I also need to mention two things that occured on our trip the first involved someone who for the sake of this account we shall call “Richard” On our first day “Richard” had taken an auto rickshaw to town to make some purchases on his return to the hotel he found that he had “lost” his camera and so a slight flap ensued whilst he tried to work out where, thinking it night have been in the shop he had purchased something he went to reception to try and arrange another rickshaw to take him back to the shop when he met his original rickshaw driver. His next passenger an Indian had found the camera and handed it to the driver who had driven across town to hand it into the hotel reception.
The other involved Fran who had a “blond” moment, having beaten a vendor down to a price of twenty English pounds for something Fran then counted out four twenty pounds(£80) and insisted the seller accepted the amount, there then was a standoff with the vendor refusing to accept the amount and Fran insisting that he did, Fran thinking that the man wanted more, whilst in fact he was trying to explain that Fran was overpaying.
Saturday, 25 February 2012
from Cath
The first Big Boy's day sounds really eventful. Wish I had been there. Glad that you are all ok, even though it sounds like there were a couple of close shaves. Neil, hope you are looking after our trusty bike and not breaking it like Nigel appears to be doing to his. Just a quick thank you to Sam for getting us home without any problems and dealing with the airport authorities in India. It was a very long day but went without a hitch. Neil, picked up the boys and they have had a great holiday, Barnabunny is even more naughty than before his holiday. Good luck to you all for the next few days and I am missing you all, especially my own Captain Chaos!! Catherine xx
Friday, 24 February 2012
Message from Fran Bunce. Thank you
Just a quick note to say thank you to one and all for your company, advice, discussion(Ted)interest and friendliness. Thanks of course to all my room mates - it was good to get to know you all - down and dirty!! I am about to set off on my next trip; skiing in France so another little flight. You will all be happy to know that when I unpacked all the Sari's, guess what I found in amongst them???!!?? Yes My camera!!! anyone want to buy a new Nikon 3100 or a used but serviceable Sony Cyber shot???
Well I will speak to you all soon I hope,once again thanks to you all
Love Fran
Well I will speak to you all soon I hope,once again thanks to you all
Love Fran
Monday, 20 February 2012
We are back all safe and sound
Well I am sorry to say that we are all done for another year, This year was a big trip, I am thinking but not sure over 1200 miles in total and I am pleased to say that I didn’t lose any motorcyclist. ( I have to put the rider “motorcyclist” as I am afraid that I did relax a bit too early and allowed the bus taking us to the airport to set sail without Geoff, and it was only when we had travelled some distance from the hotel that Nigel realised that he was not with us).
1,200 miles times 11 bikes equates to some 13,200 plus the 800 miles completed by the other 4 bikes ( 3,200) so a total of 16,400 miles or over half way around the world during which time we suffered two major engine issues, one was a cam follower on my bike and also Teds dramatic clutch cover explosion, I am not aware of any punctures and with the exception of a few fuses and that was limited to one bike, that’s all the problems we had, ok I admit we did wear out some foot pegs but that’s all, this must be a true testament to the Royal Enfield, during our time we rode over rough ground, forded a river on one occasion, used highways and byways all with equal success, any repair that was needed was fixed with the minimum of fuss and tools.
Personally I am well pleased; for me the importance is getting everyone home safe and having enjoyed a trip and I think that as a team we achieved this. It’s a team effort; my job is only to get everyone working and thinking as a team , and as a result it not fair to highlight who did what, without each thinking as a team we wouldn’t have been able to have had such a easy ride, to me the joy is an example of what happened in Madura, I am travelling through a major city with lots of junctions and roundabouts and I suddenly realise there is no one behind, no they are not lost, they have all dropped off at junctions and there is nobody left,after a short delay they start to appear, the back making the way to the front with Ted boldly bringing up the rear, the system worked and worked well
Thanks to you all for making this the best trip yet.
Gordon
1,200 miles times 11 bikes equates to some 13,200 plus the 800 miles completed by the other 4 bikes ( 3,200) so a total of 16,400 miles or over half way around the world during which time we suffered two major engine issues, one was a cam follower on my bike and also Teds dramatic clutch cover explosion, I am not aware of any punctures and with the exception of a few fuses and that was limited to one bike, that’s all the problems we had, ok I admit we did wear out some foot pegs but that’s all, this must be a true testament to the Royal Enfield, during our time we rode over rough ground, forded a river on one occasion, used highways and byways all with equal success, any repair that was needed was fixed with the minimum of fuss and tools.
Personally I am well pleased; for me the importance is getting everyone home safe and having enjoyed a trip and I think that as a team we achieved this. It’s a team effort; my job is only to get everyone working and thinking as a team , and as a result it not fair to highlight who did what, without each thinking as a team we wouldn’t have been able to have had such a easy ride, to me the joy is an example of what happened in Madura, I am travelling through a major city with lots of junctions and roundabouts and I suddenly realise there is no one behind, no they are not lost, they have all dropped off at junctions and there is nobody left,after a short delay they start to appear, the back making the way to the front with Ted boldly bringing up the rear, the system worked and worked well
Thanks to you all for making this the best trip yet.
Gordon
Sunday, 19 February 2012
From Neil and Liz
Neil and Liz Rudram – Thoughts on The India Coast to Coast Tour.
We arrived back in Taunton on Monday afternoon and had our usual routine things to deal with. Now we have time to ponder about our unique holiday in India, we both consider ourselves reasonably travelled but the Pride India tour must rank as one of our best holiday experiences to date.
I would be the first to admit that I was probably the most in-experienced member of the group and found some of the days quite challenging, however after a couple of “Kingfishers” at the end of the day my difficulties paled into insignificance and the sights and events of the day became exciting and a wonderful experience. In spite of some biking experience in India 18 months previously I had forgotten that the omnibus rules the road, while nominally they drive on the same side of the road as us but this is only an ad hoc rule, that dual carriageway is purely a means for the tut-tut drivers to return on the same bit of road as they started out on and contra flows can occur without warning or cones and doesn’t require a reduction in speed.
Our highlights were riding through the narrow busy town streets cheek by jowl with India and his wife (and his bullock and cart), the high mountain wooded roads, tea plantations, the chai stops, the glorious range of colours of India and her people, the souk like bazaar in Pundacherry, swimming in the Bay of Bengal, the huge temple in Tiruvannamali and surprise surprise The Royal Enfield Factory.
Congratulations to Gordon for masterminding the trip, to Sam for being Gordon’s right hand person and Ted for his tolerance of my riding who I am sure is profoundly thankful that I am not riding the return leg. Also thanks to Roger for taking Liz off my hands (!) when the riding got a bit onerous for me.
