RidingRocinante

2010-10-14T08:22:00.000-07:00

13^th October

HAVE REACHED SHANGHAI!!

The last run was about 200 km. I was told that there are time restrictions for riding bikes in Shanghai so I was to reach at 20:00 hrs. I thought I could after so many days, sleep late… but the excitement wouldn’t let me! Woke up at 5:30 and lay in bed tossing and turning. Finally got up, studied the maps I had, searched the net for additional information, and a lot of futile stuff. At 9:30 set out to look for a fabrication workshop had to get the mud guard altered and fixed, the weather search for Shanghai predicted rain in the evening -did not want to be caught in a similar situation like last evening.

The first welder I found said he couldn’t do it because as I understood he did not have the right equipment. The next two that I found had shops within a stone’s throw from each other. Surprisingly they were extremely rude and both shouted at me and almost asked me to get out. This was the first time I met such short fused, foul mouthed people in the trip. I was very shocked and upset that both had treated me so badly…so to feel good, I decided they must have had a fight with each other over marital fidelity! Decided to go back to the first one, he seemed nice. I thought if I could even borrow a drill and a hacksaw, then I could do something myself with a bit of wire. This young man I realized was telling me earlier that he could not handle the equipment. Now his seemingly elder brother was there, and they agreed to do the job as per my directions.

It was 13:30 by the time we were done, and a good time to leave. I left the hotel feeling satisfied and confident all was under control and the road today to the capital city HAD to be good.

Well I still had to give my final test in patience …just as I reached the outskirts of the city… my back tyre went flat!! This time I couldn’t help but laugh! This was the ultimate… on the last day last leg!! I wheeled the bike to a truck mechanic’s garage that was the nearest. Two young chaps were busy with a dumper’s engine. They couldn’t do the job… but their mother, who was minding the spare-parts shop, came out and instructed one of them to fetch the right person. Ten minutes later the puncture guy came with his kit and fixed the tyre in 20 minutes flat. The mother then instructed the son to drop me off to ‘sai ya ba’… if the boy had not led me to it, I would have never found it and would have been going around getting frustrated… so there was a silver lining.

Save the first 20 km which was a moonscape, the rest of the road was really satin smooth.

Reached Shanghai at about 20:00 hrs.

The hotel Simon has booked for me is in the suburbs and the ‘Shanghai 0 Km’ is still about 37 km away. A little disappointing, but he has promised to take me there tomorrow evening!

2010-10-13T02:48:00.000-07:00

12^th October

Today’s destination was Huzhou about 388 km. Left Anqing at about 8:15 hrs. Had consulted the google maps and the way out of the city was extremely confusing as again the elusive G318 which I had to take today disappeared in the map somewhere in the middle of the city. I had a bad start… though I had my compass out and tried to keep heading north, I almost immediately got lost. I was turning from one road to another, people were being unresponsive, and to top it, it was raining, and my jeans and shoes was already wet, I wasn’t even out of the city, and had 9 hours to go(if all went well!). I seriously thought of turning back and checking into a hotel and postponing the trip by a day. But didn’t, I wanted this finished as soon as possible now.

As I was asking a worker at a construction site suddenly a woman in a yellow cape came up beeped the horn of her two wheeler, and beckoned me over me to show her my Chinese direction card. She said a lot of things to me and finally motioned me to follow her. Wonder from where she came, she just took me all the way out of the city till the river bank where I had to put my bike on the barge, cross it and right there was my G318.

A terrific, smooth road that too sans traffic. I speed off thinking wow today I will get home on time! Only trouble was as I had taken off the front mud guard, and it was raining, the mud splattered right on my body and goggles. I had to constantly with my left hand keep wiping the mud off.

Wet and shivering after 200 km, decided to take a lunch break. The hot bowl of rice and a spicy fish preparation got me charged up. But soon the G318 did the disappearing act. I was lost and in my most abusive mood, screaming expletives to the wind a kept riding. I knew 318 was “ sai ya ba” I like Majnu kept uttering the word asking people in desperation but no one knew where my “sai ya ba” was. I finally settled for a road someone promised would take me to my destination. I was well punished for jilting my G318, for this was about 90 km of misery, as the road was totally washed away and I had to negotiate stones and grime and holes. I had to go extremely slow as I had to take care of my spokes and my tyres, and now the constant wiping of the mud splattering in the goggles was getting awfully tiring. I finally stopped at a small petrol pump rummaged through some scrap I found on the side and with the help of the attendants there fashioned a mud guard with wire and a thin sheet of ply. It was effective against the mud for an hour, but now it had gotten dark and the ply would keep rising up as the wind got under it and obstructed the light totally. I was forced to remove my contraption and bear the onslaught of the mud again. I somehow reached Guangde a town 60 km before my actual destination and decided to stop. I was impossible to go on.

These last two day were among the worst days in my last 50 days. It is as if I am being put to test before my journey ends tomorrow.

My phone got drenched and died last night...R.I.P

2010-10-13T02:46:00.001-07:00

11^th October

Had to reach Anqing today- that was 399 km and about 9 hrs according to Google maps. I was very apprehensive about the back tyre. I wanted to leave early as I had a lot of distance to cover and the condition of the roads and delays was another question mark… no time to look for another mechanic and the tyre of the right size etc.

Wuhan is a very big city with road works and flyovers being constructed everywhere. So finding my way out of the morning rush hour traffic jams and diversions was a major nightmare- spent more than an hour and a half looking for my way out.

I rode for the first 70 km but again each hiss or jolt was like Damocles whispering in my ear. I could not take it and just turned into a mechanics shop in a town that came next. Rocinante had also completed 9000 km and I intended to change the oil at Anqing. It was a good idea to drain and replace the oil while the tyre work was being done. It was impossible to get the right tyre in this small town. I decided to put the front tyre which was still in excellent condition at the back and the back tyre that I had changed in Dulan on the 28^th which I was carrying with me, and was in a better condition than the current back tyre; in the front. Now this was the original back tyre and was wider and fitted tightly in the front mudguard… so had to remove the mudguard. The whole operation took about an hour and a half. I resumed my journey. Thankfully the road was good... but as usual there were no road signs at any junctions - you never know if you have to go left or right. What they do have though is milestones with a countdown of kilometers to Shanghai - on each and every road. Not only that, between each stone is also a hundred meter marker-this I think is a waste and it angers me no end as they should rather put the name of the next town on these stones. Luckily I have realized that at least the stones have in small print the no. of the highway on them. I was keeping an eye on the stones for this. I knew I had to stick to the G318 highway. Suddenly after a junction the markers were gone, and after a while I found myself on state road 106. I tried to back track ask people who refused to answer or did not know… but had gone quite a distance and kept getting more and more lost. I must have spent another Kafkaesque hour or more fretting and fuming before I got back on course.

There was a mountainous patch, I had confirmed in the maps this was the very last one on the road to Shanghai! At about 17:00 hrs as the sun was beginning to pack up; I had done a range or two of the mountains, and calculated that I had another 100 km to go. Suddenly I saw a sign that said Anqing 195 KM! I totally lost it! I was quite tired and felt utterly cheated.

Not only did I have to drive through the dark (as I have said, something that I am most uncomfortable with) but had to do about 50 km of mountains in pitch dark and through fog… and at a time when I was at the end of my last reserves of strength of body and mind.

Reached Anqing at 22:15 hrs. A total of about 14 grueling hours and 470 km.

2010-10-10T23:21:00.001-07:00

10^th October

Forgot to mention yesterday… the back tyre has gone bald! Need to change it- had thought will change it in Wuhan (where I am today), but can’t get the tyre of the right specification here. Tomorrow’s ride is 400 km (according to Google maps its going to take me nine hours) - praying the tyre lasts. Hoping will get the required tyre there.

Bad weather, rain rain rain all the way. Shoes and clothes and some other stuff from the back pack (now tied on the back seat and hence exposed to rain) soaking…wet have spread it all over the room …no chance it will dry. Luckily there is a hair dryer in the bath room, using that time to time on the shoes!!

Really thankful to Sharmila for regularly uploading the blog in the midst of putting up her show in the U.K and from The Netherlands, where was, for delivering a talk.

2010-10-09T13:55:00.000-07:00

9^th October

I was picked up by a guide from my hotel and taken to the point from where the tour bus left for the Three Gorges dam. It was about 35 km away. All I can say is that it is really huge in all respects as compared to the Sardar Sarovar. We saw it from various locations… from between the dam and the ship lifts (point A in figure below), from right next to the dam from the reservoir side from the north bank (point B), from the south bank almost frontally (point C), right next to the shiplifts, and from the bridge spanning the river (point D). It was quite foggy on the river; the dam was as if an apparition.

There was a Finnish guy and myself only two foreigners; the whole bus was filled with local tourists. There were at least 10 other buses out of which 8 were local tourists. Looks like the Three Gorges project is an installation of national pride.

Got back to the hotel at 14:00 hrs. Had checked out in the morning and left my bags at the reception. I left immediately, but since I knew I would be leaving so late, I had only scheduled 120 Km to Jingzhou for today.

Just 5 km from Jingzhou and there was a bang! Since I knew I hadn’t had today’s share of bad luck, I knew instantly it had to be me… of course it was, the side car tyre had worn out and the tube had burst again!! Luckily as the city was nearing, there were a few houses and shops. Heaved the bike to a side to a fabrication workshop. The owner was watching me all along. As I pointed towards the wheel, he took out his phone and nodding at me made a call. Thanking him, I got busy unpacking the sidecar, putting it on the jack and removing the wheel.

When I was done, his wife told me through gestures to get on his bike and take the wheel to the mechanic…The mechanic’s shop was kept by a lady, and her brood of three boys did all the jobs. They changed the tyre and the tube. I realized I did not have enough cash… the man who had got me there took me another 5 km to an ATM to withdraw cash. It is amazing how helpful people are… and without any expectations.

Finally reached Jingzhou at 19:30 hrs, found a hotel and checked in.

2010-10-08T06:14:00.000-07:00

8^th October

With baited breath, started my journey to Yichang, hoping not to feel the quiver and shake from the side car. After every bump or bounce I would brace myself in anticipation. It did not happen today. But tomorrow is another day!

It was quite cold and incredibly foggy; vision beyond 20 feet at the most was impaired. There was whiteness all over… it was exactly like my ride last night only this was like a white night. I would try to seek a truck that would drive at a speed I could keep up with and latch on to it like a lamprey. This way I was not driving into darkness or milky-ness as today. I could focus on the back panel of the truck with its reflectors or red night lights. The fog lasted till 11:00 after which one could feel the feeble rays of the sun beginning to penetrate through that engulfing chalky opacity.

After a lunch break at a roadside eatery, reached Yichang comfortably by 14:00hrs. The city looks very industrial. The Yangtse lay to the left. I don’t know why but it seemed like a looming, lurking, woeful, creature…, with the fog or may be smog still hanging over it…the opposite bank was just a wash of pale bluish grey.

Have booked myself on a tour to The Three Gorges tomorrow morning at 7:50.

2010-10-07T23:35:00.000-07:00

7^th October

When I reached yesterday, before checking into the hotel, I had inspected the bike and heaved a sigh of relief. Today I set out, and in the first 10 minutes I felt the familiar but unwanted wobble on the left side. In denial mode I said to myself, “it’s the uneven road”. I knew I had to accept the hard fact sooner or later that it was the spokes. Each time I got the spokes done I thought- this mechanic was better than the first so all’s going to be well now.

Getting a mechanic was extremely difficult today. I started with five broken spokes and by the time I drove around and found a mechanic eight were gone. People here just refuse to understand or make an effort to understand sign language which can be extremely frustrating. That is not because they are unfriendly; they go out of their way to help when they understand. I think it is because for them, the need for such kind of communication has never arisen- most of these parts do not witness foreign tourists (lots of local tourists). We in India perhaps, we are used tourists and to so many languages including ones we don’t comprehend that making sense of gestures comes more easily to us. I found the mechanic finally because a guy I asked tried to explain where to find one and finally decided to take his moped and come along. He had to take me to 3 others before we found one who would do it.

