Dec. 31 : Murud, India - an insane day

Saturday, December 31 :: Murud, India :: 50km today / 1303km total

Got up late, in no rush for anything today, and strolled over to the wharf to get my ferry ticket out of Bombay. Easy enough, I had 2 hours to kill, and a good start was to have my 4th chicken tikka and naan meal in 2 days. Always yummy. Back to my room to pack.

Casually I was assembling my gear, getting ready, when I realized that my little tool pouch was missing. After ripping the room apart, cursing in Hindi, I still hadn't found it. GREAT. Must've lost it at the train station... hmmm. Fortunately I still had my pump, spare tubes, spare tire, and spare parts... I had lost my multitool, tire levers, lock, a wrench, a screwdriver, and my allen keys. These things are mostly replacable, Thank Krishna, so I set off to find a bike store.

A bike store in India is not like a bike store in Canada; imagine a gritty little hole in the wall, a chaotic jumble of all kinds of used bike parts everywhere. They are functional, however, and soon enough I had tire levers, an allen key, and a screwdriver. That would do, for now - only the more serious problems could I not now deal with, like a broken chain or pedal. Cycling furiously, careening through the streets of Bombay Indian-style, I just managed to make it in time for my ferry.

I would rather have an uneventful ferry ride than an eventful ferry ride, and the crossing was happily uneventful. Upon disembarking the Indians degenerated into a pushing, crowding mass of chaos that for some reason they seem to enjoy, so I waited to leave last. Its not hard to see why there are periodic trampling deaths in India... imagine had there been an actual reason to get off the ferry quickly.

The ride South along the Arabian Sea coast was fantastic, pretty much everything I'd hoped it would be. A tree-shaded road, lots of little shops selling drinks and ice cream, lots of accomodation options. The road was bad, however, and I was bouncing all over the place. No worries, drop the pace and push on...

Climbing a little hill I noticed a strange wobble. I stopped, checked all the usual suspects, thought maybe I was crazy, and got back on the bike. Immediate wobble. What the hell. I got off the bike again, and started rechecking everything, and scanning the entire bike. OH. MY. GOD. The frame. Was BREAKING. It goes without saying that bike frames are not supposed to break, but I'll say it anyways. BIKE FRAMES ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BREAK. I must've stood there for 10 minutes, stupefied. Of all things that could possibly happen. Of all things that I've dealt with during this, and previous, bike trips. My frame was breaking, just behind the front wheel and handlebars. In two places.

I walked to a little drink stop, bought some water, and sat down. My bike frame. Here, in the middle of Nowhere, India. We're not talking a flat tire. The FRAME. My steel frame. Well. Steel can be fixed, can't it? I've seen numerous breakdowns all over the place in India, and Indians furiously fixing all kinds of mechanical problems. I resolved that this one would just be another.

The Arabian Sea spared of one broken bike frame, I started walking down the road with my bike - the frame was still holding together - steel bike frames do not break "catastrophically" (thank Shiva), but gradually. I fandangled a lift from a passing truck, and off we went towards Murud, the largest town around.

I checked into a little seaside guesthouse - my first seaside anything this trip (the garbage and sewage-filled harbour of Bombay does not qualify), and found a welder. I handed him my bike, go to it, buddy. I implored him with all sorts of antics and Arnold-like contortions to make it strong, strong, strong. Murud is a popular Indian holiday spot, and there were all sorts of things going on, so off I went while my life passed into the hands of the welder. They had a daredevil motorcycle sphere which was fun to watch (for 10 rupees, 25 cents).

I picked up my bike, now with black and silver added to the whiteness of the frame. The weld looks... how the hell would I know. Its a weld. I have no idea if the frame will hold for 2km or 20000km. But I WILL ride out of Murud, tomorrow.

Dec. 30 : Bombay

Friday, December 30 :: Bombay, India :: 0km today / 1253km total

I did the tourist thing today... a walking tour of colonial Bombay (yawn) and a boat trip out to some rock-cut caves on an island in the harbour. The caves themselves were kinda boring but the harbour was pretty fascinating... shipworks going as far as the eye could see, as well as a naval yard with battleships/destroyers and an aircraft carrier. The food has been fantastic and I've put down copious amounts of chicken tikka (barbecued, boneless chicken) and seekh kebab (mutton kebabs).

I had to search for ice today, as the guesthouse seemed hopeless on that issue - normally guesthouses have the lowdown on getting ice and are happy to do it free of charge. I walked to the market and started asking around, getting many strange looks (why does the gora want a block of ice?). Finally, just outside the fish market, I found it - a 500 pound block wrapped in multiple layers of burlap, just sitting there - I guess no one was likely to steal it. It took me quite some time to find someone to chop a piece off for me - 500 pounds of ice was more than my knee needed. Back to the guesthouse, flaunting the ice to the surprised staff, and into my room for 2 hours of knee-and-ankle-icing and HBO (thats TV, not some contrived acronym).

