We were up early and pretty much ready to go…..the girls had had a wonderful time at the concert and they gave me their SD card so we could exchange photos we had taken over the past few days via my Macbook Pro….we were interrupted by the owner’s husband insisting that we come for breakfast….they had arranged it early for us. We had breakfast with Mario as he was also heading off early. Once we were back downstairs we packed the bike and there was the usual barrage of people wanting photographs…..like the paparazzi really! Some of the girls from dinner last night also came out to see us off……it is probably the most auspicious send off Vince and I have had. Lots of hugs and kisses from everyone….even strangers we just met…..surreal. When it came to say good bye to our adopted Indian family Juri was the first and we hugged each other hard for a long time before we both burst into tears…..that was the flood gate really as each in succession said their good byes and we shared our hugs and thoughts…..Roshni told me she will come to Australia soon…..Vince and Babu just hugged each other without a word…..a very emotional farewell.

Back on the road we got a little lost in the narrow one way streets….and at one point the GPS tried to take us down a steep flight of stairs? But eventually we were out of Shillong and back on the road towards Guwahati (although we would turn right about 16km before reaching the city, to head towards Dimapur). The road down was scenic and winding ….so Vince really enjoyed riding it. At the turning we met Papu who was waiting for us in Jurabat on his Royal Enfield 350 Bullet, to catch up for a coffee before we left. He took us to the Dichang Resort and we sat and chatted for a while. In the carpark the ANIMAL was in full flight doing her thing posing for the many photos her admirers just had to take from every angle…..one man and his four friends approached me and asked where we were from and he was profuse in his “Welcome to India….I wish you safe journey….if you have any difficulties just ask people will help you”. Papu used his phone for me to chat with Babu and let him know we were safe (I had promised to do this before we left at the family’s insistance) and I again thanked him for everything they have done for us and making India so special. He put me on to Roshni and I said hello and asked her how she was….to which she replied NOT GOOD…..I got a little alarmed and asked what the matter was……she said “you are not here…..we are all here remembering the moments with you and missing you so much”……..it brought a tear to my eye. Papu had a gift for us…..a Rhino Rider’s hat and badge which he presented to me…..but I told Vince I will share……we will put in on our display cabinet when we get home….where we keep all our special keepsakes.

Back on the road it took us around 6 hours to travel the 450km from Shillong to Dimapur, and for the most part the roads were pretty good……at one point the ANIMAL was able to find her head and hit the 100km mark…..something we haven’t been able to do for months due to the poor state of most roads and heavy traffic. We were both eager to go past Kaziranga National Park (it doesn’t officially open until Nov), where Babu assured us we would see Rhino, Elephant and Deer from the roadside…..if we were very lucky maybe even Bengal Tiger. Unfortunately, something went wrong with the route that Vince had imported into the GPS and it took us on a 70km shorter route into Dimapur but not via the Park. We had also hoped to stop in the tea gardens along the way….and Babu had given us instructions on how to talk with the Manager and maybe get to stay there…..but none of it was possible as we had taken the wrong road….disappointing but I guess some things are just not meant to be.

Along the way we saw a fleet of buses called KARENG……maybe I am related to the famous “Ghandi G” and I just don’t know it….haha! The area towards Nagaland is more rural and covered in very lush green jungle as well as having some cultivated areas…..rice mostly. In one section, near the Nagaon district, there were many many people on bikes and roadside stands selling coconuts and we also noticed a more marked military presence as we approached Nagaland. We have heard varying stories on troubles due to political issues between tribes people and that in some places there are curfews…..we will of course be careful. Babu had instructed us that if we have any difficulties we must call him immediately…. as he is connected to the Chief of Police in Guwahati who can assist us anywhere we are. Throughout India there are always police checkposts….but no one stops us….they just wave us through. We passed a few toll gates today….all abandoned.

As we rode along enjoying the ideal riding weather, we began to feel like we were back in Pakistan….with children along the roadside calling out and waving madly at us…..people smiling and waving as they passed us on the road etc…..people are much more friendly here in the North East. The ride was great in the countryside….no heavy traffic….just the usual animals (goats, cows, dogs and the occasional pig) and people (walking – usually carrying loads, on bikes, pushing carts etc) to dodge as they mill without a care on the roads…..no one gets upset…they just flow around things. We stopped briefly at a river just before Dimapur to release the wreath that Vince had been given at the Kamrup Kamakhya Temple, I think he was supposed to do it…but he didn’t want to leave the bike…so he asked me to do it….hopefully that’s okay. About 6km out of Dimapur we saw the sign showing our two next destinations….Imphal 219 and Moreh 329…..Myanmar here we come….not long now!

We rode into Dimapur with no real hotel destination in mind…..in Guwahati (the last time we had wifi) I had sent and email to a place called Hotel Lake Shilloi asking about secure parking but had not had a response. The address was in the laptop, which was in the top box, under our tyres….so we just rode into town bold as brass looking for a hotel……what did we see….the Hotel Lake Shilloi….and who’s 4×4 Landcrusier was in the garage….yep Claire and Emiel were here. I caught the eye of the security guard who came out and stopped the traffic so we could enter and when we got inside the garage….guess who else was already there….Mike with he and his father’s bikes! Aad (Art) had gone to get a replacement sprocket for Mike’s bike which had become damaged….so yahoo the gang are all together again without even trying! Now I know why the GPS took us away from Kazirenga and the Tea Gardens….this is where we were meant to stay tonight!

Soon after arriving Vince became very unwell with his own diagnosis of “Gut Rot”! He spent a very uncomfortable night up and down to the toilet and feeling very ill and weak…. so in the morning (25th Oct) we decide to stay another day so he could rest. It had been on the cards to stay a second night as Claire and Emiel had to go to a hospital to deal with the ongoing problem they have with some “bites” that won’t heal….three months now….and they are all getting much worse. Aad (Art) and Mike have had to do some work on Mike’s bike….and wanted haircuts (which I ended up giving them because Mike didn’t trust Indian hairdressers)…..so it worked out for all of us. Since we are so close to Myanmar, just days away, we have decided to travel together from this point on. Given the higher military build up we have seen, the obvious curfews in place with everything closing early….there is safety in numbers!

We woke up a bit late on the morning of the 22nd Oct, around 9.00am, due to having a late night the prior evening. Vince was very surprised when he routinely checked our email to see that Roshni had sent us a message that we could join them in Shillong after all…..a room with them had become available. So we quickly replied and got ourselves organised to have breakfast and pack up the bike….we would be meeting up with them at 10.00am. At around 10.20am we received a phone call to say they were running late and we were to meet them at a designated point (near a college and BOI ATM) so we set off and all met up…..very happy to see each other with lots of hugs and greetings all round and got to meet a close family friend, and local Rhino Rider, Saranjit Singh Bedi (Papu), who was also joining us. A small crowd had gathered around the ANIMAL with the usual rounds of photographs being taken.

We followed the two small vehicles that held the family and Yashraj Dutta, a male friend of Dickley’s (Rodali) down towards Shillong. Along the way we stopped at a Dharba (Sweet Day Restaurant) for some food and tea…..delicious. The ANIMAL as usual caused interest with the locals and again lots of photos being taken. Back on the road the 100km trip took about two hours to arrive in Shillong. It was much cooler and greener in Shillong (Meghalaya) compared with Guwahati (Assam) but the festivities for the Durga Puja were evident here too….despite it being a mostly Christian area. There was also a Mega Death concert going on over the next two days….the girls had extra tickets and had invited us if we wanted to attend but we politely declined the offer.