Finally Liz’s message to Graham she is sorry that she has brought home your jar of Arnica ointment which she used on her bruises – due to the rip tide on the Indian Ocean beach and the other due to a trip hazard at the MGM resort, also possibly associated with my entomological pursuits. She hopes Graham will have no requirement for the ointment this week.
Liz says thanks Gordon you’re a star and we both hope Becky is recovering from her Tamil Tummy. Wonder if you’re still getting Starters for Puddings and Main Course for Starters! Personally I thought it was hilarious and just added to the fun. No doubt Fran will try to sort the Chefs out but probably to no avail! Look forward to the debriefing and seeing you all soon.
Neil and Liz.
We arrived back in Taunton on Monday afternoon and had our usual routine things to deal with. Now we have time to ponder about our unique holiday in India, we both consider ourselves reasonably travelled but the Pride India tour must rank as one of our best holiday experiences to date.
I would be the first to admit that I was probably the most in-experienced member of the group and found some of the days quite challenging, however after a couple of “Kingfishers” at the end of the day my difficulties paled into insignificance and the sights and events of the day became exciting and a wonderful experience. In spite of some biking experience in India 18 months previously I had forgotten that the omnibus rules the road, while nominally they drive on the same side of the road as us but this is only an ad hoc rule, that dual carriageway is purely a means for the tut-tut drivers to return on the same bit of road as they started out on and contra flows can occur without warning or cones and doesn’t require a reduction in speed.
Our highlights were riding through the narrow busy town streets cheek by jowl with India and his wife (and his bullock and cart), the high mountain wooded roads, tea plantations, the chai stops, the glorious range of colours of India and her people, the souk like bazaar in Pundacherry, swimming in the Bay of Bengal, the huge temple in Tiruvannamali and surprise surprise The Royal Enfield Factory.
Congratulations to Gordon for masterminding the trip, to Sam for being Gordon’s right hand person and Ted for his tolerance of my riding who I am sure is profoundly thankful that I am not riding the return leg. Also thanks to Roger for taking Liz off my hands (!) when the riding got a bit onerous for me.
Finally Liz’s message to Graham she is sorry that she has brought home your jar of Arnica ointment which she used on her bruises – due to the rip tide on the Indian Ocean beach and the other due to a trip hazard at the MGM resort, also possibly associated with my entomological pursuits. She hopes Graham will have no requirement for the ointment this week.
Liz says thanks Gordon you’re a star and we both hope Becky is recovering from her Tamil Tummy. Wonder if you’re still getting Starters for Puddings and Main Course for Starters! Personally I thought it was hilarious and just added to the fun. No doubt Fran will try to sort the Chefs out but probably to no avail! Look forward to the debriefing and seeing you all soon.
Neil and Liz.
Saturday, 18 February 2012
Saturday 18th February (Last report)
Today we had breakfast as we sailed back to the original berth where the bikes were parked. Some of us took turns at the tiller of our respective boats. I am sure the photographs will tell their own story.
The air conditioning on the houseboats had been switched off at 7am so it was a very hot and humid start to the day. It was refreshing to get moving on the bikes. Again there were a few more converts to riding in shirt sleeves.
We took the coast road from Alleppy towards Cochin. I had a pillion, Mr Oottmon, the boss of the agency who had organized our tour who had joined us for the last day.
Our first stop was at a beach on the Arabian sea where some of the team took the opportunity to have a camel ride. I spoke to some British tourists whilst we were there and enquired if they had knowledge of Goa and if so was it the paradise I imagined it was. They replied that Goa had been spoilt by commercialism and that the beaches and resorts around Cochin were far better. I cannot repeat the words they actually used to describe Goa.
The ride up to Cochin was very pleasant on nice roads and as we passed by; children waved which they often did when they saw the spectacle of the convoy of Royal Enfield’s pass by. As we got closer to Cochin the traffic congestion deteriorated to the point where we had make a third line of traffic in order to make any progress and Gordon was seen to be performing traffic control alongside a police officer on point duty at the end of the grid lock and who actually thanked Gordon for sorting the problem out.
Our last hotel is The Harbour View Hotel Cochin which overlooks a ship yard and have Harland and Wolfe size cranes similar to those in Belfast. This hotel was another oasis of privilege in an industrial area.
After settling into our hotel we had to return the bikes to Ivan Joseph’s home in another part of Cochin which meant yet another ride on this very hot day. We were welcomed with cool beer at Ivan’s house. He had been away from home with us for three weeks and his family were glad to see him. It was nice of him to provide us with this welcome refreshment.
We have an early start tomorrow as our flight is at 9.15am and the airport is 90 minutes away and we have to be there 90 minutes before the flight. Let us hope we can get an early breakfast.
The bikes have performed well. We have covered more than 16400 miles between us, in some of the most hazardous driving conditions you are likely to encounter in a driving lifetime. It has been a very enjoyable tour, I recommend India as a holiday destination but be prepared for the mountains of rubbish and litter. They urgently need a refuse policy, but where do you start with India.
Nigel
The air conditioning on the houseboats had been switched off at 7am so it was a very hot and humid start to the day. It was refreshing to get moving on the bikes. Again there were a few more converts to riding in shirt sleeves.
We took the coast road from Alleppy towards Cochin. I had a pillion, Mr Oottmon, the boss of the agency who had organized our tour who had joined us for the last day.
Our first stop was at a beach on the Arabian sea where some of the team took the opportunity to have a camel ride. I spoke to some British tourists whilst we were there and enquired if they had knowledge of Goa and if so was it the paradise I imagined it was. They replied that Goa had been spoilt by commercialism and that the beaches and resorts around Cochin were far better. I cannot repeat the words they actually used to describe Goa.
The ride up to Cochin was very pleasant on nice roads and as we passed by; children waved which they often did when they saw the spectacle of the convoy of Royal Enfield’s pass by. As we got closer to Cochin the traffic congestion deteriorated to the point where we had make a third line of traffic in order to make any progress and Gordon was seen to be performing traffic control alongside a police officer on point duty at the end of the grid lock and who actually thanked Gordon for sorting the problem out.
Our last hotel is The Harbour View Hotel Cochin which overlooks a ship yard and have Harland and Wolfe size cranes similar to those in Belfast. This hotel was another oasis of privilege in an industrial area.
After settling into our hotel we had to return the bikes to Ivan Joseph’s home in another part of Cochin which meant yet another ride on this very hot day. We were welcomed with cool beer at Ivan’s house. He had been away from home with us for three weeks and his family were glad to see him. It was nice of him to provide us with this welcome refreshment.
We have an early start tomorrow as our flight is at 9.15am and the airport is 90 minutes away and we have to be there 90 minutes before the flight. Let us hope we can get an early breakfast.
The bikes have performed well. We have covered more than 16400 miles between us, in some of the most hazardous driving conditions you are likely to encounter in a driving lifetime. It has been a very enjoyable tour, I recommend India as a holiday destination but be prepared for the mountains of rubbish and litter. They urgently need a refuse policy, but where do you start with India.