Now, out for a night stroll on the town, looking for a place to down a Kingfisher or two. Many bars in this area want a cover charge (are you kidding me? cover?) that costs more than my average guesthouse charge in India, so forget that nonsense. As you can tell I love Bombay and I may leave tomorrow, or not, we'll see. The next big target are the beaches of Goa, and it will be 3-4 days of silence from me as I ride down the Konkan Coast, where very few tourists venture, hence, no Internet likely to be found. I'm planning on lots of backroute shoreline riding, like I did in Southern Thailand, so progress is likely to be slow.

Dec. 29 : Bombay, India

Wednesday, December 29 :: Bombay, India :: 67km today / 1253km total

The food last night wasn't great and I couldn't force much down my throat. Only 15km into today's ride I was feeling weak, tired, exhausted. I adjusted my day's expectation and decided to try for Daman, only 100km from where I started. It was NOT fun, riding along sluggishly, a slow cadence, head down, just making miles for the sake of making miles.

Almost fortunately, my knee started "twanging" again 50km in. Being quite familiar with IT Band Syndrome, I knew that last night's icing and stretching would probably not be a fix, and I was right. So again, as with my ankle 2 weeks ago, I was faced with a few options. a) stop and rest in the middle of nowhere and be back on the bike in a few days, b) ride on to Bombay and be off the bike for a week, or c) take a train/bus to Bombay, rest up, and be back cycling in a few days. Well, it's obvious, isn't it?

I pulled into Navsari, found the bus station - no buses to Bombay. Strange. They had a train station, though, and over to it I went. I managed to get a ticket, for myself and my bike... and soon enough (after lots of tipping for the bike-handlers), I was rolling South.

I was in 2nd class, the lowest class available. For a short train ride, I didn't think it would matter. There was nowhere to sit most of the time, except for on top of my bag, which is where I ended up when I was tired of standing. And yes, the toilet emptied directly to the tracks below.

As the train entered Greater Bombay it passed mile after mile of some of the most hopeless slums I've ever seen in my life. It was truly sad and depressing, particularly watching the children play games among garbage piles, swamps of... who knows what. Homes made of tents, tarp, metal siding, barely held together. Row after row of bleak, post-apocalpytic-looking apartment buildings. Quite unreal. I sort of staggered off the train in a stupor, this really was the worst I'd ever seen... worse than Mexico City, worse than Cairo, worse than Bangkok.

On the bike, I spun towards the Colaba district of Bombay through the night. The route took me along the waterfront and past some of Bombay's most flagrantly weathly hotels, restaurants, nightclubs. Completely awful to see this, immediately after seeing all the slums. The contrast was too much. I pulled into my guesthouse ($12/night! outrageous!) and found some great, protein-rich food (2 orders of chicken tikka and naan).

I'm not sure how long I'll stay here in Bombay. Hopefully not long. There's lots of full-of-themselves locals walking around, mostly rich because of genetic luck as opposed to any other reason. Its certainly not "real India" here, and the people do not have the gentle, easygoing, friendly nature of the rest of the Indians that I love. As well, in only 10 minutes of walking around for food etc, I've been hassled to buy hash, marijuana, go to massage parlours, as well as the usual begging. I'll fill up on protein (bigtime!), rest the legs for a few days, then get the hell out of here.

Dec. 28 : near Anklesvar, India

Wednesday, December 28 :: 18km S. of Anklesvar, India :: 157km today / 1186km total

Nothing remarkable today, just a long slog down Highway 8 towards Bombay. A bit of a tailwind helped me along but still I felt depleted and less than 100%. Its very difficult ro find food that isn't fried or oily, as veg food tends to be. And there's no meat in Gujarat. Some big signs outside of restaurants displayed hamburgers, hot dogs, butter chicken, etc, but upon asking they cruelly turned out to be ruses, but, would you like a veg sandwich? No. No I wouldn't.

140km into the day my left IT band (knee) started to let itself be known to me. Not hurting, just "twanging", but I know this type of chronic injury well, having battled it in my triathlon racing days. Not a good sign, and troubling. I stopped at the first guesthouse I came to and, wearily, iced, stretched, and Ibuprofened. So tomorrow the tensor band that was guarding my right ankle moves to my left knee... its 310km to Bombay...

Dec. 27 : 6km S. of Nadiad, India

Tuesday, December 27 :: 6km S. of Nadiad, India :: 122km today / 1029km total

The Indians in the guesthouse were extremely noisy last night and this morning, and seem to take tremendous pride in "horking" as deeply and loudly as possible. Fan-tastic. Either way, I hit the road around 8 a.m. still feeling strong, aiming for Vadodara, 170km away.

The road passed through rural Gujarat, all agriculture and all green. Very flat, the road sometimes deteriorated to gravel, but nothing unridable, although my pace was compromised at times. 90km along I knew I was in trouble. There was, quite simply, no gas in the tank. Nothing hurt, no soreness, I was just empty. I knew I would bottom out calorie-wise before I reached Bombay, but this was much sooner than expected. Great. I HAVE to TRY to eat more, but its hard when you are scared half the time of what you're eating - and the other half of the time the food is either fried or oily or both. Sigh.

I pushed on, slowly turning the pedals over, knowing the game was up for the day. Only rest and eating would bring my legs back. Just out of Nadiad I pulled into a roadside guesthouse, never having been more exhausted from a flat, wind-aided 122km ride. The place was run by Sikhs, which meant good food, albeit vegetarian (90% of Gujaratis are vegetarian). I like vegetarian food, but my legs (ankles, knees, etc) desparately need protein to recover.

