BvHHS: MOTORCYCLE INDIA / UTTAR PRADESH JOURNEY 2013 no.1

I cross the holy river Ganga

13 jan. - 25 feb.

Motorcycle journey B.v.H.H.S.

Finally, I am back on the road, on my third MC.India Journey which this time is in the state of Uttar Pradesh. With starting point from New Delhi, I will follow the holy Ganges River all the way to the east to the two main holy cities Allahabad & Varanasi. This journey I had planned to subside last year.

Exactly a year ago, I did a more permanent journey. I moved from Vesterbro in Copenhagen into one of the 21 Atelier Houses, which is only inhabited by Visual artists. My house is a total of 71 m2 with a studio of 35 m2 with a height of 4 meters with large skylights and a location on the edge of Copenhagen, overlooking a small lake. It can not be more ideal.

That we are colleagues and therefore have a shared interest I expect a part of. My own personal dialogue with my new naboers started with my video project 'Visual Dialogue / 21 Atelier Houses'. The project is currently displayed in 'Gammelgaard' in Herlev. This is a 70 anniversary exhibition, so old are the 21 houses. We are 23 artists showing works.

The project is a social interaction project where I have created a video sequences of 1 ½ minutes. duration of each artist. In this way, I have begun a dialogue with each resident.

'The Holy Journey'

But right now I'm really far away, I have started what I will call 'The Holy Journey'. I'm going to follow the Ganges part of the trip all the way to the holy city Allahabad, where the pilgrimage takes place 'The Maha Kumbh Mela'. It starts in the beginning of January and last until 25th February 2013. It takes place every 12 years in some special astrological certain days. With 70 million pilgrims participating is it the quantitative largest pilgrimage in the world. They will all at some point have bathed in the Ganges.

The Mata Kumb Mela

The plane landed in New Delhi 14th 6:30 am

7: 30 am I was sitting in a taxi on the way through this very cool and very foggy morning mist. This is the first time I experienced the morning mist so heavily in India. Some places you could only see 5-6 meters. So the cars kept almost completely quiet. My young driver did anyway a lot of daring overtaking where the fog hid his actions and the dangers of these. Although, I was also in a little foggy condition, both mentally and physically after a long journey and 4 ½-hour time changing of time without any sleep. In this state of mind tinted images and dramatic driving situations on my inner retina, from my two previous MC. Journey's here in India.

This tremendous acceptance Indians have of each other's different attitudes to traffic and law and order, is for me to see a mirror image of the thousands of gods and religions, one between good and evil are forced to accept or tolerate, when so many people living so close together.

To let all your actions be up to Brahman if an overhaul is successful or not.

In my last MC. India Tourism 2011 report, I finished with this quote from the book 'Shantaram', written by Gregory D. Roberts, who is / was an Australian convict who fled to Bombay. 'Extraordinary true story of eight years in the Bombay criminal World'. This quote from the book says something about Bombay and India, that's why I quote it again. "So tell me, Didier what that gets you to be here in Bombay 'I am French' he replied, 'I'm gay, I'm Jewish, and I'm a criminal, more or less in that order. Bombay is the only city I have ever found that allows me to be all four of these things at the same time ".

This is my own quotes from my last MC. India Trip 2011 report. - India seems to me, as a very tolerant country that can accommodate many different contradictions that can live side by side. They have developed a political culture that provides space, so the most extreme spiritual people can unfold maximum, and where the liberal extremely rich people maximum opportunities to exploit the gullible and uneducated masses economically and keep them in poverty.

The main religion, the Hindu as 82% of Indians believe in and giving individuals the freedom to choose from millions of gods, some with multiple heads, arms and legs. This spread has certainly influenced and stimulated them to greater tolerance for dissent and for their own poverty.

Press on the photo, so it will be a large

Why I have chosen to return to this inferno of lawlessness

In this cold foggy morning, I have again make the question, why I have chosen to return to this inferno of lawlessness, where all the contradictions you can imagine meeting between past and present, physically and mentally.

To revisit New Delhi through this gray filter was an incredibly sad experience. These desert solve almost deserted bumpy, worn streets and ugly run-down dilapidated buildings. There has been no improvement since I first came in 2008 to stay in this inconsolable district.