Simon translated for me over the phone that the reason they are popping so easily could be because the Chinese made spokes are not the same quality as the original… so we decided to put thicker spokes. For which we had to actually drill the holes and enlarge them. Getting the spokes was another ordeal. Shiyan is supposed to be ‘Motor City’. It is built on the automobile industry. One would expect scores of automobile shops in a locality where you can find whatever you want. But that wasn’t so we drove around the whole city on the mechanic’s bike and came up with only 13 spokes (a wheel has 36). So currently only those many have been changed. I hope tomorrow morning I do not have to go through the same ritual again.

Finally left Shiyan at 14:40 hrs. reached Jingmen at 21:00 hrs.

The end of my journey draws closer now and I am just counting days. I could not waste another day… I had decided that I will drive even if it gets dark. So I invested in a pair of clear untinted riding glasses…. Which were much needed as my helmet visor was tinted as well as damaged.

2010-10-07T23:28:00.000-07:00

6^th October

Today was Ankang to Shiyan a 275 km journey. The Qinling Mountains sit along most of the distance, with the road traveling along the shins of the mountains of the range. The road travels at the same height so there was no up and down but constant left and right. The road was mostly appalling. To worsen matters there was one accident, and three road blocks because of road works which took at least 20 minutes each to get out of. The fourth Road block was a total mess with impatient drivers driving up the wrong way and causing a major grid lock that took about an hour and a half to clear. All in all it took me ten hours to get to Shiyan.

2010-10-06T01:35:00.000-07:00

4^th October

.Of the 370 Km to Ankang almost 290 was fully hilly, the road twisted left and right, wound up and down. I thought I had my share of mountains already, but looks like they are not going away so easily. Today after the first 50 Km I was already hoping it would end soon but one could see layers upon layers of the mountains, and I knew, not so soon. As I was on my way up on one ordinary gradient neither so sharp nor steep, there was a stone (probably used to stop a vehicle from rolling back) which my sidecar wheel hit. Because of the momentum, and the turning, the sidecar lifted up I tried to brake but lost control and the bike careened and went out of control…and went and crashed on the rocky side of the mountain!! I couldn’t believe what had happened. I wasn’t really hurt except a bruise on the shin but Rocinante took a real bad beating on the left side… the foot brake pedal got totally twisted up and out, the foot rest and the front indicator broke and the handle bar and the wheel went out of alignment. I gathered myself and checked if it could be started… it could. The damage was mainly physical. I went up the remainder and down, with the twisted handle and faith in the front brakes… I was upset, but hell bent on not losing another day. I decided to get it fixed and meet my target come what may. At the bottom, before the next climb began was a small village, it luckily had mechanic… and a good one at that. He put the brake pedal on the anvil and perfectly hammered it into shape, replaced the front foot rest with the pillion footrest. Thankfully it was not the fork but the handle bar that was bent, and had to be replaced. After a set back of an hour and a half I was ready to take on the balance 300 km. Driving extra cautiously at first, I slowly got back into gear after about an hour.

Reached Ankang city at 7:45 with the last light. I had checked the way out of the city for my next destination (on google maps). Basan Road was one of the listed locations so had decided to look for a hotel in that vicinity making my exit from the city easier. Accordingly I had got the attendant at Xi’an to also write for me on a piece of paper, Basan Road in Chinese script. Once there I asked around for a ‘do-you-qua’ and got me room… there is no internet in the room and I do not have the vim to go out again looking for a cyber café.

2010-10-06T01:33:00.001-07:00

5^th October

Checked out of the hotel and as I was packing the luggage in the side car noticed that the sidecar wheel was again worn out, as I sat down to inspect, realized that 4 spokes were broken again. This was most annoying. The spokes seem to be breaking every day… the load in the side car since I left Bombay has not changed at all except for a 10 litre Jerry can of petrol. I have been through the roughest of roads with this load, now in fact the roads are really good. The only reason I can think of is that the rough roads have done the suspension in and hence the wheel is taking the load badly. The same reason must be true for the tyre wearing out so soon. After much looking found a mechanic and the right size spokes. Three attendants from the hotel were with me doing all the talking and asking. They were really nice kids… they waited till the whole job was done playing assistants to the mechanic.

Got a new tyre and fixed the spokes.. It is now 13:45. Too late to leave.

Thought I should just take a break without stressing out and leave in the morning tomorrow.

2010-10-03T11:42:00.001-07:00

3^rd October.

The bike was to be ready by 9:00 hrs. I was ready by 8:00. Looked out of the window-the shop was closed… at 8:30, saw the shop open and bike out. Went over to find, the spokes which were not available in the locality and had been ordered from elsewhere had not arrived last night. They were to come on a local transport bus with the driver…a regular mode of local courier service I realized, as I saw people collecting packages from busses. Our package finally arrived by the 10:00 o’clock bus. By which time I had found a cyber café, posted yesterday’s blog, and out of impatience cleaned and shined Rocinante. We opened the packet and found that the spokes were one size small. This meant re-ordering and waiting for at the least one hour for them to come and then the fixing so 12:00hrs…Shoot this dashed my ambition of doing 424 km today to make up for the lost time. I had to accept the one day delay. I finally got the bike in hand at 12:40 after which checking out of the hotel, packing the bags etc in the side car took about 20 minutes.

The road to Xi’an was smooth but extremely busy. There were villages/small towns that almost continuously ran along the road. To top that, today was Sunday and all towns seem to have a Sunday market so the streets were packed with loitering teenagers, cruising cars, roving two wheelers, people seemed to be in a festive mood as this was a long weekend because the National day was on Friday.

Reached Xi’an at 15:30 hrs and looked for a hotel for an hour and a half… all were full as Xi’an is a big city and the national day weekend celebration had brought a lot of people into the city. After many hotels turned me down, one of the receptionists who told me they could not accommodate me, ran out behind me and made calls on her cell phone to find me a hotel but couldn’t.

I was sent to the 5^th floor of a building either inadvertently or mischievously by a group of youngsters. This turned out to be a lavish massage parlour. Frustrated by my inability to find a hotel with a vacancy for so long, I slumped on the couch, the girls behind the counter went into a discussion and one of them came down with me and walked around the neighbourhood taking me to two hotels which had no room and then finally to a third one which did!!! I told her she was very kind and sweet but all she said was “I don’t know”. I wished I knew a little Chinese to convey to her my gratitude. It is really peculiar that here people who help go all out leaving their positions to guide you or their routes to escort you to the right road and the ones who don’t, just treat you like you had conjunctivitis.

There is a boy who works at the hotel who speaks quite good English, I figured out from him that a hotel is called, or rather sounds to me like: ‘do –you- qua’ or ‘chouthia’!! I couldn’t stop laughing as he tried to correct my pronounciation on the second one. have got my texts for tomorrow written out from him.

2010-10-03T05:10:00.000-07:00

2^nd October

After breakfast I went to the basement where Rocinante was parked to check the lights that were not working. Right next to where Rocinante was parked was the maintenance office. The staff immediately gathered around me, eagerly supplying me cutters, screwdrivers and missing screws. Rocinante really has a fan club wherever she goes!!

I drove around trying to find the exit to the city …pointing at the text stuck on my sleeve, only to find myself at the toll gate of the expressway. I was most rudely turned away, and I sullenly drove back swearing under my breath against the discrimination against two wheelers…well, I had three but they didn’t care. After about 5 kilometers I suddenly felt a wobble on the side car which got bad in the very next moment. I pulled up sure it was a puncture, to my dismay it was worse… Eight spokes were broken and the wheel hung out at an angle rubbing badly against the mudguard. My heart sank through my two pairs of woolen socks into my snow shoes, there was a toll booth nearby but nothing else. If I removed the tyre to take it for repairs (by cab) who would look after my luggage? Just then a car stopped behind me, the family got off, the husband inspected his tryes and opened the boot and lit a cigarette. I partly rejoiced at their misfortune as I thought till they fix their tyre I can entrust my luggage to them and get a mechanic. I was cranking my jack, thanking my stars that this happened here on the outskirts of the city not somewhere on a hilltop, and also for puncturing the tyre of my successor. I looked back to see the family resettled in the car and about to move away. They came up beside me looked at my damage and said something and gestured which I optimistically took as… “We will look for a mechanic and send him to you”… “Sheshye” (thankyou) I said drawing from my 3 word vocabulary and admitting the presence of the almighty. I got busy removing the tyre, having no clue what I was going to do after it came off. The tyre was lying on the road and I was peeling my layers of clothing when a motorcycle came up honking and stopped with a screech swinging round on the front wheel making a burning rubber mark circle on the road with the back tyre. Now that’s an entry!! The family had really sent me the promised mechanic. He checked the tyre and compared the sample spoke he had brought along. Signaled timeout and went away with the tyre. I was calculating the number of kilometers (330) I had to do today divided by pot holed, non expressway and as my map showed half way hilly- speed and sinking…it was already 11:50. The mechanic returned at 13:40 fitted the tyre and I was off by 14:00hrs. The road was amazing, nothing less than the express way. And lo behold- there were some road signs… they were in Chinese but I had somewhat memorized the pictogram so I could tell I was on the right track without much asking. The road was throughout hilly but I covered the 180 Km in 2.5 hrs to reach Baoji my interjacent destination. As I reached the bounds of the town, again the same wobble. On stopping I found myself looking at the exact same problem as in the early afternoon. six spokes broken, tyre badly chafing against the mudguard. It had taken almost 2 hrs to settle the crisis earlier… again my calculations of Kilometers divided by driving hrs in day light began, yielding unacceptable results. I have decided not to drive in the night as I am extremely uncomfortable verging on paranoid doing so on a highway without street lights, full of trucks…and in China.

From where I had a breakdown, at 100 meters was a decent enough hotel and 50 meters further was a mechanic. Again I wondered at how it had happened here and not on the middle of highway in fading light?

It transpired that the earlier mechanic had used not the right length spokes so they gave way again… So here I am taking an unscheduled halt at Baoji. Have spent the past hour with my maps and re-charted my course to be able to keep my schedule. Have a tall order to complete tomorrow,

Simon my other co-ordinator in Shanghai has been playing translator on the phone when situations get totally exasperating. So now I know that the mechanic will have the bike ready by 9:00 in the morning

2010-10-02T00:44:00.000-07:00

1^st October

Left Lanzhou at 10:00 and reached Tianshui at 8:30!! The drive was 330 Km but first reason for the long riding hours is that motorcycles are not allowed on the expressway… so I had to take the old very decrepit road than ran over the hills while at certain points where the routes coincided I could see the vehicles zooming below on the express way. While I lumbered on the gradients and snaking turns, the expressway burrowed straight through the hills. The second reason was that there were almost no road signs. You could drive for 30/40/50 km before you encountered a sign. That too in Chinese…of course why not- I am in China but only that meant halting a hundred times as there were ample forks, roads branching left, roads branching right, cross roads, T- junctions. In Chinese pronunciation is of utmost importance, a slightly more or slightly less lingering/weightage on a syllable could mean something different or nothing at all. The intonation is also important. Each time I asked directions, my pronunciation of the name of the town was so dismal that it made no sense to the people. Some people would just shake their head vigorously and look away, look like I was trying to sell them an insurance policy they did not want. Some people were extremely helpful they would get into a flurry trying to ask / involve other people in my query. A discussion would ensue, during which I would keep uttering the name of the town like a broken record and keep pointing to the options the road in front provided. Finally someone would understand and send me off. This was getting very tiring, also at one point I had set off on the road that was pointed to me after much disagreements and arguments over what they thought I was saying, I was sure I was on the wrong track. So after riding tentatively for about 10 km, I decided I had to resolve this. I pulled into a gas station, undid the laborious packing and strapping of the side car and took out the map from my bag, showed it to the attendant and pointed out my destination, she could not speak but did read English… she confirmed I was on the right track. Now I had a brain wave I asked her to write my destination in Chinese script on a piece of paper, and stuck it on my petrol tank. As fishing the paper out from the pocket with a zipper when you have thick gloves on is seriously tedious, especially when you have to do it almost every 10 minutes.