Dec. 26 : Modasa, India

Monday, December 26 :: Modasa, India :: 156km today / 907km total

Woke up today feeling completely psyched and ready to ride. During breakfast with the Norwegian girls my legs were literally shaking with anticipation and excitement. After helping Stine procure a cheap flight to Bangkok (on my recommendation!) I rushed back to my room for final preparations.

After goodbyes I rolled out onto the same cobblestone streets that had defeated me 2 days before. Ahead, I knew from my map, lay 120km of mountainous riding before a descent out of Rajasthan into the flatlands of Gujarat. As cyclists go I'm not a "climber", but today would prove otherwise.

3-4 days off the bike, sick as a dog, had built up a lot of frustration and some anger in me, and I vented bigtime. I stormed up the first climb, feeling invincible, passing a truck on the way. I was on FIRE today and dispatched of climb after climb, hour after hour, with tremendous ferocity.

The scenery was spectacular and quite a change from the garbage-lined desert roads of the rest of Rajasthan. For some reason there was little garbage here, as well as beautiful bone-dry mountains rising to either side, and sometimes in front. The road was wide, divided, had a paved shoulder, winding and undulating. Minimal traffic. Perfect.

The map wasn't wrong and it did turn out to be 120km of climbs and descents, nothing too steep though (the underpowered trucks wouldn't make it up 10%+ grades). I flew over all the climbs, riding on a wave of joy and deep-seated satisfaction. Finally I left Rajasthan and entered the State of Gujarat, my home for the next 3-4 days. The mountains disappeared, everything became green around me, and I hummed along flat roads for the first time today. Now a gentle tailwind rose, urging me along.

I pulled into Modasa, well off the tourist trail, and the only visible foreigner in this city of 100,000+. Food options were... pitiful so dinner comprised of 14 tangerines, choclate protein powder (straight from the jar), pineapple juice, and water.

Dec. 25 : Udaipur, with Bombay on my mind

Sunday, December 25 :: Udaipur, India :: 0km today / 751km total

A late morning, as last night's activities ran into the wee hours. The hotelier at the party we were at was plying the 4 of us with free drinks to stay and keep dancing... we were the only foreigners there, and I guess our presence was considered auspicious, or at least desirable. So now I can add "professional dancer" to my resume!

We walked around Udaipur this morning, checking out some temples, the market, etc. Frank leaves tonight, I leave tomorrow a.m., and the girls leave a day or two after. The town is noticably quiet today. Tonight's plan for me is stretching, packing, chicken tikka, and a viewing of Octopussy - mandatory here in Udaipur.

From here its 700-800km to Bombay, the cultural and economic capital of India. The forecast is for daytime highs around 25-28C with tailwind, tailwind, tailwind. In between here and Bombay is the little-visited World Heritage Site of Champaner, which sounds really interesting to me and I will make a short daytime stop in about 2 days. I'm excited yet nervous to get back on the road - my legs feel recharged, ankle is fine, stomach is fine... but Bombay is a long way away with countless unknowns between here and there. But thats what I love most about travelling (particularly by bike) - you never know what's around the next corner. I've said in previous trips that, travelling by bike, you don't know what the next 15 minutes has in store for you... here in India, you don't know what the next 15 seconds has in store for you. The country is so completely eclectic, chaotic, unruly, yet... fascinating. If things go well I'll be in Bombay for New Year's Eve... is there any better place in India to be to ring in the New Year?

Dec. 24 : Udaipur and Xmas eve

Saturday, December 24 :: Udaipur, India :: 3km today / 751km total

Upon arrival in Udaipur, at 4 a.m., 4 of us (German guy, 2 Norwegian girls, and me) decided to stick together and head for the same guesthouse. With one tuk-tuk in front and one behind I pedalled into town, all cocky-like in that I hadn't thrown up in the past 24 hours. We pushed through the night at 40km/h, me down on my aerobars, leaning through the tight corners, revelling in the speed and silentness. But the facade fell apart at the first cobblestone-hill... having barely eaten in the past 3 days my legs had no "go" and I shamefully waved the others on as I struggled through the climb. Not eating solid food for 3 days will do that to you, I guess.

In the morning we went to see the City Palace and Museum, as well as to view the Lake Palace, setting of part of the James Bond movie "Octopussy", as no one in Udaipur will let you forget. Udaipur is a beautiful city, the first city in India that I can say that about. There are few cows and many tourists here, as India goes, and tonight there are Christmas parties all over town - including fireworks. Its more like New Year's Eve parties, in effect, but thats ok. We've decided to break the bank a bit tonight - 1000 rupees ($25CDN) for a buffet meal, performances, dancing into the wee hours, with a great view over the lake. I told my Grandmother that I'd use my Xmas money for some good times in India, so here's #1. Should be fun, and my first real meal in 3-4 days.

I'm feeling better, well, pretty much. Every backpacker I've talked to has been sick in India at least once, and most never return to feeling completely 100% (until they go home). Tonight should jumpstart the eating, and I hope to leave by bike the morning after tomorrow (Monday 26th).

