SAMPLING THE SOUTH

India is roughly comprised of 28 states and a few other territories, each with it's own unique character. Just about every state has it's own predominant local language, besides Hindi which is commonly spoken all over the country. The place-names are often a reflection of the local tongue. Here in the populous South-eastern state of Tamil Nadu, some of the names can be tricky tongue-twisters (see "daily distances" at the end of this post). It's not surprising then that locals refer to many of these places by abbreviated names, which in itself can be tricky when asking for directions. The food as well is distinctive, and locals take pride in their famed South-Indian dishes - to which I've rather taken a liking (fortunately for me the food is cheap). Tamil Nadu state has many temples and other holy sites, which often consist of beatiful elaborately decorated structures in the "Dravidian" style (such as in the region of cities like Thiruchirappalli and Madurai) (see top picture). The town of Mamallaporam is a world heritage site due to it's ancient rock-carved temple (see second picture) and other structures, as well as being a laid-back beach haven for travellers. Since leaving Cape Comorin we've woven our way, often on back roads, via many of these places of interest. On the back roads the traffic is not that hectic, and one sees more of village life such as the practice of spreading harvested sheaves of rice in the road to be threshed by the traffic (I also did my part in the process). We even deviated to the small coastal village of Pichavaram, where we took a row-boat on the backwater channels amongst the mangroves. This village, as well as many others along this section of coastline, are still in the process of rebuilding after the devastating tsunami of 26 Dec 2004. We also spent a day or 2 in the former French territory of Pondicherry, where the "flavour of France" is still very evident. For the past few days Leana and I have cycled apart, but then (inevitably) more than once we ended up at the same place at night as budget accommodation in peak season is rather limited. Now we're both in Chennai, staying at a very interesting old travellers favourite lodge (see bottom picture). I'm not sure where I'll be going from here (I'm even considering hitching a ride on a ship to Thailand, but my initial enquiries don't make me very optimistic about this option). My options are further limited by finances which are in a rather desparate state (please see my request at top r-hand side of page). Daily distances cycled since Kanyakumari (Cape Comorin) have been:- Tirunelveli 83 km; Sattur 83 km; Madurai 81 km; Tirupattur 70 km; Pudukottai 58 km; Thiruchirappalli 55 km; Thanjavur 63 km; Mayiladuthurai 78 km; Pichavaram 58 km; Pondicherry 93 km; Mamallaporam 102 km; and Chennai 66 km. Total distance cycled since Cape Town is 34 750 km.

CAPE TO CAPE

No, I'm not on my way back to Cape Town. Instead, I'm at the Southern tip of India, Cape Comorin at the covergence of 3 seas (Bay of Bengal; Indian Ocean; Arabian Sea). Since my last update from Mangalore about 3 weeks ago, I've been cycling South down the West coast of India, mostly through the beatiful state of Kerala. Compared to my hectic routine of the previous few months this has been a welcome holiday cruise. On 24 December we'd hardly started cycling when we came accross a luxury tented camp practically on the beach (with hammocks, and meals included). The cost was way above my budget, but Leana and her sister Amanda decided that we should treat ourselves by spending Christmas Eve there (last Christmas Leana and I were camping in the Sudanese desert). A week later we were similarly treated by spending 30 and 31 December in a room at a luxury beach resort. A certain part of Kerala is famous for it's backwaters, and all types of boat trips are on offer. From Alleppey (the Venice of the East) to Kollam my 2 companions took the backwater ferry, while I chose to cycle. I arrived at Kollam a few hours ahead of them, which allowed me to find accommodation and start with supper by the time they arrived. The first part of this "stage" was mostly through local areas where there are few foreign tourists, and the curious locals were all over us on the few occasions where we camped on the beach. From Kotchi (Vasco Da Gama's landing) we started to encounter tourists, and places like Varkala and Kovalam are crowded resort beaches, teeming with tourists and all the infrastructure which they attract. This coast is also popular with bicycle tourists, and we met a number of foreign cyclists along our way (one guy from USA bought his un-geared bike on arrival in Mumbai - I was not surprised at his admission that he spends a lot of time pushing!). The only mishap in these past few weeks has been when I had to replace the rear rim on my bike - the 3rd of this trip (luckily I was carrying a spare rim). This time the cause of the trouble was neither the weight of my bike nor road conditions. Instead, on the busy morning road out of Calicut I was squashed against a stationery bus by a passing truck, which drove over my back wheel before I could get everything out of the way. Now Amanda's 2-month cycling holiday (I've heard her refer to it as an "ordeal") has come to an end, and Leana has accompanied her by train to Chennai from where she gets her return flight. Before she left Leana and I scavenged whatever parts we could from Amanda's bike (which is still brand new compared to our old "war-horses"). Now I'm waiting at Kayakumari, Cape Comorin, for Leana to return, before we continue on our way. My daily cycling distances since Mangalore have been:- Kappil Beach 68 km; Bekal 20 km; Payyannur 46 km; Kannur 52 km; Payyou 62 km; Calicut 48 km; Calicut (after accident) 5 km; Tanur 53 km; Chavakkad 72 km; Cherai Beach 68 km; Kotchi (Cochin) 28 km; Allapuzha (Alleppey) 66 km; Kollam 88 km; Varkala Beach 38 km; Kovalam 59 km; Takkalai 54 km; and Kanyakumari (Cape Comorin) 36 km. Total distance since leaving Cape Town is 33 860 km.