It took us a little time to finally locate our accommodation at the Aesthetics Home Stay…..the family were all in one room in one big bed and vince and I had a small room with two single beds…..it was very quaint. Once we settled in we all went for a walk to get some lunch at the Local Police Bazar….looking at the local sites along the way….lots of old Churches and crucifixes….a noticeable change from the temples and mosques we had now become accustomed to seeing. We had a Chinese Lunch at a well know local restaurant, Kim Poo. Babu and Papu are both Chefs and Babu has two restaurants of his own, so they were very deserning  about the food….and unfortunately not overly impressed on this occasion. After lunch we walked through the Police Bazzar and it was very interesting seeing all the local sites…..women preparing PAN (beetle nut) which is big in India, and particularly with the Khasi people here. I got to see the simple way the local Khasi women dress (usually 9 pieces of cloth but Roshni says many just use 5 now) in sharp contrast to the highly decorative, intricate and beautiful Sari’s the women from elsewhere were wearing (I fell in love with a red one with beautiful waterlily brocade trim that I had seen a woman wearing in Guwahati…..our Western clothes are so boring!).

Papu is a real character…..smokes, drinks and uses Beetlenut! Juri says he is such fun and very spontaneous. He is a long term family friend and was instrumental in convincing the parents of the couple to let them marry despite their differing religions. Even though the community is currently dry due to the Durga Puja and Concert he somehow managed to get Whiskey and a Beef kebab for us to all share back at our hotel…..he is a naughty one!

At our hotel, around 8.00pm, we had a lovely dinner….the owner (Aunty) is also a Chef…..so the food we have been having over the last few days has been simply out of this world! At dinner we met a German traveller, Mario, who works in IT so Vince and he had much in common to chat about. It also turned out that he had met our host family whilst travelling back on the train from Darjeelling….small world indeed!

On the morning of the 23rd we headed off to Cheerapunjee, just for a day trip. The 60km took us a about an hour and a half. The girls and their mother stayed behind, but with Papu at the wheel, Babu, Vince, Baba and I head off on our intrepid adventure. Baba had taken a real shine to Vince….who had been teaching him some Karate moves and Kata’s…so he stuck to him like glue. Along the road we saw our friends 4×4 (Claire and Emiel) coming from the other direction…..Vince shot his arm and head out the window waving at them….but they carried on so we didn’t stop. Just a few km further on we saw Mike and Aad (Art’s) bikes by a small roadside store…they had stopped for a drink. So we pulled over and introduced everyone. I took Baba by the hand and showed him the bikes…..his eyes were are big as dinner plates. We explained that Mike would be famous as the youngest to circumnavigate the globe by motorbike….I think this was bit of a thrill for the little boy and he stood close to Mike. We took a few photos and each went our separate ways…..we anticipate catching up with our riding friends in a few days time as we all head for Myanmar.

They call Cheerapunjee the Scotland of the East, it is claimed to be the “Rainiest Place on Planet Earth”. We passed a lookout area across the valley where they were doing Zip Lining. Vince and I had tried this when we were in South Africa early in 2014 and it was great fun. We watched a few dare devils giving it a go and it was quite entertaining. We drove past Elephant Falls, Wah Kaba Falls and Nohkalikai Falls on our way to the Mawsmai Nongthymmai Eco Park. Unfortunately, the mist had rolled in and we could not actually see any of these spectacular sites….in one instance I could hear the falls….but see nothing. Vince had also been overtaken by travel sickness so spent the majority of the time in the car with his head on my lap in the back seat…..not much fun. We stopped at a pharmacy and got him some tablets but they were only of marginal assistance. However, he was able to enjoy our traditional Khasi lunch which was delicious. I managed to visit the toilet at this stop…..always a challenge for us girls on the road……and it cost me 5IRN to walk along a dirt track to a tin hut and a squat toilet….thankfully there was some running water from a hose and bucket……I have seen worse! Vince and Baba went off exploring and were gone so long that when it was time to go I had to go search by calling like a fish wife for them….without luck. Papu and Babu teased me that “our children” were out of control! He explained that Baba being the youngest, and only boy, gets spoiled with all the love from the other 4 family members.

On the road back we stopped at a roadside stall where local organic vegetables were being sold by the Khasi women…..there mouths and teeth were all stained with red……Papu explained this is due to the Beetle nut (Pan – but it is called something else in these parts). Some of the women were shy and did not want pictures taken….but others were happy for me to take some snaps….especially as we were buying from them. A bit further on we stopped again and I bought a hand of small banana’s ….they were absolutely delicious…..I have been hankering so much for fresh fruit!

Back at the hotel we spent a long time talking with Babu and he shared some of his recipes with us…..I should have written them down….but I was just so enthralled with the animation and passion with which he described the preparation of each dish….obviously a great love! He said several times that when we get back to Australia we must being planning to come back to India….he gave us lots of suggestions of good times of year and things we can see with him when we return. We said that it will all depend on time and money….but we are open to one day coming back to India and Assam in particular. We would also like to see more of Rajasthan and the South of India, like Kerala…..one day. We also encouraged him to think of coming to Australia for a visit.

We had a lovely dinner at the hotel and it was a guest’s (Joanne) 29th birthday….so Aunty had made a beautiful cake and we all sang Happy Birthday. We met a group of mostly younger women (who had come for the Megadeath concert) at dinner who were keen to find out about our travels (Aunty had told them) and it was interesting to hear about their lives and careers……a retired school teacher told us about the Rhino Riders here in India…..so we were pretty chuffed that we already had a sticker!

Papu had decided to head back to Guwahati for a Puja party, on impulse, so we said our farewells and he gave us a Rhino Riders sticker…which he had carefully removed from his own car….to put on the ANIMAL. Back at our room, Mario came to visit the family to exchange contact details…. as he may end up in Guwahati at some point….and I gave him a kiss and a hug good bye…..he then told me wasn’t going until after breakfast tomorrow….so Vince and Babu laughed and teased me that I just wanted to get in an extra kiss (haha).

Vince and I packed ready for our morning departure tomorrow, after breakfast, and had a fairly early night….he was still not feeling the best after his motion sickness. Hopefully he will feel better in the morning.
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Due to the difficulties in finding accommodation in Shillong online last night….our decision was to have another day in Guwahati and to try to catch up with our new friends we met at the zoo in Darjeeling, Rupam Saikai (nickname Babu) and his 23 year old daughter Roshni (nickname Ko). We had sent an email last night telling them of our change of plans but had not heard back so thought we may end up with a very quite day…..but we were pleasantly surprised around 9.30am when we received word they would come to meet us at 10.00am at our hotel. We had no idea what was in store…..but what an adventure we had!

It was so lovely to see them again and they greeted us so warmly….like we had known each other for years…it felt just like being in Pakistan again. They pointed out the local sites as we passed in their car…such as the Assam Legend’s monument, the Gate where the British first arrived and the various Puja’s set up for the celebrations from 20th -24th October for Durga Puja. Roshni explained that this is when the Goddess Parvati/Sati (wife of Shiva and mother of Ganesh) comes to earth each year in the form of Durga (with 10 heads and 10 arms) and she is very powerful and even killed the devil. The temple they were taking us to, Kamrup Kamakhya (named for the presiding deity, Goddess Kamakhya), is the most sacred shrine for Parvati/Sati, as it is where her reproductive parts fell when Lord Shiva carried her body over India in his grief after she died and it fell in 21 parts. The temple is closed for a month each year when the sacred water turns red ….this has been investigated as a miracle as no one can explain it.