So now all I did was stop and point to the text, and people would immediately point… I did not have to take my helmet off, stutter and stammer, there were no discussions… Though sometimes I had to stop the bike get off and call people over to the bike to read the text, so tomorrow before I leave the hotel I will get the receptionist to write out my destination with a thick black marker, and tape it to my sleeve… howzzzat !!

The second half of the journey which was a good 200 km was peculiar. I climbed up the slope and stayed totally on top riding the crest of the range descending only twice that too only to make contact with two small towns.

The left indicator lamp and the red and yellow pilot lamps on the side car are not lighting have to check the wiring/bulbs and rectify before leaving tomorrow its going to be a long drive again tomorrow.

I have finally given in to the temptation and made up my mind to go all the way to Shanghai and not finish at the Three Gorges. So now it’s ‘Riding Rocinante – Bombay to Shanghai via Sardar Sarovar and the Three Gorges’. That’s going to be about 2300 km more to go- totaling about 9500Km

2010-09-30T09:53:00.001-07:00

30^th September

Reached Lanzhou with new guide… a bigger city.

Quite uneventful… except that the speeds one was habituated to in the past few days were unattainable as the 220 km road was profusely populated on either side and there was a great amount of traffic, making the pilgrims progress rather slow!

Now am on my own from tomorrow. The travel between cities is not difficult… the difficult part is getting directions within the city… finding the hotel for the night… people just don’t speak English at all. Spent the whole afternoon walking around looking for bookshops to buy a basic Chinese conversation kind of book… there are Spanish, French, German, Russian for beginners (Chinese beginners) but none for English speaking beginners for Chinese language. All I could find was dictionaries in which meanings are in Chinese or the words are in Chinese and meanings in English! So Dumb Charades it will be all the way. Of course what one realizes is culturally gestures also have different meanings… a gesture that would be easily understood in India draws a blank stare.

That apart, whatever I have seen till now are much like us Indians… in terms of traffic sense…crossing / turning / stopping anywhere, in terms of civic sense… spitting / peeing anywhere. !!

In India, Nepal and to some extent Tibet what one saw that was heartbreaking was the landscape littered with plastic waste. Here though one has not seen plastic being carelessly disposed. They must have a very good plastic waste management and most importantly: awareness program in place.

Some similarities… some differences what to do !

2010-09-29T07:27:00.000-07:00

29^th September

Left for Xining at about 9:30 in the morning. The 220 km road was quite the usual landscape now. Except from the last 70 km one could see trees on the hills. A sight one had not seen since about 15 days. The towns we were in had trees but they were planted by hand, trees in the wilderness were totally absent. I am now down to a height of 7217 ft. quite a relief actually!

Today crossed the Shanghai 2000 km mile stone. Tempted to go all the way to Shanghai!!

We entered Xining by some back roads but surely it is a big Chinese city with high rise buildings, flyovers, and big billboards. Even the way people dress is very different. Checked into a hotel, had lunch and had best of all had a bath after 3days!!

Mr. and Mrs. Mah say good bye to day and just for tomorrow, I have a new guide... after that I continue the rest of the journey on my own.

Walked around the neighbour hood till dinner time...

2010-09-29T07:22:00.000-07:00

28^th September

Found engine oil that is similar to the prescribed oil by Royal Enfield. Changed the oil and also decided to get the rear tyre and tube changed for safe measures. This delayed the departure to Heimahe but this pit-stop was most necessary.

The road was hilly in parts with snow capped mountains making their presence felt though they seemed at a distance. I looked in the rear view mirror and said to him … see how since the past few minutes how every oncoming vehicle never meets us on the curve but just before or after, never when there is an obstruction like some jay walker or that fallen tree or a pot hole, on our side but just before or after… usually one has to decelerate, brake or maneuver, but now everyone is just gliding along without ruffling anything… Like it was all perfectly timed?” “Precisely…it is about timimg” he said “Just imagine, if you had left 3 or four minutes before or after the time you left this morning, you would have met each vehicle at the wrong spot. Like when you go to work in the morning on your way to the office…” “Sorry” I interrupted “I don’t work I am an artist”, he continued like he didn’t hear me…” you keep getting caught at every signal, it is a cycle, and about the time you entered the cycle… if you keep fretting and driving at the same pace, you keep getting every successive signal…you have to either risk it and rush thorough to enter the cycle before it begins again, or you sit it out, have a tea and re insert yourself in the cycle midway… There is a master cycle where every rightly timed entry intersects… so it is not just your right entry but the right timed entry of every oncoming vehicle … there are only a few times when one enters this master cycle…that to by accident. But if you are in tune with the rhythm then you can time every entry accurately. So in the current moment you and some vehicles might have entered the cycle accidentally while the other vehicles or even the jay walking man why even the fallen tree could be the ones riding the master cycle… traffic is just an allegory.

Now imagine more than one master-cycle… which also intersect so you could ride from one master cycle to another”.

It is never history but histories and time is not one but many cycles and history is many intersecting time cycles… that’s how I am here I was just taking a ride with you to transit from one cycle to another… this moment that you described as ‘perfectly timed’ is the intersection.

Suddenly, I had to brake as a tractor suddenly appeared on a narrow mud road wanting to get on the highway… I looked in the rear view mirrors to mumble expletives at the tractor I looked in the other and adjusted my helmet.

Eyes on the road - I cautioned to myself.

Haemahe is a small settlement along one km of the highway. About a kilometer to the right of the highway is the world’s highest salt lake- Qinghai Hu (10784 ft)

2010-09-27T23:45:00.000-07:00

27^th September

The road for the next 4 days is unfriendly and desolate, there’s not much traffic so just as backup in case of an emergency I have the guide trailing me. So my new guide Mah and his lady wife in hijab lead me out of Golmud and then he signaled me to take the lead. It used to be the same arrangement with the earlier team, we would decide to meet up at a check post or a mountain pass or when the destination came close, they would catch up with me and take the lead for the last 4/5 km.

The ride from Golmud to Tulang (or Dulan) was almost a straight line for the first 250 Km. on my right was the Burhan Budai Shan range and on my left was a desert like flat land. Then the foothills of the Burhan Budai Shan intercepted the road, and the last 100 Km, was a bit uphill and down.

In Tulang, got some welding and fixing done on the bike. My main worry now is that I have completed 6106 Km so I need to replace the engine oil. The oil I had got from Bombay is over as I had to change the clutch plates in Kodari (for which the oil had to be drained off and replaced). Have to get something as close to the prescribed oil.

2010-09-26T11:21:00.000-07:00

26^th September

Today's goal was 430 Km to Golmud, it was also the last day of Bian Ba and Tenzin with me.

We left earlier than usual at 8:30. The initial part of the ride was bitterly cold It was the same landscape with browns, purples and ochres but as the weather had turned since the past 2 days, they were dry brushed with white. As we proceeded it looked like the left overs of chocolate and vanilla cake after a party… till finally the whole landscape was covered in fresh smooth sheets of white. After we left Lhasa, each day I feel has been more arduous than the earlier. My bones were aching with the cold but I kept telling myself- it was just a matter of a few hours. Each time I looked at the rearview mirror I could see the face of my pillion rider, his eyes looking straight at mine, without speaking I asked him how had he done this 1600 years ago? Here I was complaining at every opportunity about the roads and the weather… He does not answer childish questions.

Because of the cold and the altitudes, progress was slow. About 14.00 hrs all the climbing was done and the conditions improved and in fact only got better as the day advanced.

We reached Golmud a big town in the Qinghai. Here I met my new guide who was to accompany me for the next 3 days till Xinning. Handing –taking over was a game of Chinese whispers the new guide spoke only Chinese what he said was translated into Tibetan for Bian Ba by Tenzing and Bian Ba translated this into English for me and the same in reverse.

After dinner Tenzing and Bian Ba came to my room we had beer and bade a heavy hearted fare-well. We had after all been together for 14 days and had become good friends.

2010-09-26T11:16:00.000-07:00

25^th September

Rocinante always happens to attract a lot of attention. Yesterday, when I got back from the cyber café, There was a crowd of people around it. The lady behind the desk was nervous about the safety of the bike she asked me to bring it in… this was a slightly difficult proposition… you have see the photo to believe,,, but we did it all the same! While doing that I noticed that the tyre of the side car was quite worn out. Asked Bian ba if we could find a mechanic in the neighbourhood and change the tyre, he thought it could be done at Tuotuohe where we were headed tomorrow (that is today). I couldn’t agree more as I was exhausted and wanted to get a nap.

But today I wish I had been a little less slothful yesterday as about 100 Km from Tuotuohe there was a loud bang - I instantly knew what it was. I wobbled to a side, got the tools out and put the bike on the jack. Bian ba and Tenzin (the driver) arrived. We replaced the tyre and tube fixed the wheel on the bike and took turns at pumping air into it but it refused to inflate. Finally we concurred on the opinion that in our amateur free style 3 versus 1 wresting match with the tyre and tube we must have punctured the new tube!! We had to redo the whole job again. In the bargain we wasted 2.5 hrs.

We crossed two ranges and so two passes yesterday the Thaur chu la pass (17,061 ft) and the Tangula Pass (17,262 ft). After we crossed the Tanula pass we were out of Tibet and in the Qinghai province of China.

2010-09-24T03:50:00.001-07:00

24th September

Today had only 140 Km to do but they were really taxing... It rained throughout making it freezing cold... I had a woolen body warmer, a t-shirt, a sweater, a fleecy and a heavyduty jacket ontop yet was shivering all through the ride!! To top this my helmet visor would get totally fogged because of my breathing so had to leave it open and bear the cold wind and icy droplets and drive slow. I refused to take even a single break as I wanted this journey finished as fast as possible. There were many photo op moments but that meant getting the helmet off, the gloves off (which are nicely tucked and fastened into my sleeves)opening the rain cover on the side car, opening to the bag and then the getting to the camera... not today...perish the thought!

We had to pass over several ranges and on top of the last one (10 km away from today's destination Amdo.) it was so cold that the water was turning to ice. I was covered with what looked like crushed ice... just wanted to get to a hotel room as fast as possible and immerse my numbing face, fingers and toes in hot water.

Finally we reached Amdo, a small town; found a hotel and changed out of my half wet socks and clothes. There was no running water as it had frozen in the pipes! But they gave me a big thermos of hot water so freshened up with that.

Lunch was at a typical Tibetan restaurant. These are really cozy as they have a long stove in the middle of the room on which big pots of tea, water, soup etc are boiling making the whole room nice and warm. Sitting closest to the stove, had a wonderful meal- rice, soya noodles with yak meat, bamboo shoots with yak meat, and a big bowl of steaming soup. I felt alive again and headed straight to a cyber cafe to shoot this off. As I mentioned ... no images today!
There is thunder, lightning and heavy showers out side...Tomorrow I have about 300 km and day after 400- I hope the weather gods are mercifull !

2010-09-23T06:22:00.000-07:00

23^rd September

Yesterday we had taken a detour of 60 Km to camp at Namtso. So to get back on the route we had to climb back over La Gyan La. But today’s ride across the plateau was made difficult by really high winds blowing against my course. Because of the drag how much ever I raised the throttle, the bike refused to go above 50KMpH! And was it chilly!! Up the mountain was not easy either because of the winds and the clouds that had descended reducing visibility.

Now I have reached Naqu. Also today it’s been exactly one month since I left home.

2010-09-23T06:18:00.000-07:00

22^nd September

Todays ride was the coldest the day was cloudy and we were moving towards higher altitudes again. As there were no points of interest on the way I was just killing kilometers. It was a bit disorienting as I just remember leaving Lhasa at 10:30, (since the batteries of my watch have ran out, a quick glance at to see the time is not possible) and when we reached it was 15:00 hrs I just don’t remember 4.5 hours in between.

