DOWN IN DELHI

Well, I haven't cycled much since my last report from Rishikesh. We left there as soon as Leana had sufficiently recovered from her illness to be able to cycle again. Unfortunately, 2 days later Leana was knocked down by a motorbike and took a heavy fall. As a result of the accident she couldn't use her left arm, and she seemed a bit concussed - a black eye soon developed. This sort of accident is bound to happen, as the roads are crowded and the driving is hectic. We were not far from Delhi, so the following day Leana took a taxi while I cycled to the city. For a few days we stored our bikes in Delhi and travelled by bus and train to Jaipur (Pink City / Water Palace), and to Agra (Taj Mahal). Eventually, after a week Leana sought medical attention and discovered that she'd broken her collarbone and dislocated her shoulder in the fall. Now I'm on my own again because 3 days ago Leana left for Mumbai by train. From there she flew to Cape Town for a visit, and to celebrate her mothers' 80th birthday (the break will also give her a chance to recover from her injuries). I, myself, only have a month left on my Indian visa. Fortunately I've managed to obtain a visa for Bangladesh, so I'll move in that direction from Delhi tomorrow. There is still a lot of India which I'd like to see, so I'll probably return (anyway, Bangladesh is a dead-end as the land borders with Burma are closed). Distances cycled since Rishikesh were:- Haridwar loop 36 km; Muzzafarnagar 113 km; Ghaziabad 85 km; and New Delhi 35 km. Total distance cycled so far on this trip is 27 440 km.