Nigel
Friday 17th February
We enjoyed our break at Munnar and left knowing that as we descended towards the west coast it was going to get hotter but we did not realize how hot. The GPS said we started at 4600 ft which was in conflict with the guide books which said that Munnar sat at 5500 ft above sea level.
The first part of the ride was enjoyable, downhill with lots of sweeping bends and good road surfaces. Kerry and Fran thought that either the smell of honey suckle or orange blossom was in the air. We road though some nice villages with friendly people and the scenery was good. I actually thought that the confidence of the team was getting too high and there may have been an element of ‘red mist’ judging by the progress we were making but all made a safe and exciting decent to the bottom of the Gnats. On the first stop where we had already lost 2000ft in altitude.I had gained some converts to riding in shirt sleeves which was another good reason for taking it steady.
As we got to the flatter countryside it was noticeably hotter and the roads became more congested. It was difficult to keep the other riders in sight despite the high visibility jackets. I would say that progress was a bit ‘hairy’. but we all arrived at our destination all in one piece. We were very tired, hot and perspiring and just wanted to enjoy a cool drink and rest.
Once down the mountain we called in to the Ideal Islamic Trust School where Shafi's daughter is a pupil. The children with a range of ages and of various faiths were very excited by our visit. If you look out for videos Neil Shaw took a video of the youngsters dancing a traditional dance.
As we neared Alleppy we were joined by Sanjay who was out tour guide in 2010 and who had joined us last year for a couple of days. It was nice to see him again. He just appeared beside us at a set of traffic lights astride an Enfield.
The house boat accommodation was a big surprise, not only were we staying on house boats but we were actually going to cruise around the huge labyrinth of waterways and inlets know as the backwater at Alleppy which is a few miles south of Cochin our final destination. The backwater so called as it is separate and behind the sea.
All our luggage was loaded onto two house boats and we set sail for a sunset cruise prior to having our evening meal. Cold beer was consumed as we sailed into the sunset between the acres of paddy fields. Each house boat had three crew who prepared and served our evening meals.
A nice evening, with good company and good food. Ted Curtis treated the ladies to a ‘moon’ between boats. The air conditioning in the dining room and the bedrooms made it bearable as being so close to water it was very humid. We had all treated ourselves with insect repellant to avoid being bitten. The open deck on the three berth boat had mosquito nets unfurled around the deck but our four birth boat was the one with air conditioned dining room.
Nigel
The first part of the ride was enjoyable, downhill with lots of sweeping bends and good road surfaces. Kerry and Fran thought that either the smell of honey suckle or orange blossom was in the air. We road though some nice villages with friendly people and the scenery was good. I actually thought that the confidence of the team was getting too high and there may have been an element of ‘red mist’ judging by the progress we were making but all made a safe and exciting decent to the bottom of the Gnats. On the first stop where we had already lost 2000ft in altitude.I had gained some converts to riding in shirt sleeves which was another good reason for taking it steady.
As we got to the flatter countryside it was noticeably hotter and the roads became more congested. It was difficult to keep the other riders in sight despite the high visibility jackets. I would say that progress was a bit ‘hairy’. but we all arrived at our destination all in one piece. We were very tired, hot and perspiring and just wanted to enjoy a cool drink and rest.
Once down the mountain we called in to the Ideal Islamic Trust School where Shafi's daughter is a pupil. The children with a range of ages and of various faiths were very excited by our visit. If you look out for videos Neil Shaw took a video of the youngsters dancing a traditional dance.
As we neared Alleppy we were joined by Sanjay who was out tour guide in 2010 and who had joined us last year for a couple of days. It was nice to see him again. He just appeared beside us at a set of traffic lights astride an Enfield.
The house boat accommodation was a big surprise, not only were we staying on house boats but we were actually going to cruise around the huge labyrinth of waterways and inlets know as the backwater at Alleppy which is a few miles south of Cochin our final destination. The backwater so called as it is separate and behind the sea.
All our luggage was loaded onto two house boats and we set sail for a sunset cruise prior to having our evening meal. Cold beer was consumed as we sailed into the sunset between the acres of paddy fields. Each house boat had three crew who prepared and served our evening meals.
A nice evening, with good company and good food. Ted Curtis treated the ladies to a ‘moon’ between boats. The air conditioning in the dining room and the bedrooms made it bearable as being so close to water it was very humid. We had all treated ourselves with insect repellant to avoid being bitten. The open deck on the three berth boat had mosquito nets unfurled around the deck but our four birth boat was the one with air conditioned dining room.
Nigel
Thursday, 16 February 2012
Thursday 16th February
This is our third Thursday in India, it’s hard to believe, time has passed so quickly but then you think back to booking in to our second Hotel, the Green Gates at Kalpetta and it seems ages ago.
A planned rest day at Munnar has turned out to be an extra day of riding for nine of the eleven riders and two pillions.
Munnar as I have already said is described as a shanty town in some guide books. It is a tourist area which is evident by the number of young European back packers in the streets and hotels. There are several good hotels in town and several good restaurants. Jeep safaris can be an inexpensive way of exploring the area. Some of us have done that for the last couple of years and I suppose it was the prospect of an uncomfortable ride in the back of a Mahindra that drew me towards the extra day on the bike.
Gordon and Shafi arranged a guide to meet us at a Spice plantation and he would lead us to some off road tracks up in the mountains. Munnar is at 5500ft already quite high but were to go higher during the day.
I had already ridden down the town to have a new battery fitted to my watch which had stopped during the night. Cost me less that £1.00 at a watch repairer I had spotted the previous evening. I then had to go back down the town to refuel and we used the same garage where two years ago Huw Watts bike fell over after re-fuelling spilling some of his fuel.
We set off at 11am and after riding through a closed road upsetting the road works foreman we arrived at the Spice plantation where the attraction was not the spices but the elephants. There were three of them with their Mahouts. Some of those that had not ridden an elephant before took the opportunity for this unique experience. I was quite happy to sit and watch. Two elephants went off for 30 minutes with six passengers. On their return the party trick was to get drenched in water by the elephant squirting water from his or her trunk.
The local tour guide duly arrived and we set off for some quite challenging steep off road riding. What was nice about it was that it was dry so traction was not a problem. Kerry and Kathy rode pillion on Geoff and Gordon for the off road sections.
We eventually got back on to tarmac and then set of for the Wild Elephant hotel which was the product of much comment the last time we used the hotel in 2010. They remembered and welcomed us on arrival and provided us with sandwiches and tea. From the hotel the views are stunning and it was nice to see the place again. The cicada was making a lot of noise whilst we were there in fact on the approach several of us thought that our bikes were making funny noises and stopped to see what the problem was.