We climbed over the La Gyan La pass at a height of 17,127 ft. Over the windy pass we could see our destination, still 40 Km away the Namtso lake. At 15,570 ft. it is the world’s highest lake. Once we went down the pass we drove on an enormous plateau circled at the horizon by a ring of snow capped mountains. A good part of this flat land was covered by a massive crystal blue water body almost like an ocean. Namtso means Heaven- Lake. That’s where the title of Vikram Seth’s book ‘From Heaven Lake’ about his travels in Tibet comes from … which I tried high and low to get before this trip but failed.

I took a walk by the lake, sat and watched the clear blue waters making waves like the sea on a pebbly beach… and wondered what I was doing here?!… I am more a beach person than a mountain person and detest even the hint of cold weather! Next time I think of an art project it should be about lying on a beach…a real beach sun, sweat and all, and the only thing cold in the picture should be that bottle of beer!

Namtso is only a tourist destination. It was never a settlement so there are no permanent houses- just tin sheds for restaurants and living quarters, even the people who run these businesses live in tin sheds. It is awfully windy and freezing cold, and I have that pounding headache (altitude sickness). The light faded at 20:00 hrs and the electric supply is from then till 23:00. Now I will put a full stop, have dinner and try to sleep.

Incidentally today I have completed exactly 4100Km from Bombay…not a km less nor more!!

2010-09-23T06:12:00.000-07:00

Couldnt get connectivity... hence could not sent blog material to Sharmila... also she is now traveling for her show so this gets uploaded via Walsall, UK!

21^st September

Today visited the The Drepung Monastery, the Norbulingka Palace, (summer Palace of the Dalai Lama) and the Sera Monastery,(biggest in Tibet - It has 7700 resident monks).Every day at 15:00 hrs, the monks have a one to one debate in a courtyard. The monk who is asking the question stands and asks the sitting monk questions. The questioning monk does a particular step work and with a flourish, claps his hands and kind of hurls the challenge to answer his question towards the sitting monk. This he does till the question is answered. There are about a hundred monks doing this simultaneously.

In the night as we were having a beer in the room before leaving for dinner Bian Ba asked me if I would like to go to a nightclub. I jumped to the offer. I had to see the night life in Lhasa. Since the place picks up late we went to ‘Pu Pu Kao’ around 23:00 hrs. Bian Ba’s local friend who took us there told me it was the best in the city. The club had a stage with performers singing karaoke to Tibetan and Chinese songs. Mostly slow music to which couples –men and women, women and women and men and men (…only for lack of the right partner in their company) waltzed around on huge a dance floor. The live singing was interspersed with women in traditional costumes performing various folk dances on the stage. Not exactly a swinging place for youngsters but one of the few that has a dance floor, the others just have performers doing the traditional bit on stage, while you sit around and drink beer. A few beers later we decided to call it a day.

2010-09-20T07:53:00.000-07:00

20^th September

Visited the Potala Palace- the winter residence of the Dalai Lama, the Bakhor Street Market – selling mostly beads and curios for tourists and the Jokhang Temple- built in the 7^th century an important place of worship for the Tibetans.

At lunch met another waiter who spoke in Hindi. He used to work with a travel agency that organized tours to Mt. Kailash, which of course has majorly Indians as clients. All the restaurants at least in tourist areas, right from the small villages serve Indian as well as Nepali cuisine. I have though avoided this totally and have a staple diet of Yak meat in the form of curry / chowmein / steak / rice etc.

Indians here are liked and respected whereas in Nepal I wasn’t sure. In Nepal as I had no internet in the room, I used spend a lot of time in the lobby (where there was wifi) The night guard used to keep me company, he had served in India for thirteen years before coming back. He used to speak fondly about India and Indians but some others told me there was a slight rancor due to the migration from northern Indian states. Presumptuous me had thought only Nepalese come to India!

About 15 days before I had left India, I received a mail saying there were major mud and Landslides in eastern Tibet, hence my route had to be altered. I would have earlier from here, (Lhasa) gone west wards but now I will be heading north wards and then coming back south wards see diagram…this has increased my travel by about 1300 km !

2010-09-20T07:49:00.000-07:00

19^th September

Today was going to be exciting… had to do 260 Km through partly mountainous terrain We were to cross the Kanola (Kharola) Glacier 16665 ft, to reach our destination- Lhasa.

Since we left Shigaze, there not only is a speed limit but to ensure that motorists stick to that there are check posts where you are issued a slip with time of crossing. If you reach the next post before time you are fined! I being on a bike was exempted from this regulation. Talking of regulation every mountain stream I have seen by the road, till now has a cemented path to run down on… no meandering rivulets or waterfalls!

The first point of interest was the Gyantse dam. This has been put across the Nyang river it mainly generates electricity. For pumping back the water into the Yamdrok lake… read on to know what I mean.

As we rode on, on a landscape that no longer overwhelmed me after 4 days, suddenly after a bend standing in the back row was the Kanola range covered with snow. Either it was very close or my sense of time has collapsed, before I knew it I was climbing up the slopes getting closer and closer to the snow. The Kanola Glacier earlier touched the road but of late, since the roads have been made of asphalt, they absorb heat and cause the glacier to melt. It hung now half way between the top of the mountain and the road. Riding on we crossed some mythical looking landscapes… valleys between mountains with serrated contours and at other places mountains that looked like huge piles of mud and ash. I was sure I would soon hear the whoop whoop whoop of the wings of some fantastic flying beast swooping down on me! The road then circumvented an unending lake of azure water. This I was told by Bian Ba was the Yamdrok lake literally- ‘Turquoise Colour’, sacred to the Tibetans. This lake is in the mountains…water from this is brought down by huge pipes on the other side of the Gambala Pass to turn the turbines and generate electricity much to the consternation of the indigenous populace. The waters after turning the turbines are let into the Yarlung river (Known to us as the Brahmaputra!). This way the lake would get depleted, so the (muddy) water from the river will be pumped back into the (fresh water) lake. This requires a separate power supply… generated by the Gyantse dam.

The Gambala pass is at a height of 15826 ft. On one side is the serene landscape with the Turquiose lake (just 1174ft below the pass… so that seems the ground level) nestling in the soft green folds of the mountains and on the other side is a harsh brown and purple rugged mountainscape that goes down three times more than the other side. The road that leads down from this pass is not a la-di-dah type of a road that passes you from the lap of one mountain to the other. It is a rather impatient road that zig-zags down for the most part on the face of one mountain. As I began the descent, I looked over my right shoulder and seriously froze to see the sheer drop of at least 3000 ft. I refused to look again and lest my eye balls wander- forced them (at the cost of going squint) to focus on the road in front of me for the next 30 minutes.

90 Km later,we were ushered into New Lhasa by a 6 lane road that had business houses and show rooms on either side. Lhasa looks like a really big city… will explore it tomorrow and day after.

Got a six pack of Lhasa beer and invited Bian Ba to come a little early to pick me up for dinner so we could chat a bit and have beer in the room.

2010-09-19T13:54:00.000-07:00

18^th September

9:30, after breakfast, I took my foot pump, filled in air and drove to a puncture shop with Bian Ba hoping the air would stay till we reached. On reaching found the tyre was fine, we checked the pressure and gave it 10 minutes. Got some greasing cleaning done as we waited. Checked the tyre pressure…it was still the same… so it was some prankster who had let the air out! An unnecessary delay by an hour, but todays was a short ride only a 100 Kms.

First stop was the Shalu Monastery, built in 1027. It has an earthy Grey front hall with green glazed roof tiles. The interiors have incredible murals and racks and racks full of old manuscripts.

Most of the architectural details even in the cities and villages that we passed as also the furniture are hand painted with exquisite patterns, I wanted to see a workshop where such work was done, I was lucky as an extension to the monastery was being built and there were painters working on the façade. Some of the murals are still in good condition considering the monastery is a living institution with monks living, learning and carrying out daily rituals uninterrupted for the past 10 centuries.

The Next Stop was at Gyntse where we will spend the night. We checked in, had lunch and went to see another important Monastery the Palkor Monastery (20 minute walk from the hotel). On the way passed the monument to the people of Gyanste who were slaughtered by the British army in 1904 for gaining control of trade in Tibet. Behind it perched on a jagged hill of oblique sedimentary rock was the Gyantse Castle. The Palkor Monastery and a Stupa on the side (with 77 shrines), both had most exquisite paintings and wooden sculptures.

All the three Monasteries I have been to since yesterday are important places frequented daily by scores of worshipers and tourists, yet they seem unchanged from the time of their inception. They have been restored, but have not been turned into marketplaces that sell religion or exotica.

In the evening the driver knocked on my room door and told me in sign language, the only way we could communicate; that the back tyre was once again flat. We took the bike to a mechanic just out side the hotel gate. After much effort he did find two tiny pin pricks, and fixed them. I am not very happy with the job, but hope it lasts.

One of the waiters of the place we went for dinner, a young chap, came up and started talking to me in pidgin Hindi, He had been in India ( near Bangalore) for 5 years (1995-2000). He Joined our table with a tray of glasses which he wiped as we spoke about the Dalai Lama and Hindi films. He got up and played songs from Hindi films. He told me how much he loved watching them as he struggled to keep up- humming the lyrics. I offered to send him a parcel of some Hindi films and took his address as I left.

2010-09-18T07:32:00.000-07:00

17^th September

Went to the Traffic control office hoping the test would not be too hard! The officer instead just gave me instructions of caution and wished me luck for the journey. We waited a bit but some papers were short, the Travel agency had to translate details on my passport and license into Chinese and fax them from Shanghai. The work in all the govt. offices even in Tibet is always carried out in Chinese language only. So while Bian Ba waited I went off with the car and driver to the Tashilhunpo Monastery in the heart of the city. It is one of the Six Big Monasteries of Gelugpa (or Yellow Hat Sect) in Tibet.

It is a stunning complex with living quarters, tombs, temples and a mammoth 86 ft. Buddha. I am not going to give here anymore touristic information…if you want more details go to Wikipedia!

At 16:30 hrs I got a call from Bian Ba asking me to come to the office again as they wanted to check my eyes. I went and saw Bian Ba running from one window to the other frantically trying to get all the formalities done before closing time. Finally managed to get a license to drive a motorcycle in Tibet !

Had dinner and was about to turn in when Bian Ba called to tell me that one of Rocinante’s tyres seemed flat. Went down to check the back trye was totally down, what can I say except lucky it happened here and not on somewhere on the way. Have to get that fixed tomorrow it’s 22:00 hrs too late now.

2010-09-18T07:24:00.000-07:00

16^th September

Off today to Shigaze (12,600 ft) via Lhatse (13,287 ft).Today we are doing what was to be done over two days. This is to make up for the one lost day at the border. Also I have to get a new license made at Shigaze so we have to get that done before the approaching weekend. Shigaze is the second largest city in Tibet. First one of course being the capital Lhasa.

Most of the population of Tibet my guide tells me are or were nomads. Some of these tribes have now settled down. He also told me the most amazing thing that every village in Tibet has electricity. Provided through Solar panels which I did see all along.

The road we took from Zhangmu has a count down of Kilometers to Shanghai, we crossed the 5000km to shanghai mark today.

I have been taking pictures but when I go back to the room I always get so disappointed. I am carrying a small aim and shoot which is no good for capturing the vastness and magnitude of the landscape that currently surrounds me. The Himalayas look like sand mountains made on the beach by Kattya and Kashyap!

On arriving at 15:30 hrs, we had lunch and went straight to the Traffic control office. The vehicle had to be inspected and some paperwork done. I was to give a test tomorrow.

2010-09-16T08:28:00.000-07:00

15^th September

At 9:30 Bian Ba came to collect my passport, he had to take it to the customs to get some additional papers before we could leave. In the meantime I had breakfast, and packed the bike. We had actually moved the bike into the foyer of the Hotel as the management and Bian Ba feared theft of small parts… so with the help of a hotel attendant moved it out and ran the engine to warm it up.