When you are tired and the last few weeks has been running a little too hard to get it all done, you have not the energy to think about all the exciting shades that can occur when the sun breaks through some of the heavy gray mist.

- Do I really want to wade through the chaos of noise of cars and people again, this time it's only going to get worse as Uttar Pradesh has a population of 200 million.

Royal Enfield Bullet 500 cc

I packed out and slept for a few hours. When I woke up I saw some flashes of light breaking through the fog in my mind. I got a tuktuk there know where Karol Bagh district of motorcycles are. Can easily identify Lalli Mobike Exports and makes contact with the owner Lalli Singh is Sikh.

I've got this Royal Enfield workshop recommended by my new neighbor Jacob, who owns a Royal Enfield 350cc. and understand the mechanics.

Jacob has got me convinced that I should again try to hire a Royal Enfield in New Delhi, although I on my first India Trip 2008, was out for so many mechanical accident, with the Royal Enfield 500cc Bullet I had rented, that it was almost a joke. Honda I rented, my second India Trip 2011, I had also too many mechanical accident, so I decided that I should again run on Indians MC pride. All on the motorcycle is made of metal, no plastic.

Lalli Singh was a nice cultivated dealer you feel you can trust and he very carefully put me into all the legal and financial problems that could arise from a potential. accident with regard to police, attorney, insurance company and another party. But he also made me persuaded to rent the big heavy manageable 500 cc. which is not at all suitable for the smaller roads I sometimes want to run on. After 14 days on the road, I can see that I should have chosen 350 cc which is somewhat easier to handle. Rent for this 500 cc. was approx. 95 per. day.

I also took a test drive of about 10 km. I tried to follow the young mechanic when he twisted his way through the dense traffic. I got this way the chance to test MC. Then I got a lesson in how I switched the parts that might. could break on my Journey.

I was also put into the MC. parts I would get with. They were packed into one of MC metal boxes.

For about 8$ were offered that one of the mechanics next morning at. 7:00 would show me the way out of the city of New Delhi to the main road towards Moradarad there is my next stop.

So all things about the MC. Is gone completely painless. Had a little trouble raising enough money in just two days, the rent of MC. for 42 days = 32,000 rupees and deposit of 40,000 rupees. (1,000 rupees = about 120 million)

Before I drove away on my Royal, was the elephant god Ganesha is worshiped just to wish me good luck on my MC.Journey. There are many mythological stories about Ganesha. He is worshiped as the lord of beginnings and as the lord of obstacles and is patron of the arts and sciences, and the god of intellect and wisdom.

Lalli Singh

MC.Royal Enfield Bullet's holy wreath I throw in Ganges

as energy follows its course.

Servas means "to serve", meaning "make peace", in the language Esperanto

In the evening I had arranged to meet with Mohinder Paul Singh Puri there is an active member of the organization Servas, but unfortunately could not have me living as a guest, while I was in New Delhi.

On my MC.Pilgrimage to the Middle East 2003, I use the organization where it was possible - and actually it was only in Istanbul, where I stay with a Computer Engineer and on the return journey with an independent engineer and I had great social benefit.

Way back in 1972, I was even a few years 'Servas Host' with my former wife. But with 2 small children and an apartment of 80 m2 which was also our workplace, it was a little too demanding, so after a few years, we had to give up to have energy to this otherwise important dialogue with the outside world.

Servas is an international, non-governmental, hospitality association found in more than 125 countries and run by volunteers. Founded in 1949 by Bob Luitweiler (Askov / Denmark) and his friends as a peace movement, Servas International is a non-profit, global, cooperative, cultural exchange networks that bring people together to build understanding, tolerance, mutual respect and world peace. Like other hospitality organizations, promote world peace by promoting individual person-to-person contacts. Servas means "to serve", meaning "make peace", in the language Esperanto. The organization was originally called Peacebuilders.

According Servas 'Articles of Association, the purpose: "to build world peace, goodwill, and understanding by Providing personal contacts with people of other cultures and backgrounds, two share the hosts' lives and are concern on social and international problems, and interest in creative activity and mutual responsibility for sin fellow Mon "

It is a rule that you can only stay with a host for two days, unless the host unsolicited invites your to stay longer. Servas is based 100% on trust. You must be open, outgoing, considerate and interested in your hosts lives, attitudes and be willing to share your views and experiences of your hosts who will ask many questions. You must be able to speak English or the local language.