We stopped at some lookout points on the way up the hill (Nilachala) to the temple and we saw the small island sitting in the Brahmaputra River, where the Goddess Sati and Lord Shiva first met and came together….it was very romantic. There were many other temples along the way….some with strange entrances such as a crocodile mouth.

The Durga Puja festival is huge in India and we were very fortunate to be at this particular temple on the special day that they honour small girls (pre pubescent) as they believe that the goddess resides in them….so they are pampered and treated like goddesses for the day. The place was so crowded, and a feast of colour and spectacle as far as the eye could see. The atmosphere was highly charged with excitement and yet at the same time strangely tranquil.

There were people everywhere….it was so interesting….beggars, holy men, widows and pilgrims from all over india in a kaleidoscope of colour and form in their magnificent traditional clothing….. usually specially purchased new for the Puja. Roshni explained the significance of the red, yellow and white themes as this is what the Goddess would wear.

The walkway towards the temple had many colourful stalls selling offerings and our host, Rupam, had surreptitiously already organised what we needed….females have to give the offerings for their families to receive blessings…. so Roshni and I had important work to do and I was to just follow her lead. There was a red scarf which would need to be tied around an idol of the goddess inside the temple …she needs to wear it….and there is incense to burn and sweets and food to offer. A little further along we had to take off our shoes and someone took them to store for us before we entered the temple complex…..this proved most exciting when we tried to retrieve them later….as I could have chosen from a series of beautiful and intricate shoes offered to me….none of which were mine!

Inside the complex, it was very crowded….the line for the entrance was massive….some people had been waiting since very early morning to get in. We saw some people placing coins on a statue of Ganesh, others were breaking coconuts in a special place….this is also a type of offering. There were animals being sacrificed…..Vince watched this but I soon scurried away when I realised what was happening….thankfully I was spared from seeing the actual events due to the crowds and my short height (there had to be a benefit to being short eventually)….but the sounds of goats bleating, smell of fresh blood, and seeing entrails being hung above the crowd’s heads on hooks on the wall was quite sufficient for me to understand. Vince told me they say a mantra and then the head is severed in one blow from a very sharp cycle shaped blade. Today it was goats, but they also had an area for buffalo that happens on other days! The head and some blood is taken into the temple and offered to the Goddess and placed at the shrine we would later circle. There were many goats of all kinds, as well as sheep and birds throughout the temple grounds…..some of these were gifts and would live at the temple and some would be sacrificed after being washed in the sacred pool.

Roshni took us down to a sacred pool where Vince and I followed her lead in washing our feet and hands before offering a prayer. We then were blessed and had a small red dot put on our foreheads by a priest. Next we proceeded to walk around the temple in a clockwise direction. Along the way we met some of Rupam’s friends, a high court judge, his wife and mother so we chatted a while. As we proceed further we saw an area where people were making offerings and ringing bells. Back at the entrance we met a Brahman priest who would guide us through the temple and instruct us along the way on what to do. He would recite the mantras and prayers in Ancient Sandscript for us to repeat. On our VIP tickets, our hosts had organised, we had special privileges including a fast track entrance into the temple.

It was very hot inside…even with fans on….and very crowded…we slowly weaved our way around a shrine to the Goddess (showing 10 Heads and 10 Arms) and into a little alcove to turn around. Our Brahman gave us flowers which we had to throw into the shrine after repeating the mantras and prayers he was saying….I did my best but the words were very difficult for me as I had never heard this language before. Next we were led down into the actual place were the body parts fell…..it was very very dark and the staircase hewn into the rock going steeply down was narrow and difficult to negotiate…at one point I became wedged as the space for the two lines going down and up narrowed and a lady with large hips came past….but a quick sideways manoeuvre managed to free me….she was unperturbed by the whole thing….personal boundary space is a none issue in India due to the density of population. At the bottom a priest instructed me to kneel down and take some of the sacred water and wash my face and then put a little in my mouth…I did this trying hard to dismiss any thoughts of potential health risks. He asked my name and then gave me a blessing. I made my way back up the staircase and at the top our Brahman presented me with a red and gold shawl and a pomegranate. Vince got a larger shawl and a special ivy type wreath placed around his neck….this had to be released at a later time into a body of water (NB we did this on 24.10.2015 at the river just before Dimapur). We found it a magical experience and very unique….we felt very privileged to have been allowed to participate in this very holy and sacred ritual….even though we are obviously not Hindu.

Outside we again had to circle the temple in a clockwise direction and then we had some photos taken….during which time a very large black goat took a shine to me and wanted to photobomb! He was friendly enough ….no horns involved this time thankfully….unlike my earlier Varanasi encounter with a bull. We met a local family whose children were quite fascinated with us (I’m fairly certain we were the only Westerners there) so we took some pictures together and they allowed me to photograph their daughter’s hands which had been highly decorated in henna.

After we left the temple we headed for the new home that the Saikia family are building. Rupam has designed and planned it all….and it has been a long journey punctuated with difficulties, including some very serious health issues he has overcome…..such a strong and determined man. You can see the love in the home already in the customisation and design for each of his family members. It will be a “palace” when it is complete, hopefully before the end of the year. He explained the third floor will be a fully self contained apartment….. so we can stay there not “IF” but “WHEN” we “come back to India (Assam)” …..he is so sweet.

Next we were taken to their current house and meet the rest of the family….who had been busy calling frequently….. enquiring when we were coming, as they were all so excited to meet us…..it made us feel so special and wanted. Rupam’s wife (Juri), middle daughter (Rodali 16yrs – nickname Dickley) and young son (Randip 9yrs – nickname Baba) were just as loving and welcoming as the rest of this beautiful Indian family. We all enjoyed a delicious home cooked lunch around 3.00pm and chatted long into the evening…when I admired some photos displayed around the room, we suddenly found ourselves sharing stories and family photograph albums. The family is very unique as Rupam is Hindu and his wife is Muslim….so they had quite an exciting love story to share. Juri and I sat and talked for ages about all kinds of things…..and I felt that we really connected with each other. The two girls even straightened my hair for me when I complained about my “side show Bob” look……we all had such fun! Although Vince and I love our travel and feel so fortunate to be able to see the world, the cost is being away from our family….but most of the time we try to push that aside and live in the moment to make the most of our adventure and avoid getting too homesick…..however, our evening surrounded in the bossom of this lovely family left us both quite homesick for our own blended family (5 children and 5 grandchildren (and one on the way)).

The family also presented us with special hand embroidered towel which is a traditional custom to welcome new guests. They are going to Shillong tomorrow and wanted us to come too….phone calls to contacts were made but even they could not pass the accommodation hurdle for us….everything was just booked out…..we were all a bit disappointed but I was quite philosophical about it ….if it was meant to be it would have happened.

Quite late….around 10.30pm we all went out for dinner after taking a drive past the many colourfully lit up Puja’s. Back at our hotel the children wanted to see the ANIMAL so we went and uncovered her….and they even got to sit on her….just this once we have broken our rule not to let anyone other that Vince and myself sit on the bike….but it felt so right and natural in that moment….a small but special treat we could give to them after their enormous generosity and hospitality all day. We had tried to pay our way several times and each time we were firmly rejected and told we would cause offence……we have heard this before…….India and Pakistan may not be as different as some people think. Incredibly welcoming, generous and hospitable!

It has been the most Incredible day……but again it is the people who have made all the difference and this wonderful family have made India very special for us….we are so lucky to have met them.

