forward one junction, 1 km rather than go back 3 km. We do however have a motorbike escort for this. Funnily enough at the next junction a truck is just starting up and is heading in the direction we want. A quick conversation between the toll guard and the driver and we get a lift to Baroda (Vadodara) – a nice comfy 120km.

 

From there we manage another lift to Kharod from a lovely Sikh – his only downfall being his propensity for texting whilst driving or taking selfies with us.

Daz would normally be doing his nut but he can’t criticise when it’s a free lift.  Once he’s dropped us off we stop for some dinner and then with full water reservoirs head off to find a camping spot.  We find somewhere nearby and whilst we set up Bron goes off exploring.   We’re settling down to a cuppa when Bron returns.  She’s mooching around looking for some attention when suddenly she collapses.  Her back legs won’t work and she can’t stand.  We carry her to her bed but she soon deteriorates; peeing and poohing herself, panting and eventually vomiting up something vile smelling.   At one point we think she’s rallying but sadly it’s just a brief reprieve before our little travelling companion dies.  She was only with us a week but hopefully we loved her enough in that short time that she’ll forgive us for bringing her young life to an untimely end.

For Bron,  Indian Lion January 2018 by Darren Broadhurst

“Why do dogs make us cry,

When they slip from this to the next?

Because they fill our days full of joy

Gambol and frolic through our hearts

Make us smile with their waggly tail

And dispense a cuddle without a thought

That’s why dogs make us cry,

When they leave us behind to go play in the sky.

Wednesday 31st January

Kharod to Daman

Distance: 26.87 km

Total Distance: 18904.58 km

Last night we were both absolutely devastated by the loss of Bron (and she’d only been with us 9 days) and our sadness continued today.  We stood by the side of the road for a couple of hours before finding a lift to Daman.  

When the driver dropped us by the Daman turnoff (140km later) he went into complete rant mode because he wanted money.  We gave him 200 rupees but he wanted more.  Well I want Bron to be still with us – a life lesson; wanting doesn’t equal reality!  We cycled into Daman and visited the fishing harbour and the old fort walls.

 Then we went forth to find dinner and a camping spot – strangely most of Daman is closed – is Wednesday early closing? Finally we reach a beach area, full of shanty restaurants blocking the beach view! We eat, and share a bottle of wine in memory of Bron. Then pedal down the road alongside the beach. A local guy, Geo, on a motorbike says hello and explains there’s a lunar eclipse tonight and he’s meeting friends on the beach for drinks and a barbecue.  No excuses needed we invite ourselves and set up our tent on the beach in the fading light.

Another local sends his kid off on a moped to get us beers, a nice end to a shitty day.  Thanks to Geo and his friends for making us so welcome and sharing your food and beer.  

Friday 2nd February

Daman to Bolsar

Distance: 89.88 km

Total Distance: 18994.46 km

Yesterday we stayed put and got some admin done and had a nice relaxing day on the beach.

 Today we set off, heading south along the coast road.  We got occasional glimpses of the sea but it’s a mucky brown, with brown sand and the usual quota of rubbish.  It’s really not that beautiful but the roads are quieter and it was a long, but pleasant day’s cycling.  

 Unfortunately we struggled to find somewhere to camp.  Our quiet coast road turned into an endless town that’s not even on our map.  Finally we take a turnoff and find a covered hardstanding amongst some marshy wetland.  

 We’re setting up when a local comes along and tells us we are camping on the local cremation ghat!! But he says it’s OK if we don’t mind!! What goes bump in the night?

Saturday 3rd February

Bolsar to Shirsad

Distance: 67.51 km

Total Distance: 19061.97 km

We survived our night next to the cremation stand and weren’t disturbed by any spirits of the dead.  Today we left the coast and found some hills – particularly enjoyable in the 35 degree heat.  However it was pleasant riding along the country roads with jungle either side.  Just before finishing for the day we spotted a film shoot that we couldn’t resist investigating.   They were actually filming a music video.  

The lead was a famous actor – although not so famous that we recognised him – and the song was about ‘selfies’.  The single will be released later this month and given the Indians’ obsession with selfies I can only imagine it’ll be a huge hit.  We should probably buy it as it would epitomise our experience of India.

Sunday 4th February

Shirsad to Mumbai

Distance: 54.25 km

Total Distance: 19116.22 km

Today we cycle into Mumbai eventually finding ourselves in the Juja district.  It’s not far from the beach which is a mass of humanity.   It’s been another hot day but as usual I’ve enjoyed the thrill of cycling through another city although it’s complete chaos.

In Mumbai there’s another metro under construction ; it’s the third we’ve seen in progress, the others were in Jaipur and Ahmedabad.  There’s definitely money and development happening in this country.  Mumbai also has skywalks – surely an over-engineered and expensive version of a pavement?  

But the pavements here are either so rough and so full of stalls or rubbish that it’s easier to walk on the road which just causes more congestion.  We’re staying in a hotel and we have an incredibly long, hot shower.  It’s so great to be somewhere with limitless hot water; for the last 6 weeks in any hotel we’ve visited the water has been limited to the size of the water water heater.  Feeling clean and refreshed with our laundry organised we head to find food and drink and find a rather nice restaurant next door.  A good day done.

Monday 5th February

Mumbai

Once our chores are done we’re off sightseeing.   We get the train to the southern district of Mumbai.   It’s about 20km but only costs 20 rupees.  Not even 50p.  There’s a ticket machine but we don’t have the special payment card but we ask the guy behind us to buy our tickets for us and we give him the cash.  It saves us joining the massive ticket queue. Boarding the train we accidentally enter the handicapped compartment.   It’s almost empty so that’s where we stay.

From the train we go off to explore Marine Drive and Harniman Point and stop for lunch.

Then we visit The Gateway of India, Leopold’s cafe, Colaba Walkway and then head to Crawford Market.  

We realise that we’re really close to the Town Hall and Chatrapathi Shivaji. Chatrapathi Shivaji was earlier known as Victoria Terminus. The construction was completed in the year 1897. UNESCO has declared the terminus as World Heritage Site in the year 2004. The building is a representation of architecture of various cultures including traditional Indian, Victorian and Gothic. Though it is a terminus to board and get off trains, you cannot help marveling at the stunning architecture of the building.  

They’re beautifully illuminated at night; they look absolutely incredible.  We’re both pooped so it’s time to head back.  Initially our train compartment is almost empty but by the end it’s so full we struggle to get out.  We’ve really enjoyed Mumbai.   It has a great feel to it and whilst we weren’t expecting to enjoy it and had considered skipping it, it’s been great fun.  

Tuesday 6th February

Mumbai to Rewas

Distance: 42.20 km

Total Distance: 19158.42 km

Today we do 36km across Mumbai to eventually end up at Bhaucha Dhakka, the ferry terminal,   to catch a ferry to Rewas.  We head off to see the incredible Bandra Woril sealink but discover we’re not allowed to use it.

A detour is required to visit a Decathlon and treat ourselves to a knife, fork, spoon set.  To date, for the last 2 years, 3 months and 14 days we’ve just had a spoon.  Then we want a supermarket but when we eventually find the right area it’s no longer there.  Our last destination is the Clock Tower and High Court.

It’s been another crazy cycle ride but we finally arrive safely at the ferry port. Luckily there’s a ferry just about to leave, unluckily they only have a narrow gang plank to load motorbikes,  mopeds and our trikes but fortunately with 2 guys plus Daz the trikes are safely manhandled over the gap.

Hurrah – we’re off.  A two hour ferry crossing which costs us 75rupees per person but 100 rupees per trike. The ferry takes us south to Rewas, cutting out about 117km of cycling around the bay.

We expected to be dropped off in Mandwa but at Rewas we’re told we’re at the end of our journey and we need to disembark.   The ferry terminal is a small jetty which appears to be in the middle of nowhere.

We cycle out along gravel tracks and after about 6km, in a small village,  we pick up some bread rolls and eggs.   Egg banjos for tea tonight! Just a bit further we spot the local cremation grounds with some hard standing beside it.

Campsite found, at least this time we aren’t camped right on top of the funeral pyre area itself!  Aren’t we the respectful ones!

Wednesday 7th February

Rewas to Rashid

Distance: 51.17 km

Total Distance: 19209.59 km

Another overcast day today but great cycling. It’s mostly tropical jungle with the occasional sprawling village.  The roads are fairly quiet although often a mass of potholes but it’s great not to be surrounded by crazy drivers.  

 We spot a boatyard with some beautiful old cars but the gate guard won’t allow us beyond the gate to take a closer look.  Then we find a fantastic restaurant for lunch and have a lovely meal with a couple of beers.  This is a fish and shellfish area and we’ve even seen people shucking oysters, well perhaps they were oysters, but we’re worried about the water purity, or lack of, to try any.  

We have a pleasant afternoon, admiring the beaches and numerous temples.

To top off a good day we follow a tip from the I-Overlander app and find ourselves wild camping on a beautiful stretch of beach.

Time for our first dip in the Arabian Sea.  It’s great so refreshing after another sweaty day.  India is starting to look up!

Thursday 8th February

Rashid to Diveagar

Distance: 43.07 km

Total Distance: 19252.66 km

Well it was a fabulous night and morning on our beautiful beach and we were in no real rush to leave.   

I spotted some pretty green birds  – a Green Bee-eater – and a woodpecker.   The lush tropical forest continued as we headed off.  There’s a lot of trees in blossom and there’s more hills now so whilst it’s tougher physically we’re often rewarded with beautiful views down over the coast.  

