Rishikesh / Near the sacred river Ganga's source.
7 sept. RISHIKESH
I think I just started, but physically, I feel that I should economis with my physical resources. After the first very tiring trip from Delhi to Maridwar, with all the traffic jams, heat, problems with gear and kick starter and all my workshop visitors made me probably more physically and mentally exhausted than I thought. All the times I've had to use my leg to kick-start, pulling the big heavy machine with the luggage, was too much for my calf muscles. So when I two days later reached Rishikesh near the holy river Ganga's source said my leg stop. The trip of only 25 km. took me 3 hours, so much of the trip had taken place in slow motion.
My legs calf muscles were completely overtaxed, so I was forced to limp. I tried to massage them as best I could, but it did not help much. So I was a little nervous about further MC. driving. I could however relieve left legs using right legs to kick-start because it was the least strained leg. It is tiring to kick start because some time it backfires, what the muscles do not like.
I had driven over a beautiful suspension bridge over Ganga, where the width of a MC and a straight person could just pass each other. It was a Sunday so there was really many people there had to visited the respective Ashram and meditation sites located in this city. It was great to see women really dressed up in their colorful sari. Usually it is the men who dominate the outdoor life.
A young Europeans had referred me to Shri Sant Sewa Ashram where he lived. It was a sort of open hotel Ashram. There was Hatha Yoga, morning and evening hours. There were no meditation at the moment.
As I sit at the front desk, I see that they are also offers Baba’s massage. It was just what I needed. The Masseur was the same responsive, perfect English speaking intelligent handsome young man I had spoken to earlier at the reception. He asked what type of massage I wanted. I needed enough for 1 hour total depth massage with oil from head to toe.
It was incredibly nice to lie on stomach and feeling the sliding depth massaging and strong hands work their way across the same mountainous landscape of the back and buttocks. His smooth movements started or joined at the top of this mass of muscle and fat, really enjoyed this kneading massage. It was both a pleasure and a kind of torment, when he really went hard in depth with his strong hands, so every time he slipped up over certain muscle groups that were hard by tensions that made me silent compensatory facial spasm. He went through every limb, turning constantly back to the whole body. With his feet he made really quite smooth motion over my body so it felt that he drove a steamroller over the my dorsal part and legs. One is forced to go in depth if it is any good, I am aware, so it was an incredibly painful pleasure. Actually I have never had so strong depth and competent massage before. Actually, there were no sore places behind this harsh treatment.
I almost got off with my lameness, but it came quickly again. As he said, it takes several treatments to remove tension. I got massage the day after and the morning before I had to go further up the mountain toward Mussoorie. The treatments were each time just pleasure-and painful. They removed most of the tension in my body.
After only 5 days in India note that I have loose bowels
Apart from tensions in the body I have now overloaded my body with foreign bacteria I can feel it. I have brush my teeth in the purchased mineral water, stay away from ice cubes and raw vegetables.
Peeled my fruit, etc. One or two times I have come to take water for brushing teeth, but quickly spit it out and rinse my mouth. I've eaten the dishes and drinking cups of Thai, probably not wash up 100%. I've eaten at local restaurants. It also happened in 2004 when I was in Bombay. 14 days after I got home, I was told that my diarrhea was due to a salmonella poisoning. At the time I was happily got rid of my diarrhea.
Thoughts of danger through my head, what if I develop an emaciated diarrhea. I've experienced it a few times before, where it has taken me a some months after I came home before I could eat normally again. A physically strenuous MC. journey and diarrhea in my age do not belong together. I swallow a few pills and stop hoping for the best. The next meal consisted entirely of yogurt and dry bread.
The first morning in Delhi after a night's sleep in the heat of the propeller noise, I felt very dizzy and ill with vomiting sensations. The same condition, I felt again the next morning. It also disappeared over the day. I found out that it was caused by the malaria pills I had begun to take. I took them early in the morning on an empty stomach. It is strong stuff.
9 sept. I reach the mountain town Mussoorie, located in 2.000 meters altitude
My first email was in the mountain town of Mussoorie. I was lucky instinctively turning into this elegant large hotel with guards, etc. Its location on the hillside is absolutely fantastic. It seemed very straightforward, with its large windows and balconies. Very similar to those hotels you see in the Spanish holiday resorts, which at first glance looks extremely elegant. But when you evaluate it with craft eyes. one can see that it is cheap and fast work. It tries visually, to give out more than it is. It was somewhat worn, but had an incredible amount of staff, but otherwise it was completely empty.
The hotel is probably the best location in town. I got a nice big room with the view from the balcony in the right direction. It was an incredible pleasure to look beyond the valley and the mountains and down all the winding roads I had driven. It cost 25 $ for one night, because it was the off-season. The whole town bore evidence of being a small tourist town with their chic boutiques.
It took me 3 hours to drive the 94 km. from Rishikesh . First, there is huge much traffic, then all the mountain driving there make your speed down to approx. 40 km. But the ups were quite nice because the roads were partially new. I got a bit of driving fun back.
