16 Sept. Shimla / I enjoy again writing on my laptop.
It is evening and I enjoy the views of the hillsides with the shimmering lights of Shimla town 4 km. away. I play music by Sinead O'Connor on my computer, while I write these notes. The music I known well and therefore gives me a wonderful feeling of a kind of emotional base in the middle of the strangers.
It was the right decision to find a hotel with direct view over the mountain divide with nature and city in the distance. It is not smart at a large heavy MC. with baggage to struggle around on the mountain roads in the city to find a hotel.
After driving about 70 km. there was again brake problems, I drove therefore into the first workshop I saw just before Solan. It was again a problem with the four plastic holder, which sits in the middle of the rear wheel. I have not yet found out what they exactly do. But they must be replaced when they turn completely smashed, although it is only approx. 300 km. since they were replaced last and with a brand new rear wheel.
Workshop / Solan
Here he found fortunately only the four plastic contains from the shelf. So maybe I have been allowed to pay for a new rear wheel for no reason. Besides this problem, he found out that the brake discs were completely worn. Inside the closed brake capsule he found a metal piece that did not belong there. He had fortunately some new brake discs available, the old was worn out. After the repair I tested the brakes, by making some strong impressions in the asphalt. The brakes have not worked so well as now.
Rest of the trip up to Shimla, was a nice ride with beautiful views and great mountain roads.
After accommodated me and got a much needed bath after a very dusty ride, I sit up at my MC. to drive the 4 km. into town. I wanted to see a little of it before it was completely dark, what it does already around 7 pm. I drove only 3 km. then my MC. again stalled. Again a power problem.
I try to check the few tips I got last night. But the MC. had no power. I luckily stopped where there was a little life with stalls.
I found out that there was an Enfield shop around. 3-4 km. down the hill, not so far from where my hotel was located. I decided that I still would like to see some of the city. I found an internet café for to see if there was a greeting from home.
I have a feeling that higher powers have set me on a barrier trial and perhaps try to tell me that I should slow down a little. It's actually managed quite well until now. But luckily I am still in good spirits. Maybe I have become somewhat apathetic and take things as they appear. I do not fear that once again something happens, but I expect that it will. The major driving enthusiasm has diminished a bit. I might also become a little apathetic towards these constant obstacles, which I unfortunately can not itself settle, as my mechanical skills are not great.
I walk up to the center of Shimla, which proves to be very European in its atmosphere. It reminds me of a village where families relaxed strut around to look at shops and where the young guys hang out to watch at the young girls
I decide to sit on my MC. and just let it run the 4 km. down the hill to my hotel in neutral gear even though it's pitch black night. I've been lucky enough to have a little light I use went I walk in the same direction and side as the cars run. It hung dangling at my belt, so I was visible. The lamp I also used when I drove down on the MC. in neutral down the winding hillside. It was difficult sometimes to see the road when cars came against you with their blinding light, I should be very careful not to drive too close to the edge of the mountain road as I drove on the court near the mountain slope.
The next morning at 8 am. I was ready to roll further down the mountain to visit another Enfield workshop.
The mechanic quickly discovered the electric problems. He changed also the frontlight bulbs and I got him to put a speedometer bulb that had not been there from the start. He cleaned the small petrol wear there stop the dirt from going further. Dirt that may come from petrol or the tank. He also pointed out that my Enfield tank was very rusty on the inside. This can cause too much waste in the petrol. He gave me some tips on what to check at the Enfield.
It was early in the afternoon so I drove up to Shimla, to see the building where the former British vice-president had lived. It is now used as a university. I managed to see the castle, but unfortunately never the Bird Park. For on the way up there, there was another accident with the Enfield. It stopped suddenly and I discovered that in addition to side sprayed a thin jet fuel. So I hurried to close a substantial increase for petrol. I found myself on a little road, but a young man, Amit came on his MC Enfield. I stopped him and asked if he could help me. We looked at the Enfield together. But he has also to give up.
I forgot to receive any cards from Enfield workshop. I had only paid for the two bulb and nothing for the work, so I had not received or any bill. I contacted instead a 'Mountain Guide', there have been at the workshop. I had exchanged business cards with him. He thought I should travel north to visit Manali what I had actually dropped since it does not quite fit into my route. He made sure that the mechanic came up the hill to us. I talked in the meantime with the young medical student, about the different social structure that was in Denmark and India. When I thanked him for his help, he said that it was his moral duty to help me.