People who will remember this hotel would be Fran Bunce who had his birthday on the trip in 2010 and slept outside on the balcony for two days. Jef Collinwood who was so tired on arrival did not fancy riding his bike up the steep drive. Ted Curtis who’s bike fall over at the bottom of the drive when he was distracted. Dave Cox, Huw Watts and I who had to sleep in what was no better than a shed. Gordon for how fast he entered the car park after he ‘cleaned’ the steep drive. Mark and Carol Delling who got more lost than the rest of us when trying to find the hotel in the dark along monsoon washed out roads.
We rode back to Munnar along a different and challenging route. I ended up with my former pillion Kerry after a couple of the bikes fell by the wayside with clutch and gearbox problems.
We arrived back at the Clouds Valley hotel safe and sound much later than planned but we all agreed that it was a very enjoyable day.
We went to another hotel this evening for our meal. The buffets in these hotels are good value for money at 300 rupees (£4.00)
We will continue our descent to sea level tomorrow where our hotel is a house boat at Alleppy.
A very sad day for me and I sure for most us, it being the penultimate day in the saddle.
Nigel
A planned rest day at Munnar has turned out to be an extra day of riding for nine of the eleven riders and two pillions.
Munnar as I have already said is described as a shanty town in some guide books. It is a tourist area which is evident by the number of young European back packers in the streets and hotels. There are several good hotels in town and several good restaurants. Jeep safaris can be an inexpensive way of exploring the area. Some of us have done that for the last couple of years and I suppose it was the prospect of an uncomfortable ride in the back of a Mahindra that drew me towards the extra day on the bike.
Gordon and Shafi arranged a guide to meet us at a Spice plantation and he would lead us to some off road tracks up in the mountains. Munnar is at 5500ft already quite high but were to go higher during the day.
I had already ridden down the town to have a new battery fitted to my watch which had stopped during the night. Cost me less that £1.00 at a watch repairer I had spotted the previous evening. I then had to go back down the town to refuel and we used the same garage where two years ago Huw Watts bike fell over after re-fuelling spilling some of his fuel.
We set off at 11am and after riding through a closed road upsetting the road works foreman we arrived at the Spice plantation where the attraction was not the spices but the elephants. There were three of them with their Mahouts. Some of those that had not ridden an elephant before took the opportunity for this unique experience. I was quite happy to sit and watch. Two elephants went off for 30 minutes with six passengers. On their return the party trick was to get drenched in water by the elephant squirting water from his or her trunk.
The local tour guide duly arrived and we set off for some quite challenging steep off road riding. What was nice about it was that it was dry so traction was not a problem. Kerry and Kathy rode pillion on Geoff and Gordon for the off road sections.
We eventually got back on to tarmac and then set of for the Wild Elephant hotel which was the product of much comment the last time we used the hotel in 2010. They remembered and welcomed us on arrival and provided us with sandwiches and tea. From the hotel the views are stunning and it was nice to see the place again. The cicada was making a lot of noise whilst we were there in fact on the approach several of us thought that our bikes were making funny noises and stopped to see what the problem was.
People who will remember this hotel would be Fran Bunce who had his birthday on the trip in 2010 and slept outside on the balcony for two days. Jef Collinwood who was so tired on arrival did not fancy riding his bike up the steep drive. Ted Curtis who’s bike fall over at the bottom of the drive when he was distracted. Dave Cox, Huw Watts and I who had to sleep in what was no better than a shed. Gordon for how fast he entered the car park after he ‘cleaned’ the steep drive. Mark and Carol Delling who got more lost than the rest of us when trying to find the hotel in the dark along monsoon washed out roads.
We rode back to Munnar along a different and challenging route. I ended up with my former pillion Kerry after a couple of the bikes fell by the wayside with clutch and gearbox problems.
We arrived back at the Clouds Valley hotel safe and sound much later than planned but we all agreed that it was a very enjoyable day.
We went to another hotel this evening for our meal. The buffets in these hotels are good value for money at 300 rupees (£4.00)
We will continue our descent to sea level tomorrow where our hotel is a house boat at Alleppy.
A very sad day for me and I sure for most us, it being the penultimate day in the saddle.
Nigel
Wednesday 15th February
Once again I have allowed myself to get behind with the blog. I am writing this late on Thursday; Wednesday seems so long ago, such a lot has happened..
The theme for Wednesday , if I have to choose a theme would be the manufacture of bricks. As we traveled towards the mountains on flat plains we saw about 50 brick yards. We stopped at one and saw women mixing the clay with water and slapping the mixture into molds. As we traveled past the bricks yards the quality of the bricks varied but once fired they all had a similar colour as the source of clay would have been similar. I do not know how the bricks over here would stand up to the effects of frost but I do suppose it even gets tested.
Had I mentioned a theme for Friday 10th it would have been the carving of granite. We passed many businesses on the side of the road with statues big and small with a Hindi or Hindu nature..
The production of food from the land continued on the flat plains in the form of rice and sugar cane. I regretted that I had lost the opportunity to take a photograph of a sugar cane harvester. I have seen several of them which have a John Deere tractor perched on the top as a power source for the machine. The tractor is minus wheels but still has the axle’s front and rear in place. I suspect that when the season for harvesting sugar cane is over they remove the tractor and return it to its normal use. Sugar cane is an 18 month rather than a 12 month crop.We started to ascend the mountain towards the border of Tamil Nadu province and Kerala, the roads became more challenging once again with hairpin after hairpin bend as the road zig zagged upwards . Ted Curtis’s bike suffered and blown clutch and alternator case failure which meant we had to stop half way up the mountain to await our backup crew who robbed the spare bike of its case. As we waited in the in the sun at least we had some nice views to admire.
As we climbed; the production of tea became evident once again with acres of tea plantations and their intricate patterns formed by the pickers as they work between the plants.
The border crossing was quite with two sets of barriers manned by men at the customs posts. They were not interested in us as we had no toll to pay.
Munnar our destination for our two night stop is described in some guide books as a shanty town. It is full of life and vibrant. A good place for trading goods. The wholesale food market which we visited in the evening was very well stocked with all manner of fruit and vegetables. I saw yams as bit as footballs.
At our hotel the Clouds Valley; we were expected and welcomed once again with cool drinks and a garage for our bikes where any repairs could be done by the support crew. A dry hotel once again but we managed by buying in beer.
Thursday was to be rest day but some off road riding was suggested and I suggested we visit The Wild Elephant Hotel where we stayed in 2010 where many stories have stemmed.It was good days riding and most of the team agreed that it was sad to think that we are nearing the end of our tour with only three days riding left.