We left at 10:30. For New Tingri which is 250 Km away but considering the roads all being uphill it is expected that we will take about 6 hours.

Kodari (Nepal) is at an altitude of 5,841 ft. from there I had climbed to 7,590 ft when we went to Zhangmu or Dram. Today we climbed to 16,896ft at the Nyalam Pass….Quite a jump in one day! New Tingri our destination is lower - 14,107 ft from sea level !

About 20 Km after we left, we stopped for the first check-post (there were 4 on the way) to get our passports and permits examined. Here I noticed that there was a pool of oil where Rocinante stood. I shuddered as I had already changed the oil at 3000Km and then at Kodari as the clutch plates had to be changed. I had brought the oil with me from Bombay as only a certain type of oil has to be used. I have only 1 liter left! The guard told us we could get this fixed at Nyalam- 15 Km ahead. We stopped at a mechanic’s but he was clue less. Finally I called Ziad from Spark Motion Bikers in Bombay and he told me what to do over the phone! It was not serious… All settled we resumed the journey. And what a journey it has been today! I have crossed some of the most amazing landscapes. I kept stopping to click photographs every now and then. The weather had quite naturally changed, as we proceeded I kept adding layers of clothing… I had to now wear my heavy duty snow shoes, 2 jackets, and gloves with all this and my helmet I felt like a cosmonaut!

Now surrounded on all sides, the first range around me was of brown muddy mountains backed at places by snow capped mountains. Soon after Zhangmu, as we ascended the vegetation had disappeared from the mountains, they were now greys purples, golden browns…sometimes with a patina of blues and greens- incredibly breath taking. There was a spot from where Mt. Everest can be seen, but today there was only a huge cloud. There is only this one road that runs through the landscape, no crossings, no bifurcations so there’s no way one can lose the way even if there are almost no signs,(what few are there are in Tibetian and Chinese). There are no brooding, meditating cows, baffled sheep or rather Yaks in the middle of the road. It is quite desolate save a very very few villages with a single row of houses on either side of the road. Near inhabited places, as clichéd as it may sound, golden barley stood ready for harvesting.

We had lunch at old Tingri at about 16:30 hrs and reached new Tingri at 18:40 hrs. We were on the road for 8hours. And today I am really exhausted and have a blasting headache- the last 2 hours were really killing- it is also because of the altitude, the oxygen is thinner…My body should have adapted by tomorrow. It’s going to be another long drive tomorrow.

2010-09-16T08:10:00.000-07:00

15^th Sept

Since I have entered Tibet, I have with the help of Bian Ba found places with internet but only my blog refuses to open. So I have been sending on e-mail the text to Sharmila who has been uploading the blog from Bombay. Here are the images of the 11^th, 12^th, and 13^th and 14^th

11^th In Kathmandu with Family

12^th Kathmandu to Kodari

13^th Kathmandu to Kodari second attempt

14^th Finally crossing the border

2010-09-14T10:19:00.001-07:00

14^th September

Bian Ba Had asked me to meet him at the friendship bridge at 11:00. Just before I slept I reckoned it must be11:00 Beijing time… which was Nepal time 8:45. Checked out of the hotel. Right next door was the immigrationoffice, finished the formalities and went across the bridge. No sign of Bian Ba, couldn’t get through on his cell phone. Decided to go ahead to the Chinese customs I thought may be he will meet me once I cross the customs. But at the customs they wanted “Chinese guide”. It is mandatory when you travel through Tibet to have a Chinese guide from a Chinese Travel agency. This involves tremendous amount of paper work, (which is handled by the travel agency). So all through my travel in Tibet I will have a car trailing me with the guide and driver. The agency employed by my hosts in China has made arrangements for my stay in Tibet as it is necessary to show all halts, hotel bookings while in Tibet to procure the required permits. Also since I was taking a Motorcycle which was not going to go back the same way it came… the matters were complicated. I had to much in advance send all the papers of the bike, my licenses, and photographs of the bike from 4 angles. I still couldn’t get through to Bian Ba, I thought I had been ditched. One of the people I had met who had travelled through Tibet had told me stories of his permanently drunken guide, I had visions of Bian Ba drunk in some bar or badly hung-over from last night’s binge! After half an hour I got through he told me he was on the other side of customs getting the paper work done since the last hour. I was ashamed for the character assassination I had indulged in. well finally he sent some one across with some papers so I could get my passport stamped and my entry cleared while he worked on the bike. He came across at 13:900 hrs and took me for lunch. It was only after the poor guy had to run up to another customs office 10 Km away for some other papers, that we could finally take Rocinante across at 17:30Hrs. This trip has surely taught me to be very very patient.

Checked into a hotel and first of all spread my wet clothes from yesterday to dry and importantly had a bath after three days!!

13^th September

Got up at 5:30 it was raining quite heavily, hoping the big bulldozer had done its job through the night, packed and left. On reaching the Check post at the exit of Barhabise, the officers there told me that the block was not yet cleared. I turned round and came back to the hotel - all I had achieved was to get myself clothes wet. In this trip that is one thing I am dreading- having to pack wet clothes. Since I am getting just one night in every location clothes don’t dry. Had saved up all my washing since Bhopal for Kathmandu.

At about 9:00, it had stopped raining; so I decided to make a second attempt. Decided to go right up and wait till whatever time it took. The truck had been moved, a bulldozer was still clearing the last bits but there was at least 2 feet deep slush. After about an hour the first truck was allowed to pass. I had managed to get the 9^thspot in the queue by squeezing in. all the vehicles would get stuck in the slush at the same spot and then the crowd of people would have to push the vehicles through. It reminded me of a primary school function each one waiting at the edge of the slush nervously watching the earlier contestant finish their act and waiting for their cue. I felt like a champion when I reached the other end, and zoomed away. Five Km away there was another line of trucks, again I drove up to the front to realize there was a steep gradient the road was only scree and vehicles had difficulty going up. There as a big depression where the road had sunk just before the incline so it was not possible to gather momentum. Some would whine up to almost the top and come rolling back. I got through again with a heave from the villagers standing around, but this time for a charge. As I drove I came upon 4 more spots that had experienced landslides and had to pay each time to get a push across. There were bands of locals who hung around with ropes and made a brisk business pushing vehicles through. About 5 more Km and I was aghast- if I thought I had seen landslides… this one was the mother of them all! There was an earthmover actually carving out a mud road on the slope as the actual road of which I could see a few patches was covered with at least 40 feet of rubble. A patch of 500 meters of which 1/5^th was remaning. This was going to take at least 2 hours if not more. I had my team of men ready and I was positioned already half way across the patch so the minute the machine moved away I could go through. Thankfully this was the last one.

The roads had been very demanding and Rocinante was showing signs of wear, She would just not pick up, The clutch plates must have got worn out I realized. We coughed and sputtered till the last 2 Km to Kodari when finally she refused to budge. Though gentle this was an incline and even if 300Kilos have wheels it is quite an uphill task!

Went straight to a mechanic got the plates replaced- very cumbersome even if I had learnt this in my crash course, it was on a different model. I hadn’t actually done it, I had just seen the assembly as to how to open what and what fits into what. Like watching a dissection without actual practical experience I realized this would have been difficult for me to manage on my own had it happened some isolated place.

Spoke to Bian Ba of course the gates were now shut and the crossing will have to be done tomorrow morning. It’s been a long and grueling day, have to crash.

12^th Sept

Got a day and a half with the family, was most heart wrenching to see Kashyap crying through the taxi window as they left. I rushed back, finished packing, paying bills and left. The drive to Kodari the last town on the border of Nepal was just a 123 km, but fully mountainous and my internet searches said it was a 5-6 hour journey and promised to be ‘treacherous’ (yes! was slightly tense)

The first 100 Km was most hypnotic. The road through the mountain constantly curved one way and then the other. The roads were in an excellent condition and ‘scaly’ (to allow a good grip I guess). Yes scaly because it was literally like sliding up the back of a long grey serpent through the lush green forested slopes. Before you came out of a right turn you were already getting into a left turn, yet the ride was smooth… I was really waltzing away with Rocinante. I could have sworn there was a whole orchestra hiding behind the trees. Riding Rocinante was now next to walking…we operated in perfect harmony now.

…Passed a police and custom check post. The officers asked a lot of questions and wanted to see all the papers of the bike. I was a bit worried. I had heard tourists come on bikes from India and sell them here. Every place I halted people had asked me the price of the bike… The bikes sold for more than twice the price if you bought it legally. I guess as I had the side-car and registration papers that had the same address as my passport, they believed that I wasn’t going to sell the bike to get ticket fare to fly back home! They warned me about the roads ahead as they let me pass. Had Thukpa for lunch at Barhabise. Only aonther 26 Km left. I was planning to check in and go relax in the hot water springs of Tatopani 3 Km away from Kodari.

But here’s where the ‘treachery’ started. As I left the village, There was another check point. The officer here told me I can’t go ahead. I told them I had all the papers in order, “doesn’t matter” he told me

“there’s been a major land slide and a truck has overturned”

He pointed at the slopes and I could see a long line of stationary trucks ziz- zaging up. I was optimistic well I’ll go up and wait I thought. The vehicles were parked on one side of the road in a disciplined manner. No one was trying to get ahead and double park and in the bargain preparing ground for a grid-lock, once the first crisis gets resolved- as one often sees in accident situations back home. There were lots of gaps between the vehicles so I thought I should try to get as much ahead as possible and then stick my bike in one such gap. Drove past one and a half kilometers of vehicles to reach the ring side. An earth mover was busy clawing away at the boulders and mud. The people that stood around tried to tell me it’s not happening today, I had waited for 2 hours it was 15:30 now. The job seemed almost done. As I waited I saw big trees that had come down with the slide cut and put aside. Suddenly I thought this must have taken a long time – surely does not look like a job of a few hours. “When did this happen?” I asked the crowd of bystanders which comprised drivers and village youngsters. “3 days ago”. How come I wasn’t warned there was nothing in the news? Everyone was quite un fazed…” this happens all the time here, the last time the road was blocked for a whole week”. No wonder the vehicles were not clamouring to get ahead. A lot of them had even left to come back after 2-3 days. They started telling me I should turn around and go to the village as this would not be done before dark and I should not even think of travelling alone in the dark for the certainty of being mugged. Also they told me there were two more landslides further down the road. I was hoping and praying all these 30-40 men were pessimists, rumor mongers, professional perjurers, compulsive liars and/or sadists.

I had to reach Kodari today, it was just 26 Km away. My border crossing was scheduled for tomorrow and to top that across the border on the side of Tibet they are 2 and a half hours ahead so I loose time!

The one working left and after an hour another big bulldozer arrived to move the big boulders and right the truck. I had waited for 5 hours now- it was18:30hrs and dark I turned around and went back to the village got a room.

The only internet shop in the village was closing I begged him to give me 5 minutes to retrieve the number of Bian Ba Ci Ren my contact at the border… called to inform him of the situation.

The road will be cleared tonight I will leave at first light.