In the evening I got a cafe latte, at a U.S. equip cafe chain. That I should probably not have done it really put the time in my stomach. The day before I had to say had loose bowels and had actually begun to believe / hope that my stomach had done it this time. But then I felt a sudden pressure in the diaphragm and the pressure on the internal anal muscles. So I knew what was wrong. Here in town there was not any restaurant that was big enough to also have a toilet they would show up. So it was just about to get back to my hotel there were around. 5 min. walk away. It could not pay me to use a taxi because it was just difficult to get in and out. So I pressed my bales together. I jog down the mountain road to the hotel, got key, came up the stairs and along a time which seems incredibly long. While I put the key in the door and opened it, I lost control of the anal muscles and it exploded in my underpants. I reached out to the toilet. Emptied my underpants, the liquid mass of excrement into the toilet. Thankfully, my underwear have tight short legs, so it kept the excrement to continue down my thighs.
Mussoorie
9 Sept. In Mussoorie, I finally completed my first Journey
This time I can write on my own laptop. On my last MC. trip, I was forced to sit on various Internet cafés and under changing circumstances. You have sometimes to concentrate, while small kids play video games over the head of you. You cultivate a way to keep focus.
Now I just have to find a internet cafe that can take your USB connector and transfer your text and photo. Sometimes it didn’t work so I had to visit an other Internet Cafe. After some struggle I managed, when they had the Firefox browser, which seems to be better than Internet Explorer.
12 Sept. On the way to Chandigarh, I discover that there are problems with the rear brakes
I slept incredibly heavy and nice long, nearly 8 hours. I had chosen the long twisted mountain journey from Mussoorie towards the next target Chandigarh. Instead of choosing the more direct road back to Dehra Dun's crowded streets.
It was great again to sit on the MC. There was almost no traffic, the road was almost completely recently surfaced with asphalt, so it was a dream to take one curve after another. It was clear skies and the cool breeze made it ideal weather to drive in.
During my descent I though the clutch and brakes to the rear wheel was no longer quite OK. I decide that I will have it checked at the first workshop and not wait until I came to the big city, where shops can be hard to find, they may not have time to do it right away and it will probably be more expensive.
Downhill, so I used the front brakes more than normal. After 70 km. I found a garage. The brake system is worn out, so they are forced to buy a brand new rims with built-in brake pads.
Thai
I enjoy again my break with Thai and enjoy the view to 2 men there are struggling to get the front wheel of a big truck.
I understand it will take at least 1 hour hour, so I when out getting something to eat. I choose to go down a side road, away from the noisy highway. I found an incredibly quiet environment in which schoolchildren are cycling or walking.
On my continued tour, I pass a street theater that plays just off the main road. So the audience is on boths side of the road. Signs narrows the road, so all have to drive slowly. Maybe it's a way to consecrate all that now something happens 'slow down'. I did so and got into a little video of theatrical scenery.
Mistake has given me a detour around. 70 km
Unfortunately I was driving incorrectly. I choose to continue. Mistake has given me a detour around. 70 km. So when I reach the town of Yamunanagar after 200 km of driving and 10 tim. travel, I am physically exhausted. It is incredibly hard with a backpack on her back and no front windscreen, which could take some of the wind strength. But fortunately it seems that I am not often come up against a speed of 80 km. On the other MC. journey I was often up to 140 km. in hours. So it's a completely different rhythm and speed.
Luckily I had decided that I would not try to reach Chandigarh, for it would soon be dark and I was thinking about my physical and mental energy.
So I sit back firmly in a traffic jam in the middle of Yamunanagar. I have worked my way through and finally stopped by a train-bom. Nobody seems to really respect this. Neither of reaching them on bicycles, taxis, MC, etc. the only bows and pushes their MC during the boom. My MC. is too high, so it can not come in with baggage. Moreover, it is too heavy to put on chewing to get under.
So here I stand in front of the boom with all the drivers behind me. It is still incredibly hot and I'm totally exhausted. I have fortunately prepared me that this is the end station for that day's journey. It makes me see this whole scene from the humorous side. It takes at least 5 minutes before a train comes with more than 15 km. in hours and it is several hundred meters long. After 5 min. more pass another train from the other side, also in slow motion and just as much. Seems probably much longer because of its speed and that you stand with a vibrating MC between the legs which will only continue and speed. The boom is still not up and cyclists and MC. and pedestrian crossing still trains area. goes back at least 5 min. then comes back a train must be down to 5 km. First run it past one, so the hills. It must be at least 500m long with all the rusty wagons. So goes the boom up in both sides. One goes through a liberation.
So here I stand in front of the boom with all the drivers behind me. It is still incredibly hot and I'm totally exhausted. I have fortunately prepared me that this is the end station for that day's journey. It makes me see this whole scene from the humorous side. It takes at least 5 minutes before a train comes with more than 15 km. in hours and it is several hundred meters long. After 5 min. more pass another train from the other side, also in slow motion and just as much. Seems probably much longer because of its speed and that you stand with a vibrating MC between the legs which will only continue and speed. The boom is still not up and cyclists and MC. and pedestrian crossing still trains area. goes back at least 5 min. then comes back a train must be down to 5 km. First run it past one, so the hills. It must be at least 500m long with all the rusty wagons. So goes the boom up in both sides. One goes through a liberation.