Nigel
The theme for Wednesday , if I have to choose a theme would be the manufacture of bricks. As we traveled towards the mountains on flat plains we saw about 50 brick yards. We stopped at one and saw women mixing the clay with water and slapping the mixture into molds. As we traveled past the bricks yards the quality of the bricks varied but once fired they all had a similar colour as the source of clay would have been similar. I do not know how the bricks over here would stand up to the effects of frost but I do suppose it even gets tested.
Had I mentioned a theme for Friday 10th it would have been the carving of granite. We passed many businesses on the side of the road with statues big and small with a Hindi or Hindu nature..
The production of food from the land continued on the flat plains in the form of rice and sugar cane. I regretted that I had lost the opportunity to take a photograph of a sugar cane harvester. I have seen several of them which have a John Deere tractor perched on the top as a power source for the machine. The tractor is minus wheels but still has the axle’s front and rear in place. I suspect that when the season for harvesting sugar cane is over they remove the tractor and return it to its normal use. Sugar cane is an 18 month rather than a 12 month crop.We started to ascend the mountain towards the border of Tamil Nadu province and Kerala, the roads became more challenging once again with hairpin after hairpin bend as the road zig zagged upwards . Ted Curtis’s bike suffered and blown clutch and alternator case failure which meant we had to stop half way up the mountain to await our backup crew who robbed the spare bike of its case. As we waited in the in the sun at least we had some nice views to admire.
As we climbed; the production of tea became evident once again with acres of tea plantations and their intricate patterns formed by the pickers as they work between the plants.
The border crossing was quite with two sets of barriers manned by men at the customs posts. They were not interested in us as we had no toll to pay.
Munnar our destination for our two night stop is described in some guide books as a shanty town. It is full of life and vibrant. A good place for trading goods. The wholesale food market which we visited in the evening was very well stocked with all manner of fruit and vegetables. I saw yams as bit as footballs.
At our hotel the Clouds Valley; we were expected and welcomed once again with cool drinks and a garage for our bikes where any repairs could be done by the support crew. A dry hotel once again but we managed by buying in beer.
Thursday was to be rest day but some off road riding was suggested and I suggested we visit The Wild Elephant Hotel where we stayed in 2010 where many stories have stemmed.It was good days riding and most of the team agreed that it was sad to think that we are nearing the end of our tour with only three days riding left.
Nigel
Dave Cox's report
Just thought as the new boy on the block that a few of my own thoughts would be good. By saying 'new boy' I only arrived a few days ago and flew straight into Chennai and joined the second stage of this trip, I had been on several of Gordon’s Trips and In fact came and did India in 2010. So knew what was to come.
I have already seen and done a lot in the 300 plus miles that we have covered in 2 days. Across roads that barely exist and also travelled on roads that have pots holes in like you have never seen before yet the main roads were was good.
I have seen oxen in the centre of congested traffic just resting and taking no notice of passing vehicles whatsoever, women working in the paddy fields , Temples that are unbelievably beautiful, landscapes and breath taking scenery. And the drivers seem to be quite mad, but what fun, no one gets upset they just sound their horns and smile, good job they do,several times I have been admiring the view to hear a loud horn of a passing bus, my reaction jerks me into a more aware mood, “use your mirrors” I say to myself, but then settle down to enjoying the day
Must say something about my fellow travellers and 2 ladies firstly the ladies they must have real trust in their riders to ride pillion in these conditions I take my hat off to them both Kerry and Kathy you are very brave, but I can see from the constant smile on your faces that you are enjoying it.
I know that Kerry was a bit concerned riding on the back of Gordon but they seem to make a good team.
All the chaps are good natured and have made me feel at home they are all very good riders one of today’s section of road would have unseated any one that had not had a few miles under their belt
As for our organiser, well to keep us all up together is a full time job he does enjoy it, well done Gordon, without you I would not be here.
Thank you to my friends and family back home especially my Grandchildren, Grand Dad is enjoying himself and will see you soon
David Cox
I have already seen and done a lot in the 300 plus miles that we have covered in 2 days. Across roads that barely exist and also travelled on roads that have pots holes in like you have never seen before yet the main roads were was good.
I have seen oxen in the centre of congested traffic just resting and taking no notice of passing vehicles whatsoever, women working in the paddy fields , Temples that are unbelievably beautiful, landscapes and breath taking scenery. And the drivers seem to be quite mad, but what fun, no one gets upset they just sound their horns and smile, good job they do,several times I have been admiring the view to hear a loud horn of a passing bus, my reaction jerks me into a more aware mood, “use your mirrors” I say to myself, but then settle down to enjoying the day
Must say something about my fellow travellers and 2 ladies firstly the ladies they must have real trust in their riders to ride pillion in these conditions I take my hat off to them both Kerry and Kathy you are very brave, but I can see from the constant smile on your faces that you are enjoying it.
I know that Kerry was a bit concerned riding on the back of Gordon but they seem to make a good team.
All the chaps are good natured and have made me feel at home they are all very good riders one of today’s section of road would have unseated any one that had not had a few miles under their belt
As for our organiser, well to keep us all up together is a full time job he does enjoy it, well done Gordon, without you I would not be here.
Thank you to my friends and family back home especially my Grandchildren, Grand Dad is enjoying himself and will see you soon
David Cox
Tuesday, 14 February 2012
Please register as a follower
If you view the blog please register as a follower, it would be nice to know who is taking an interest in our tour. I see from the stats that there have been six hits from Barbados so my sister and my nephews and nieces are following great.
How about some of my colleagues from Wiltshire, are you following?
Kind Regards Nigel
How about some of my colleagues from Wiltshire, are you following?
Kind Regards Nigel
Tuesday 14th February Valentines day
What a day for our phones to go down, most of us want to phone home to wish our loved ones a happy Valentines day and Airtel for some unknown reason have blocked all 13 sim cards so no cheap calls home.
The usual hold ups prevented us from getting away from the hotel on time and there was the by now traditional crowd to see us off.
There was a French couple staying at the same hotel and they had hired a Bullet 350cc twin spark for 700 rupees a day. (About £9.33p) which I would say is quite affordable.
We were soon out in the country and Gordon found some off road dirt tracks as promised. We traveled quite a distance at first following alongside a river. We passed some very poor communities, you would not believe that this day and age people are still living in mud huts with sugar cane leaves for roofing.
The countryside reminded me of the Somerset levels. We stopped to regroup after crossing a ford and met some local people washing their clothing in the river. We started to hand out some of our goodies. Fran handed out sweets. I handed out some key rings to which the recipients looked at in bewilderment. Upon reflection I do not suppose they would have owned a car or motorcycle and perhaps do not even have a door on their houses that lock. In years to come they will talk about these strange white men amd women who arrived with high visibility vests and handed out useless objects.
It was a good days motorcycling and the roads were ideal. Our average speed was about 30 miles per hour and maximum speed was 64mph. We traveled more than the planned 86 miles.