We pass a local Street market full of fresh fish, catch of the day, but alot of it we don’t recognise. There be strange fish in these waters!  We’ve seen signs at restaurants for ‘pomfret’ a type of fish done in the tandoor. It looks scrummy but it’s double the price of our normal meals so we’ll save it for a special occasion, maybe Daz’s birthday in March!! Our plan today was to cycle to the Rajapuri ferry and as we got closer people were pointing us on.  But it turned out they were directing us to the Janjira Fort ferries.  The Fort sits on its own island just off the coast.   We stopped at a restaurant there to enjoy the views of the Fort and all the boats taking out tourists.  

Conveniently there was also a tailor next door so we had Daz’s shorts tightened in the waist; after only 6 months they’re already way too big. The Rajapuri ferry which we hoped to find here now runs from Muru.  Well at least we’d been told there was a ferry but we never know for sure.  We followed the directions through the fishing harbour and then down some small gravel tracks and finally we arrived at the ferry port. We were mightily relieved to discover that it actually exists and that ferries run frequently.   There is even a car ferry but apparently there was no need for us to wait and instead we were loaded on the passenger ferry with several motorbikes.   

The crossing cost 104 Rupees in total, no idea of the actual cost per person or per trike or per special price for the foreigner.   We crossed the estuary to Didhi and pushed on to Diveagar beach.  Unfortunately between this long stretch of beach there’s a band of forest separating the beach from the road and there are only a few access points.  And at each access point there’s masses of people, food stands and various attractions (banana boats, camel rides, horse and cart rides).  We tried to find somewhere private but failed and returned to a main access point and set up camp on a raised plinth overlooking the beach, watched by the masses.  

We do enjoy a sunset dip – it’s incredibly refreshing.   Now night has fallen and all the visitors and tourist attractions have all packed up and left us on a deserted beach in the pitch black.  

There’s no moon and it is really, really dark.  Spooky!

Friday 9th February

Diveagar to Harihareshwar Beach

Distance: 37.28 km

Total Distance: 19289.94 km

Our tranquil morning was rudely disturbed by what sounded like a couple of coach loads of children at 0730hrs.  So that was our lie in scuppered but a wet tent meant we were still there until 10am.  A local dog kept us company though.

We stayed on the coast road which was a really rough, potholed tarmac and with some hills progress was slow but again beautiful views of the coast.  About 10km from Diveagar there was the most beautiful unspoilt beach without a single tourist.  Why they all drive to Diveagar in their hordes I don’t know.  

The numerous estuaries / inlets require significant detours if there’s no ferry/bridge so at Shrivardhan we had to head inland around the estuary.   A puncture and problems with my back mudguard meant we called an early end to proceedings once we’d found a camp spot on the beach.  Actually the beach was too sandy – yup unusual for a beach to have sand???? but it’s too deep and loose to cycle through so we ended up on the hardstanding of another crematorium.   

We take a lovely dip – that’s 3 evenings on the trot we’ve risked the Arabian Sea.  Daz seems to be overcoming his sand and salt water phobia although all dips are followed by the daily bucket wash.  Oh how we love our Ortlieb bucket.

Saturday 10th February

Harihareshwar Beach to Ade

Distance: 37.87 km

Total Distance: 19327.81 km

A nice easy start today with a 5km cycle to the ferry from Bagmandala to Bankot and only 48 Rupees.  It’s a genuine vehicle ferry but OMG what a palaver.  Seriously Indians can’t drive to save their lives.  One guy decides he can’t reverse up the ramp from the ferry (it’s true though, he was actually incapable of reversing in a straight line) so instead attempted a 3 point turn on the ferry ramp/jetty ramp.  DOH!  

From the ferry we climb for about 10km on the usual crappy roads so it takes us an age.  Then it’s a nice downhill to Kelshi.

We were hoping to find cooking fuel here but there aren’t any chemists so they’ll be no cooking tonight or for breakfast.   So tonight it’ll be tomato salad, cakes and biscuits.  After Kelshi we finally see the beach again and look for a camping spot.   

We find an unfinished build without a lock on the front gate.   In we go and camp in their backyard overlooking the sea.  There’s even an outdoor sink so I can wash my hair.  Nice 

Sunday 11th February

Ade to 8km short of Dabhol Jetty

Distance: 43.68 km

Total Distance: 19371.49 km

Last night we were driven from our camping spot by a really surly, angry neighbour.  He was absolutely determined that we move despite how harmless we are.  Usually the locals are worried about our safety but this one just wanted us gone and told us to camp on the scenic lookout just up the hill.  So that’s where we ended up.  

We had lovely views and beautiful evening and morning skies.

 Today more hills, more heat, more river crossings.   We did have a chuckle in Harnia watching the heavy traffic trying to negotiate the narrow streets when no-one will give ground, can reverse or use their mirrors.  It’s bedlam but comical.  We just sit and laugh.  From Harnia it was a long climb to Dapoli with temperatures of 37degrees C and high humidity.   It’s certainly sweaty work.  

In Dapoli it was hunt the fuel and supermarket time but we managed to stock up on a load of cooking fuel and our staple food larder so hopefully no more shopping required for a few days. In India the cooking fuel we use, denatured alcohol is only 70% concentration. This means it burns at a lower temperature and therefore takes longer to cook, consuming more fuel! Also, we can only find it in chemists predominantly in 100 ml bottles, so when we rock up and ask for it invariably they only have a couple of bottles in stock. Fortunately today we score 3 chemists,  2 bottles, 2 bottles and 12 bottles.  The last chem must think we’re  drinking the stuff! Then we headed towards the ferry port at Dabhol but called it a day before we got there.  

Camping site tonight is in someone’s orchard – hopefully they won’t kick us off later.

Monday 12th February

8km short of Dabhol Jetty to Tavsal

Distance: 52.07 km

Total Distance: 19423.56 km

The last 2 nights we haven’t used the fly because it’s so hot at night but this morning we woke to find a very wet pod.  Some drips had come through onto us and our sleeping bags were very damp but mostly the beads of water had collected on the outside so another drying mission this morning.   We almost had a 2 ferry day today but failed at the last 500m because it was gone 5pm so we grabbed some water and camped next to some type of municipal building.  

Our entertainment today was provided at Dabhol Jetty.    We arrived early and parked outside the ticket office.  Then several vehicles arrived and parked next to us.  They were basically blocking the entire slipway and as the ferry approached it was apparent that there were several vehicles aboard.  Of course we assumed they’d want to get off and weren’t just planning to spend the day to-ing and fro-ing across the estuary.  

 So the ferry pulls up to the ramp and all the motorbikes and mopeds get off and weave around the parked cars but still they don’t move.  Then the cars start to disembark and find their exit blocked by the waiting cars.  They drive up to the bumper of the waiting cars, hooting continuously, until finally it occurs to the waiting cars that perhaps they need to get the hell out of the way.  Kinda obvious but not in India.  Of course then there’s the fun of watching them reverse.  Apart from that it was just another day at the office; sweat, hills, more sweat, more hills………… you probably get my drift.  

Sadly my puppy search is proving unproductive – I’ve seen quite a few but they’ve been fairly well fed and still with their mothers.  One possible candidate was refused by Daz as not puppy-like enough and not cute enough.  

Tuesday 13th February

Tavsal to Ratnagiri

Distance: 50.80 km

Total Distance: 19474.36 km

This morning we met 2 Indian cyclists heading to Goa from Mumbai.  They’re steaming along compared to us.  We all caught the Tavsal to Jaigad ferry together.

Waiting to disembark they spotted a pair of crested serpent eagles so we enjoyed watching the pair hovering, looking for prey. (Later we check – Eagles my arse.  They’re mere Brahminy kites (Haliastur indus). Found mainly on the coast and in inland wetlands where they feed on dead fish and other prey).  

The waters here are also teeming with huge jellyfish fish.  A map reading error by yours truly meant we missed the coast road and went inland.  The error cost us about 10km – so a costly error.  

When I finally noticed my mistake I took us back to the coast via a minor but rough road.  Since it was mostly downhill with no traffic it was an exhilarating ride.  Back on the coast at Ganpatipule we stopped for a late lunch.  

The remainder of our day was dithering about whether to find a hotel for the night.  One choice took us on a detour to the beach through a festival but the homestay wanted 18$ for a safari tent so we decided to push on.

 Finally we stopped at a temple and asked to camp.  It turned out not to be a temple but a brand-new hotel with a party Hall.

 But they were happy for us to camp, gave us water and then we found toilets and a wash room down at the back so an excellent find.  There was also a dog with her 2 puppies to provide our entertainment. 

Wednesday 14th February

Ratnagiri to outskirts of Ratnagiri

Distance: 13.00 km

Total Distance: 19487.36 km

Valentines Day and time for a well earned rest and a huge clean up.   This morning it’s a short ride to see Ratnagiri Fort and the town centre before heading to our ‘posh’ hotel,

The Blue View by Timber hotel.  The reviews describe it as ‘superb’ so we’re a little underwhelmed but that’s India for you!  But it’s peaceful with great views and we can get our ‘shit’ sorted.  The trikes are suffering from all the dust so they need cleaning whilst all our cooking equipment is covered in soot thanks for the naff fuel.  

But we’re here for 2 nights so we should have some time to relax and perhaps time and sufficient Internet for GoT.

Well our hotel is ‘superb’ but not for the expected reasons.   On arrival we were given a 2 storey apartment but as we started to unpack our kit in the lounge we were told we were sharing the apartment .  Well we objected to ‘sharing’ and we’ve ended up with a huge apartment with a lounge and roof top terrace.   And we have a WiFi dongle so even uploading this blog has been relatively painless.   Happy Valentines indeed!