Trains pass
It is probably the ugliest main street I saw a long time. Hotel really nothing appealing. I chose it is so broadly based. Fairly rooms, but no windows. I can simply not cope, I asked me to be better alternatives. It was a luxury hotel this time. It costs only £ 225 but it was gone for the noisy main street. Nice big beautiful space where I could relax. Actually, this is the first hotel in which I think seemed quite clean. However, there was a large dead grasshopper on the window behind the curtains.
Luckily my stomach remained calm under all these hardships and stools seemed more solid. So I have a silent hope that my body has adapted slowly. Here 4 days after leaving it to my stomach again running as it should, like my MC.
As I mentioned earlier, I had anticipated at this time to have run more north and therefore found myself in a somewhat cooler climate. Then my turn this is actually by pure thermal 1 month premature. Well I hope that in a few days will be cooler, since I work my back against the mountains. In fact it is too hot in leather pants and boots and long sleeve blouse.
So you drink litervis of mineral water, but over 1 / 2 tim. it has been around. 22 degrees hot. Only now have I found out using the thermos I've taken to keep the water cool. An incredible transformation in the middle of the heat 'no where' to get a cool draft. It is these small welcomes you put price at the middle of the unit. Here in Chandigarh, it must be at least 30 degrees and extremely muggy.
I have until now not seen anyone running jacket with safety and security pants. Over half ride without a helmet. Sorry, no one can not just be the heat. Security is very low priority here, for it is still God who decides if an accident occurs, everything is in God's hands.
12 Sept. Chandigarh the Capital in Punjap
After two hours on a internet cafe visit without success, their computer was not strong enough. I was therefore going to the University area, where there should be some café’s, which had more power. Then MC. stalled again. It was as if it had run out of petrol. I put it on reserve tank, but it didn’t work.
The day before in Chandigarh, I had also problems with MC. It seems to me the whole trip through, I had to learn to live with a lame companion. The Royal Balls, representing the Royal Enfield Bullet 500cc. I've hired have not just the right bullets, the right casting, they explode at the wrong times.
Here, I stood in the middle of India, which has a population of 1.027 trillion people, almost alone 7: 30 pm. in the darkness on a long green width but deserted boulevard.
Chandigarh modern urban structure created by the architect Le Corbusier and is a kind of bible for many architects. The idea of Chandigarh city structure was to create a more democratic city than Delhi. His idea was to make1x1 km. square blocks with their own shops, schools and workplaces. In total there are 47 of these blocks, where No 17 is the very large retail and commercial center.
Everything is subsumed a geometric pattern that creates a great contrast to the normal urban structure in India. The architectural image is different without going against the traditional Indian architecture. As a tourist ride seems imminent as a city that is easy to navigate in. But I had my problems, since all the block just looked like each other, so you get easily lost. All the buildings in this town center are similar.
Everything is subsumed a geometric pattern that creates a great contrast to the normal urban structure in India. The architectural image is different without going against the traditional Indian architecture. As a tourist ride seems imminent as a city that is easy to navigate in. But I had my problems, since all the block just looked like each other, so you get easily lost. All the buildings in this town center are similar.
I began to push MC. up to a little more busy road for getting some young man to try to kick start it for me. A young Sikh MC. Enfield rider try to help me to kick start. He tried to look for, what might be causing that it could not start. First now I found out that it could not honk or light. So that the power supply there was something wrong with. He took his tools and began to check the battery, the various electrical connections, spark plugs, etc. He could not find the error. He told me that there workshops was closed today and tomorrow Sunday they would also be closed. But he knew but one that was open.
I told him that I very much like to continue my journey tomorrow morning. He continued his examination of the patient, guided by a friend in Mobile. He had also had contact with one of his friends who have an Enfield workshop. His friend would come together with one of his mechanics and help me.
Suddenly the electrical system worked. I begged him not to call back to the workshop, before he had try to kick started the MC.
The mechanic took the same operation by Enfield and check that everything was as it should be purely electric. Then he closed again for looking into the patient's internal organs, which otherwise had been uncovered to find the error. In the papers it says that it is model year 1999.
Suddenly I had found out that I had forgotten my notebook / logbook on the last internet cafe.
Therefore I was forced to break a very humorous talk about Enfield and Indians road driving, with his Sikh friends. It cost me only 100 Rs. / Approx. 2$ to the mechanic for his trouble. The young Sikh had stopped because he was a member of an Enfield Club, so it was his duty to help. He had himself a 350cc, with a start button.
Therefore I was forced to break a very humorous talk about Enfield and Indians road driving, with his Sikh friends. It cost me only 100 Rs. / Approx. 2$ to the mechanic for his trouble. The young Sikh had stopped because he was a member of an Enfield Club, so it was his duty to help. He had himself a 350cc, with a start button.
I discover that I have forgotten my notebook
Unfortunately, the Internet cafe was closed, when I came back. I can see that I have received some phone calls. It was a call from the Internet Cafe to tell me that I've forgotten my notebook there.
Quiet Sunday / Chandigarh
Spiritual greetings here from India
Bjarne
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