The country side was flat, the land seemed very productive and there were acres of paddy fields. Much of the work is still done by manual labour. There were outcrops of very large rock formations; there was one I saw today that must have been as big as Ayers Rock. The area would be good for making Bollywood westerns like they used to do spaghetti westerns years ago in Italy. It was whilst we were stopped photographing one of these outcrops when the local press took an interest in us; so we had to pose for photographs and give an account of ourselves for their editorial.
I have found during this trip that when we arrive in a town or city on the way to the hotel we pass through some very deprived areas. The hotels are an oasis of tranquility and we feel very privileged. The Hotel Germanus, Madural where we are staying today is no exception.
My bike is being worked on by the mechanics, the speedo cable has failed and I think I need a new spring in my front brake calipers.
Fran says happy Valentines day to Rachel.
Nigel says happy Valentines day to Gilly
Richard says happy Valentines day to Karen.
Ted says happy Valentines days to Beverley.
Phones are now working. Mosquitoes are biting well, I think this hotel may be near water. We hired four tuk tuk's this evening and eight of us went out for a tour around the town culminating in a temple. The tuk tuk rides are quite hairy as every space on the road is exploited by these drivers and every opportunity to overtake is taken. Gordon drove his tuk tuk for a short while and found the steering very heavy. We had to refuel ours with LPG. I have never heard of a two stroke LPG engine.
Nigel
The usual hold ups prevented us from getting away from the hotel on time and there was the by now traditional crowd to see us off.
There was a French couple staying at the same hotel and they had hired a Bullet 350cc twin spark for 700 rupees a day. (About £9.33p) which I would say is quite affordable.
We were soon out in the country and Gordon found some off road dirt tracks as promised. We traveled quite a distance at first following alongside a river. We passed some very poor communities, you would not believe that this day and age people are still living in mud huts with sugar cane leaves for roofing.
The countryside reminded me of the Somerset levels. We stopped to regroup after crossing a ford and met some local people washing their clothing in the river. We started to hand out some of our goodies. Fran handed out sweets. I handed out some key rings to which the recipients looked at in bewilderment. Upon reflection I do not suppose they would have owned a car or motorcycle and perhaps do not even have a door on their houses that lock. In years to come they will talk about these strange white men amd women who arrived with high visibility vests and handed out useless objects.
It was a good days motorcycling and the roads were ideal. Our average speed was about 30 miles per hour and maximum speed was 64mph. We traveled more than the planned 86 miles.
The country side was flat, the land seemed very productive and there were acres of paddy fields. Much of the work is still done by manual labour. There were outcrops of very large rock formations; there was one I saw today that must have been as big as Ayers Rock. The area would be good for making Bollywood westerns like they used to do spaghetti westerns years ago in Italy. It was whilst we were stopped photographing one of these outcrops when the local press took an interest in us; so we had to pose for photographs and give an account of ourselves for their editorial.
I have found during this trip that when we arrive in a town or city on the way to the hotel we pass through some very deprived areas. The hotels are an oasis of tranquility and we feel very privileged. The Hotel Germanus, Madural where we are staying today is no exception.
My bike is being worked on by the mechanics, the speedo cable has failed and I think I need a new spring in my front brake calipers.
Fran says happy Valentines day to Rachel.
Nigel says happy Valentines day to Gilly
Richard says happy Valentines day to Karen.
Ted says happy Valentines days to Beverley.
Phones are now working. Mosquitoes are biting well, I think this hotel may be near water. We hired four tuk tuk's this evening and eight of us went out for a tour around the town culminating in a temple. The tuk tuk rides are quite hairy as every space on the road is exploited by these drivers and every opportunity to overtake is taken. Gordon drove his tuk tuk for a short while and found the steering very heavy. We had to refuel ours with LPG. I have never heard of a two stroke LPG engine.
Nigel
Monday, 13 February 2012
The Indian Bus Driver
We have all been very critical of the Indian bus driver, they drive at full speed wherever they are and are constantly on the horn even in built up areas. They overtake with little regard to oncoming traffic indeed often forcing it to take avoiding action. I recently made a throw away remark along the lines that part of their training must be to have their brains removed.
I have since learnt that there is more to it. The drivers are not employed by the bus companies but are casual labour. As buses are the only form of transport for millions, there are many buses: indeed most stops are serviced every few minutes. These drivers have to race between each stop to grab as many passengers as possible before the next bus arrives. The drivers are rated by the number of passengers (for maximum revenue) they collect. If the revenue decreases they drop down the ranking list and are not offered work.
Not only that but their passengers expect them to drive fast and complain if they don’t.
So the next time you hear of an Indian bus crash with many injuries or fatalities you know why. We continue to give them as much room as possible!
Richard
I have since learnt that there is more to it. The drivers are not employed by the bus companies but are casual labour. As buses are the only form of transport for millions, there are many buses: indeed most stops are serviced every few minutes. These drivers have to race between each stop to grab as many passengers as possible before the next bus arrives. The drivers are rated by the number of passengers (for maximum revenue) they collect. If the revenue decreases they drop down the ranking list and are not offered work.
Not only that but their passengers expect them to drive fast and complain if they don’t.
So the next time you hear of an Indian bus crash with many injuries or fatalities you know why. We continue to give them as much room as possible!
Richard
Monday 13th February: Start of Big Boys Phase
We did not quite get away from the MGM Beach Resort at 8am as planned but we got away by about 8.30. With 11 riders and two pillions there are bound to be some problems to deal with before we are happy to embark. This morning there were unpaid bills and lost room keys which is about par for the course.
We headed south towards. Pondicherry whence we came a couple of days ago but turned off right a few miles down the road away from coast. Our early start turned into a bit of a carnival as the school children waiting for their buses to go to school all waved at us as we sped by.
As we forked right from the coast road we had our first close shave of the day when an oncoming bus came thundering; horns blasting towards us at the junction and we had to give up our right turn position else get mown wiped out. Bus drivers are dangerous and Richard Pearse is writing an item now which may explain why.
Our second close shave was an oncoming motorcyclist with pillion whom I though was swerving towards us to avoid pot holes was in fact turning to his right across our path.
Having missed a right turn which I am told was obvious by the fact that one of my fellow motorcyclists was waiting at the junction. Ted Curtis has been giving me stick all day because of my lack of observation. Of course he sits at the back all day sweeping up and any misdemeanors on his part go unobserved. We did about 40 mile stints which are quite long and my coccyx ands backside needed a rest after that time. We found a couple of chai stops one of which served a mean dal and chapatti.
On one of the stops the mechanics decided to adjust my chair which waqs a bit tight after the wheel change. This involved placing the bike on the centre stand which promptly broke and had to be removed. Glad it broke then, rather than failing whilst I was riding along.
Most of the roads today were dual carriageway which again saw a contra flow created without warning when suddenly we were faced with oncoming traffic.