Went to the room and started writing the blog hadn’t been able to write anything yesterday…

11^th Sept

It was a real recharger spending time with Shami and Katya-Kashyap. Spent the whole day going round the city sight-seeing and shopping for frivolous and yet obligatory curios. We were all thoroughly exhausted when we got back at 20.30 hrs after a full 13 hours of touristic behavior. I did not want to waste a single moment with the kids so… did not blog

2010-09-10T10:48:00.000-07:00

10^th Sept

Yesterday was mostly eventless. After the flurry of letters on the 8^th evening, this morning Simon sent me by e-mail the documents issued by Tibet Tourism Administration, China. Got them printed and put all required photocopies in my bag - ready for today,

This morning went to the embassy, I knew how to do it now- pick a form while the security check your bag run in the inner room grab a number and a seat and fill out the form- I had even taken my own glue stick to put my photo on the form .I had written out all the required dates, numbers and addresses on a sheet of paper. Since I knew the routine so well, my number was second. I reached the window and smugly handed the documents. The clerk behind the window looked at me disdainfully and half crumpled and stuffed the papers through the opening and told me I cant make this application on my own –it has to come through a travel agency. I was bowled over, didn’t know which agency to get hold of. I had to lodge my application today (tomorrow day after being Saturday-Sunday)or else I would not be able to cross over on Monday. I immediately called my friend Rupal Shah who has a lot of trekker friends, She got into action and for the next hour we were calling each other and exchanging SMS-s. She finally got the right number from the internet. I immediately called the person… it was 11:00 I had to meet this man, get the paper work done and get back to the embassy before 12:00. I was hell bent on getting it done today! I caught a cab and rushed to his office. Explained the whole mess to him- he knew what had to be done he printed out the necessary letters, and rushed to the embassy it was 11:40. I crossed my fingers; bit my nails while I swung from tenter hooks. He came back smiling at12:15. The application was done. It had to be collected back from him at 17:00 hrs! Well he charged me a hefty sum in US dollars but the job was done (I forgot to mention my debit card was working here). The Hero for the day is Rupal… without her the visa would not have happened today which means I would not have been able to keep my date with the representatives of the travel agency who had my further permits for travel in Tibet etc; at the border on Monday.

At 14:45 Sharmila was to arrive… I went to pick her up and she had another surprise for me… both the kids Katya and Kashyap were with her. So now it’s going to be family time for the rest of today and tomorrow.

They leave on Sunday norning for Bombay and I for Kodari the last point on the map of Nepal from where I cross into Tibet at Zhangmu.

2010-09-08T10:48:00.000-07:00

8^th September

From: Tushar Joag <tjoag@yahoo.com>
To: Yun Chen
Cc: TZ Chang ; melancholy <; 毛韵超; Chaitanya Sambrani ; azure
Sent: Wed, 8 September, 2010 18:31:58
Subject: Visa in Kathmandu

Hello!

Reached Kathmandu yesterday

Met Mr. Laxman at the embassy today, He had no clue about anything!!

made an application but the man at the embassy window did not accept it he told me since I have a valid visa to China, (taken at Bombay) I can proceed -I dont need any additional stamps etc from here(Kathmandu)

I hope that is right

is there any way to cross check?

Tushar

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Wed, 8 September, 2010 19:17:24

Dear Tushar ：

About the question, i've already call the travel agency to check it. they may contact Mr.Laxman soon to make sure all the visa details are enough.If we get any updates, we will tell you immediately.

just In case, to check again, you still arrange your arriving time to Zhangmu in 13th Sep as your proposal?
Good luck on your journey again~
Be care

Best Wishes

Simon
sincerely yours, Huanzhi Xu

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wed, 8 September, 2010 19:32:39

Thanks for your prompt reply...

BUT Mr. Laxman knew absolutely nothing about anything.

I was extremely irritated with him as he had not found out anything he knows nothing about the procedure... he just kept following me around.

If the Travel agency calls him he will say what the clerk at the embassy told me.

When I left the embassy I believed what the clerk had said but by evening started getting uneasy.

I asked around here with travel agencies who arrange tours to Mount Kailsh... they said they get a group visa for the trek. Have called some people in Bombay who have been on such a trek They also said they had a group visa with a trekking tour.

I dont know if something like that is needed and can be arranged at such a short notice. will go to the travel

agency that had arranged their group visa tomorrow

Mr Laxman can't be relied upon

If all goes well with the mess with this visa issue ...I am planning to be in Kodari one day in advance-on the 12th so the crossing can be done on 13th

Who will meet me at the border?
At what time?
Can I have their names and phone numbers please?
What papers will they have with them?

Best

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wed, 8 September, 2010 19:51:31
Dear Tushar:

I am so sorry for Mr Laxman,

But Don't worry so much, the travel agency told me that they would fix the issue. just take a rest for a while might be better. the contact info when crossing the border i will give you tomorrow, is that okay? got your info of crossing, i will notify them.

Simon

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wed, 8 September, 2010 20:33:15
Thanks Simon!

I am busy looking up the net for blogs and travel logs of other travelers.

one blog says the person needed to get a stamp from the Kathmandu Embassy saying 'entry point Zhangmu' but that is from 1997

I looked up the Chinese embassy, Kathmandu web site there are these phone numbers

Address:

Consulatr section:

Hattisar, Naxal, Kathmandu, Nepal
Tel:
+977-1-4440286(Chinese, English, Nepali)
+977-9851071666(mobile, 24 hours, in Chinese & Nepali)
+977-9851034088(mobile, in Chinese & Tibetan)
+977-9851046472(mobile, 24 hours, in Chinese & English)
Fax: +977-1-4438260

There is a 24 hr line so I called up and the person asked me if I have 'remarks' on my Visa... I said no.. asked him what kind of remarks? he would not say then he told me

I need to have permits from Lahsa. which I presume is what the agency you have employed has organised. So told him I have those... so he asked me which dept has issued these permits ... I did not know the answer to this so he said I cant go!

Do you think someone can talk to the embassy 24 hr line and clarify this?

I am really really worried sick now!

Best,

2010-09-07T09:54:00.000-07:00

7^th Sept

7:00 am, It is pouring… yesterday was sweltering hot??

8:30 am. It is still raining

I have rearranged all my stuff in the bags as I will now be moving into colder areas

10:00 am, the rain just refuses to let up

I have studied the maps sent by Chen Yun,(our very efficient co-ordinator) as also Google the road is totally mountainous,

I am a little apprehensive about the ride today.. read a blog where it was mentioned the roads are full of sharp turns and bus drivers drive like maniacs!! …and then this rain. Frantically looked up weather forecasts, I thought; since I had kept a good lee way in terms of days, if the weather is not going to worsen tomorrow (!) I might as well leave tomorrow. Unhappily I decided to postpone, unhappy because it would mean one more day of anxiety about the roads and the ‘maniacs’. I had been given the contact details of a man Mr.Laxman who was to help me with my visa in Kathmandu (I had a Chinese visa, but I needed to get an additional stamp at Kathmandu for entering through Tibet.) Called him to tell him about the situation, he told me the embassy works only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Wow! If I reached Kathmandu today, only then could I submit my application tomorrow (Wednesday). Had to leave immediately. Loaded the side-car wrapped and packed it… yes this is an everyday 15 minute exercise loading and 15 minutes unloading (I am carrying 3 bags, spares, tools, oil, and 2 spare tyres that have to be tied and secured to the sidecar.) It was nearing 11:00 am.

Filled petrol and set off, it was still raining. In such weather the glasses initially keep getting foggy… extremely irritating. It rained till Mugling which is one third the way.

The road almost all through runs along the valley of the swift and swirling river Narayani and then it's tributary Tirshuli

The roads save the last 20 km were good. At places they were really bumpy but smooth- It was as if- you make people lie down, put a thick duvet on them and then ride over them… get it? Smooth but really bumpy. The last 20 were full of pot holes and also the steepest. AND there was a traffic jam on the last 5 uphill! And then downhill into the city…The jam took 1 and a half excruciating hours Rocinante got so heated up that she kept stalling.

Kathmandu is a big city and lies cozy in the palms of the ranges. I had surfed for places to stay, didn’t find any that suited my pocket but realized that Thamel was the place to go in Khatmandu. Found a nice place checked in. The ride wasn’t as treacherous as I had imagined after all. The writer of the blog I had read was a white man…new to this side of the world little did he know that we all drive ‘like that only’!

2010-09-06T18:01:00.000-07:00

6^th Sep

Left at 8:30 from the hotel for Bharatpur

First stop was at a hardware store a bolt of the side car I realized had come loose and fallen off… had to replace that.( Had to do a general check of nuts bolts, tyres, oil levels often before leaving in the mornings)

Great road and a short distance to go. I had made small packages for Nepal as the maps showed that the trail would be mostly mountainous and I was told I could expect landslides and roadblocks due to the rains. There was one this morning on the way here but most of it had been cleared by the time I reached the spot.

Apart from that one range I had to cross, the Siwalik ran parallel to my route,
It was a pleasure riding. I realized I was riding like a fugitive all through the Indian leg.I had to reach the destination in time. I had an agenda… yesterday and today it was easy short distances and no one to meet at the end of the road. Earlier I stopped only when I couldn’t anymore take my body’s protests. Today I could stop, cruise, sip tea, whenever I saw a charming spot.

I reached Bharatpur but thinking it was a big town drove right through it. Realising at a toll gate that I had overshot… had to go back 4 km! After rejecting 3 dingy shady looking places, found an amazing place for just INR 780/- with air conditioned rooms, a secure parking for Rocinante, a pool , great space behind full of trees, a lovely mango grove… what’s more they have wifi and accept credit cards!

Had Nepali set for lunch. The sun was blazing down ... I dived into the pool and floated around...

took a nap read, made notes,

2010-09-05T23:53:00.000-07:00

5^th sept

I was just short of 3000 km by 40… 3000- is when the second servicing has to be done. I had decided to finish the servicing here- 40 km doesn’t matter .This meant removing the oil, replacing the oil filter with a new one and cleaning the small filter…and of course filling in fresh oil again. Quite a simple job but has to be done right… I had learnt how to do all this at Spark Motion Bikers. After breakfast I went down, Didi-my sister came along to assist in the operation! I unscrewed the nuts and bolts and watched as Rocinante drained her thick blackened life blood. I helped her to the last drop by starting the engine and revving up. The job well done, wiping my hands feeling pleased with myself; like a surgeon who had successfully completed a dialysis procedure, I packed my tools.

We checked out at 12:30. Didi and Anil-da (my brother-in –law) went their way, I mine. Day before In Allahabad I had gone to 6 ATMs but was unsuccessful in withdrawing cash! Some were not working, some were closed, some had no money one had a card stuck in it. I went to 4 ATMs on my way out of Gorakhpur but it was the same story. So finally I have about INR 6540/- which have to last me till the 9^th-hotel, food, and petrol… hmm … Unless I can withdraw some here tomorrow. 9^th Sharmila is planning to come to Kathmandu again to see me off to my last leg in Nepal before I enter Tibet. One tries to extricate oneself for introspection and all that… but let us not forget the strings that are attached are way too strong!! she will bring me some money!

Crossed the India-Nepal border.

The Indian customs official and the Nepalese immigration both wanted ‘something’. The Indian, I angrily and flatly refused as I was going across and he couldn’t stop me… but the Nepalese, I had to indulge as he could send me packing… then I had to pay some fees as well- to enter… eventually leaving me INR 4500/-

Reached Butwal. When I stand on the extremely straight and really long main street of the town, I see rather abruptly, a range of mountains (the Siwalik Range)…no mediating slopes only a vertical elevation- like cardboard cutouts.

Wonder what my ride is going to be tomorrow.

Checked into a hotel that seems more like a hostel… lots of youngsters seemingly local…lots of talking and noise in the corridors...but that’s okay when I hit the bed I always go off like a bulb; just hope it doesn’t get too hot as the only windows the 9ft X9ft X 9ft room has, open onto the corridor!

Walked around a bit no internet cafes and my net connect does not work anymore as I am out of the country…

Got a quarter of the local rum ‘Khukri’…Deadly… obviously they have forgotten to add any flavouring !

The dinner I ordered has just arrived… dal fry, a vegetable, rotis and papad

2010-09-04T22:04:00.000-07:00

4^th Aug

Left Allahabad at 7:30

There were two routes I could take one shorter, and one would take me through Ayodhya, so I decided to the later. At Faizadbad I got on to NH 28. About 3 km down there is a small road that goes to Ayodhya.

It is a small town, with busy lanes and handsome architecture.