Saturday 30th December

Delhi

After a quick breakfast we catch the Metro to the airport to meet Jac. It’s so great to see her finally, what I mean is it takes her nearly 2 hours to clear Immigration!!  We last saw Jac in Crete, and before that in southern Spain, and France.  She’s a regular visitor to our adventures.

We whizz back on the metro to Delhi all spick and span to immerse Jac into the shock of Central Delhi. In her own words, her initial reaction… “horrified, gut wrenchingly horrified, I’ve made a huge mistake and want to go home… just so many people, so much poverty, pollution and noise. I felt like a country girl yanked from her comfort zone”.  Welcome to India Jac!!

Baggage dumped we shoot out for food and drinks, sightseeing can wait!

Sunday 31st December

New Years Eve Delhi

After yesterday’s indulgences we must get on with some sightseeing.  So we first take a walk down to Connaught Place a huge concentric double ring roundabout with a large park in the middle. Centre piece of this being an enormous Indian flag billowing in the light wind whilst all around traffic is beeping and streaming.

We take a taxi to the Red Fort, a huge Mughal fort built in 1648.  The queues of Indians waiting to get a ticket are immense, easily over a thousand people, fortunately there’s a ticket window for foreigners with only 2 people in it. We buy our tickets and like VVIPs walk past the long line of people waiting at the security checkpoint to the front.  Once frisked, a common occurrence in Delhi (you even get scanned and frisked to use the metro) we wander inside the grounds of the fort.  It covers over 250 hectares and has some fantastic architectural buildings inside.  Even the thousands of locals visiting fail to make it crowded.

The Red Fort or Lal Qila was constructed as the residence of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in 1648 and remained the home of Mughal leaders for 200 years until 1857. The fort was also used for imperial business, political and ceremonial events. At the time of construction it was in the capital called Shahjahanabad (now old Delhi) as Shah Jahan had moved his capital from Agra. It gained its name the Red Fort from the red sandstone walls which surround the fort. Within the red walls there are imperial apartments created from a line of pavilions connected by the Stream of Paradise, a picturesque water channel. The architecture exhibits features of Persian, Timurid and Mughal styles. The fort complex was built using superior materials and created by master craftsmen. Over the years additions and changes were made to the structure especially under the rule of Aurangzeb. The Red Fort exhibits the pinnacle of Mughal architecture and is a magnificent structure on the banks of Yamuna River and adjacent to the Salimgarh Fort (1546). Today the fort houses several museums including the Freedom Struggle Museum which focuses on the role the Red Fort played in the in the nation’s struggle for independence from 1857 to 1947. Among the important structures in the Red Fort there is the Lahore Gate; Diwan-i-Aam for receiving public audiences; Diwan-i-Khas a chamber used for the Emperor’s important meetings; Nahr-i-Behisht private apartments; Zenana, woman’s quarters; the Pearl Mosque, Moti Masjid; and Hayat Bakhsh Bagh, the Imperial gardens. In the evenings there is a spectacular Sound and Light show which brings to life historical events related to Delhi. The show covers the history of Selhi from Pandavas through British rule and to independence. The spectacular lasts an hour and there are nightly shows in English and Hindu

From the Fort we cross over the road and enter Chandni Chowk. This famous market has been doing business for the last three centuries. It is said that the market gets its name from a time when the Red Fort was connected to Fatehpuri Mosque by a canal and canals ran through the area. The moon was reflected in a pool of water in the market place giving the site the name “Chandni Chowk” which means “moonlit Square.” The market was established when Emperor Shah Jahan moved his capital here and named the city Shahjahanabad. Tradesmen would come here and lay out their wares then leave and veiled ladies could come and choose their purchases without being observed.

 

This is one of India’s largest wholesale markets. The market sells a wide variety of items and is especially known for its curios, souvenirs, pearls, gold jewelry, perfumes, spices, shoes, electronics, hardware, books and clothing. There are many historic houses, mansions, well known restaurants and places of worship in the area and you will often find lanes of the market where all the tradesmen are selling the same product. There are more than 1,000 kinds of traditional sweets and foods sold in the market. You can also get saris, leather goods and knock-off items. While here you can try the delicious street food and enjoy the authentic atmosphere.  For us it is a swirling sea of humanity. It’s no place for the timid or weak of stomach.  We stop to eat at a local eatery, some lovely curry with roti and a big glass of lassi.  We carry on along the edge of the market, not wanting to enter any further. Even here it’s intimidating just walking along the street.

Finally we turn off to go see a park with a Gandhi statue.  The park,  somewhat quieter than the market the park is still full of Indians playing cricket, stumps or pieces of wood set up willy nilly and the crack of leather on willow, or tennis balls on planks of wood abound!

We keep an eye in the back and sides of our heads for incoming and wander over to Ghandi. He’s looking a little pidgeon splattered but serene. We can only wonder what he will think of this modern day India after he fought so long for its independence, we can only assume he is turning in his grave!  

Back towards the market we try to find the spice market but we find out it’s closed on a Sunday.

 We head back in a rickshaw to New Delhi and decide it’s time for a refreshment.  It’s heading towards evening and we are planning to meet an Italian girl living in Delhi for New Years Eve celebrations tonight.  We stop at a bar and have a few pre drinks whilst playing some cards.

Suitably rested we pop back to the hotel to freshen up then go meet Francesca.  She’s out here working for an Indian company but has only been in Delhi for 3 weeks.

 Unfortunately as the evening wears on Daz starts to feel ill, then Jac follows suit.  Both whizzing off to the toilets. Finally about an hour before midnight we have to admit defeat and rush back to the hotel. Just as we get there Jac vomits up in the street.  We all bed down, but it’s not long before I feel the call and so as it turns out we all 3 bring in the new year either vomiting, shitting or both. Thanks Old Delhi for another underwhelming experience.

Monday 01 January

New Years Day Delzhi

Hello 2018! We spend the first day of the new year bedbound.  Apart from having to change rooms due to a broken toilet we don’t surface at all.  We are all of us too ill to venture out.

Tuesday 2nd January

Delhi

Feeling a little better but stuffed with Imodium we decide to brave some sightseeing.  Weak as we are we hire a tuktuk to take us to see some more of Delhi. First we go to Agrasen Ki Baoli. The meaning of“baoli” is stairwell. This ancient site is nestled in the heart of Delhi’s urban jungle hidden by the surrounding tall buildings. It is central Delhi’s oldest monument and one of the best preserved baolis in Delhi. The stairwell became famous in 2015 when it featured in a Bollywood film called PK. Since then Indian film enthusiasts have joined tourists in visiting this site. The baoli is an elaborate well with steps leading down to the water beneath ground level. The stairwell is divided into several levels and on each level there is remarkable architecture and decoration. Baoli can even have rooms on the levels going down to the water. In the past the baolis played the role of providing water to surrounding villages and it was also a social gathering place where women collecting water could escape the heat and get together. Today the water is no longer present. Agrasen Ki Baoli consists of the archaeological remains of a 60 meter long and 15 meter wide staircase with 103 steps which dates back to the Mahabharat Era in the 14 century and was probably rebuilt since then.  The stairs are flanked by three levels lined with arched niches all around constructed with uneven stones. This method of construction is sometimes called rubble masonry. There are false niches as well as niches which are deep enough to accommodate two people and other niches which lead off into rooms and passages which are locked and inaccessible to visitors. A circular well is located at the northern end of the baoli; in the past the water would rise inside the baoli. At the western end of Agrasen Ki Baoli you can see the remains of a small mosque with an arched roof supported by four red sandstone pillars. It’s a very impressive sunken structure.

We then pop over to Gurudwara Bangla Sahib. A gurudwara is a place of worship for Sikhs and this is the most important gurudwara in New Delhi. It is associated with Guru Har Krishan, the eighth Sikh Guru who stayed here during his visit to Delhi in 1664. The Guru helped locals get through a smallpox and cholera epidemic by giving out fresh water from the well in the house. Unfortunately the Guru died of the same disease in 1664. Water from a pool inside the Gurudwara is known as the Sarovar and is still believed to have healing powers and is revered by Sikhs around the world. Located in the heart of New Delhi, it was originally called Jaisinghpura Palace and was the home of Raja Jai Singh, an important military leader during the Mughal era. In 1783 the home was demolished along with other structures to make way for the construction of Connaught Place. Later the site was used as one of nine Sikh shrines in Delhi built under Sikh General Sardar Bhagel Singh during the Mughal era. The building is located next to the Sacred Heart Cathedral and is recognizable by the gold domes and tall flagpole or Nishan Shib. Inside there is the Gurudwara, the large holy pool, a school, Baba Baghel Sing Museum, a clinic, library, art gallery and kitchen. Inside the walls are richly decorated with gold. The building is stunning with white marble and gold decoration. Within the complex, at the center of the “quadrangle” is the massive pool, resembling a lake surrounded by an arched portico. We don headwear and remove shoes to walk around this beautiful site.