We wanted an early start to try to avoid as much of the hectic and crazy traffic as we could. So we were up early…no breakfast, bikes packed and taken carefully out of the narrow little doorway up to the street level from our secure underground parking. We were on the road with Aad (Art) and Mike by 6.50 am…..traffic was already crazy in Varanasi.

Our GPS took us on the shortest route via NH29 and then NH84 -basically straight East, sometimes along the Ganga (Ganges) and it took eight hours total to cover approx 260km, including 1 X 50 minute lunch stop, 2 X quick refuelling stops and 2 X 10 minute drink stops. The first drink stop had us totally surrounded by locals ….so although I bought things to eat (coconut biscuits 10INR and 2 packs of chips10INR) and drink (1L Water and a 600ml Pepsi 60INR total) there… we moved on a bit further down the road to actually consume them….we still drew attention and a crowd, but much less marked! Lunch was interesting…choice was NIL…basically one pot of what looked like grasshoppers….Vince ordered some….I passed. In fact he ended up with a Thali (including the “grasshopper” dish) and Aad (Art) ordered fried rice….not what actually came….2 incongruous curry dishes… along with some chapattis…. it cost us a total of 1000IRN – which we paid equally between us. They guys couldn’t speak much English but they were apt at taking photos….including of us eating…….this is what fame must be like….no boundaries or privacy anywhere!

The roads were a mix of rural and town/village, and the villages were very heavily congested and at times dangerous for us. Shoulder-to-shoulder riding in the villages with a bit of argy-bargy mixed in for good luck…it even tried Vince’s saintly patience more than once! At times we were riding on the road shoulder to get around long lines of vehicles caught up in the congestion. Road surfaces were generally sealed, although not always – and freshly sealed in many places – but that makes no difference to the standard of driving here in India….so far I have to say they are the “worst drivers in the world”….that we have experienced. Sometimes, the roads were so bad that it was difficult to find the area around the pot holes, at others it was just dirt and rock…..the frequent speed bumps and pot holes around the place also caused a few problems…..I guess I don’t really need that spine anyway….and after I find myself either airborne or thumped and shuddered up my spine, the spare tyres we are carrying belt into my back for extra good measure….who needs a Chiropractor? I was hot, sweaty and very uncomfortable…..this is a honeymoon right?

The pollution in India is off the scale and we find ourselves constantly coughing and our eyes stinging! The smells are very unique and I don’t think Chanel or Estee Lauder will be wanting to “bottle” the fragrance anytime soon…..there is rotting rubbish EVERYWHERE, that the animals eat….including the sacred cows! India is a very unsanitary and dirty and I feel sorry for the many starving, mangey dogs I’ve seen.

Along the way, we saw the usual cows, buffalos, goats and chickens… some monkeys, a flock of sheep (unusual)…there were a few donkeys who had either their front feet or opposing legs tied together (maybe to stop them wandering) but they didn’t look very happy about it. The highlight was my first look at an Elephant having a drink by the roadside. The downside was seeing a calf foetus that had been expelled onto the road….there has been a lot of road kill we have seen in the past few days since leaving Agra……but this was something different.

I have to admit that, despite my best efforts, I am finding it difficult to warm to India….and last night I was looking through my photos for an article I am writing for a sports company on adventure travel in Pakistan…..and it was so beautiful….especially in the Northern Area…..I miss Pakistan! Hey, maybe the best of India is yet to come………?

Footnote from Vince:

The riding here in India is absolutely manic – no denying it – but I’d sooner be riding in India then spending a day in the office, and that’s a fact 🙂

We packed early, paid our bill (6400INR – 2300INR per night plus food) and after a yummy breakfast Mike, Aad (Art), Vince and I said farewell to our new friends at Kunjpur Guest House, Sharmila, Sheesheila and Mr Nigan….and more…. unfortunately I can’t remember all their names???

We were on the road around 8.15am and the 130km trip to Varanasi took around 3 hours. There was lots of road kill the past two days…..mostly dogs, with some goats etc…..but today I saw my first dead cow on the road……wouldn’t want to be that person…..cows are sacred in India. The GPS took us to our hotel but the narrow busy road was manic to say the least…….all manor of vehicles, trucks, bikes, motorbikes, tuk-tuk’s, cars, horse and bullock drawn carts and of course a multitude of pedestrian traffic. Our arrival did not go unnoticed and the ANIMAL was quickly surrounded by admirers. A bit of a tussle to find the correct parking for our hotel (someone was trying to get us to use a different paid parking area) and before we knew it we were all securely parked (a small elderly man with a very large stick and uniform on guard) and our luggage was taken up to our room. After the palatial home of Mr Nigan this noisy, small, smoke smelling room was a bit of a let down, considering it costs more….2800INR per night. But a COLD, refreshing shower made all the difference!  Not!

My adventure jacket zipper has again broken …..been that way for several weeks now…..so we asked if there was anyone who could repair it. The front desk were most helpful….sending a staff member with us to show us the way along the many narrow streets to a small area where a man sat at an old Singer sewing machine. He spoke no English but I quickly showed him the problem and he directed me to a nearby shop where a young man immediately put on new parts to my zip in minutes and charged us only 60IRN….bargain! He also told us we should go to Sarnath, whilst we are visiting here.

Back at our hotel we had a bit of lunch and then met up with Aad (Art) and Mike to go for a walk to the nearby Ghatt. We are staying very near the Dashashwamedh Gatt, the main one in Varanasi on the Ganges River, but we ended up next to it at Dr Rajendra Prasad Ghat. Closeby is the Vishwanath Temple – there are two Hindu Legends about it, one says Lord Brahma created it to welcome Lord Shiva and the other other says Lord Brahma sacrificed 10 horses during Dasa. It is only 0.7km from our hotel…so we walked through the colourful local market…..continually trying to avoid the many people trying to sell us something…….it really made us feel like ATM’s. Before too long we got our first view of the Ganges and then began to walk along the river passing various Ghat’s along the way until we reached Maha Smashana (the Big Burning Ghat).

Here we met Sandjee, who is a “volunteer” ….he told us we were not permitted to take photos, but was happy to explain to us what was going on and was a wealth of knowledge. Mike and Aad (Art) declined his invitation but Vince and I embraced the moment and when ahead.

In the Hindu religion cremation is one of the rites of passage to Nervana, and the Ghats (a long stretch of steps down to the water) of Varanasi are considered one of the most holy locations. The Manikarnika and Harishchandra Ghats are dedicated to the cremation ritual. Sandjee explained that there are 4 sections ….due to the caste system in India…the four classes are the Brahmins (priestly people), the Kshatriyas or Rajanyas (rulers, administrators and warriors), the Vaishyas (artisans, merchants, tradesmen and farmers) and the Shudras (labourers and poor). It takes over 110Kg of wood from the mango and banyan trees (sandlewood may be used for Brahmins but is very expensive) to burn a body and it takes 3 hours. Sometimes families choose to have the cremation elsewhere and bring the ashes to the Ganges river for dispersion. He told us that the family must first get permission and this is reliant on how the person died, as only those who die of natural caused can be cremated at the Ghat…..if they were murdered or died in an accident, they have to have a cremation at a gas crematorium instead. He showed us the various areas for each cast and some bodies were burning, and waiting to burn, whilst we were there…..burning occurs 23 out of 24 hours. There are workers who collect the ashes and wash them out in a basket in the Ganges….they collect any jewellery and sell it at the markets and the money comes back to buy wood for the poor and dying at the two hospices set up by Mother Teresa. We were shown through these and donated some money (enough for about 4 kg of wood (650INR per Kg) to help the poor dying people). We met 2 nurses there who gave both Vince and I a blessing each. We were also shown the 3000 yr old sacred flame of Lord Shiva and were given a blessing of ash on our foreheads.