I wanted to see the spot where the Babri Masjid stood, I didn’t how to ask directions to this spot, I didn’t know what the sentiment here was… I was uneasy and unwilling to refer to it as the temple site/ janmabhumi. My quandary was resolved by the entry of Tusliram who proclaimed himself to be a guide and promised to show me everything there was to see for Rs.51/- . I jumped to the offer but instantly recollected a very old map of Ayodhya that showed all the sites and I remember it as being dotted profusely with temples and buildings of ‘historic’ significance… this tour could have taken the whole day and I would have to endure that many hours of the grating spiel of Tulsiram. Presently I had no option… I decided to go along. He first took me to the workshop where there were piles of carved pillars, brackets in fact every last architectural detail of ‘The temple’ to be built was in readiness. After the judgement on the 16^th Sept (he was positive it would be in favour of the temple) the building would start.

After which he took me to some other spots, tried to get a donation out of me for at least one stone towards the building , I finally told him I had a meeting in Gorakhpur and had time for only one more spot… so obviously that was the place where the Mosque stood.When we got there I realized It has a police barricade 1 km away and neither vehicles not bags are allowed. I would have to park my bike in the market with all my luggage, electronics etc and walk. I was sure I couldn’t risk this so finally left with just some snaps over the barricade.

Reached Gorakhpur at 5;30pm. My sister and brother-in-law had come down from Delhi to see me and flag me off to Nepal the nexct day…

3^rd Aug

Found an authorized service centre of the bike and got the minor repairs done. Found out during the process that the point where the silencer attaches to the body was broken… The deep holes on the roads had surely done their deed. Had to remove it and take it to get it soldered. All that done, while Rocinante was being bathed and cleaned I took a trip to the Anand Bhavan.

A beautiful mansion of 52 rooms where the Nehrus lived and which became a hub of activity and momentous decisions during the freedom struggle. It was here that Gandhi declared the non co-operation movement and all the foreign goods were burnt. The joint Congress League met here and it was almost full converted into the office of the Indian National Congress.

There is a quote by Gandhi in the court yard:

“We can see that if we become free, India is free and in this thought you have a definition of Swaraj.It is Swaraj when we learn to rule ourselves… but such Swaraj has to be experienced by each man for himself”

2010-09-02T11:39:00.000-07:00

I had only 180 km to do today... Piece of cake.
Left Satna at 11:30 am
after the first beguiling 90 km the road was the pits... well literally
No more romanticism about people using them without complaining, about them smiling, having casual conversations while riding... today... only anger at the heights of complacency.
Spent the whole day traveling, checked into 'Hotel Vijay' at 7:30 pm... too late, too exasperated and exhausted to do anything.
Tomorrow I take a break... So I safely hit the bottle.
Have minor maintenance work to do on the bike, change helmet visor... badly scratched, see a doc. have caught a cold and want my respiratory system to be in order before I climb to 9000-15000 ft
Will also squeeze in a visit to Anand Bhavan the birth place of Nehru- tomorrow.

2010-09-01T11:05:00.000-07:00

Left Sagar at 8:30am
The day was rather uneventful ...reached Satna, (MP) and checked into Bharut Hotel run by Madhya Pradesh Tourism
When I left Bombay, my odometer read 535 KM... till Baroda it was 951KM... when I left Dhadgaon it read1284KM (this included the 42 KM the to and fro journey to Bilgaon... more about Bilgaon later) Till Pathraad it read 1607KM, at Bhopal 1909KM. At Sagar,2113 and today at Satna it reads 2422Km.By the time I reach Allahabad tomorrow I would have crossed 2000 KM in 9 travelling days that is 1/3rd journey done!

As mentioned, I have an interesting story about Bilgaon. Bilgaon is an Adivasi village, I had gone and stayed there for 4 days to mount an exhibition of photographs from the collection of NBA. This was in Jan 2003 the occasion being the opening of a micro hydel power plant. The village had not received electricity even after 56 years of independence. The villagers helped by engineers, and with funding from an NGO built the power plant on a water fall of the river Uday by the village ...This provided electricity to Bilgaon and other neighbouring villages... a superb example of self-dependent development ( this was also the spring board for the Bollywood film 'Swadesh'). in 2006 there were torrential rains and due to the dams the water levels rose drastically; washing away houses, crops, cattle- and the micro hydel power plant. According to Surveys conducted by the Govt body (NVDA), Bilgaon project was not to be affected by submergence... the effects on the tributaries were not taken into consideration.

for details of the Bilgaon micro hydel power plant, please click on following link it has a detailed report prepared by the People's School of Energy(the engineers responsible for the project) : http://studentorgs.utexas.edu/aidaustin/projects/mhp/DPR_Bilgaon_MHP.pdf

2010-08-31T10:59:00.000-07:00

31^st Aug 2010

Sharmila left at 7:30am for Bombay.

I Washed the bike, and packed all my clothes that were fresh and clean thanks to the washing machine.

After breakfast, left at 10:30am for Sagar,( Madhya Pradesh).

Have to admit the roads from Pathraad to Bhopal and Bhopal to Sagar were really good.

Shrikant had given me a contact of Mr. R.N.Khare in Sagar. He had been a government employee- the Regional Organiser, Fisheries, Sagar Division.

He gave me this information:The fishing community displaced by the Rani Avantibai Sagar reservoir formed by the Bargi dam is as follows (30 big dams are proposed on the Narmada Sardar Sarovar, the three dams I wrote about yesterday Maheshwar, Omkareshwar, Indirasagar and Bargi are amongst these see map below)

19 villages from Jabalpur zilla, 48 from Sivani zilla and 95 from Mandala zilla- altogether one lakh people were displaced. They were given monetary compensation which was not enough. The people had no means of livelihood they were not allowed to fish in the reservoir. Protests continued. On 20th Sept 1992 a huge rally of fishing boats sailed on the Narmada for 50 km and landed at Bargi. More than 350 boats participated. Many of these protestors were jailed. In 1993 when Madhya Pradesh was under the Presidents rule ( After the demolition of the Babri Mosque) The Governor Kuwar Mehmood Ali agreed to the demands of the protestors. As a measure of rehabilitation, he not only allowed them to fish in the reservoir, but gave them 20% ownership to the catch. i.e if they caught 100 tons of fish, they had to pay the Govt a royalty of Rs. 6 per ton on 80 tons and 20 tons was theirs for free. He also initiated the forming of fishing co-operative societies. 54 co-op socs were formed- each having 25 members (fishermen) When Digvijay Singh came to power he up held the Governor’s decision for rehabilitation of the fisher folk.

Mr. Khare who was now retired from his Govt job, was invited by the NBA because of his sympathies and his experience and expertise to form and manage these Co-operatives, (known as the Bargi dam displaced fishing and marketing co-operative society limited)

Mr. Khare fished out a report that was published and gave me this statistical information: From 6-10-94 to 31-05-95 471.755 tons of fish was caught.

80% of this = 377.404 tons @ Rs. 6/- per ton = Rs 22,64,424/- This amount was paid to the Govt. and the fisher folk earned a profit of Rs.18,87,020/-

In 1998 the Govt. took over the co-operatives and gave the fishing rights to private companies. A terrific instance of successful rehabilitation was axed for no justifiable reason. Protests followed but to no gains. The fishermen are now employed to catch fish and paid Rs. 17 /kg while the same is marketed by the fishing companies for Rs. 100/- to125/- per kilo. The Governments share of earning has also gone down to half of what it received from the co-operatives!

We had tea looking at some old photographs of the working of the Co-op societies. Taking his recommendation on where to spend the night went to look for lodging

2010-08-30T10:34:00.000-07:00

30^th Aug 2010

I spent the night at Radheshyam Patidar’s residence. I slept on a huge wooden swing… slightest movement and it would rock in all directions it was like sleeping on a cloud!

In the morning at 5:00am I woke up with a start- the village temple began blaring songs from B grade Hindi devotional films... one decibel higher and I am sure it would have cracked all the three dams in the area! The music stopped at 5:30 but by then my sleep was pulverized beyond salvage. I lay on my cloud, swinging myself and thinking of what Radheshyamji had told me last evening.

The present village used to be further down by the river. In 1962 there was a major flood and the villagers decided to shift the whole village away from the river. The fishermen and the boatmen stayed put, while the other communities moved and rebuilt the village brick by brick in 1965. The houses are lined neatly along a wide central street and an 80 feet by 80 feet square and a temple at the end. They thought they had moved to a safer ground.

Had tea and got ready to move, bid my good byes and as I was about the move, the engine died! The ignition lights went off! I had taken a two day intensive crash course at the Enfield service centre - a one stop biker’s paradise at grant road-. (Harsh Sheth and Mustafa of ‘Spark Motion Bikers’ and their team of mechanics-Dinanath, Ziyad, and chotu had taught me all the basic mechanics and repairs of the bike. In fact Harsh was amazing when I went to meet him he just took over… planning what I have to learn, take with me, making lists, organizing all the spares etc giving me all the advice and tips…check them out at www.sparkmotion.in - thanks Harsh!) wow that sounded like a commercial break!! Coming back to Rocinante, I got into diagnostic mode and quickly checked the fuse; it HAD poped! Replaced it and left Pathraad. As I was about 100 km away from Bhopal, an Innova drove up and cut me- a woman’s hand waving frantically … to my astonishment it was Sharmila! (the woman I am married to!)

She had planned to fly to Bhopal and surprise me! She missed her flight got on to the next one going to Indore and took a taxi to Bhopal! We had spoken an hour ago and she knew I was on the same road … she was looking out for me and found me! Totally Bollywood!

Reached Bhopal spending the night at Nirmala Sharma’s (a ceramic artist and friend) place.

2010-08-30T06:59:00.000-07:00

29^th August

Got up at about 6 and started completing yesterday’s backlog on the blog. We were to leave at 7:30am. Medha Tai wanted us to go to Raj Ghat a memorial to Gandhi. And then to Chikhalda a village across from there on the other side of the Narmada. There they had organized a send off for me! We had tea and Breakfast at Bhagirath Bhai’s place and went to the village square.

We stood in a circle and small sweet ceremony ensued – Medha Tai introduced me, Kamlu Jiji gifted me a cloth bag made by women from a workshop in Bombay of the displaced urban poor.

I spoke about my project , and amidst slogans “Tushar Bhai Age Badho Hum Tumhare Sath Hai” (Tushar Bhai go right ahead, we are with you) and “Tushar Bhai Konna se… Amra se Bhai Amra se” (Tushar Bhai is one of us) I left for Nandra. About 90 Kms away.

Shrikant had contacted the people in two villages and arranged meetings for me as well as fixed my lunch and stay. First time in 6 days the Rain Gods caught up with me soaked me to the bone

At Nandra, met Jagdish Bhai Patidar, and Hariram (from Gogawa village affected by the Maheshwar dam), Lalchandji Patidar, Tarachand Patidar,Karansing Patel, Roopchand Bhai,Vikramsing Chauhan (from Nandra) and Kailash Patidar (from Karondia affected by the canals of the Omkareshwar dam)

Before the meeting began, I was welcomed with a garland and a long sugarcane, each of them gave me a cob of corn … I was thoroughly embarrassed.

Nandra is affected by the Canals of the Omkareshwar Dam. Lands are going to be acquired for building of canals which the villagers are resisting. Of the area that is claimed as would be brought under irrigation by these canals, 75 % is already irrigated. They are asking for a review of the planning before proceeding with the building as they feel they will lose their lands in vain as the canals are superfluous. Apart from the land acquired for the canals there is a danger of the un-acquired adjoining land getting waterlogged due to the canals.

Had lunch at Lalchandji’s house and I went on to Pathraad 4 Km away to meet Radheshyam Patidar, he was very well informed about all the issues concerning the dams in the area, local and global politics…

Maheshwar dam will adversely affect 61 villages, of which only one village has been resettled (successfully) whereas the work on the dam has reached 90% to completion. Total area affected by this dam is 872 hectares, of which 106 hectares is in the village of Pathraad and by its canals is 900 hectares. Again this area is already 100% under irrigation thus making the canals redundant.