We have had to refuel twice today which is drain on the old expenses but at least petrol is around £1 a litre so a bit cheaper than at home.
We arrived at our hotel at about 4pm having covered the planned 200 miles on a very diverse route ably led by Gordon using his sat nave. We saw some interesting sites and smelt some awful smells as we traveled through some of the poorest communities I have seen so far..
.
We are staying at the Breeze Residency, Tiruchirappalli so that is one leg out of five completed.
Nigel
We headed south towards. Pondicherry whence we came a couple of days ago but turned off right a few miles down the road away from coast. Our early start turned into a bit of a carnival as the school children waiting for their buses to go to school all waved at us as we sped by.
As we forked right from the coast road we had our first close shave of the day when an oncoming bus came thundering; horns blasting towards us at the junction and we had to give up our right turn position else get mown wiped out. Bus drivers are dangerous and Richard Pearse is writing an item now which may explain why.
Our second close shave was an oncoming motorcyclist with pillion whom I though was swerving towards us to avoid pot holes was in fact turning to his right across our path.
Having missed a right turn which I am told was obvious by the fact that one of my fellow motorcyclists was waiting at the junction. Ted Curtis has been giving me stick all day because of my lack of observation. Of course he sits at the back all day sweeping up and any misdemeanors on his part go unobserved. We did about 40 mile stints which are quite long and my coccyx ands backside needed a rest after that time. We found a couple of chai stops one of which served a mean dal and chapatti.
On one of the stops the mechanics decided to adjust my chair which waqs a bit tight after the wheel change. This involved placing the bike on the centre stand which promptly broke and had to be removed. Glad it broke then, rather than failing whilst I was riding along.
Most of the roads today were dual carriageway which again saw a contra flow created without warning when suddenly we were faced with oncoming traffic.
We have had to refuel twice today which is drain on the old expenses but at least petrol is around £1 a litre so a bit cheaper than at home.
We arrived at our hotel at about 4pm having covered the planned 200 miles on a very diverse route ably led by Gordon using his sat nave. We saw some interesting sites and smelt some awful smells as we traveled through some of the poorest communities I have seen so far..
.
We are staying at the Breeze Residency, Tiruchirappalli so that is one leg out of five completed.
Nigel
Sunday, 12 February 2012
Statistics for the first phase of the tour.
Now that the first phase of the tour is over I can give some stats. for those that are interested. We have traveled the width of India; admittedly the narrow bit in the south. We have covered 538.7 miles and have been 35 hrs 22 mins in the saddle. Our moving average speed has been 26.7 mph and overall average speed has been 15.2 mph. On the day we used quite a lot of dual carriageway our average speed increased to 32 mph. Our maximum speed has never been much higher than 65mph.
We still get a sensation of speed even though we may be plodding along at 45 mph most of the time, such are the riding conditions and the hazards we have to deal with.
The second phase is going to be a little tougher. I see we have distances of 200,86,156,131 and 40 miles this week. This would be simple on our roads back home but in the riding conditions here they are quite long. I know were will be back up in the mountains and I am looking forward to seeing the shanty town of Munnar again.
Nigel
We still get a sensation of speed even though we may be plodding along at 45 mph most of the time, such are the riding conditions and the hazards we have to deal with.
The second phase is going to be a little tougher. I see we have distances of 200,86,156,131 and 40 miles this week. This would be simple on our roads back home but in the riding conditions here they are quite long. I know were will be back up in the mountains and I am looking forward to seeing the shanty town of Munnar again.
Nigel
Indian Biker
Today we met I Kuber the proud owner of a 2009 350cc classic Enfield, he owns an arts and craft shop in Mamaliapuram. He wants to come next year,if you are an Indian and interested give him a ring on 9962198563
Saturday, 11 February 2012
Sunday 12th Feb. Farewell
Today we say goodbye to some of the team as they make a start on the long journey home.
Peter Blatchford (rider), Roger (rider) and Made Peter'Budge,(car passenger) Samantha Wilkinson (rider) Neil and Liz Rudram (Rider and pillion) Becky Hayden (pillion) and last but on least Catherine Johnson (pillion) You will all be missed. Catherine says she will miss Mr Inappropritae in particular. It is a sad day.
In a way those on the "big boys trip" also start to make their way home only we have to ride back across India to catch the plane at Cochin next Sunday.
We have a 200 mile ride to look forward to tomorrow. I have a newer rear tyre on my bike which has been robbed from one of the surplus bikes.
Peter Blatchford (rider), Roger (rider) and Made Peter'Budge,(car passenger) Samantha Wilkinson (rider) Neil and Liz Rudram (Rider and pillion) Becky Hayden (pillion) and last but on least Catherine Johnson (pillion) You will all be missed. Catherine says she will miss Mr Inappropritae in particular. It is a sad day.
In a way those on the "big boys trip" also start to make their way home only we have to ride back across India to catch the plane at Cochin next Sunday.
We have a 200 mile ride to look forward to tomorrow. I have a newer rear tyre on my bike which has been robbed from one of the surplus bikes.
Message for Shafi from Madge and Kathy
Thank you Shafi for driving us so safely during our holiday even though you are often a very naughty man (using a mobile phone whilst driving,overtaking on continuous white lines, steering with one hand, the list is endless). Despite this we had complete confidence in your Indian style of driving which was often "quite exciting'!! You gave us some good tour guide information of sites and local customs throughout, knowledge which we were able to impart to the rest of the team in the evenings.
Madge & Kathy
Madge & Kathy
Saturday 11th February
After an early breakfast we made ourselves ready for the coach to pick us up at 8am. The Royal Enfield factory, said to be 30km away was still a two hour journey from the resort, such is the congestion in this large city.
I am going to let somebody else sum up the factory visit which I enjoyed immensely.
Do not forget to view the slide show which is below on the blog and has been updated with more photographs as they become available.
Nigel
I am going to let somebody else sum up the factory visit which I enjoyed immensely.
Do not forget to view the slide show which is below on the blog and has been updated with more photographs as they become available.
Nigel
Friday 10th February
I am a bit behind with the blog updates so I have to think back to Friday which was a 72 mile ride from Pondicherry to Muttukadu near Chennai. I remember a close shave with a pedestrian who walked into my path, he was looking the other way and holding a mobile phone to his ear, I could not get my thumb to sound my horn and just had to shout at him, breath in an swerve. These close shaves are common place in India and are shrugged off by the locals in the blink of an eye. Later in the day we were travelling on a dual carriageway and were suddenly confronted by an oncoming car and then some other vehicles. Looking over to the other carriageway we could see road construction vehicles. A contraflow was operating and the first we were aware of it was the oncoming vehicle, no signs, no cones, nothing.