The best time to visit the ghats is at dawn as pilgrims come to perform puja to the rising sun, and at sunset when the main ganga aarti (river worship ceremony) takes place at Dashashwamedh Ghat.

Not content with just this, Sandjee menouvered us to go and see the Kamasutra Temple with Lord Shiva….it was only 20INR each…..and it was quite interesting…..although some of those positions do look very painful…..Sandjee says some are dangerous and only for Yogi’s who are very flexible. He was going to take us to see the Kasha Vishwanath Temple (Golden Temple) dedicated to Lord Shiva, the presiding deity of the city. ….but we didn’t have our passports with us and they won’t let you in due to prior terrorist bombings without ID.

Sandjee told us about the 300 hand loom workers at the Gyaneshwar Silk Industries, who make sharis and pashminas beyond belief, but even after we told him we don’t buy souvenirs…. he lead us there to see the Lord Shiva shrine for the workers…..but really is was a “please sit down on these cushions madam and we will show you” ….ahhhhh No thanks! I quickly exited before Vince had even finished taking his shoes off to come in. We paid Sandjee 500INR for his help….but when he started saying to me …”and something from your hand Aunty”…..I told him that I had already given at the hospice…which he accepted. We were happy to donate initially but we were beginning to feel a bit like dollar signs. Sandjee told us we should come back tonight at 7.00pm for Ganga Aarti (river worship ceremony – the Mother Ganges Ceremony) – we thanked him but said we needed to go back and meet up with our friends.

We walked back along the river and exited an earlier Ghat to return to the market place…..being continually hounded along the way for boat, tuk-tuk, rikshaw, postcards, offerings and all manner of other merchandise…..we did buy a bottle of cold water…..but on the way back home we walked alongside one of the many cows that roam feely around and as I passed it chose to gore me with it’s horns….TWICE…. in my right breast….it really hurt and made me cry as I jumped out of the way before it got a third in. Vince took me back to the hotel ….followed by many tuk-tuk and rikshaw drivers offering their services. Back at the hotel, I was able to check things out and thankfully no serious damage done…..but running with the bulls is definitely not on the bucket list!

I am an animal lover …but for some reason the local animals don’t seem to like me much…..yesterday I “accidentally” met a Cobra that could have given me a heart attack….. but luckily it didn’t pop it’s head out….I was shocked enough by the fact the basket the young boy was thrusting towards me had “a snake” in it and high tailed it out of there into our tuk-tuk as fast as I could…….but today I was just minding my own business and look what happened…..so I guess it’s a case if the Cobra’s don’t get you the cows will!

**** Footnote – it’s too late after the event to read online about the “Varanasi burning ghat scam” – we should have known better 🙁

The six of us set off early around 7.00am from Delhi to try and avoid the manic traffic as best we could. Aad (Art) and Mike set off at their own pace and would catch up at our Home Stay. The 4×4 went in convoy with the ANIMAL. We had the pleasure of seeing the sunrise over India…..despite the dense pollution haze everywhere…..surprisingly there was still quite a lot of traffic on the road even at the early hour. We had about 6 or 7 toll booths to go through and this took a little time to get through. We managed to work out how to pay for our trip and that we just had to show the receipt at subsequent toll booths – initially we thought we might have to pay at each station.

Whenever we had to stop and wait the ANIMAL caused great interest from locals and a few people wanted us to stay for photos etc…..but we had to keep up with our convoy…. so where we could we obliged but when we had to go….we had to go. At one point we found ourselves engulfed by about 40 motorbikes…..very cool…..people waving, giving the thumbs up etc. A way further down we had a sports bike rider try to get us to pull over on the expressway for photos….but we had to keep up with the 4×4 ahead as Claire and Emiel were relying on our GPS when we got to Agra …so we couldn’t let them down……and let’s face it pulling up on an expressway is not safe! We later got a bit of a telling off by email from the rider concerned (he must have got our address from our stickers on the panniers) but hey you can’t please everyone all the time. I think people forget that although they are just one person and its just one photo…..that we have a whole day of it and we can’t just stop our own schedule to suit a photo that they want….nor will we do something that is dangerous like stopping unnecessarily on an expressway. So sorry to disappoint….we are friendly and try to accommodate where we can…..but that’s just life.

We had a little bit of trouble navigating through to our Indian Home Stay – Sri Radha Krishna Kunj 73 Sector 2 Vibhav Nagar, Agra and a one point the GPS took us into some very narrow streets, where we were completely surrounded by locals – literally about 8 deep…..I was so worried that Vince may run over a child as they kept crowding in and when we were riding they would run along side the bike shouting excitedly. The 4×4 got some “local help” to end up reversed into an open sewer…..not much fun….but thankfully what they thought was tyre tred falling off was just a black plastic bag stuck to the wheel…Phew! In another attempt to find our accommodation, we found ourselves only about 500m from away….but we could not find it. Eventually a helpful Tuk Tuk driver let us follow him (for 200INR) and led us to the right place….where we were welcomed with open arms by our Hindu hosts, Anil and his wife (Sunjay?).

On 3rd Oct, I booked a tour for Vince and I (the others didn’t want to come due to expense)….this time checking that the details advertised were indeed accurate. It wasn’t cheap (4800INR each) but that included the driver, parking, fuel, car hire, Guide, entrance fees (750INR for Taj most other places 250INR or 300INR if you go on the same day) and lunch…..so we were ok with that. We got collected at 6.00am to see the sunrise over the Taj Mahal. Vince had been moved when he first saw it alone a few years ago and was eager to share it with me on our honeymoon…….a very special day and a dream come true for us both. The line was very long….and basically 4 lines, 2 women and 2 men. The men’s line moved exceedingly fast and I saw Marino (one of the Italian 4×4 drivers from Pakistan) pass me….along with Emiel, Aad (Art) and Mike…. who all came long after me. The other line was for local women and it moved slower than both men’s lines but also much faster than the foreigner women’s line I was in…….always good to know your place! I waited in the heat and confined space for at least 50min (I didn’t start timing straight away) but had the opportunity to watch the antics of the monkeys who entertained us by running up and down the tarpaulin awning above our heads.

Vince and our Guide, Fazian (23yrs), had a long wait inside for me…..but eventually I got to security and once the Guard realised that my lip balm was not a lighter…I was finally reunited. I have to admit the wait was so worth it…..it was quite an emotional moment for me seeing the Taj Mahal for the very first time….even if we had missed the sunrise due to my delay…the peace and tranquility was evident despite the massive crows of people. Our Guide was very informative and we had a photo taken on the famous seat where Princess Diana sat for that iconic photo.

Shahabuddin Muhammad Shah Jahan (5 January 1592 – 22 January 1666), also called Emperor Shah Jahan (r.1628-58) built the Taj Mahal in memory of his favourite and third wife, Arjumand Banu Begum (also called Queen Mumtaz Mahal) upon her death in 1631. Constructed of brick and faced in India’s finest marble, quarried at Makrana near Jodhpur, it took 12 years to build involving 20,000 craftsmen from all over Asia. No slaves were used to build it as the Emperor Shah Jahan wanted only love in each piece. The tomb and other buildings are set around a garden divided into four by raised walkways with central water channels. The domed white marble mausoleum stands on a plinth with tapering outward tilted minarets on each corner. There is a high recessed arch or ‘pishtaq’ at the centre of each of the building’s four facades; each central niche is flanked by small double arches.  It’s harmonious and symmetrical proportions and high quality of its craftsmanship have made the Taj Mahal one of the most famous and most photographed buildings in the world. It was truly breathtakingly beautiful to behold.