All the people I met today are from a very affluent and fairly educated farming community, (in fact the boys of the younger generation are studying or have completed their graduation and some even post graduation). they are well aware of their rights, unlike the adivasi (indigenous) farmers I met yesterday and day before.

2010-08-30T06:16:00.000-07:00

28^th Aug 2010

Left Dhadgaon at 7.30am

I headed for the rehabilitation site at Chikhl, Madhya Pradesh, 43 km from Dhadgaon. Chetan had given me directions till Masavad where someone would come to pick me up and take me to the site.

Kona Pawra came just as I was reaching the spot. He told me to wait till he poped inj the market. I thought I could grab some breakfast while he did that… breakfast quickly gobbled, not wanting to cause any delays, I sat on the bike ready to leave..A crowd of people gathered around me because of the side car… I had to answer all sorts of queries about myself and the bike.

At the rehabilitation site at Chikhli, I met Oarsing Guruji, Rahadya Pawra, Manglya Pawra, and Sukhlal Guruji. Between them they told me that they were shifted here in 2007

70 families have been allotted houses and farm plots…

of these12 from Bhadal Village, 3 from Atti, 2 from Udaddya and 1 from Sawariya… these 18 families have brought their building materials from the old house and rebuilt their houses.

The rest are living in transit camps on site for the past 3 years… these are made of tin sheets making them excellent ovens in summer months but kind of difficult to live in… there are no proper drains or sanitation facilities- for 3years… there has been no electricity- for 3years and no water connections to the houses- for 3years There are 4 hand pumps for 70 families, of which 3 have been broken- for the past 2years. There is no electricity as the person from whom the land was acquired had defaulted majorly on his electricity bills so the line was cut, the back log of payment remains to be cleared- for the past 3years.

The people who have built their own house were to be provided roof tiles by the government, they have not yet got them. Some went and bought their own so that they could shift in. The others are living with plastic sheets or hay on the roofs which is not a complete relief from the rain but they cant not live there as their belongings and other wood for further building is lying in the plot and if they were to live in the transit camp till the tiles arrived then their other belongings could be stolen.

The plots are a flat piece of land punctuated only by defunct electricity poles, and a very tall and a very dry water tank … what a striking contrast from the rolling lush green slopes of the Satpudas, the ample trees to collect fruit and honey and resin from, and the ever flowing Mother of rivers with it’s bounty full fish.

With such blazing precedents which sane person would want the rehabilitation package… nicely wrapped in paper that has corruption written all over and tied with a pretty bow of red tape?

Left for Badwani the NBA office in Madhya Pradesh… a 150 km journey that should have I taken me at the most 3 hours took me 7 hours …

I was really really worried about Rocinante, and praying this does not take a toll on it’s suspensions and front fork which takes the load of the sidecar… The Three Gorges Dam was still a long way.

But how much can I complain about the road or its non existence! While I inched along with deep furrows on my city bred forehead and expletives on my lips, I was amazed to see fellow riders with women and children, friends riding pillion with big smiles or in casual conversations.

Reached Badwani at 6:00 pm. The NBA office is a live-in office… everybody lives and works from there- from Medhatai to student interns to visitors. Asentered the office a French team that was making a film on the andolan was leaving the office, Shreekant another old acquaintance from the NBA greeted me over a pile of papers and files with a “Zindabad”(a customary greeting ) Medha Tai was on the phone, when she saw me she had a warm smile and with an approving nod pointed to a seat. She got up still in conversation about some irrigation canals, and got me a glass of water.

I freshened up had tea and started to crack the uploading of images on the blog with limited default software on the new laptop… which I had yet to figure (hence the first blog has only 2 images very high rez which took eons to upload)

Had a chat with Medha Tai about the current status, between talking to me, and on numerous phone calls including some from TV channels asking for comments, she was issuing instructions for what and how much to make for dinner. Shegave me some books and reports to go through. Later she tied me a Rakhi and rushed to the kitchen to cut cucumbers and tomatoes while we watched her on NDTV India arguing against the proposed amendments to the bill on land acquisition, and in favour of Development Planning Displacement and Rehabilitation Policy which was prepared by National Advisory Council.

Dinner was kadhi, khichadi and salad. After dinner Medha Tai before we knew it got busy doing the dishes, cleaning the mess of papers, clothes, folding mats …There were 12 of us -4 students from Tata Institute of Social Science, 2 from Delhi and other volunteers and full-timers- any of us could have done the chores she kept doing in her overstretched physical and mental faculties but she insisted… there was nothing that was of lesser importance.

images for Anjanwada and Bhitada visit on 27th

2010-08-28T10:01:00.000-07:00

2010-08-27T11:56:00.001-07:00

27^th Aug 2010

Rajendra Gunya Pawra came to pick me up at 7:00 am. We loaded a 40 litre diesel can into the side car and set off for Bilgaon. After negotiating 20 km of pockmarked and curvaceous roads we reached the hamlet. We parked the bike at a friend’s place and struggled down the valley with the diesel can to the bank of the river Uday (this further joins the Narmada). A boat that belongs to the NBA was to take us to the submerged Adivasi villages Anjanwada(30 km upstream on the Narmada) and Bhitada (15 km from Anjanwada). Shivlya the boatman (he should actually have been called Godot) arrived after my sweat drenched clothes had almost dried. We charged the boat with the diesel and began chugging on the river over submerged adivasi villages. Varvali, Busha, Sakarja, Sadri, Udadya were all now under water. The inhabitants of these villages were now all dispersed. Their rehabilitation embroiled in corruption and exploitation. After an hour and a half we reached Anjanwada. But all the villagers had gone away to offer prayers on some hill and would be back only at 3:00pm. We proceeded to Bhitada. Here we met the teacher of the Jeevan Shala Govind Guruji (Jeevan Shalas are boarding schools run by the NBA the only ones in these areas. There are 13 in all with a total strength of about1500 students. These kids receive books, uniforms, food, and education till the 5^th standard. It is strange that these kind of remote villages suddenly become visible on the map of India when there are mines to be dug or dams to be built but not when it comes to providing them education or electricity or health care) The villagers gathered in the school to chat, Nagarsingh Dhansingh told me that the village has 262 households- each having alteast 10 members. In 2006 when submergence came (due to the Sardar Sarovar Dam) 32 houses and their respective farms which were on the lower slopes went under water. The village Sarpanch (headman) Manya Khumsing said these families were offered rehabilitation in the neighbouring state of Gujarat but 19 in one place and 13 in another. Rail sing Loti who was one of the 19 joined in and told us that they all returned to Bhitada after 3 years as the land that they were given was low lying and each year it would get heavily waterlogged with the rains and all their crops would get destroyed.

Tarkya Pida from the other 13 group says they will not move till they are (all 32families) rehabilitated together at some location that is livable and conducive to farming.

Lunch : bajra rotis lentils and khichri very tasty.

We took our leave and left for Anjanwada hoping the villagers would be back… they were Khajabhai Supa, his elder brother Budhiya Supa Zhanzhadiya Mangtya, Lalsing Danya and some others were in fact waiting for us. Over really sweet black tea and freshly plucked cucumbers we started talking. Their village was affected by submergence much earlier in 1998, and they lost about 100 houses . 19 families took the rehabilitation package 3 years ago, 22more have been declared ‘eligible’ and the othe remaining 60 have been left with nothing. Kanjibhai is among the 22 but has refused rehabilitation as his other 5 five brothers have been offerd rehabilitation in Madhya Pradesh and he in Gujarat. The brothers have refused to move if they are not together.

It was getting late now it wa already 4:30pm We had a 90 minute boat ride and then a 40 minute ride back on the motor cycle, I was supposed to go back to Dhadgaon, load my luggage and continue on my journey. But by the time we got back it was almost 7 and the light was fading. It was risky to attempt the ride down the mountains in the dark so I stayed back.

2010-08-27T11:50:00.000-07:00

Jawaharlal Nehru the first Prime Minister of India was committed to a socialist model of economic policies. He favoured modernisation and was all for government participation and control of the key industries. The first five year plan outlined government spending in industrial and agricultural sectors, and for strengthening of the rural quarters. He reckoned dams were the ‘Temples’ of the resurgent India. My journey is a pilgrimage from one such temple in India -the Sardar Sarovar project to the Three Gorges dam in China.

This Journey has references to the many travels that were undertaken by heroes and legendry figures – journeys that changed the course of their lives. The short journey that Prince Siddharth Gautama took (on his horse Kanthaka) through the city of Kapilavastu when he saw the four sights changed his outlook towards life. Prince Siddhartha gave up his riches to embrace ascetism. The long youthful adventure By Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara round Latin America on his motorcycle (La Poderosa II) was an initial step towards realising the revolutionary in him.

My journey is perhaps more Quixotic than heroic but more than a journey from point A to B it is a journey towards myself.

That sounds good as a concept note!

But...I am neither an ‘adventurer’ nor a ‘biker’!! In fact I rode a bike after 23 years when I got it home from the show room… to top that I had never ridden a bike with a side car. Contrary to my belief, it was more difficult to maneuver and handle… and I barely got two days- to be precise an hour and a half on two mornings from 5:00 am to 6.30 am, to practice and get accustomed to the bike.

3-4 days before I set off on the trip, frankly I was really stressed and nervous… How could I have proposed this project? What was I thinking!!

My departure got postponed twice adding to my distress… I knew once I got on the road I would be alright.

23^rd Aug 2010

Left home at 6:15am

When I finally left, I drove for 10 hours with just 2 twenty minutes breaks… and that was my schooling… and I think I came through with flying colours! The roads were wide and smooth, and I got enough space to practice my maneuvers.

Total traveling time 10 hours, 416 Km.

Took a halt in Baroda, as I have now joined as visiting faculty and conducted classes for two days.24^th and 25^th

26^th Aug 2010

Left the M.S University at 6:30am

Mrugen an ex-student of the Faculty of Fine Art dropped me to the outskirts of the city. The road to Sardar Sarovar is called Pragati Path (Road to Progress). A beautiful road lined by thick trees that shed their golden yellow flowers on either side of the road. A road as appealing and alluring as it’s name.

I reached the dam site got my entry pass and drove to ‘View Point I’ The dam is big but it did not take my breath away… till I climbed on a hillock opposite ‘View Point III’ to look at the reservoir behind the wall. Though it affords only a glimpse of the huge catchment the thought of the sheer volume of the block of water behind the dam which currently stands at 121.92 meters, full to the brim was chilling.

Left for Dhadgaon which is the head office of the Narmada Bacchao Andolan (NBA) in Maharashtra by 11:00am .

Lunch at Akkalkua

I had 2 options to go to Shahada and then take the road up to Dhadgaon which meant 110 Kms... but an easy route up -hill or to take on the mountain at Akkalkua itself. That would mean only 60 km but a really tough road up. I decided to brave it as I knew I had to finally do the Himalayas !! Might as well face it now and learn! It was my absolute first experience on a mountainous terrain and to make matters worse two different groups of people saw me on the road and asked me if the bike would be able to take the steep gradients! I knew I had to treat this as my secondary school! The road was indeed indeed wicked but I managed and I think very well.

The sky was over cast throughout the day so luckily no sun and thankfully no rain either.

I was greeted at Dhadgaon by old friends and full timers with the NBA- Geetanjali, Yogini, Rewati and Chetan.

The motorcycle because of the side car drags to the left so I need to constantly balance this with a push by my right hand and a tug by the right… between making the side car behave it self and spotting the scraps of road between the potholes and staying on them, had my neck and shoulder muscles in knots. An old lady from the neighbor-hood was called to give me a rub. She made me wince in pain but relieved me of the aches. A warm bath was the icing. Incidentally it was Chetan’s birthday. We had a small cake cutting ceremony, dinner and we rushed to catch Medha Patkar on CNN IBN in a discussion about forced land acquisition. We called her up at 11:00 pm. She chided me for undertaking this project at such short notice.

She will be arriving in Barwani on the 27^th Aug and I hope to meet her on the 28^th when I reach there.