Next it’s onto the Presidential Palace, a hugely resplendent building beside other government buildings then along the 3 km boulevard ‘Rajpath’ to India Gate. India Gate (All India War Memorial Arch) is New Delhi’s version of the Arc de Triomphe. The grand archway stands at the eastern end of Rajpath surrounded by gardens. The arch commemorates the sacrifice of 70,000 Indian soldiers who died in conflicts between 1914 and 1921. The names of the 13,516 British and Indian soldiers who died in the Northwestern Frontier in the Afgan War of 1919 are engraved on the gate. Under the arch of the gateway there is an eternal flame (Amar Jawan Jyoti) in memory of the soldiers who lost their lives in the Indo-Pakistan War in 1971 and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The gateway stands on a base of Bharatpur stone and is 42 meters high. On both sides of the arch the word INDIA is engraved together with the dates 1914 and 1919. The gate’s foundation stone was laid by His Royal Highness, the Duke of Connaught in 1921 and the gate was designed by Edwin Lutyens. Ten years later there was a dedication ceremony led by Viceroy Lord Irwin. At night the gate is lit up dramatically and the gate is flanked by fountains and lush gardens. During the daytime you can get right up to the arch but after 5pm visitors are not allowed within 100 meters of the arch for security reasons. On the 26 of January each year the arch is the venue for Republic Day celebrations.

Our final sightseeing destination is the Gandi memorial,  where we are seriously underwhelmed by the remembrance stone in a small garden. We also refuse to pay 1 rupee (85 rupee to the pound) to the shoe man.so that we can again walk around barefoot through the park!

 One final stop for the day, a silk emporium so Jac can buy some silk for a friend and I get to try on a traditional sari.

We retire to a hotel bar to wait out the last few hours before our train to Varanasi is due. Inexplicably our train is running late, about 3 hours, so we spend this time in the platform waiting rooms away from the crowded platforms. Finally we go to our platform to wait our train.  Our carriage seems to be at the far far end of the platform, Indian trains are very long. But finally the train pulls in and we board our sleeper car.  The train is due to take 10 hours to reach Varanasi, but what follows is 24 hours of torture whilst our fellow sleeper car travellers, burp slurp chew fart and throw rubbish everywhere!

By the time we arrive in Varanasi at 9pm,  18 hours later than expected our good nature is wearing thin.  A jaunt to our hotel down a narrow dark cobbled alley strewn with cow shit, dog shit, litter and tobacco spit does nothing to lighten the mood.

Thursday 4 January

Varanasi

So with a day lost to train travel we have to concentrate on the top attractions in Varanasi.  We take a row boat trip up the sacred Ganges to see the burning ghat, where most of the public, open air cremations take place.  

24 hours a day people bring their loved ones here to be washed by the waters of the Ganges before being cremated on a pile of logs and swept into the river.  The only people that don’t get cremated here are holy men, children and pregnant women as these are all deemed innocents.  Their bodies are taken by boat to the middle of the Ganges and weighted down before being ceremoniously dropped in the river.  For the cremations the families of the deceased will buy a minimum of 150kg of wood up to a maximum of 225kg depending on body size.  They then pore herbs and spices along with honey over the bodies before the father/son walk around the body five times and light the pire themselves from a central fire that has been burning for 3000 years. We can see people panning through the ashes on the edge of the river looking for gold that was smelted with the bodies.  For us it is a surreal landscape.

We wander through narrow lanes to the Golden Temple but as we haven’t got our passports to enter this is known as fail no 1.

Lunch back at the hotel is a lovely veg curry then we take a taxi to Ramnagar fort, about 4 km down the river on the opposite bank.  

We grudgingly pay £2.30 each for entry to see their display of some dusty moldy stuffed animals, wrecked cars, ivory and weaponry, the highlight is the sun setting in the pollution on the otherside of the Ganges.

 Next stop the ‘vibrancy’ of Assi ghat another underwhelming ghat followed by a walk along the river passed the many other ghats.

 After watching the daily evening ceremony to revere the Ganges by 7 priests we attempt another visit to the golden temple, this time we have passports, but when asked if we are followers of the Hindu faith it’s fail no 2, no entry for dirty Christians!! We head back to the burning ghat where 20 fires are going at once. It’s a busy business,  so much so that there are several hospice by the river where the elderly come to await their passing, thus ensuring their firey communion with the Holy Ganges.  In recent times the area has been plagued by hundreds of half decomposed bodies surfacing after monsoon season, mainly due to poor families doing a bit of DIY cremation without enough wood.

Friday 5 January

Varanasi to Chitrakoot

Our driver, Surya meets us at our hotel as we are having breakfast.  We didn’t realise they wouldn’t let him in as we finished off and he was made to stand in the cold fog as we leasurely finish our toast and jam!

On the road it is a foggy morning and we have about 3 hours before our first stop of the day. Allahabad sits on the confluence of the Ganges and the Yamuna rivers. We stop at  Allahabad Fort but after some trouble finding it we realise the Indian Army now sits in it and no visitors are allowed! We push onto Khusro Bagh a garden with several mausoleums entered through an old doorway that is 60 feet high. Khusrau was the elder brother of the Emperor Shah Jahan. He died in the year 1615 and his tomb was completed seven years later. The actual burial chamber is underground. It was enriched with plasterwork and was painted with birds and flowers and Persian inscriptions. West of the tomb is another tomb, which is believed to be the tomb of Khusrau`s sister. The place is also known for famous ‘Allahabadi Guavas’.

With us all still feeling dodgy from our recent stomach upsets we decide no curry today, fortunately we just passed a KFC and tuck into some wonderful succulent chicken, so nice and bland!  Back in the car we are heading for Chitrakoot, our stop for the night.  Chitrakoot is a religious site known for its temples and sites mentioned in Hindu scripture. In the evening we wander along the riverside ghat and have some chai and samosa.  There’s lots of pretty rowboats lit up with LED lights plying the waters. Another round of people asking us if we want to hire a boat! There’s also a huge statue to Hanuman on the far bank, Hanuman is the Hindu monkey God.

Saturday 6 January

Chitrakoot to Panna

This morning we enjoy the sights of the area.   First we climb up to Hanuman Dhara a spring located on a steep hillside in Chitrakut. On foot we climb a steep flight of 360 steps to reach this place. There is a big statue of Lord Hanuman, on which the water of this spring tumbles over. It is believed that, Hanuman Dhara was created by Ram to assuage Hanuman when he returned after setting Lanka on fire. There are lots of monkeys around and once at the top we can see for miles around as the early morning fog burns off.

We move on to Sphatik Shila which is situated in a densely forested area to the south of Chitrakoot in Satna District. This picturesque spot is famous for its two massive rocks which are believed to have the footprints of Lord Ram. It is located within a short distance beyond Janaki kund, on the banks of the Mandakini River. According to legend it was here that Sita was pecked at by Jayant, son of Lord Indra, in the form of a crow!

We next visit a big attraction, the temple Sati Anasuya. It enshrines the idol of Sati Anasuya, the wife of saint Atri, with her three babies who are said to be the incarnations of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswar. The 24 different forms of god appeared on the earth can be found here in the form of idols. The Mandakini River flows nearby. The ancient ashram of Rishi Atri is above the temple.

Our final stop in Chitrakoot is Gupt Godavari, a natural wonder, which consists of two caves.  Inside there is a tank known as ‘Sitakund’ in one of these caves which is perpetually fed by a small stream of water. It is believed that Ram and his brother Lakshman held court in the cave with a stream of water running along its base. This cave features two natural throne-like rocks. We end up wading through water filled passages and Jac even gets a selfie with the district 3 star police commissioner who is visiting today as well.

Surya now drives us to Panna, where we are staying in a ‘safari lodge’.  Panna is a tiger reserve and tomorrow we will go tiger hunting!

Sunday 7th January

Panna to Khajuraho

Why is it that safari drives always start at ungodly hours! It’s freezing in the open-top jeep as we drive into Panna Tiger Reserve.

This a national park located in an area of 542 square kilometers of savana and jungle. It was declared in 1994 as the twenty second Tiger reserve of India and the fifth in Madhya Pradesh, Panna was given the Award of Excellence in 2007 as the best maintained national park of India by the Ministry of Tourism of India. However, sadly It is notable that by 2009, the entire tiger population had been eliminated by poaching with the collusion of forest department officials. The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) approved a proposal to translocate two tigers and two tigresses to the reserve. One female each from Bandhavgarh National Park (coded T1) and Kanha National Park (T2) were translocated to Panna Tiger Reserve. A tiger male, coded T3, was brought from Pench Tiger Reserve but strayed out of the park shortly thereafter, in November 2009. The tiger started walking towards its home in Pench National Park, indicating homing instinct. It moved steadily through human dominated landscape without causing any conflict. Forest department staff tracked it continuously for over a month and finally brought it back to the Panna Tiger Reserve. It then settled well, established territory and started mating. The tigress, T1, translocated from Bandhavgarh National Park, gave birth to four cubs in April 2010 of which 2 survive till date. The second tigress, T2, translocated from Kanha National Park gave birth to four cubs several months later and all four survive till date. A third tigress, coded T4, an orphaned cub was reintroduced to Panna in March 2011. She learnt hunting skills with the help of the male and mated with him. She was found dead on 19 September 2014 of an infection caused by its radio collar. Her sister T5 was released in Panna in November 2011. Thus four tigers and around 10 cubs of up to 2 years are settled in Panna Tiger Reserve at present and their progress is being regularly monitored by the Forest Department.  

As we drive around we come across several other safari jeeps. It seems there is a recent tiger kill up the road and the road has been blocked off.  A tigress and 2 of her cubs are about, but unfortunately we don’t spot them. Later the road is opened and we see the kill spot but no tigers. During the drive we do see lots of deer, spotted and summer and blue antelope.  There are also a wide variety of beautiful birds for us to watch but we don’t see any tigers.  

We spend the afternoon relaxing in the gardens of the safari lodge on the banks of the river Dan. It’s peaceful and quiet. A far cry from our recent days of crowds and noise.  In the evening we drive the short distance to Khajuraho,  but we will leave the sightseeing until tomorrow.