WILD GOOSE CHASE

A long time ago (when I was a teenager) a slang term for "girlfriend" was "Goose". Well, in less than 3 weeks now I've chased across India from Kolkata to Mangalore for 2400 km to catch up with Leana and her sister Amanda. These 2 have been cycling down the West coast from Mumbai since Leana's recovery from injury, Amanda joining in for a 2-month cycling "holiday". I may have been getting lonely or something, so I decided to try and catch up with Leana before Christmas. The chase was complicated by a mysterious illness which delayed my departure from Kolkata and hampered my progress for the next week or so (painkillers and anti-nausea medicine kept me going). At one stage I also had to replace the front wheel hub on my bike (fortunately I've been carrying a spare), a tricky enough task made somewhat more challenging by spectators all keen to become involved. Broken spokes and continuous punctures due to expired spare tubes added a measure of variation to the long days spent on the bike. One advantage of travelling by bicycle is that my route took me through areas where foreign tourists are seldom seen, and I've been endlessly photographed and "interviewed", and I've given numerous autographs to people who would otherwise not have known my name. I've spent nights in many dew-covered fields, cheap rooms, and even on verandah's of vacant village buildings. One of the most interesting things along the route was the numerous Hindu temples and statues of the Gods, and I was also surprised to see an extra-ordinary Catholic church amongs these (photo). In many of the areas through which I cycled the rice harvest was coming to an end, and it was interesting to see the range of technology used to transport the grain from the field to the threshing floor (see photo of labourers carrying rice attached to bamboo poles). The last day of the chase was down a winding mountain road of which the surface had completely disintegrated due to recent rains and the churning of many truck tyres. I must have looked a sorry sight covered in dust and sweat when I arrived at my destination, but the nice room and welcoming drink soon made the previous 3 weeks seem like a vague dream. Now, after a rest and having scrubbed everything from the soles of my shoes to the top of my cycling helmet, I feel like a new person (of course, I was also very pleased to see Leana again after nearly 2 and a half months apart). I'm looking forward to a more relaxing time, at least for the next few weeks. My bike, Old Saartjie, is the one now in desparate need of some serious attention. Daily distances cycled since Kolkata have been:- Karagpur 142 km; Baleshwar 117 km; Panikoli 108 km; Khorda 158 km; Balugaon 48 km; Gopalpur 77 km; Narassanapeta 137 km; Visakhapatnam 147 km; Annavaram 139 km; Siddanthan 116 km; Bapularadu 122 km; Guntur 130 km; Kavali 135 km; Naidupet 129 km; Chittoor 139 km; Kolar 118 km; Kunigal 116 km; Channatayapatna 102 km; Sakleshpur 93 km; and Mangalore 119 km. Total since start of this journey in Cape Town is 32 997 km. Merry Xmas everyone!

THE EAST END

Three weeks of cycling through Bangladesh has been an interesting experience. This is the most densely populated country on earth, with about 160 million people packed into a relatively small space. I was literally never alone - wherever I looked I could see people, and when I stopped a large crowd would immediately gather around to stare. Very little English is spoken, and road signs as well as writing on buildings etc. is mostly in Bangla (different alphabet). However, I found the people to be extremely friendly and welcoming, often buying me tea at the roadside stalls and thanking me for visiting their country. There are very few tourists, and in these 3 weeks I only spotted a handful of foreigners. In the cities and towns the main form of transport is the cycle riksha, often clogging the narrow streets and bringing traffic to a stand-still. In the capital Dhaka, a city of 15 million, there are apparently more than 600 000 of these riksha's. Flat-bed "cargo riksha's" as well as bicycles are also prevalent. Bangladesh is a beautiful green country with water everywhere (reportedly more water flows through this country than through the whole of Europe). Many of the rivers are navigable, and boats of all shapes and sizes are used to ferry passengers and a variety of cargo. On a few occasions I had to take a ferry ride across wide rivers where there are no bridges. In other places I crossed bridges a few k's long. I also visited the 2nd largest city (Chittagong), where the ship-breaking yards on the beaches North of the city can be seen from the road (I was not permitted to take photo's or even enter the yards). I also went further South-East (almost as far as the road goes) to swim at the beach of the "holiday city" Cox's Bazar. In Comilla I was interviewed by the editor of the local newpaper, Bakin Rabbi. He and his wife (Shahan) invited me to stay for the night, and they fed me so well that I must have made a big dent in their food budget. The most dangerous thing I found in Bangladesh is the continuous stream of busses on the main roads. The bus drivers obviously have visions of Grand Prix racing as they charge flat-out through villages along the crowded narrow roads (I did see quite a number of accidents). I suppose the next most dangerous thing was at Cox's Bazar, where I woke during the night to find a cat burglar on the ledge outside my 3rd floor window fishing for valuables through the burglar bars with a bamboo pole (he managed to escape with 2 banana's). I've now returned to India, and am back in Kolkata with a brand-new visa. All I need now is money, as my stash has just about run out. Daily distances cycled since my last report are:- Bangoan 81 km; Jessore 48 km; Faridpur 98 km; Manikganj 68 km; Dhaka 68 km; Comilla 95 km; Chittagong 163 km; Cox's Bazar 172 km; Chittagong 152 km; Feni 98 km; Comilla 60 km; Dhaka 97 km; Faridpur 128 km; Jessore 98 km; Kolkata 127 km. Total distance since the start of this jouney is 30 605 km.