The mechanic got it to run again. Then he asked me to drive after him on the Enfield down to his workshop. There he had to cleaned and aired through all the petrol system. So that day I just saw the old English vice president earlier home.
17 Sept. Shimla / Early morning.
Early Morning 5:30 am. it is quite quiet. It is still twilight even though you can see some light behind the mountain end. At 6:45 am. the sun comes up over the mountain ready for a new day.
Again one of those nights where I have problems with the hard Indian mattress. They are too hard for me, so it's hard for me to sleep on the side as I normally do.
The same problem I also had on my last MC. journey. Perhaps it also means that I have lost a little of the extra layer of flesh, as a life saving belt. Buffer are disappearing, probably because of too many days with narrow diet and my flesh turn into muscles.
So again a morning, where you feel that all your bones had been broken, which of course caused tension after unilateral physical hardships of MC.
This natural imbalance in the body seems even more motivation to complete my Hatha yoga program there takes around. 30-40 min. This program I have now done almost every morning for 38 years. When I have completed the program, I am one hundred percent awake and my body feels almost completely relaxed.
If I did not do this program every morning, which primarily aims to influence all the internal organs through pressure and stretching the whole body through, so the blood can freely pass and give nourishment to all parts of the body, I do not think that I could implement such a hard MC. journey at my age.
Besides yoga I do physical exercises to strengthen my back and stomach muscles and push-ups, to build, extra physical strength to cope with the sudden extra stress your body is experiencing during the day when you have to struggle around on an MC. with baggage weighs around 180 kg. I have not only held on with Hatha Yoga for all these years to keep my body healthy. The slow meditative kind of body exercises combined with breathing, had a very positive influence on my mind. In my young days when I was hyperactive, I could feel how Hatha Yoga took the sting out of this internal restlessness in my soul.
The best and healthiest way to sleep and rest on is actually to lie completely flat on the back. The back of the head must rest in the ground. Neck should be long. The chin should point straight forward and turn slightly toward the chest. The legs should be slightly spread and your feet should fall relaxed at the sides. The arms are down the side, slightly off from the body. Palms facing upwards. In this position you are open relaxed and trusting to the world. Ready to receive the positive energy from the universe. This position is called Savasana / resting position and is the final position in Hatha Yoga. This relaxation position you must preferably be in a state between awake and asleep state. A state between the conscious and the unconscious.
When you sleep on your stomach you turn the back to the world, one protects its internal organs, his inner feelings.
If I have the chance, I put myself in this position at the afternoon when the body and mind is a little worn out. I have availed myself of this rest position throughout my life. Especially in stressful situations and in the period where I had problems with my back. Just 5-10 min. is enough to relaxes one and give one energy to the spine. To rest in this way correspond to 1-2 hours of sleep. All your muscles and internal organs are allowed to rebuild.
I look out over the valley, where a pair of hawks or buzzards hang suspended in the morning fog. First at 9 o’clock the sun has taken over and the fog had completely disappeared.
I can from my observation post at a distance keep track of the various activities going on down the valley. I can in the distance look down in a schoolyard, but can not see the details of what the kids are doing.
Hotel View / Old Manali
19 Sept. Manali / 110 km. north of Mandi.
The rain pours down outside my open balcony door, with a view over the mountains.
I finish this report, then you do not need to hear more about my Enfield problems. It had been a problem like in a Buster Keaton movie. I feel very apathetic as Buster.
I see myself as a very serious person, so I find it hard to see myself playing the main role in a kind of slapstick farce, as this had become. The MC. Enfield has taken over the manuscript, which I simply must try to adapt if I want something out of it.
My traveling companion Enfield, which should had been my great support on this Journey, where I could enjoy its strength and endurance. So I could use my strength and time on anything other than MC. workshops. Enfield has always been playing a key role, namely the one that would affect the act in a positive direction and not the opposite.
I've set myself that I am in a different kind of movie in which Enfield has taken over large parts of the manuscript page. If I still want to influence the manuscript and not completely leaving the main role to Enfield, I must learn to live with its whims.
A second factor in this Indian Road Movie is the pouring rain.
Spiritual Greetings Bjarne
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