Monday 8th January

Khajuraho

Our ‘homestay’ accommodation in Khajuraho is really great, it’s in a really poor area but the food, rooms and ambience are very nice.

After breakfast we drive over to town where all the groups of monuments are. It’s famous for its groups of Hindu and Jain temples. These temples are a UNESCO World Heritage Site for their beautiful and erotic rock carvings. Khajuraho also has the Vindhya range of mountains as its beautiful backdrop. The erotic sculptures of Khajuraho depicting Kama Sutra are unique in the world. The temples of Khajuraho were built between 950 to 1050 A.D. during the Chandela dynasty of Central India. After the decline of the Chandela dynasty in 13th century, the temples were left under the cover of dense date palm trees for many years, until 1838, when a British army engineer, Captain T.S. Burt rediscovered them. By that time only 22 of the original 85 temples had survived. In every temple, there is the depiction of royalty, armies, wrestling, kinship, war, courtship, marriage, love making, music and dancing, spiritual teachings, union, meditation, bliss, gods, goddesses, plants, animals and an abundance of all human forms. They really are spectacular, and for once well looked after.  The surrounding lawns and gardens are a tranquil clean sea compared to the town that surrounds it.

The Western Group of Temples are the main draw and where we spend most of our time.
There is a entry fee of Rs. 10 (for Indians) and Rs. 500 (for foreigners) to enter. All the temples are open from sunrise to sunset. These are the richest and largest of all temple groups

Here’s the tourist blurb…
Lakhmana Temple – The oldest and finest of the western group of temples, named after the ruler that built the temple. The horizontal beam over the entrance of this beautiful Vaishnavite temple shows the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva with Lakshmi, Vishnus consort.
Kandariya Mahadeo Temple – This temple is decorated with a profusion of sculptures that are among the greatest masterpieces of Indian art.
Devi Jagdamba Temple – Dedicated to the Goddess(devi), this is smaller and much more delicately proportioned temple and is home to some of the finest sculptures of Khajuraho.The garbha griha has a huge image of the Devi of the Universe (Jagdambi), though it appears to have started as a Vishnu temple. It has the usual three bands of sculptures, but the third and most uppermost of these houses some of the most erotic sculptures.
Chaunsat Yogini – The only granite temple in the Khajuraho group
Chitragupta Temple – is dedicated to the Sun God (Surya), it faces eastward to the rising sun
Matanageswara Temple – A temple dedicated to Shiva, a huge 8ft Lingam adorns the temple.
Varaha temple – dedicated to the Varaha avatar of Lord Vishnu, it holds the statue of a Vraha[boar] in the centrestage with the Sheshnag lying beneath. Carving of an idol of Devi Saraswati on the snout of the Varaha reflects that every word/sound[dhvani] seeks blessing of Devi Saraswati [Goddess of speech,learning and knowledge]
Vishwanath Temple – dedicated to Lord Shiva, also called Vishwanath [master of the universe]. In the same premises, a temple dedicated to Nandi, holds a huge statue of Nandi [the Bull, the companion, attendant and closest aide of Lord Shiva].

All in all a beautiful place.

Tuesday 9th January

Khajuraho to Orchha

A lazy start followed by a 4 hour drive sees us reach Orchha in the late afternoon .  But when we book into our accommodation we are not impressed.  The staff are not very interested and at first show us one good room and then 2 really poor rooms. It’s not until we complain that they show us another room on a par with the first, but it needs cleaning.  We walk into Orchha and sit on a rooftop restaurant with views of the huge fort sitting on an island in the river that Orchha is famous for.

Sitting on the banks of the Betwa river the medieval city of Orchha seems to have frozen in time, its palaces and temples still retaining their original grandeur. It’s a shame the locals still manage to mess it up with the rubbish and squalor that surrounds them everywhere. Orchha had the distinction of being the capital of one of the largest and most powerful kingdoms of Central India. The Bundela Rajput chieftain, Rudra Pratap, founded the city in the 16th century. The word Orchha means ‘hidden’.  As well as the fort there are several huge temples in the town itself.

Wednesday 10th January

Orchha

This morning we are again pissed off with our accommodation,  this time there’s no running water. No bucket wash or flushing toilets. We decide to go get breakfast and do some sightseeing.   However when we cross the rIver and enter the fort complex Jac spies a very nice looking hotel in the grounds. Fed up with our current hotel she promptly books us all in as a treat.  We hotfoot back to our original hotel, grab our gear and driver and move hotels.

Then we spend some time looking around the Fort Complex: The fort is divided into 3 parts, it consists of the Raj Mahal: Situated to the right of the quadrangle, this palace was built in the 17th century by Madhukar Shah, the deeply religious predecessor of Bir Singh Ju Deo. The plain exteriors, crowned by chhatris, give way to interiors with exquisite murals, boldly colourful on a variety of religious themes. We climb multitudes of stone stairways and make our way onto the rooftops for majestic views of the surrounding town. From this height it doesn’t look too bad, but the noise is still ever present. We cross over to the Jehangir Mahal: Built by Raja Bir Singh Ju Deo in the 17th century to commemorate the visit of Emperor Jehangir to Orchha. Its strong lines are counterbalanced by delicate chhatris and trellis work, the whole conveying an effect of extraordinary richness. From here we walk around the walls of the fort through scrub to look out over a rocky expanse to the river beyond.

 Enough sightseeing done we retreat to the splendor of the hotel.  Our rooms have a secluded bed balcony where we sit and enjoy the sunshine whilst reading.

 In the evening we all enjoy a candlelit meal on our terrace.  A far cry from last nights accommodation. Thanks Jac!

Thursday 11th January

Orchha to Gwalior

After a most exquisite nights sleep and a fine breakfast we are on the move again.  This time to the large town of Gwalior.   On the way we stop at Sonagiri, something Daz read about and even our driver had never visited.  On a hillside above Sonagiri are 77 beautiful white Jain Temples. When we arrive we have to take our shoes off, and climb barefoot up the hill.  There’s nobody about except for a donkey driver taking gravel up to the top. The 57th and largest temple sits at the top and commands beautiful views.

We are amazed at how quiet it is.  Finally when we get back to the bottom we realise why.  We are locked in! We must have stumbled in as they were locking up! Fortunately we don’t have to wait long until a local comes and let’s us out.

As we drive into Gwalior traffic and humanity builds up, it’s our first big town since Varanasi.   After booking in we decide to forgo our usual fare of Indian food and hit the city Mall where there’s a McDonald’s,  Pizza Hut and Subway.  Although McDonald’s doesn’t offer any beef products in India, what with the cow being a sacred animal, they still serve chicken and vegetable burgers. 3 chicken burger meals all around please!  

Friday 12th January

Gwalior

Gwalior is best known for its imposing hilltop fort, which was famously described as ‘the pearl amongst fortresses in India’. Historically, the city has been the cradle of a number of dynasties that ruled it over the years. Their influence is clearly seen in the many regal structures that dominate the cityscape. the fort is perched on top of a rocky outcrop overlooking the city. It is popularly called the Gibraltar of India! It’s a massive fortification and the views are worthwhile.  

On the way up the singletrsck road to the Fort there are some immense statues carved into the bare rock.

We also visit the Jain Palace but after seeing the impressive white marble edifice from outside we forgo the inner tour.

Instead me n Jac have a pamper afternoon in a nearby Spa hotel. Body wrap and massages for both of us! Indulgent but very nice.

Saturday 13th January

Gwalior to Agra

The road to Agra starts out bumpy but soon improves into a two lane highway. Agra is a huge city that has built up around it’s two main attractions,  the Red Fort and the iconic Taj Mahal. Our homestay accommodation is only 900 metres from the East Gate to the Taj. After dropping our bags we walk down the road to the Taj Nature Walk. This park gives a nice view from the side towards the Taj.  But it’s very dry. The lakes and ponds are all dried up.

Our plan is to visit the Taj tomorrow but this evening we are going to drive to the otherside of the river Yamuna to a small park opposite and watch the sunset whilst having views of the Taj.  The park is small but gives great views, we can see the huge lines of people walking around the mausoleum. The sunset off to the side dropping into the smoggy haze above the city coats an orange glow across the river. We sit on a low wall and watch quietly.  Birds swoop over the river catching their dinner as a heron wades the shallows looking for his.

Sunday 14th January

Agra

So apparently the best times to see the Taj are sunset and sunrise. We have ticked off sunset, now we are up at 6am ready for a 709am sunrise. We walk the short distance to the gate and I queue for tickets whilst Daz and Jac hold a place in the seperate sex gate queues.  It’s just starting to brighten when the ticket counter opens. I’m about 7th in the queue, but there are a couple of bus tour agents in front huying 30 tickets at a time. Finally I get the tickets, locals only have to pay 100 rupees, but yet again foreign tourists have to pay ten times that at 1000 rupee. I join back up with Daz and Jac and just after sunrise the giant double fates open.

We walk into the gardens and through one of the outer buildings. There, resplendent in the early morning light is the Taj Mahal. We stop with the rest of the early tourists and take photos across the reflecting pools.

There’s a low fog around the main mausoleum as we approach and it looks like it’s sitting in the clouds.

The huge lines of locals and tourists haven’t built up yet, they’re all still sensibly in bed. We walk into the mausoleum itself having donned our protective shoe coverings. At least they keep my feet warm from the cold fog! Inside there’s no photography allowed but apart from two low pedestals it’s a very simple interior. The majestic views are all left outside.  It’s really is a great time to visit and I’m glad we got up to see it without all the huge crowds.  By the time we are wandering back out the sun has risen above the trees and coated the Taj in bright white light. Beautiful.