In the two previous MC.India Journey I had not contacted Servas, to get a list of possible. Servas Hostes In India, because I think it would be too hard, since my route has not been fixed. This time I have more time and more needed not only to serve me my own thoughts about India, but getting information from inside and thereby expand and perspective to my view of this enormous large and complex country. The list of Indian Servas hosts was totaled 549 and in New Delhi 26 hostes and in the state of Uttar Pradesh 32 hostes. I sent mail to 11 in Dehli. 2 answered and one was Mohinder, offering to meet at a restaurant.

My dinner with Mohinder Paul Singh Puri was very interesting. He has been consultant and manager for large internationele companies who wanted to settle in India. In Boston, he has studied how to work with fonded projects since he started a non-profit organization 'Synergy' Safe Drinking Water. 'NAIADES' purifies Bacteriological contaminated water and do it safe for drinking. You Can use 'NAIADES' anywhere: it only needs the sun. It is a kind of pump powered by solar cells. The pump is made up free via funds in those parts of India where they do not have clean drinking water. I got a little insight into the project as Mohinder directly asked me what I think of his brochure on his projects. Since I have a background as a graphic designer, I gave him a constructive criticism and provide a little support for his life-giving project. I could feel the sunbeams breaking through and the fog lifted a little in my little melancholy tired soul. We agreed to meet again when I was back in New Delhi. - I have received an email from him in which he shows how he in a new folder, use some of my suggestions for graphical improvements, so that the message more clearly appears.

Brochure ’SYNERGY’

Simcart Problems

While the process of MC. have been completely pain free without so many cultural communication problems. I have had problems with the switch to my network. I've been on 4 Internet cafes to check my mail, but could not get through to my mail via Telenor Webmail. Next day I managed by connecting my own computer directly to the network. Suddenly there was a connection. This compound could not be generated the following day. In Allahabad I managed one time, but I could not attach image files when I sent an email, what I need, when I send you my first information, that now is my first report with pictures finished and can now be read on my blog. Here in Varanasi I can managed to get through. So I have therefore created a new gmail: bvhhs1@gmail.com It is only through this email, you can reach me during my journey here in India.

I had also ordered an Indian mobile simcart at vodofon. I was promised that there would be inserted talktime for 200 rupees. At the same time I bought a USB connector with simcart so I could go wireless on Internet. Both simcart would be active 24 hours after - and then I had already left New Delhi. It turned out that I could not get my phone or my wireless to work. My Mobile simcard have not the 200 rupees free conversation encoded, which was promised to me and after a visit to one of the sections of Vodofon in the city Moradarad it turns out that the USB connector with the Internet connection is not convertible and can't work with my brand new apple's operating system. Incredibly annoying not to be able to go wireless, I had great pleasure of that in 2011, but then I had a normal PC. Fortunately, it was no more than approx. 40$ I spent on this mis-selling.

16 jan. New Delhi - Moradabad 218 km.

5:30 wake too early, but I have so time to complete all my morning ritual with my yoga exercises. When I now remove the helmet, gloves, safety jacket and etc. from my backpack, I have no space problems. I've also got an empty extra sidebox.

At 7:00 am, is the young mechanic emerged there. It is still very cold, foggy and disset, which it had been all day yesterday. There is not much traffic, so it's no problem to get out to the main road from Moradabad. I am well lined from the inside out, so I can just keep the cold wind at bay.

Through these first two hectic days, I slowly adjusted my mind, and I am sure I also on this journey will experience exciting moments. This MC. run easily 100 km. which the older model I drove in 2008 had the best about 80 km. This first run day, on an approx. 220 km. I had chosen to run the direct path her e in the beginning for slowly to find myself on a motorbike again. It is 2 years since I last sat on one.

When I sit and write this, I have almost forgotten how much traffic there was in this city Moradabad and how difficult it was to find a Hotel or Guest House. It was on the main street where the festival that had slowed the traffic throughout the city continued on throughout the evening. Lots of noise.