Dec. 23 : night bus

Friday, December 23 :: Jaisalmer-Udaipur night bus, India :: 1km today / 748km total

I woke up feeling fine, but very weak. Still afraid to eat anything complex, I stuck to eggs, toast, and fruit. All was good, so I booked my ticket to Udaipur, setting a goal of not throwing up during the bus ride.

At 3:30pm the bus rolled out, bike on the roof, me in a funny little sleeper cabin. It was just big enough for me to stretch out but a nightmare for anyone with claustrophobia. I spent much of the ride chatting with one German and one Czech guy, about all things political and historical. The time passed quickly. Passing back through Jodhpur the bus collided with a tractor (surprise surprise) but only body damage was done, so on we went, through the night.

Dec. 22 : Jaisalmer - on the mend

Thursday, December 22 :: Jaisalmer, India :: 0km today / 747km total

My dreams were pretty tortured last night, mirroring my stomach - all about chaos and the busyness of Indian roads. I woke up feeling weak, starving, but not nearly as bad as yesterday. In the past 9 days I've lost quite a bit of weight, with the big bike miles early on, and the sickness now. After posting my previous blog I went back to sleep, and by 1pm was feeling... 75%. I decided to be brave and struck out for Jaisalmer Fort, looming above my guesthouse. Moving slowly, it was good to be out and about.

Cows are everywhere in India, but it seems even moreso here in Jaisalmer. Now, I like cows just as much as the next (Western farm-grown) person, but it's starting to get a bit much. In Canada cows are fed on... you guessed it... grass and greenery. In India cows scavenge whatever they can find; I've seen them eating cardboard, random garbage, all sorts of nasty stuff. The difference in "what goes in" is apparent in "what comes out", as cowpoo here definitely has a nasty, rancid smell. Imagine a city full of it. Welcome to Jaisalmer, India.

The fort was a bit of a letdown, certainly compared to Jodhpur's... all touts/vendors and little fort. From the outside it looks fantastic, but the inside is a chaotic sprawl of vendors with little access to the ramparts. No, I don't want a shirt [toilet paper] [necklace] [silkscarf] [internet] [bus ticket] etc etc. There was an Italian eatery inside that had good reviews, and I thought a little pasta would do me good, so in I went. Boy, was I wrong. Within 15 minutes of eating I was hastily beating a retreat to my guesthouse... and got there just in time to re-live the meal I just had. I guess it'll be more tangerines for a while... I might eat a pineapple as well.

If there's anything positive about where I am its that I have a fantastic, large room that even most of you would probably stay in. A very clean bathroom with a flush toilet; tempermental hot water; big, comfy, clean bed with sheets, and a strange little door that I have to bend down to go through, to enter the room. All for $4 CDN/night!

Oh ya, and I'm not giving up on the bike. When your insides are being ripped out of you in both directions the last thing you want to think about is getting on a bicycle, but I love this mode of travel too much to give it up. I'll take a 12-hour sleeper bus straight to Udaipur in a day or two ($10 CDN), recover further there, and hopefully be ready to ride in 3-4 days. I have a lot of solid-food eating to do before my legs will be up for the task. The "plan" is to ride South out of Udaipur, towards Ahmedabad and Mumbai (Bombay). Booyah!

Dec. 21 : Jaisalmer - sick sick sick

Wednesday, December 21 :: Jaisalmer, India :: 74km today / 747km total

The ankle felt good when i woke up, so I quickly taped it up, packed, and hit the road. It wasn't easy finding the right road out of Jodhpur, but eventually I was heading West, towards Pokaran.

40km into the day I started feeling sick. My stomach was queasy, and I was getting a bit lightheaded. I pushed through to Balesar, 70km in, and took a long stop to rest and drink. Things were not getting better. To make matters worse the town itself was fly-infested, garbage-filled (as usual), and a crowd followed me wherever I went. I sat down in a roadside "cafe" (if it could be called that), and immediately the proprietor produced rice and ghee and some other unknown substance; ground it together with his dirty hands, and encouraged me to dig in. Already feeling like crap, no sum of money could entice me to eat. I weakly smiled and complained that I was feeling sick, which was no lie, and suffered through his eating.

Something was definitely wrong and I wouldn't make it to Pokaran. I walked into one of the garbage piles and tried to make myself throw up, to no avail. I walked over to the bus "stand" and let it be known that I was looking for a bus to Jaisalmer. Soon enough I was underway.

Feeling horrible, I scouted the closest window to me as the bus rolled down the road. I was sitting next to a military man and soon enough I gave him frantic gestures to open the window - fast. I leaned across him, head out the window, and threw up all over the outside of the bus. Not wanting to quality for lead villian in Sleepy Hollow I had to watch the road ahead of me as I was heaving. At 70km/h this resulted in significant backspray all over my face. Ah, India, how do I love thee. Fortunately my bag was at hand so I could clean myself up with a shirt. Could things get any worse? Of course they could, as I threw up 3 more times before getting to Jaisalmer. By the 4th and final time I was an expert... between heaves I would glance forward, then throw up down and back, which kept me relatively clean.