Fazian explained all about the symmetry and the meanings for the inlay designs, such as the double hearts in the actual tomb. He also explained that what we were seeing was really a copy of the tombs, the real ones are underneath in a lower chamber and in fact the bodies are buried in graves below that. The actual tomb is only opened once a year. He said that “Taj” means pearl facing the sky and it is made entirely of translucent white marble that changes colour in different light. Its walls are decorated with exquisite pietra dura (stone inlay) work…..this involves many small pieces of gemstones such as carnelian, lapis lazuli, turquoise and malachite (and others I can’t remember) arranged in complex floral designs hand set into the marble…Fazian explained that the gems come from 7 different countries (but I can’t remember which). We saw the foundations of the Black Taj Mahal across the river….white being the purity and love and black being the sadness and dispair that followed the death of his wife. He was Muslim and she was his third wife, but the only one he married for love, the others were for political advantage. She bore him 14 children in 18 years of marriage…..but only 6 survived, 4 boys and 2 girls. One of the boys killed his 3 brothers and imprisoned his father…..not very nice! Fazian told us that linage goes Emperor Akbar (3rd Mughal Emperor),  Emperor Jahangir (4th Mughal Emperor), Emperor Shah Jahan (5th Mughal Emperor) and his cruel son, Emperor Abdul Mjzaffar Muhi-ud-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb (14 October 1618 – 20 February 1707), commonly known as Aurangzeb Alamgir (6th Mughal Emperor). It really was quite fascinating to make the connections. The Taj Mahal is everything they say it is…..a very special experience I will treasure always and shared with my husband. Vince said he would to build me a Taj Mahal……I said but “do I have to die first?”……he replied “Oh….we can leave that part out”…..glad about that one!

We stopped off at Costa Coffee and grabbed a drink and a muffin – as we had not eaten…and our Guide shared photos of his motorbike and also his girlfriend (of 2 years), who is a fashion design student of very short shorts….Vince said if that was his daughter he would not let her out of the house in those shorts! Then we set off for the next attraction, enroute our Guide stopped off to show us a local family who despite their poverty and live on the street, do not beg….they make pots to sell…..and even the potters wheel is moved by hand….true craftsman handed down from generation to generation…..our guide gave them a 100INR gift….and they insisted on giving us a small pot as a gift…..we have little space but I will find some room for this little treasure!

Next we travelled 46km out to the East to see the Fatehpur Sikri, or Ghost City. It was the palace of Emperor Akbar for a time….as he wanted to be near the Religious Man who blessed him….he had four wives but only one was married for love and she gave him a son. She was Hindu, and her palace was the biggest in the complex….right next to his. We saw his KING sized bed and the bats that are responsible for the noised in the Ghost City at night. It was very hot outside but inside the palaces was very cool. Fabian explained the water cooling system to us. He also told us about Akbar’s favourite elephant, that he bought for 4600 horses. When the elephant died he build a monument tower to it and buried it beneath…..I found it a bit confusing because the tower is decorated with elephant ivory tusks sticking out…..a bit bizarre to me if you loved elephants. Fabian gave us good advice about avoiding the many hawkers around, and arranged for us to be picked up from our bus (cars are not allowed at the top of hill so we had to take a mini bus) at an alternative point to avoid the tourist throng.

We then went to the “office” to pay for our tour….and met Mr Amin, the owner. I did look and have a feel of some of the pashminas he had in his shop….as Fazian had told me the real ones come only from the beard of the goat….but at 2500INR (A$50) I didn’t buy one. Next it was off for lunch and we could choose from the full range on the menu, including drinks at Indiana’s. Before we knew it, it was back to our hotel for a little break until the evening. Back at the homestay both Faizan (Guide) and Shahid (Driver) had a photo with the ANIMAL.

We got picked up at 4.30pm to visit the Agra Fort from where the Mughal Emperor governed the whole country. The fort has 3 gates, the one we entered through (West) a river gate which is now blocked off, and an East Gate that is only used by the military. Only 25% of the site is open to the public ….the rest is military. Fazian showed us the Shish-Mahal (Glass Palace) built from 1631-40 AD, where the queen would bathe. It has beautiful glass (mirror) mosaic and only Eunuchs and women would be allowed in. It is not open to the public. We also saw the Muthamman Burj (Sha-Burj & Jharokha – 1632-4- AD) where Shah Jehan could have a full view to the East of the Taj Mahal during the 8 years of his imprisonment (1658-1656) there, and where he died. His body as later taken by boat to the Taj Mahal to join his beloved wife. The crypt is the only asymmetrical place in the Taj Mahal….as the Queen is the centre given that the palace was initially only built for her. Emperor Akbar (Emperor from Fatehpur Sikri (Ghost City) and Shah Jahan’s grandfather) originally built it from red stone and used it for Darshan and sun worship everyday at sunrise. Emperor Jehangir (Shah Jahan’s father) also used it as Jharokha. He also added his Adl-i-zanjir (chain of justice) on its south side. The name Muthamman-Burj is due to the octagonal shaped towers. Vince and I were reminded of the beautiful palaces we had seen in Esfahan and Shiraz, in Iran. We also saw Emperor Jahangir’s Hauz, a circular bowl shaped monolithic tank, 5ft high, 8ft in diameter and 25ft circumference. It was made in 1610 for 4th Mughal Emperor Jahangir to use as a bath and could be moved around for the Harem.

We then went to Mehtab Bagh (Full Moon Gardens) on the river opposite the Taj Mahal) to take some sunset photos…..I have included a number at the end of the photo strip….one has had a special effect applied…..can you guess which one?

We asked Faizan to stop off and get some “Petha” – a melon and syrup desert unique to Agra, that he told us about…..so that we could take it back to the homestay for everyone. They also stopped and got us some beer and breezers. We gave both our Guide, Faizan, and our Driver, Shahid, a 500INR tip each – as after our Delhi experience it was lovely to have such good service in a very comfortable car with a careful and thoughtful driver.

There are a few other attractions in Agra that it would be great to experience – such as Akbar’s Tomb (Sikandra), Etimad-ud-Daula, The Baby Taj, Jama Mosque, Kinari Bazaar and a live Show “Mohabbat the Taj” at Kalakriti Cultural & Convention Centre. But somehow I don’t think we will have the time for those….who knows! It had been a great day sight seeing!

The 4th and 5th were really chill out and chore days….route planning, washing, catching up on emails, downloading and sorting photos and videos……the work of a traveller never ends! On the evening of the 4th Vince and I watched Gandi on our laptop computer….a very moving film and I recognised places we have been to now. Earlier that day, we had a knock on the door and it was Aad (Art) asking for me to come and have a look at young Mike – he was bitten by something last Thursday and the antihistamine I had given him on Friday was not really helping much…..after looking at it through his beard, and seeing the photos his dad took of what had already been expressed….I advised he needed to see a doctor and quickly…..Vince suggested I go with them in his words “She’s good with Doctors”…….and I was bit worried they might try to fob him off with just some antibiotics….so all 4 of us headed down to the local Hospital – at least it wasn’t for me for a change! Just as I predicted the doctor had to operate and clean out the sinus in his chin, remove part of what he thought was a poisonous spider, remove the necrotic tissue and stitch Mike up. 10,000INR later he was back at the Home Stay.