Back at our homestay we have breakfast then it’s off for the rest of the days sightseeing.  The Red Fort, which we have to say is even more impressive than the one in Delhi and commands a great view over the River and along to the Taj in the distance.  

We while away a few hours here, sitting in the quiet gardens, soaking up the sun and watching the chipmunks at play.  Dax even gets one to run onto his hand and along his arm at one point. They must be used to being hand fed. We also drive over the River to the Tomb of Itimad ud Daulah. This building is dubbed the ‘baby Taj’. But after already being charged at the real Taj and the Red Fort 10 times more than the locals we don’t feel like being ripped off again. India may be a poorer country but it really takes the piss with its ridiculous overcharging of foreign tourists. With upto 90000 people a day visiting the Taj, mostly Indians, an increase on the local rate would reap more reward than charging extortionate amounts to the few foreigners.  

Monday 15th January

Agra to Jaipur

On the way out of Agra we stop at Fatehpur Sikri. Built in the the 16th century by the Emperor Akbar, Fatehpur Sikri (the City of Victory) was the capital of the Mughal Empire for about 10 years. Then it was abandoned for reasons that are still something of a mystery. It includes one of the largest mosques in India, the Jama Masjid. It is full of well preserved palaces and courtyards, and is also a UNESCO world heritage site.  The palace is much the same as all the others we have seen, but the mosque is very impressive with a huge central courtyard with a small mausoleum inside.

About half way between Agra and Jaipur is the Chand Baori Stepwell one of the largest and most spectacular in Rajasthan.  it was built in the 1st Century and has seen fame in quite a few films including Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and the Batman film Dark Knight Rises.

We reach Jaipur just as the sun is setting and we have dinner on the rooftop of our hostel.  Not only is the food delicious but all around us on a thousand rooftops children and adults are flying kites. It’s the Jaipur Kite Festival. Hundreds of Chinese Lanterns dot the sky as well. Then fireworks start popping all around, it’s a magical event to watch in the sunset.

Tuesday 16th January

Jaipur

Before we go sightseeing we pop over to the Rajasthan Polo Grounds to see if there are any more events on for the kite festival. It turns out that there aren’t any however there is a polo tournament on this week, so me make a plan to come back later to watch a game. As we are near we pop over to the Albert Hall, a museum now but originally built for Prince Albert to stay in on a visit. It’s covered in pigeons and a busy roundabout today!

We move on to the City Palace complex, an impressive collection of Rajput and Mughal architecture.  It occupies nearly a seventh of the old Pink City. The reason for the name is in the original colouring of all the buildings, pink being a lucky colour, however to us it looks more like a dirty terracotta.

The palace was originally built by Maharaja Jai Singh II. There are courtyards and gardens and the present Maharaja of Jaipur still lives in the main building.

We wander out onto the busy market streets and make our way to a rooftop restaurant overlooking the impresive facade of the Hawa Mahal or Palace of the Winds.

This multi windowed edifice is a popular stop for tourists and photographers alike.  Sightseeing done for the day, we head back to the polo grounds. It’s free entry and there’s only a few people in the stand with a smattering of onlookers around the pitch itself. Jac and I have never seen a polo match before and Jac is soon engrossed on Google checking out the rules for the game and describing what a ‘chukka’ is.

The five players on each team are very good horsemen and it’s amazing to watch them handle horse and mallet with skill. We stop for two games, in the second one a team from Mumbai are very dominant, soon scoring enough goals to overtake the 3 goal handicap awarded the other team.  By the time we finish watching it’s 10-4. An impressive result for Mumbai.

Wednesday 17th January

Jaipur

Ahhh more sightseeing, it’s becoming a little tedious but at least Jaipur is a nicer city than Delhi, Agra and Varanasi.  Today we visit the Galwh Bagh aka The Monkey Temple.  Located on a hill overlooking the eastern side of the city both locals and tourists visit to come and feed the relatively tame monkeys.  Unfortunately the whole place is chocked up with rubbish and a surprising amount of old clothing flutters on barbed wire around the pools and temples. The temples are in a state of disrepair and it’s a thoroughly depressing visit.

Oh well,  off to the Amber Fort next.  Another massive Fort and Palace complex 11 km north of the city on the side of a hill. We climb the winding path to the top and enjoy the views.  But we can’t be bothered to pay to go inside and see our 6th or maybe 8th castle on this trip, and yet we still have two more castles to see today.

We drop down to the Jal Mahal a beautiful Palace sitting on an island in the middle of Maan Sarova lake.  You can’t cross but the view from the road is good enough.

After a rest stop for coffee and cake we visit Nahargarh Fort to see its stepwell and views over Jaipur.

Final fort of the day,  Jaigarh Fort which was the strongest of the 3 forts and never conquered.  It also houses the worlds largest wheeled cannon, the Jaivana, which was only test fired once!

Thursday 18th January

Jaipur to Delhi

After booking out we make the long drive back to Delhi, only stopping for coffee and a KFC lunch break. The day is pretty uneventful,  we all have an early start tomorrow. Jac is flying back to the UK and we are catching an early train to be reunited with our trikes in Jaipur before we continue our cycle through India towards Mumbai and the south.  It’s been a long break, but fab to see Jac, our constant friend and visitor to our travels. Let’s hope she can make it out to Japan, where hopefully the toilets will be clean and the hotels much nicer! Thanks Jac for coming to see us again.

Saturday 16th – 23rd December

Delhi – Amritsar – Beating the Retreat at Wagah border – Chandigarh – Shimla – Delhi

We have time today to visit more ATMs but our failure rate is so considerable that we’re going to try Western Union.  It’s going to cost us a £4.90 admin fee for £600 of Rupees but it beats the frustration and wasted time of repeated ATM visits.  We also need to pick up and pay for our numerous rail tickets and tour itineraries.   We tried and almost succeeded in arranging 2 tours for India. Our first with Vikki who arrives Sunday afternoon, visiting Amritsar, Chandigarh and Shimla.  I managed to book flights, bus tickets and hotels but I couldn’t buy any train tickets.  Daz and I spent hours registering on the Indian rail site, IRCTC,  but numerous lengthy attempts to purchase tickets failed despite them accepting our credit card for the registration fee.  Since we were still in Nepal and had been told trains soon become fully booked because it’s the most popular form of transport in India we asked for help on a Delhi expat site and thankfully Emma Horne took pity on us and booked all our train tickets.

Our hotel in Delhi – The Ark of Avalon

We also arranged a tour from Delhi to Varanasi, Agra and Jaipur.  More train tickets were required so again we turned to Emma but we also decided to organise a car and driver for a significant part of this trip.  We sought and received considerable advice from an Indian travel Forum www.indiamike.com re where to visit, how long to stay, recommended car & driver companies and planned our itinerary accordingly but returned to Emma’s company for the booking of a car and driver – www.emmahornetravel.com.  

Sunday Vikki arrives and it’s so great to see her.  We last saw her in October 2015, so there’s loads of catching-up with gossip and her life.

And she’s brought our new exped sleeping mats so no more uncomfortable camping nights.

In the late afternoon we fly to Amritsar and are wowed by the stunning spectacle of the Golden Temple beautifully illuminated at night.  We’re impressed by the cleanliness of Amritsar; it’s a different India to the one Daz and I have so far experienced and there’s also some delicious street food.

The Golden Temple is a place of great beauty and sublime peacefulness. Originally a small lake in the midst of a quiet forest, the site has been a meditation retreat for wandering mendicants and sages since deep antiquity. The Buddha is known to have spent time at this place in contemplation. Two thousand years after Buddha’s time, another philosopher-saint came to live and meditate by the peaceful lake. This was Guru Nanak (1469-1539), the founder of the Sikh religion. After the passing away of Guru Nanak, his disciples continued to frequent the site; over the centuries it became the primary sacred shrine of the Sikhs.  The sacred lake is fed by an underground spring and throughout the day and night pilgrims immerse themselves in the water, a symbolic cleansing of the soul rather than an actual bathing of the body.

After the Temple we take a tuktuk in search of evening entertainment.

Monday we visit a couple of other sites of interest including Jallianwala Bagh (Garden) which commemorates the 1919 Amritsar massacre.  General Dyer ordered fifty British Indian Army soldiers to open fire on an unarmed gathering of men, women, and children without warning.

Dyer ordered soldiers to reload their rifles several times and they were ordered to shoot to kill. It is believed 1,000 were killed and over 1500 wounded.  At the Gobindgarh Fort I impress with my dancing skills when a join some young girls on stage.

Then we catch a bus to the Wagah Border.

The Wagah Border is the border line running along the Grand Trunk Road between Amritsar in Punjab, India, and Punjab in Lahore, Pakistan.  The Wagah Border Ceremony, more popularly known as Beating Retreat Ceremony, was started in 1959. It is a symbol of the rivalry between the two nations, as well as the cooperation and brotherhood of both the nations. The aggression and anger between both the countries have been toned down a lot over the years.  Every evening, just before the sunset, the soldiers from the Indian and Pakistan military meet at this border post to engage in a 30-minute display of military showmanship.  