Upon arrival in Jaisalmer I managed to get to a guesthouse. After throwing up again I quickly gathered some juice and tangerines for what I knew would be a long night. And it was quite horrible, but I fought back with antibiotics, Immodium, and water. This morning I'm feeling a bit better and haven't thrown up in about 6 hours.

I have no idea how I got sick - it could be any number of sources. I'm pretty exposed to catching bugs when I'm cycling and I'm starting to wonder if its worth continuing by bike.

Dec. 20 : Jodhpur - Meherangarh Fort

Tuesday, December 20 :: Jodhpur, India :: 0km today / 673km total

Ah, the muezzin prayer. One of my favourite memories of the Middle East is the 5-times-daily solemn, soothing Islamic prayers being sung through loudspeakers in every city. Well, they do it here in India, too, although I'm not sure what the majority Hindus think about it. South Thailand and Malaysia had the prayers as well, but the grating staccato of their languages (to my ears anyways) diminished my appreciation in those countries. I'm not sure if they're singing in Hindi or Arabic here in India, either way, it sounds great.

One thing I've noticed about the Indians is how athletic they are. Bicycles are a common form of transportation here (well, any form of transportation that you can think of is common here) and the average cyclist that I come across is riding at a decent clip. In other countries that had many cyclists (i.e. Vietnam) people rode very, very slowly, but not here. Often locals will speed up and ride with me for a km or so when I overtake them... pretty impressive when you consider they're riding 1-speed clunkers. I always give them the thumbs up and lots of praise at times like this, which seems to make them quite happy. Also, whenever you see an Indian person out for a jog, they're running along very, very quickly. There are no lolligaggers here!

A late start this morning, as my destination, the Meherangarh Fort, only opened at 9 a.m. The Meherangarh Fort dominates Jodhpur, perched on top of a very high mesa in the centre of the city. On the walk over to it I stopped at the famous Omelette Cafe, and yes the omelettes were cheap and fantastic; several travellers were gathered around, chatting, smiling. The Fort wasn't too hard to get to... like the CN Tower in Toronto or Parthenon in Athens, all you have to do is look up (and know which side the entrance is on) to get to it. Again, making my way upwards through narrow, medieval alleyways, I came to the massive, arched outer gate.

The walk up to the Fort from the town below was a perfect way to get a feel for the sheer size of it. Built in the age of gunpowder and cannon (1600s) and used for 300 years, it was never taken by force even though it had been sieged several times. The walls are ridiculously thick and there are little pockmarks where the cannonballs bounced off. The entrance passageways have sharp right turns and spikes on the doors starting 9 feet from the ground... both anti-elephant charge measures. Things you don't see in Western Castles. There was an excellent, free audio tour of the fort... a fantastic 3 hours.

Leaving the fort I opted for a tuk-tuk, being wary of my right ankle and not wanting to push it. Its been a full-on assault of icing, stretching, massage, Ibuprofen, and tensor bandaging. Not much more I can think of doing for it. After a good but oily chicken kerai lunch, I returned to my hotel for more self-ankle-work. Across from my hotel is a huge, clean-looking Indian sweets store, one of thousands that I've seen here in India. I've actually found one type of sweet that I like, and will experiment with others while here - I never really liked Indian sweets in Canada, but I'm wondering if eating only Indian food (as I have been for a week now) changes the palate's dessert cravings - some sort of symbiotic relationship between the curries and the sweets? Or maybe they're just made better here.

I'm not sure what tomorrow will bring... I'll see how I feel in the morning. My ankle does not hurt and there is little to no sign of Tendonitis (I'm no physiotherapist, so its hard for me to objectively self-examine) - but I'm glad I stopped riding as soon as I felt a twinge. I know the 320-km desert crossing will be very difficult, and I'm cautious about attempting it with a questionable ankle.

Dec. 19 : Jodhpur... and Achilles Tendonitis

Monday, December 19 :: Jodhpur, India :: 54km today / 673km total

Well, it wouldn't be a bike trip without a little creaking and groaning...

Up early as always, I had to nudge the groggy staff to unlock the sliding gateway so that I could get riding. Out on the road I realized immediately that my saddlesoreness does not seem to be subsiding. Ouch. I could live with it, though. Halfway to Beawar my right Achilles tendon started creaking. Not a good sign. I've had Achilles Tendonitis before, in my racing days, and I know exactly what it feels like, how to treat it, and how long it takes to get better. Fortunately its a "quick-fixer", relative to other injuries, but I would have to be off the bike for a few days and not walk too much. So it turns out that my Achilles Heel is my Achilles Heel, after all. Rolling into Beawar, 53km from where I started, I really had no choice but to stop riding, that is if I didn't want to dig a huge hole for myself and be off the bike for weeks.

Beawar was a less-than-exciting, dirty-as-ever town, and the prospect of a $1.50, 160km bus ride to Jodhpur, a big tourist town with all the promising amenities (including massage), was too enticing. I rolled over to the bus station, changed, and chatted with the locals - Indians are fascinated by the gears on my bike. I grabbed a ticket for the local bus and bungee'd my bike to the roof. After the bus left the station the conductor tried to play hardball with me to get 37 rupees for the bike, but I knew it was a sham (had it been a legitimate charge I would have been told when I bought my ticket - the entire station knew that an English had shown up with a bike). I played hardball back, asking for a receipt with his name written on it, after which he immediately lost interest and wouldn't talk to me for the rest of the trip.

