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February 14th, 2011 | Asia

Quick Update…

Getting a decent Internet signal in this part of the world is a bit of a nightmare… Which is strange in a country that is supposed to be so technologically advanced…!! This is after all, the “Land of the Call Centre” , so why they have such poor Internet signals is a mystery…

Trying to upload a post is impossible…!!

This is a short note to let you know that I have survived almost 600 km of Indian roads and their maniacal drivers… I even had a short stint of riding in the inky darkness of early morning…!! Not a pleasant way to spend your time… I do not recommend it…!!

I have been to Jaipur and visited the Monkey Palace. the Elephant House. the Water Palace and the local jewelry market…

I arrived in Agra yesterday, 240km east of Jaipur, and today visited the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort…

The Taj Majal was the thing I most wanted to see in India, and the stress of getting here to experience it was worth it in the end…!!

A beautiful structure, a monumental labour of love by the Raj for his beloved Queen…

I guess this is the place to be on Valentines Day, huh…!! I saw two guys propose marriage to their girlfriends in the few hours I was there… I bet their wives to be will never forget the occasion…!!

I have a little over 1000 km to ride to Kathmandu… Tomorrow I ride on to Kanpur and Faizabad, and from there on to Gorakhpur and Mothairi….  Kathmandu in Nepal lies about 180km north of Mothairi, and I hope to get there by Friday…

It’s no longer about the sightseeing for me, but rather about getting out of here in one piece, before my visa expires on Saturday…!!

Trevor and Chenty have already had two accidents since they set off from Mumbai: one involved being t-boned by a motorcycle and the other, a flirtation with a bus…!! With those long legs of his, Trevor managed to avoid going down on both occasions, thank heavens…!! Good luck over the next three weeks, Guys…!!

Everything they say about the danger of riding here is true…!! The only rule to remember, is that there are no rules…!!

Happy Valentine’s Day to all the ladies – Hope you were spoiled in one way or another…!!

Later Dudes…!!

Gypsy Biker

Agra, India

©GBWT 2011

8 comments to Quick Update…

  • Mal

    Hey Ronnie, I start getting withdrawal symptoms when I can’t see your next post. (Talk about pressure you are under!) It must be so amazing experiencing the differences each country and its people bring. What a relief it must be to be moving again. Keep those eyes in the back of the head open at all times. Stay safe, and thanks for the time and effort you take to share your adventure.
    Mal

  • Nick Wade

    Hi,

    been following your blog, great stuff. Not sure if this nugget of advice will come too late but anyway…

    I did the Rickshaw Run last year ( three wheeled autorickshaw – from Goa to Pokhara in 12 days ) and the best piece of advice i can give you is something I was told by the father of a local family we stayed with in Mumbai. His advice was that driving in India is like being in a giant flock of birds. You must pay attention to what is going on in front of you and nothing else. Nobody else is using their mirrors so if you do it too much you’ll miss the nutter in front of you swerving about! It seemed to work! I have to say it was a great experience, not sure i need to do it again though! We did a couple of drives into the night and it was certainly hair-raising! take care on the roads, and don’t stay in Gorakhpur too long it’s a hole! haha

  • Mark Behr

    Whew, a bit rushed at the moment – hope you get time to see all you would like to see.

  • Kim

    Pleeeeeeeeease can you NOT confuse the elephants like that!!!!
    Only you can do the Taj on Valentines Day, can you just imagine if there was a wedding there, how much mischief you could have got into…..
    Enough of India now, time to move along!!!!
    Have a good ride out of that strange country
    BIG kisses
    K

  • Lucia

    Take it easy dude and get there in one piece!

  • Hi Nick, Your advice is on the button…!! I gave up worrying about what was happening behind me after the first day’s ride…!! 12 days in a auto-rickshaw…!! Must have been a helluva journey…!! Well done…!! This place is definitely not for the faint of heart…!! Take care… R.

  • Thanks Mal…!! Yeah, it’s tough trying to ride, enjoy the experience and get to a place where I can do my “homework”…!! Ha-ha…!! Knowing that there are people waiting for the next installment is a motivating factor though, believe it or not…!! R.

  • Hi Kimmie, that elephant gave new meaning to being had by the “short and curlies”…!! See my reply to Mark’s comment…!! And yes, there would have been enormous scope for mischief had there been a wedding on, and all…!! Sadly, I was confined to behaving myself and enjoying the magnificence of the place… It really is a “gob-smacker”…!! Take care, and keep smiling…!! R.

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