It’s fabulous entertainment but the soldiers treat it with absolute seriousness. It begins with a parade by the soldiers from both the sides, ending with a coordinated lowering of the flags of both the nation. As the sun sets, the iron gate is opened, with an infantryman standing in attention at both sides of the gate. The flags of India and Pakistan are lowered simultaneously and then folded. The ceremony ends with a retreat that involves a brusque handshake between soldiers of both the sides followed by the closing of the gate. The ceremony is hugely entertaining and certainly builds a patriotic fervour for the thousands of people who come here every day. During the build-up to the ceremony, the crowd witnesses national anthem chanting, rounds of applause and Bollywood-style dancing.  The atmosphere is not dissimilar to a Premier League derby match.

Tuesday we’re taking a bus to Chandigarh and then a taxi to Shimla.  Our bus is booked for 0550hrs so we’re up at 0500hrs.  At Chandigarh we stop for lunch and visit the Rock Garden.

It consists of art object, fashioned from industrial and urban waste. It nestles amidst 20 acres of woods in the form of an open air exhibition hall, theatre trove and a miniature maze all rolled into one vast fantasy land of art and landscape. It is without doubt, a tourist spot that is a must on the itinerary of visitor to Chandigarh.

“An unpretentious entrance leads to a magnificent, almost, surrealist arrangement of rocks, boulders, broken chinaware, discarded fluorescent tubes, broken and cast away glass bangles, building waste, coal and clay-all juxtaposed to create a dream folk world of palaces, soldiers, monkeys, village life, women and temples”. TBH it really wasn’t this good but an interesting stop.  

Following this we have our taxi ride to Shimla.  For Daz and I it’s a pretty standard trip after our recent experiences in Nepal and India; heavy traffic, horrendous driving, rough roads and a gnawing doubt about our survivability but it seems Vik is a mere innocent in such nightmare road experiences and is horrified and almost sick!  It’s a relief to reach Shimla and our delightful Airbnb apartment.   

We’re all shattered but we decide a quick walk to the Mall is required followed by dinner and a stiff drink.

 The next day our ambitious plans to see the Ridgeway and walk up Jakhoo Hill to the temple and a large statue of Hanuman, its chief deity are nixed by the discovery of a rather delightful roof top bar.

 We were just checking it out for later but all temptation is our weakness and we can see all the sights of Shimla from here.

“The Hill-Station with Rich Colonial History”

Situated at a height of 2200 m, Shimla is one of the most eminent tourist destination in the country. Set amidst beautiful hills and mystical woods, this is the former summer capital of British India. this town’s captivating natural beauty, and the atmosphere are bound to leave any tourist overwhelmed. This town has colonial-style buildings alongside the historic temples and the amalgamation of the worlds leaves everyone visiting this region spellbound. Within this city, one must visit the Mall Road, The Ridge, Institute of Advanced Studies and Jakhu Temple.

It’s Thursday and we’re heading back to Delhi today.   We’re taking the toy train to Kalka then an express train on to Delhi.   This is the ‘blurb’… “There are few experiences in India that can come close to the beautiful toy train ride on the Kalka-Shimla route. It takes you through lush green mountains with scenic, misty views. Started in 1903, the toy train route has now been listed as a UNESCO site”.  Doesn’t it sound fabulous.  The reality: uncomfortable seats, a very crowded carriage, a large family group travelling from Pakistan to Bangladesh who were rehearsing for xfactor and a novelty factor that wore off after 10 minutes leaving only another painful 6 hours of screeching singing to endure.  Actually it was an ‘experience’ but probably one more suited to a rail enthusiast.   It was funny to see Daz with rolled up tissues in his ears trying to dampen (unsuccessfully)  the enthusiastic but tuneless singing efforts of the family group.

The Kalka–Shimla Railway is a 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow-gauge railway in North India travelling along a mostly mountainous route from Kalka to Shimla. It is known for dramatic views of the hills and surrounding villages. The Kalka–Shimla Railway was built in 1898, to connect Shimla, the summer capital of India during the British Raj, with the rest of the Indian rail system. At the time of construction 107 tunnels and 864 bridges, were built throughout the course of the track.

By comparison our seats on the express to Delhi and are luxurious.  We have the executive seats, I think that’s equivalent to 1st class, and for the 4 hour journey it’s freeflow food, one tray of food following another.  

 We then catch the Metro to our hotel 18km away.  The metro is incredibly modern, clean and efficient – I feel I’ve teleported into another country.

By the time we get in it’s nearly midnight and Vikki has to be at the airport by 330am! Hugs all around,  sad goodbyes and we hit the sack.

Friday, we get the metro back into central Delhi.  We are off to a huge Bazaar where we are told you can get everything,  including the fuel we need for our alcohol burner. Unfortunately they were wrong, but we do enjoy a cup or two of tea at a street çay stall. We are saving any further sightseeing of Delhi until Jac arrives so we head back to the hotel.

 The intention is to purchase more money from Western Union, pick up our cash and then enjoy a leisurely afternoon.  Well the reality is so far removed from the plan and what follows is about 5 hours of sheer hell.  So those of you reading our blog will know we’ve visited hundreds of ATMs and failed to withdraw cash.  Well we tried again in Amritsar and failed where Vikki succeeded.   We’d then discovered that our N&P account had been frozen, not via an easily accessible Internet banking message but through a letter sent to our correspondence address.  So we’re already in the process of fixing this account but no worries because Western Union works a treat!  Well not any more.  Daz uses 2 cards and fails.  I then open my own Western Union account and make a purchase.  It’s not processed immediately but promise to complete the transaction within 30 minutes if there are any queries.   This did not happen with Daz’s first purchase so we’re not feeling confident.   So whilst we wait Daz tries again.  Still no luck.  Then my phone rings; Western Union is based in the USof A.  The rep on the phone is indeed American and refuses to accept that a phone call received from America to India on a UK mobile will cost me a fortune – “No ma’am I don’t believe you’ll be charged!” – OMG you ignorant moron, of course I will but persisting will simply delay the security interrogation I’m due.  Fortunately he completes his questions just before my phone credit runs out – that was £20 worth.  Phew.  Two minutes later we see online my Western Union transaction has been approved.  Daz potters off to get money and I start going through all our accounts notifying them we’re in India and requesting that they don’t freeze our accounts.  I strongly suspect our Halifax Clarity credit card has been frozen but I can’t find any way to message.  Finally after trawling through their site I find a contact phone number for those abroad and out of desperation make the phone call having loaded another £20 of phone credit.  I queue and wait, wondering how long my phone credit will last.  Finally an adviser to speak to and ‘yes, your account has been frozen’!  I tell him those numerous India transactions are genuine and that I’m in India, can he please fix my account.   No I must speak to the fraud department.   I explain that my phone credit won’t be sufficient and is there another means to fix the problem.  Apparently there isn’t and then I’m cut off, another £20 spent.  Arghhhhhhhh!  I then spend another hour convinced there must be a way to speak to Halifax Clarity online.  I find an online message option but it refuses to accept my username and actual name.  OMG this is a really shitty admin day.  Finally I discover the ‘complaints’ option allows online messaging.  God knows how long that will take though!

Saturday 23rd December

Delhi Mahipalpur to Manasar

Distance Cycled 40.26 km

Total Distance 18153.25 km

Our first proper lie in for ages.  It’s 10am by the time we wake up and on a cycling day too!  We sort ourselves out and get our bikes from the hotel’s lock-up. They are covered in an inch of dust, it seems they have been mixing cement in there!!

We get on the main road and go up the wrong way, there’s a huge central devide that we can’t get over. So we pedal into the oncoming traffic, just like all the locals do.  We are off to see Mace,  our rescue puppy, before leaving Delhi for Jaipur.  He remembers us and runs to meet us vigorously wagging his tail and weeing because he’s overexcited.   He seems to be doing well and has filled out a little and doesn’t seem to be so bow legged in his back legs.  But he is filthy!! Mind you, the whole kennel is particularly dirty.  We leave a donation,  say goodbye and hope he is adopted soon.

Back on the road we head with the flow of traffic towards the main Delhi to Jaipur road.  It’s very busy and continues to be for the rest of the day.  We stop briefly at a garden with huge statues of Hindu Gods and later for a spot of lunch.  

Then we get into a mother of traffic jams.  We swerve around the static cars and trucks, sometimes in the middle and sometimes on the dirt hardshoulder.  

Finally we break free and continue on.  Near the end of the day we pull up next to an NSG (National Security Guard) camp. Can we camp? No sorry.  On we go and then pull into the National Brain Research Centre, they look like they have got a nice garden we could camp in. But the answer is no, even Daz’s brain doesn’t tempt them.  However they suggest the temple just up the road.  TBH we’re not feeling confident but we couldn’t have been more wrong.  They welcome us with open arms.  They shun the spot where we think we’d like to camp.  Instead we’re taken to meet the Village Chief and we’re shown a room we can use.  Wow this is fantastic.

 Then we’re introduced to Anil, he’s a Colonel in the NSG and has come for evening prayer.  He intoduces us to his Guru, arranges tea and an evening meal and then invites us to evening prayers.  He also insists that we’re blessed by his Guru, he wants photos of it to top it all off.   He gives Daz an officers’ ballcap and takes some pics.  

We swap numbers and he tells us if we have any problems between here and Mumbai to ring him.  Also when we get to Goa he will sort out a camp for us, or maybe it was a party!! Lost in translation that last one.  What a great evening to cap off a shitty busy road day!

Sunday 24th December

Manasar to Tijara

Distance Cycled 55.93 km

Total Distance 18209.18 km

Well we both slept well on our new Exped mats.  I go off to explore; there’s a dog here with a litter of 6 gorgeous puppies.  There’s also numerous peacocks, the national bird of India. Anil arrives with his two sons. They have brought me 4 beautiful red roses (the only Xmas present I think I’ll be getting) and some Lassi. Isn’t that lovely!   The boys have a ride around the temple gardens on our trikes, even though the youngest can barely reach the pedals!