Jodhpur has turned out to be an almost completely vegetarian town, not good for protein-starved me. On top of that there is no massage here (how different than Thailand). Apparently there is expensive massage to be found in the big five-star hotels but I got the feeling they were talking about "massage", not massage. I'm really surprised by the lack of tourists, but then again, India can be hell at times and I wouldn't recommend it to most people, so I shouldn't be surprised at all. I'm loving it, though. Mostly. Overlooking the city is a massive, stunning fortress that I will (gingerly) explore tomorrow. Tonight its lots of stretching, Ibuprofen (how do I love thee), self-ankle-massage, and sleep.

Dec. 18 : Ajmer

Sunday, December 18 :: Ajmer, India :: 137km today / 619km total

Out on the road just before sunrise, happy to get out of the 2 million+ city of Jaipur and into the countryside. The road was fantastic... flat, 3 lanes in each direction, and a paved shoulder! What more could I ask for. Happily I spun along, waving and chatting with the Indians. When they're not a) driving or b) hanging around a tourist site, Indians are among the friendliest, most gracious people I have ever met.

The cultivated fields on both sides of the road slowly gave way to near-desert as the day progressed. The Rajasthan Desert is ahead, and I will be crossing it in a few days to or from Jaisalmer (I will ride one way from Jodhpur, and take a bus or train the other way). Already the land is quite arid and there are rocky, barren hills on both sides, similar to some areas of Southern California near the Mohave. The wind remained neutral today, more good fortune, and I made short, easy work of the miles.

The food today was fantastic; I had dal and chapati for breakfast, chicken tikka and naan for lunch, and chana masala and rice for dinner. YUM. I am staying away from roadside vendors simply because their cooking and eating areas are beyond dirty. I can't imagine even the locals eating at these places (but they do). Almost every hotel or guesthouse has a restaurant attached, most are very clean and have open, steaming, busy kitchens, so this is what I look for as I pedal down the road.

Even with a 3 lane divided highway the insanity continued; while I was safely tucked away on one side of the road, truckers still managed to mangle themselves into each other, or flip their vehicles over and/or off the road. It really is quite unbelievable how bad these drivers are. Its not purely the driver's fault, though; there are innumberable breakdowns, many quite catastrophic, and I'm sure mechanical failures play a significant part in the accident rate. In only 5 days and 600km+ of road I've seen impossible-looking accidents, things you'd expect to see only in a Hollywood action movie, but here they are, commonplace in India.

In Ajmer I set out on foot to visit a Muslim pilgrimage site (Dargah). My route took me through twisting labyrinthine warrens, passageways too narrow for cars but with the occasional scooter appearing out of nowhere and passing by within inches (but always within inches, never touching). Hopelessly lost, I had to ask for directions numerous times, and the Indians couldn't have been friendlier, even to the point of being appreciative that I was visiting their city, their shrine. Finally it emerged in front of me, a hubbub of pilgrims entering through a large gate. Shoes off, cap on, fully covered of course, in i went barefoot. It was interesting enough, certainly the pilgrims were taking it extremely seriously, and after ditching my "tour guide" I made my way around the back passageways of the shrine so as not to disturb their prayers and meditation.

Leaving Dargah it felt like all hell broke loose... the only white face in Ajmer, the beggars were all over me, hardcore. I should have returned the way I came, through the narrow passageways but like an idiot I took the main route, right through the wide marketplace which was lined with the crippled, helpless, and destitute. What could I do? While I have tremendous empathy and sadness for these people, I cannot solve India's social problems. I had to quicken my step and move through as fast as I could. There was no other way.

Jodhpur is 205km away, but I'm not planning on making it tomorrow - only with a galeforce tailwind would I attempt it. Saddlesoreness is keeping my mileage sane, for now.

Dec. 17 : Jaipur

Friday, December 16 :: Jaipur :: 182km / 482

I was up and on the road very early, before sunrise, with a tough day and aggressive goal ahead of me, 180km with a probable midday headwind. Immediately things were not looking good... a horrible road surface out of Bharatpur that marginally could be called "paved". At times the road was reduced to one lane, that's one lane to be shared by vehicles going in BOTH directions. The traffic was not light, the drivers continued to be idiots, so you can imagine the hell I went through. I spent much time on the gravel shoulder.

Four hours later I rolled into my first waypoint town, very beaten up. It had taken me 4 hours to cover 60km, almost half of my usual speed. Not good when I was hoping to make it 180km to Jaipur. The town was very dirty and unappealing, but I needed to eat. Towards one end of town I spotted a higher-end hotel/enclave and pulled in. One butter chicken and naan bread later (and $9CDN! ridiculous!), I was back on the road. The road surface was decent, but there was no paved shoulder, so again I was playing chicken with oncoming trucks as they passed vehicles in their lane. Now a mild headwind rose, to further keep my spirits up. This day was too much fun.