CUTTING TO KOLKATA

Since leaving Delhi it seems that I've been playing a bit of a survival game on the roads, particularly the first part of the route. About half the distance of this leg was through the state of Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state in India. Through this area I was traveling on a narrow, crowded, bumpy road with 2-way traffic. If I said that I was run off the road a hundred times a day I wouldn't be exagerating by much (mostly on-coming overtaking trucks). Varanasi was my 1st rest stop, where I arrived in the chaos of traffic jams and narrow winding alleys. This city on the Ganga river is the most holy place for hindu's, and people come here not only to bathe but also to cremate their dead at the waterside ghats. I was fortunate to experience a pre-dawn row-boat ride up the river along the ghats (photo), from where you can see cremations in progress, hundreds of people bathing, people worshiping and ringing bells at the temples, and even "laughter yoga". After Varanasi I cycled mostly on a new highway, with a diversion to visit Boddhgaya - the origin of Buddhism. I visited the temple built at the place where the Prince sat under the Bodhi tree and became enlightened, thus becoming the Buddha (photo inside temple). While I was on the road India celebrated the festival of Divali, a big annual occasion involving lots of fireworks. In some of the towns one side of the highway had been closed off to make way for the festivities, and some people took the opportunity to dry their rice in the road or even use it as a threshing floor (photo). It is also common to decorate animals such as cows and goats at this time (photo of painted horns). In India anything goes, and the dual highway often became just two parallel roads with traffic in both directions (especially in the vicinity of towns). Now I'm in Kolkata, resting my backside and recovering from a sprained thumb and bruised knee due to a fall on the way in to this city (I was trying to avoid being crushed by a truck which was speeding up the off-ramp on the highway). Kolkata is a large (15 mil), interesting and chaotic (Indian) city, and I've walked and taken the metro around a bit to see the sights (photo: Victoria Memorial). Daily distances cycled since Delhi have been:- Garmukteshwar 101 km; Rampur 104 km; Miranpur 108 km; Sitapur 130 km; Lucknow 98 km; Sultanpur 146 km; Varanasi 158 km; Sasaram 125 km; Boddhgaya 143 km; Bagodar 134 km; Asansol 139 km; Burdwan 111 km; and Kolkata 115 km. Total distance since Cape Town is 29 052 km.

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.

SOURCE OF THE GANGA

The Holy Ganga (Ganges) River emerges from the foothills of the Himalaya at a place called Rishikesh (also known for a visit by “The Beetles” in their hey-day). Due to its location Rishikesh is a Hindu holy city, with crowds of pilgrims crossing the suspension bridges to the temples each day. It is also the self-proclaimed world centre for yoga and such-like things. We’ve been here in Rishikesh for about a week now, because Leana became rather ill the day after we arrived. We suspected Dengue Fever, but there was no medical doctor close by so Leana consulted a herbalist/yoga sort of practitioner who said she’d been poisoned by mal-digestion (and he prescribed lots of unpalatable herbs from his shop). During the consultation I found a lot of what “the doctor” said interesting and sometimes it even sounded plausible, but he lost me when he said that “cycling wasn’t exercise, but something else which just drained the body and wore it down”. Anyway, there is no treatment for Dengue Fever, so hopefully Leana recovers within the next week (which is about the same period which the prescribed herbs would take to show effect). There are some wonderful temples and shrines here, as there are in the other places which we’ve visited so far in India. We haven’t traveled very far since leaving Chandigarh due to more bike trouble, and we also had to shelter from the late Monsoon rain in Dehradun for a few days (where we visited the giant World Peace Buddhist Stupa and statue). This region of Northern India is green and forested, with some hilly areas. However, India is quite a crowded place, and there is almost constant villages and chaotic traffic through which we’ve cycled. The last 20 km to the hilltop town of Nahan was up a narrow, steep, winding road with a poor surface, and we only arrived there about 2 hours after dark. Not only do these towns have holy cows wandering the streets, there are also troops of monkeys causing havoc (pulling washing off the line – and stealing food wherever a window or door is left open). One of my t-shirts (with a hole bitten in it) had to be retrieved from a tree, and I was almost robbed of a bunch of bananas while returning to our room with the purchase. Daily distances cycled since Chandigarh were:- Nahan 103 km; Dehradun 98 km; Rishikesh 49 km; and Midway (loop) 35 k. Total distance since Cape Town – 27171 km.