Then they offer to take us for breakfast at KFC.  Wow, we’ve not had fast food in ages.  We readily agree.  We have lovely Zinger burgers whilst Anil and his sons, vegetarians all, tuck into veggie burgers. It’s been fab meeting Anil, but now it’s time to say goodbye.  

Today we need to decide whether to stay on the main Highway,  the NS8 or take the ‘back road’ to Jaipur via Alwarl. We decide on the backroad but it’s not really much of an improvement; still heavy traffic with lots of dust but no longer a hard shoulder.  

We’re planning on trying the temple gig again since last night was so incredible.   At the first temple they initially say yes but soon change their minds when they see our tent going up.  They tell us to try the Jain Mandir Temple.  We think we’ve found it but receive a definitive no.   Disappointed we start heading back to the main road when 3 kids on a motorbike, who gave us directions earlier, tell us we’re at the wrong temple. We turn around.  We’re tired now and frustrated and worried this is a wild goose chase.  We cycle through a busy market area and then into the temple compound. It’s full of Indian tourists, nothing like yesterday’s quiet village temple. We park our trikes and soon a big crowd descends on us.  We manage to escape the madding crowd and find the Temple administrator.  Daz explains our need for somewhere to sleep. Yes of course, please fill out this form they say. We are then escorted out of the temple by a young man.  

He takes us through the market,  down an alley and into another compound. We round a corner and there’s a huge hotel in front of us. What’s going on we wonder? Well it turns out the temple has free accommodation for visiting pilgrims and they’ve kindly decided we’re pilgrims! How amazing; a nice room, hot showers and electricity!  Bizarrely we are spending Christmas Eve in a ‘hotel room’ courtesy of a Hindu temple.  

CHRISTMAS DAY!

Tijara to Sahori

Distance Cycled 66.72 km

Total Distance 18275.9 km

Our Xmas morning is a rude awakening due to a çay seller making the rounds yelling “çay, çay” or perhaps it’s now “chai, chai”, whatever, the result is the same – awake before 6am.

For our Xmas breakfast treat we stop at the market for samosa and chai.

 Then off we trundle and see our first camel drawn carts.  I’m a bit wary when I overtake, worried that the camel might spit on me.  It’s actually a holiday here in India, Xmas Eve, Xmas day and Boxing day and apparently it’s due to the holiday that there were so many visitors at the temple.  

And today the traffic seems relatively light until early afternoon.   Today we finally break back into countryside and it’s actually quite pretty.  Our lunch stop is at a typical local eatery with Roti and vegetable curry but later, when we spot a Domino’s pizza joint in Alwar, we stop for our ‘Xmas treat’ – yup, we certainly know how to treat ourselves on Xmas day.   

Out of Alwar we keep our eyes peeled for a camping spot and are rewarded by a walled orchard.  I had just seen a sign advertising a hotel ‘Tigers and trees’ and I’m hoping it’s a case for Trade Description and not that we’re in tiger territory! Happy Christmas everyone,  I’d raise a glass in toast, but we couldn’t find any alcohol!!!

Christmas without imbibing, ridiculous!

BOXING DAY!

Sahori to Kharkri

Distance Cycled 48.37 km

Total Distance 18324.27 km

No tiger attacks last night but I heard a lot of pig/boar noises.  Daz says they’re nothing to worry about but he’s obviously not seen Hannibal Lecter and the pig scene!  Our orchard appears to be one of mutant gooseberries and a couple of locals arrive to pick them.  

We’re in a Muslim area and heard the call to prayer at 6am but then we dozed off again and didn’t hit the road until 10am, well it is Boxing Day.  Today we cycled through Sariska National Park.  It’s tiger territory but we didn’t see any but saw wild boar, several types of deer, monkeys, mongoose, kingfishers and other pretty but unidentified birds.  

In the Park a couple of locals told us we’re close to Bhangarh Fort, the most haunted place in India, and indeed one of the most haunted in Asia.  Its reputation is such that no-one is allowed in at night.

 Sadly it was a significant detour so we pushed on.  In Kharkri, a small village, we stopped and were immediately surrounded by a huge crowd.  They were all desperate to see ‘the foreigners’ and were shoving forward and pushing on our trikes and baggage.  This type of behaviour is a bit intimidating and unpleasant.  

They pointed to a food stop and the village elders kept the crowd at bay after we explained we didn’t want people touching our trikes.  After a dinner of spicy hot but cold samosas we cycle out of the crowd and the village.

We soon spot a nice field and that’s where we’re camping tonight.  

Wednesday 27th December

Kharkri to Jaipur

Distance Cycled 80.08 km

Total Distance 18404.35 km

Another excellent camping spot.  We’re off to a bit of a slow start because the inside of our fly sheet is wet.  Whilst it’s drying we get 2 visitors, our only visitors at this site, an old man and old lady who gaze upon us as if we are a sight to behold.  

At the first big village we stop for breakfast and then we continue on our back road, through countryside for 40km, before finally hitting the highway into Jaipur.  

On the way we see the Amber Fort, Albert Hall, Palace of the winds and the City gates but we don’t stop because we’ll be back here with Jac.  About 20km from our destination we leave the Highway and cycle through Jaipur.

 I must admit I love the thrill of cycling through cities, the buzz and the attention,  although sometimes it’s a little scary.  Today my near miss was almost being squashed between a bus and a 2ft high kerb.  I gave the driver some serious verbal and gesticulations, not that he’d have understood what he’d done wrong.  Finally we arrive at Kroytos, the bike shop of Chinmay, our warmshower host here in Jaipur.  After a drink and a natter we follow him to his apartment.   He’s on a motorcycle and we’re on our trikes.  It’s dark so all we can see are headlights so dodging the traffic is even harder than usual but we make it to his apartment safely.  

He lives with his mother, father and his sister, Maitraiye. Chinmay has to go back to his bike shop, but his sister and mother keep us company and cook us a lovely Indian meal.

We show them our video from Wagah, they love it.  Finally,  very late we get off to bed, with the promise to get up at 6am to go for a bike ride with Chimnay to a nearby hill fort!!

Thursday 28th December

Jaipur

Well our 6am wake up call (Daz’s alarm) is an unmitigated disaster! We’re still in bed at 7am but Chinmay says it no problem – oh dear we were half hoping for a cancellation.  After a cup of masala tea, a short taxi ride to Chinmay’s shop, we set off on our bikes to Nahargarh Fort.  Daz and I are on mountain bikes, Chinmay on a road bike.

We cycle through the centre of Jaipur, the Pink City and then stop to admire Jal Mahal, the Water Palace. From there it’s a steady but scenic ride up to the Fort.  It’s certainly beautiful but also a little painful.  It’s been awhile since we were astride a ‘normal’ bike and there’s certainly parts of our anatomy that aren’t impressed.  At the top we’re rewarded with fantastic views over Jaipur and even see our first stepwell.

Nahargarh Fort is one of three forts at Jaipur, Amber Fort and Jaigarh Fort, being the other two. Nahargarh means an “abode of tigers”. Nahargarh Fort was built in 1734 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the founder of the city of Jaipur. The fort and stepwell at Nahargarh were built as a defense fort but never used. A stepwell, also known as a bawdi, baoli or vaav, is a well or pond designed to collect water which is then accessible using the steps.  Deep trenches were dug for year-round groundwater.  The walls of the trench were lined with blocks of stone without mortar.The Stepwell at Nahargarh Fort is unique in that there is no symmetry in its design. The steps resemble waves rolling down the hill side.

From the Fort Chinmay chooses the steep, cobbled route back to the city.  It’s more painful for him on his roadbike than for us on mountain bikes but at least he has his padded cycling shorts to alleviate the pressure points.  We drop the bikes off and head back to the apartment for a delicious breakfast: Chinmay’s mother is a fabulous cook and loves feeding us.  The afternoon is a mix of trike maintenance,  blog uploading and chatting to Chinmay’s extended family.  We’re trying to understand more about Indian culture and what we’re seeing is an emphasis placed on family and religion.  

 And here family isn’t mother, father, children and perhaps grandparents but all of that plus uncles, aunties and cousins.  It’s only been 4 years that Chinmay, his sister and parents have lived in this lovely apartment.  Before that they lived in a small house with his 4 uncles and their wives and children and his grandmother  (on his father’s side). There were 19 family members living in one house.  When the house finally became too small it was demolished and this apartment block built in its place. The extended family now occupies the various apartments on the 4th floor whilst the other apartments below are rented.  On festivals and holidays the whole family gathers to celebrate together.  This is unheard of, or certainly uncommon, in the UK.

Friday 29th December

Jaipur

Today Daz has some remedial work to complete on the trikes and then we’re just preparing for our return to Delhi.  Chinmay is storing our trikes and excess baggage until we return on 19th January.   

We say farewell to Chinmay’s sister and mother, their hospitality has been incredible.   Then after a haircut for me, my first in over a year I think, we head to Chinmay’s bike shop and visit a local eatery for lunch.  The food is delicious and inexpensive ; I wish we had Chinmay with us for all our food stops so we could end all the ‘bargaining’ over the price.

 We’re catching the express train to Delhi.  And tomorrow Jac arrives; we’re very excited.

Our evening train is on time and whisks us back to Delhi. We are fed 3 times during the 4 hour journey!  

Then it’s a matter of a short walk in the dark through a touristy area to our hotel.