Dousa sat at the 125km mark, about 2/3 the way to Jaipur. Another dirty, poor, non-descript town; I rolled in at a very late 3pm, sore, tired, and a little grouchy. I checked with a couple of hotels on the main drag, they were asking stupid prices ("hey look who's coming - gora! he looks tired. lets see what we can get him to pay"). So I decided to push it through to Jaipur, damn the consequences.

As I left Dousa a paved shoulder emerged and I could have cried with joy, had I had the energy or spare bodily fluid. But slowly nausea began to emerge; since it wasn't that hot I knew it wasn't heatstroke; it meant I was on the verge of hitting the wall (when you exhaust your body's available carbohydrate stores, it switches over to lesser-energy-giving fat stores, making you feel terrible, vomit, get lightheaded, etc. You also can't eat or drink without throwing it up - a nasty downward spiral). I pulled over and sat for a while, watching the Sun inch down towards the horizon, waiting for my body to churn some energy from itself to avoid crashing out. Back on the bike, with 27km to go, I knew I had to ride steadily to make it before dark - its not easy to ride steadily after a hellish 160km and a sick feeling in your gut. Slowly the km's ticked down, in pace with the sun setting, I was loathe to ride Indian roads at night (early morning isn't so bad, because the traffic is very light).

Five km from town the road turned upwards. My first big hill of the trip, a 3km climb over a pass between two hills. Couldn't have come at a better time. Whoopie. Zombie-like I flicked into my lowest gear and somehow rode up the hill. On top was Jaipur, and nightfall, but the streetlights were functioning so all was good. By 8pm I was in bed, asleep. One of the hardest rides of my life, far harder than Delhi-Agra on Day 1.

Saturday, December 17 :: Jaipur :: 0km / 482

Wow, am I sore. The biggest problem with hitting the Wall, or being on the verge of, is that, without the proper energy to consume, your muscles start to create lactic acid bigtime. Lactic acid hurts. I'm feeling it today. Stiffly I rose at 5:30 a.m., well in advance of any other staff or guests, thats the schedule I'm on. After stretching, clothes-washing, showering, and breakfast I stepped out of the guesthouse to explore Jaipur. I hit the historical sights, nothing really remarkable but interesting enough for half a day. I almost didn't make it up the 50 metre high minaret at the centre of town - my quads are aching that badly.

Today was my first day of being set upon by the touts, and it was pretty bad. Single guy, no tour group, walking kinda slow and stiffly - perfect target. I said "no thank you" at least 400 times, probably more. It got a bit grating, my replies became more terse, but always in the back of my mind is the understanding that these people need the 1/10/100/1000 rupees in my wallet far more than I do. I'm not sure I would enjoy backpacking through India - to be harassed at bus/train stations, to be at the mercy of the rickshaw/taxi drivers - as well as at the tourist sites, like today - it would certainly dampen the experience. Because of the bike, I only really have to deal with touts in tourist areas.

I went to an Indian movie in the afternoon at, apparently, the pre-eminent movie theatre in all of India - and yes, the theatre was awesome. The movie, however... well, we all have our preferences. The night will be spent eating, and hopefully tomorrow I will set out for Ajmer & Pushkar.

Dec. 17: pics

What I'm looking at much of the time

Jaipur

The bike

Jaipur

Jaipur

Jaipur

Dec. 15 : Taj Mahal and onwards

Thursday, December 15 :: Bharatpur, India :: 70km / 300 total

Up very early to see the Taj Mahal. I had to "break out" of the guesthouse compound (the staff were asleep) using the flash on my cellphone to navigate through the bushes and over the fence. It was very cold, I could see my breath, maybe around 6C. At 6 a.m. the gates for the Taj opened, and in I went. There couldn't have been more than 5 other tourists there this early, since the Sun had not risen yet and the tour bus drivers are grouchy in the morning. The touts were also asleep, only 1 or 2 to have to politely decline.

But the Taj was there, emerging through the mist and half-light. The most beautiful manmade sight I've ever seen (and I've seen more than a few of the famous ones). I honestly couldn't believe it and was caught completely unaware. Now, I'm not one to be moved by... much... (as you all know), but I was swept away. Really, I hadn't been looking forward to seeing the Taj that much - all the corny pictures that you see of it, all the touts, and the general dirtiness of India had dulled my anticipation. I sat at the classic viewing spot, looking straight down/over the long and narrow reflecting pool, just staring at it. It is perfect. There is no other way I can describe it.

I wandered through the grounds, up to and inside the Taj itself, as it slowly came to light. It was quiet, there were no voices, only the faint background din of a city slowly coming to life. Other than a few silent shadowy security guards and staff, I was the only one on and around the Taj. A magical half hour, just me and this incredible work of architecture. Unbelievable. I had woken up bracing myself for touts and hassle, what I got was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

By the time the Sun was lighting up the tops of nearby buildings, around 7 a.m., the surreal spell was over. Walking away from the Taj back along the pool I was faced with hordes of tourists, talking loudly, clicking their cameras, flashes everywhere, disturbing the peace, serenity, and sorrow that makes the Taj what it is. But they missed it. They were too late. The Taj is not about a picture in a photo album, Look Where I Was. It'll have to be my (and your) little secret. If you ever go to India, do NOT miss the Taj Mahal, enter at 6 a.m. because by 7 its gone.