Once Mike moved to surgery, Vince and I had left and gone back to the Home Stay only to find a wedding preparation party going on next door…..this was most colourful with music, a loud speaker and brass band…..a highly decorated horse for the Groom and fireworks! We sat out front and watched. The bride’s brother came out and spoke us and we wished them all well for their future…..he ended up inviting us to the party but I said I had nothing to wear…..he said the Home Stay host can loan you a Shari…and she confirmed she had many……but not wanting to intrude I took it no further. I did however accept the beckoning when the street dancing began and my Home Stay host told me I did very well. I’m not so sure about that…..but it was all good fun. Many of the street urchin children came up and wanted to shake hands….which I willingly did until one of then wanted money in return…….Hmmmmmmm? I soon discovered that with the departure of the Groom, the Bride’s Brother was throwing money out and the children were scurrying to collect it. It was a big privilege of us to see this….our Home Stay hosts (who are Hindu) explained this goes on for 3 days in a Muslim Wedding. We might get to see the Bride at some point.

The morning of the 5th we all eagerly awaited the appearance of Claire, who was celebrating her 34th Birthday…..her husband, via the Home Stay hosts, had organised balloons as well as a birthday cake for her. She had gifts of jewellery, including from our Home Stay hosts, and Vince and I had given her an Ayurvetic 6 Piece Facial Kit we had bought for her at the Chandigarh Mall. We all had a quiet day with plans for a celebration dinner of Claire’s choice tonight.

We are still trying to plan our route but think we will leave tomorrow for Darjiling enroute to Sikkim. Aad (Art) and Mike will stay on at least an extra day as Mike has to go back to the hospital for check up. Not sure what Claire and Emiel are thinking ……..but we will all see each other again at the border I’m sure ready for Myanmar.

Aad (Art) and Mike seemed to have traction on the Visa situation so we decided that we would head off early on the morning for Delhi to meet them at the Embassy at 10.00am. There were 8 of us meeting the First Secretary there, (6 Aussies and Linda and Harry from Port Elizabeth, South Africa who are on the group after us). We were on the road by 5.00am after the usual chaotic throng of interest in us packing the bike and photos being taken….it was further complicated by a newspaper van that chose to “share” our parking space… so we couldn’t get to pack the bike….the driver was less than receptive to a nice request to moving his vehicle ….so a more assertive approach was employed…..with him eventually only moving his vehicle a few inches over…..but at least we could actually get to the bike to pack things on ….however cramped. Sometimes Indians are not so friendly…….I’m actually quite puzzled as to why he could not move up to a vacant space…….language difficulties failed to explain.

We had quite a few tolls to get through…but we eventually arrived in the complete madness of Dehli traffic (this is how we die!) and managed to navigate to the Myanmar Embassy by 9.35am, where we found young Mike already waiting for us. His Dad had gone to get the bank draft to pay for their Visas as the bank was closed when they went yesterday and only opens at 10.00am. We spoke to a guard who said we could park out front but needed to watch for traffic inspectors who come and clamp vehicles…..we took the risk! A quick streetside confab between the two couples and Emiel and Claire were on their way to the bank for us all….whilst Vince and I waited in line at the Embassy. Linda and Harry arrived and we filled them in on things….they were already all organised but as everyone was aware of the difficulties and wanted to keep things simple we all held off to put things through as a group. Time ticked on as the “Bank Crew” were having a lovely beauroctratic time at getting the money drafts…..but they made it back in time. Aad (Art) approached the window asking for the First Secretary whom he had been negotiating with and who had agreed in writing to issue visas to us today….but the guy was being obstructive….he told us that she had changed her mind and unless we had flight tickets he could not take our applications….we asked if he could call her but he refused…..UNBELIEVABLE! Aad (Art) had had problems with this guy before and went to see the security guard on the gate (as this is how he had managed to meet the First Secretary previously) but is was a different guard and no luck there. Things were looking very bleak and tempers were being frayed in all directions….the window was due to close in just a few minutes (only open from 10.00-11.00am) and it was looking like it was back to square one. Talk of trying to get help from the Australian Embassy was had….but most of us thought this was not really a situation they could assist with. In the end I gave it one last try with the “window guy” using my best “Teacher/Manager” voice….explaining that we had an undertaking in writing from the First Secretary, we had all followed her instructions in good faith, and if she had changed her mind it was only right and proper that she face us herself and on that basis I must insist on speaking directly with her. I told him it was highly inappropriate that he should have to do her dirty work……he agreed to send for her if we waited…..so we waited. When she arrived she was nothing short of milk and honey and said she had not changed her mind and took all of our documents and passports and told us to return at 4.00pm tomorrow to collect our Visas. In the “happiness” of this none of us through to ask for nor did we receive any receipt of any kind…..so I was not sure if that would be a problem for collection…..but that would be tomorrows fight! In reality it there was no need to stress…..all was in order…..I was nominated to go to the window and the guy just handed me all 8 passports….duely stamped! FANTASTIC! Myanmar we’re coming for you!

On that first day in Dehli after the Embassy, we headed off to our hotel, The Su Shree Continental (where Aad (Art) and Mike were staying) at just 1000 INR per night….bargain…..and lock up garage for the ANIMAL….fantastic! Not the best area….with open sewers, pickpockets (Vince and I were targeted at an ATM but we picked up on it and lost nothing) and the beggar situation …well….out of control really………I find it very difficult to ignore them…..especially children…..very sad……but hey it was only for a couple of nights.

On 1st October we arranged a tour ….only 400INR each….this should have tipped us off! We were promised an air conditioned car, drive and English Speaking Guide. Somehow that latter was omitted but even a phone call back to the hotel by Emiel was unhelpful. We just had to suck it up and do the best with what we had. Consequently, we are a little unclear on where we actually went and what it actually meant. My tummy trouble had started up again and being the “little one” stuck in the back of the car didn’t help my motion sickness……kindly, in the middle of the day, the others agreed to move and let me sit in the middle after our visit to Humayn’s Tomb….which was less of a problem….and Vince was in the front due to needing the leg room. 6 adult Aussies in a smallish car was quite squashy….. I felt sorry for the chivalrous boys in the back!

First we were dropped off at Shahi Jama Mosque built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in 1656……however when we got there you not only had to pay entry but you had to pay to take photographs…….discussion over this was heated and Claire and Emiel decided on no photos as did Aad and Mike. Vince and I decided we would pay, as our photos are the only souvenirs we have of our travels…..we were busily removing shoes and working out our money to pay whilst the others went in. However, it was short lived…..Aad (Art) was refused entry as he only had shorts and Claire and Emiel were physically harassed as they were carrying a camera in their backpack…….arguments and shouting started and we were told “All Tourists are Bastards” and to “Go back to your own country”. The guys were not impressed…..Vince and I just stood there astonished at what was going on. So with our four friends not going in ….we decided to move on……So Shahi Jama Mosque? We were there but saw nothing. These were the first unfriendly Muslims we have come across in our travels. This is when we spoke to our driver to ask about the Guide as we thought this may have helped……he was just the driver but he gave his phone to Emiel who tried to sort it out…..without luck…..we pressed on.

