Category: Odd Photos

Bike-Ride To Australia 14th-December 2011 Akola to Tivsa 81 miles. Tonight’s accommodation is my cheapest so far! It’s cost less than £4! Although if you could see it for yourself, you wouldn’t want to pay more than £4! I’ve actually put my tent up in the room and am sleeping in that tonight. It worked well last night at keeping the mossies out. So I thought I’d do the same tonight. Besides, my tent is a lot cleaner!

After setting up camp in the guest house, I went to find something to eat and drink, as in beer drink! Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any beer. And even had trouble finding some fizzy pop! Finding food wasn’t a problem, there are food stalls everywhere! While eating at one of the stalls, I kept hearing the owner say “cyclist” whenever he spoke to somebody! So he either saw me as I cycled into town, which I doubt very much. The road I came in on is nowhere near his stand! I think it’s more likely that word gets around when some idiot on a bike cycles into town!

Am I Repeating Myself?

I may have said the other day I’m never alone and always get surrounded by people. You can hear them on their phones telling their friends that there’s a westerner in town! I don’t get the whole conversation, but I do hear “Englander” a lot! Before I know where I am, I’m surrounded by a mob of young men. All wanting to take their photo with me and shake my hand! And they all ask the same question, “do I like India and its people?” The police even stopped me today and asked the same question!

Talking to a cotton farmer tonight, he said the food gets less spicy as you get nearer to Calcutta. I wasn’t aware of it being that spicey now! Sure there’s a bit of a kick, but it’s certainly not too hot. Unless they tone it down for me? Speaking of food, lunchtime usually consists of a dhal served with chapatis. Or I’ll have samosa’s, and none of these has been too spicy. Supper is a bit more of a challenge, and I’m never too sure what it is I’m being served! But it’s always nice.

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Bike-Ride To Australia 13th-December 2011 Bhusawal to Akola 99 miles. Everybody’s constantly watching me and asking if I’m okay! I feel as if I’m living in a goldfish bowl! If I stop at the side of the road, I’m there for less than a minute before somebody appears and asks if I’m okay! It’s all very nice, but I am finding it a bit wearing now!

As for when I stop for something to eat, it’s like feeding time at the zoo! They’re not subtle. They sit down opposite you and just stare! I try and make conversation, but all I get back is a blank expression! When checking into a hotel, there are usually three or four people to carry things up to the room! You can’t do anything yourself! Thankfully I can go to the toilet in the privacy of my hotel room. I dread to think if it was a communal toilet!!

The roads have been a bit better today, despite what the above picture shows!

After supper tonight, I sat talking to an English lecturer and his friend, who worked in the hotel. I think the young lad who worked in the hotel had contacted his friend to say an English man was here! Whether he did or not doesn’t matter. It made a nice change to talk with somebody who spoke good English. While talking, he warned me about the mosquitos! He said Akola is mosquito central! I must admit that I had noticed a few when I checked into the hotel. I hadn’t bought a mosquito net with me. It hadn’t occurred to me! Instead, I’ve put my inner tent up on the bed and will sleep in there!

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Bike-Ride To Australia 12th-December 2011 Dhule to Bhusawal 77 miles. Every day this week, I’ve finished my ride in the dark, not today! It’s not been an enjoyable day, and I stopped at the first opportunity tonight!

The roads have changed today. Up until today, the road has mainly been a dual carriageway with smooth tarmac and a wide hard shoulder. But today, the road has gone down to a single carriageway with no hard shoulder, and these roads aren’t quiet! They’re laden with trucks and busses, all blasting their air horns! And after nearly being knocked off in the first ten minutes of the day! That set the tone for the day!

I looked at alternative routes, which would mean heading in a more northerly direction and then turning in a westerly direction further up. It would also have meant going on a big detour! But the roads looked as if they were just as bad as the one I’m on! So I’ve stuck with my original route in the hope of the road, improving further on! As a result, I’ve spent much of the day cycling on the verge! Which is just a dusty mud strip!

As the day went on, I spent more and more time on the road and less on the verge, getting braver and braver! I’m banking on the kind nature of Indian people, not to knock me off! But they seem to take on a different personality when they get behind the wheel of a vehicle! They drive very aggressively and think that everything will move out of their way by blasting on their horns! It’s worked so far, although I have heard a few screeching tyres behind me when they’ve realised that I’m not going to move!

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Bike-Ride To Australia 11th-December 2011 Igatpuri to Dhule 118 miles. There was a bit of a chill in the air this morning, which was very pleasant. It didn’t last, and before long, it was swelteringly hot again!

Dogs don’t seem to be a problem here, despite the hoards roaming around. They just sit there and watch me go by! I think the dogs find it too hot and just can’t be bothered to chase!

I seem to attract a lot of attention, whether I’m cycling or I’ve stopped! When I’m riding motorbikes and cars, slow right down and come alongside for a chat. Sort of! Half the time, they don’t understand me and vice versa. I certainly don’t understand them! I just tell them where I’m from, where I’m going and my name. That’s about the only part they get, my name. They always say goodbye, Gally! It’s always entertaining but gets tiring having to tell the same story each time. I did wonder about just saying anything! But knowing my luck, I’d pick the one time when they spoke fluent English!

Breaks Are A Worry

Then whenever I stop, I always draw a big crowd, which does get a bit worrying at times! People are fascinated by me and my bike. Often when I’ve stopped, I can’t even see my bike from the crowds of people gathered around it! I’m not too sure what they’re so intrigued about. It certainly can’t be the amount of luggage I carry. You should see what some of the things they carry, and the amount! I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the trucks don’t just topple over!

I started to get a bit of a complex tonight when every hotel I tried said they were full! Hence today’s mileage!

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