After some great food I rode out into the maelstrom of urban India. Agra is a city of 600,000 and I think they were all travelling the same route out of town that I was today. 15km into my ride the city disappeared, thankfully, and rural India was there to greet me. A beautiful road, less-insane traffic (I only had to ride myself off the road once), clean air. I rode to a nearby World Heritage Site, Fatepuri Sikri, but there wasn't much of the ancient buildings left, and I was still reeling from the Taj, so I didn't hang around for long. Finally to Bharatpur, in the State of Rajasthan, my home State for the next 1-2 weeks. Nothing of much interest here, but I stopped early to eat eat eat and get ready for a long 180km to Jaipur tomorrow - I'll likely have a headwind, so may not make it all the way. Today I've had GREAT food, including a dal makhani that is among the best Indian food I've ever had. Hmmm I think another plate of that will do just nicely, tonight.

Dec. 14 : To the Taj Mahal

The Flights

Other than hassles at Pearson about my bike, Aeroflot was great. I
was well-fed, the food was surprisingly edible, and the wings didn't
fall off after all. Moscow International Airport was another story. I
spent 5 long hours in that hellhole, a bleak, poorly-planned
traveller-unfriendly place. There was no travellers lounge, little
ventilation, and all the Russian women were chain-smoking which
gave the air a nasty taste.

Delhi International was another story. 30 minutes after getting off the plane I had retrieved my bike and changed $$! Much to their credit, the powers-that-be at the airport had kicked the touts out. At 4:00 a.m. India time I furiously assembled my bike...

Wednesday, December 14 Agra, India 230km

At around 5 a.m. I rolled away from Delhi International, hoping to make it to Mathura, 160km away. It was an aggressive target - I haven't ridden much in the past 3 months, and my last 160km ride was in... Malaysia last winter. However, I knew the road would be dead flat, I was starting fresh, and I was likely to pick up a gentle tailwind in the afternoon. It was nighttime, of course, but the road was wide and well-lit, the traffic was light and slow, and I felt completely safe. I was immediately reminded of Bangkok, the nuances of road design being very similar (driving on left, high curbs, intersection optional overpasses, etc). In fact a feeling came over me that I hadn't really left SE Asia, or that I was "back". I pedalled softly, conservatively, listening to my wheels and my back, the 2 Achilles heels that I know I have.

Road signage was surprisingly poor and I had to result to astronavigation, corny but true. I knew I had to go East to hookup with National Highway #2, and I was able to spot the Big Dipper during some darker stretches... as long as I kept it on my left all was good.

Immediately I came to realize that Indians are the worst drivers I've ever seen, by far, a fact that would be triply-reinforced all day. They make the Thais (the previous title-holders) look like sane pansies. To start, they don't pay any attention to traffic lights, particularly the larger vehicles. They will barrel hell-bent through a red. I'm completely not kidding. For me, this means I have to come to a stop at EVERY intersection, regardless of what the light is. Aside from the lights thing, they're just plain... crazy? apathetic? stupid? all 3? I saw THREE accidents today. And we're not talking mild fender-benders here. Three times today I opted for the gravel shoulder, coming to a dusty stop, not interested in being in the middle
of the situation unfolding 2-3 metres to my right. However, I do feel safe (mom), I'm riding very aware and awake.

Back to day's events. I hooked up with Highway 2, turned South, and passed through Delhi's suburbs. Easily among the poorest and dirtiest place I've ever seen. Too many anecdotes to mention, and you don't want to hear them, trust me. As dawn broke the traffic heated up and the games began. The traffic is as eclectic as you could imagine - carts being pulled by camels, mules, tractors, cars, bicycles and people. Lots of scooters and bicycles. Psycho buses with one foot on the gas pedal, one hand on the horn. Cows wandering aimlessly across the road.

Food (good food) turned out to be surprisingly difficult to come by. Drinks were everywhere, cheap and cold, but good food seems to be restricted to tourist areas. I REALLY don't want to get sick and am eating carefully, so inevitably will be losing a lot of weight. But the Masala potato chips are awesome!

When they're not behind a steering wheel the Indians have been fantastic... so far its only the touts that seem to be after money, the other Indians I've encountered are curious, chatty, helpful, and respectful.

Other than coming to numerous unplanned stops the day's riding was thankfully uneventful. As I approached Mathura, my day's target, I was tired and looking forward to a rest. Somehow I missed the turnoff (probably because the sign said something as helpful as "District 3 zone station") and ended up 5-10km down the road to Agra before realizing I had overshot. Hmmm 45km to Agra (Taj Mahal). Back's feeling good. Tailwind. Delhi-Agra one day. It had a nice ring. I pulled over, downed some 7up and mango juice, then rode hellbent, charged with sugar and adrenalin. The roadside Indians were quite excited as I flew by at 37km/h, hunched down on my aerobars, but I had little time to wave back or say hello, at this point.

Agra itself is an uninviting hole of a town, and I had to cross it to get to my planned guesthouse, next to the Taj Mahal. The touts were out in full force in and around the Taj grounds, and I'm bracing for them tomorrow morning when I go to see it. So far, India has been... good... a little crowded... but good... I'm already looking forward to the emptier spaces of Rajasthan...