Next we went to the Red Fort…….about a Km walk from the car park…..where we had to pay almost 3 times the price (100INR instead of 40INR) to park because we were tourists. Entry to the Red Fort was pretty quick as there were not a lot people at the “Foreigners Window” where we paid 25 times the entrance fee of locals (250INR instead of 10INR)…..our friends were not happy about this either……but once inside the fort it proved very interesting……although again walking around not really understanding what your are looking at was difficult for Vince and I. Previously, we have either had a guide or at least and audio guide……these were available at the red fort for additional costs…..but to be honest we were starting to feel like dollar signs in India so gave it a miss. In hindsight that probably was a mistake….we should have just paid and got the audio guides…..something to be said for group pressure I guess.

We then went to the World Heritage Listed, Humayun’s Tomb where the inflated prices for foreigners was again evident. It was an amazing complex with several buildings but to be truthful I wasn’t really taking a lot in as I was feeling so unwell at the time. Will have to Google it and have another look. This is were they guys swapped places in the car for me.

We stopped off for some lunch (1000INR for the two of us)….and I just had a spring roll………it was all a bit of a blur by then….our next stop was at some kind of monument…..Claire and I went to the toilet where we again had to pay 20INR. When I came out Vince had bought our tickets but the other 4 had decided not to go in……..Vince went back to the window and returned our tickets and we all got back into the car without seeing anything.

We stopped off at a bar for a drink and to wait in the cool (it was sooooooo hot) until it was time to go back to the Embassy to pick up our passports and Visas. It cost us 1200INR for two drinks (a beer and a glass of Indian house red wine) due to all the taxes they add on to everything here (about 20% on top of your bill)…. I didn’t even drink much of the wine anyway.

The driver dropped us off around 3.35pm and the window didn’t open until 4.00pm so we waited. Harry and Linda arrived just after 4.00pm and we all had a bit of a catch up. It is always a treat to meet new people and hear their stories and adventures…..particularly motorbike riders….most enjoyable and it’s a shame we won’t be travelling with them as they seem really nice.

We caught two Tuk Tuks back to the hotel…..the “Oldies” in one and the “Young Ones” in the other (including drivers)……I must confess there was a bit of a “race” back……and it was neck and neck for a while, but in the end the “Oldies” won….it may have had something to to with the extra 50INR (150INR total) that Vince slipped the driver! All good fun!

We spent four nights in total in Chandigarh staying at the ZO Rooms Akashdeep in Sector 22B (1999 INR per night). We had initially anticipated only one night to allow us to get an oil change and rear brake pad change (and a wash) for the ANIMAL. But my medical appointment blew things out to three nights, as I had to go back to see the Surgeon on Monday.

We had tossed up where to apply for our Myanmar Visas, as some people are getting them in Nepal and others in India. Our friends, Claire and Emiel who are also with us at the moment, were planning on Dehli and we all want to go to Agra to see the Taj Mahal…..so although Vince ideally wanted to avoid the chaos of a big city it was looking like thats where we would head for. In the meantime our Dutch/Tassie friends, Aad (Art) and his son Mike (whom we met briefly in Pakistan on the road, and whom we recently discovered will be on the group to Myanmar ……we need a guide so have joined a group via Burma Senses), are already in Dehli trying to get Visas…..and are having a lot of problems with the Embassy. It smacked so much of our troubles with the Indian Embassy in Tehran that we decided to hold off going to Dehli and see how they got on first…so spent another night in Chandigarh. The alternative was to get our Visas in Kathmandu…..but the recent problems has seen the closure of borders between India and Nepal and a resulting fuel shortage….so that was not really an option any longer and affected our plans to visit Nepal. This may be a blessing in disguise as if we did leave India we would need to get another Indian Visa to transit through to get to Myanmar………memories of Tehran haunt us over and over in so many ways!

Whilst in Chandigarh we basically rested from my surgery, although we did go to the local mall (very flash) to get a few things…….including trying to source a replacement Olympus TG-4 for me……without success. Vince even emailed Olympus to try to source one in either Chandigarh or Dehli (both big cities) but got not reply…..which is very disappointing as I really like their products….so I have had to buy the Nikon AW130 instead……….so lets see how the brand change for 2upadventures performs!

Vince and Emiel found and excellent local brewery/restaurant (Malt and Co) that was having a “soft opening” so we all went along to support it…..so much so we all ended up having dinner there a couple of times and Vince and I even frequented it for lunch and breakfast!

It is very hot here and there is a dichotomy of wealth evident……complete squaller through to modern chic………the haves and the have not’s are very evident here alongside one another…….it really is quite incredible to see. There are far more beggars here and children will perform in the street at traffic lights to get money instead of being at school. Many people, including street urchin children will follow you asking for money…..it really is very sad to see the poverty. I wish there was more we could do to help….I’m not sure what the answer is ….these things are never simple.

Ok…I have now had three “tours” of International Hospitals (Scotland, Iran and now India) …..that’s enough! On top of everything else, about a month or so ago (whilst in Pakistan) I discovered a lump in my left breast.

From Shimla, a few days ago, I made an appointment to see a specialist (Dr Atul Joshi) in Chandigarh at Fortis Private Hospital. He is a renowned Breast Cancer surgeon in India and because of my family history, and the fact I am travelling, he was so kind and thoughtful and managed to speed up things for me. In fact everything was done in just one day on Saturday 26th Sept…..Consultation and examination(500INR) Bilateral Mammogram & Bilateral Ultrasound (2000 INR) Reporting and Results, Surgery to fully excise the Lesion (12500 INR) and send off to histology (1600INR)….now we wait!

Vince dropped me off at the hospital around 12.30pm, as he had to take the ANIMAL for some pre booked servicing at 1.00pm…..so Claire, our Aussie 4×4 friend, kindly offered to come with me for moral support. She was a big help and I was thankful of the company. She is the only Western Woman I have seen and chatted to in months. I was in the OT prep area and looking suitably glamorous in a very fetching hospital gown and hair net when Vince finally arrived (things took longer than expected at the bike shop but he came as soon as he could)…. interestingly he had to also give signed content for my operation (this also happened in Iran)…..minutes after he arrived I was quickly whisked away into the OR and the operation took about an hour.

During surgery I was able to be awake and the Surgeon told me it doesn’t look sinister……so we are very hopeful it is benign. He was quite chatty…as he has been to Australia (Sydney) recently ….he thinks I am very brave….and asked me if people were more hospitable in Pakistan or India (rivalry is evident between the two) ….I answered that that was a difficult question …but as he was the one holding the knife…I guessed it would have to be “India”…..he laughed and thought my sense of humour under such adverse conditions was impressive….so much so that he told Vince about it back in the recovery room…..we all laughed again. We were both shown the removed lesion and a round of photos was in order ……including on the Surgeon’s phone. I was discharged around 7.45pm with some tablets for pain if needed…..all the staff were very professional and kind. Getting back on the bike was a bit difficult with stitches but I eventually managed and in about half an hour we were at our hotel…. ZO Rooms Akashdeep Sector 22B (1999 INR per night). Staff helped Vince carry our luggage up as I could not really lift much with only one hand….although I did manage to carry the tank bag.

I went back to see the Surgeon again for follow up and to check my wound on Monday 28th and we should get the results in 5 – 7 days online…he will also be in contact via email with me when the results come through. So we extended our stay in Chandigarh for three nights instead of just one….and we will get the results on the road….probably in New Deli or Agra. On my Monday visit, the media and administration section asked me if they could do an article on our experience at the hospital, and after being assured my medical privacy would be intact we agreed, as it may help other foreigners who need medical attention on the road.

They say things come in threes …..so hopefully this is it…….although the care and treatment I have received each time has been nothing short of exceptional…..I really don’t want to have to visit any more hospitals!!!!