We followed the east coast road north and it wasn't long before the temptation to see the sea could not be resisted. We found a beach where the bikes could be ridden to the waters edge and it was Gordon who was first in the water with his boots on. The rest of us took our time, removing foot ware and trousers to allow a good paddle and the brave went in for a proper swim. We were not carrying towels so if you got wet you stayed wet which is not that bad in this hot climate. The sea was rough but nice and warm. Making our way further north we found another resort around lunch time where we wee at first pestered by street vendors who were very insistent that we bought their wares which was mostly tat. We did find some good bargains in the form of carved stone ornaments where you cannot believe the workmanship which has gone into these objects and find that the price is less than a couple of pounds. Some of the team visited yet another temple and Gordon had a pair of sandals made to measure in less then half an hour.
We finally arrived at the MGM beach resort which was to be our home for the next three nights. Sadly this was the last ride for some of the team as this was the last day of the first phase of this tour. The next phase so called the 'big boys trip' starts on Monday 13th February.
Dave Cox who was joining us for the last week had already settled into the hotel. He sends his love to his grand children and says that he has arrived safely in India. He hopes they will read this blog.
MGM Beach resort as the name suggests is right on the beach. We were again welcomed by the staff at the hotel with cool soft drinks and a cold towel.
Chennai(formally Madras) is the 4th largest city in India with a population of 8 million. This city was also hit by the 2005 tsunami when 1000 people lost their lives.
We now have two free days and I know that tomorrow we have a visit to the Royal Enfield factory to look forward to.
Nigel
We followed the east coast road north and it wasn't long before the temptation to see the sea could not be resisted. We found a beach where the bikes could be ridden to the waters edge and it was Gordon who was first in the water with his boots on. The rest of us took our time, removing foot ware and trousers to allow a good paddle and the brave went in for a proper swim. We were not carrying towels so if you got wet you stayed wet which is not that bad in this hot climate. The sea was rough but nice and warm. Making our way further north we found another resort around lunch time where we wee at first pestered by street vendors who were very insistent that we bought their wares which was mostly tat. We did find some good bargains in the form of carved stone ornaments where you cannot believe the workmanship which has gone into these objects and find that the price is less than a couple of pounds. Some of the team visited yet another temple and Gordon had a pair of sandals made to measure in less then half an hour.
We finally arrived at the MGM beach resort which was to be our home for the next three nights. Sadly this was the last ride for some of the team as this was the last day of the first phase of this tour. The next phase so called the 'big boys trip' starts on Monday 13th February.
Dave Cox who was joining us for the last week had already settled into the hotel. He sends his love to his grand children and says that he has arrived safely in India. He hopes they will read this blog.
MGM Beach resort as the name suggests is right on the beach. We were again welcomed by the staff at the hotel with cool soft drinks and a cold towel.
Chennai(formally Madras) is the 4th largest city in India with a population of 8 million. This city was also hit by the 2005 tsunami when 1000 people lost their lives.
We now have two free days and I know that tomorrow we have a visit to the Royal Enfield factory to look forward to.
Nigel
Thursday, 9 February 2012
Thursday 9th February
A fairly prompt start to today's ride as a visit to the large temple at Thiruvannamaiai was planned so we had a short ride from the Sparsa Hotel into the town. Most of the team were able to go into this magnificent temple. It was so hot I decided to take my motorcycle trousers off and wander around in shorts. I would have been an embarrassment to my daughter Lucie as I still had motorcycle boots on which do not lend themselves to being worn with shorts. They would not allow me to enter the temple wearing shorts so I was denied the experience,yet they allowed Fran Bunce in wearing what looked like black tights keeping his knee pads in place, very unfair I thought.
Around the perimeter of the temple, the air was permeated with the smell of urine; I did not notice this at first until it was pointed out by Peter who by this time was wearing a mask. Any smell to me is a bonus having only just regained my sense of smell after more than a year.
I walked around the perimeter of the temple which is so large it took about 45 minutes. It was whilst I was walking that I reflected that I was as far away from my way of life that I had even been. The poverty, the living conditions the general way of life, begging is still in evidence, litter is strewn everywhere as it is along any road in this part of India. Gullies are blocked with stagnant water and rotting animals.
Gilly you would have loved out chia stop this morning where there was a squashed rat by my back wheel.
We made our way towards Pondichery on the east coast through a fairly
flat fertile countryside where many crops such as rice, corn and sugar cane were grown. It then became apparent that the roads in this area had more than one purpose for here we encountered straw being laid over the road where the passage of traffic over the straw has the effect of thrashing and leaving the corn to be picked up from the road surface. The smell of the straw evoked memories of summer holidays when I used to work on the farm helping with the harvest.
Later we encountered many oxen and tractor drawn trailers heavily laden with sugar cane on their way to the sugar cane factories.
We arrived at the Hotel Atithi in Pondicherry early afternoon and were welcomed by the hotel staff with cool flannels and a glass of fruit juice. Luggage transfer is a major operation and we were grateful to the hotel porters for delivering our suitcases to our rooms. The early arrival after a 75 mile ride allowed us the look around the town and visit the beach and for some of us to see the Bay of Bengal for the first time. On the promenade there is a giant stature of Mahatma Gandhi which is very impressive, one of the team remarked he was the spit and image of Ben Kingsley.
The beach at Pondicherry, rather than sand descending gradually to the water; was a wall of loose granite stone. This was as a result of the Boxing day Tsunami 2005 when 1500 people lost their lives in this town when the water hit.
Richard Pearse is pleased that his fellow villager Clinton Rogers is following the blog and says that Route 66 would have been a doddle compared to this trip. Perhaps he should think about joining us next year especially as he is a PRIDE trained motorcylist. Most of the route today was India Route 66.
We have now been in India a week and time is passing too quickly which I supose is an indication of how enjoyable it has been so far. Cannot believed that some of the team have to start their journey home on Sunday.
It was nice having Shafi our tour guide riding with us today. We normally see him with the back up crew bus or car.
Today Friday 10th February we make our way up the east coast to Chennai, in theory we cannot get lost as we just keep the sea to our right.
Gilly I am sorry to hear that your eye problem has returned on the eve of my departure. I am thankful we have some good fiends in Mike and Alex for taking you to hospital to see the specialist.
Nigel
Around the perimeter of the temple, the air was permeated with the smell of urine; I did not notice this at first until it was pointed out by Peter who by this time was wearing a mask. Any smell to me is a bonus having only just regained my sense of smell after more than a year.
I walked around the perimeter of the temple which is so large it took about 45 minutes. It was whilst I was walking that I reflected that I was as far away from my way of life that I had even been. The poverty, the living conditions the general way of life, begging is still in evidence, litter is strewn everywhere as it is along any road in this part of India. Gullies are blocked with stagnant water and rotting animals.
Gilly you would have loved out chia stop this morning where there was a squashed rat by my back wheel.
We made our way towards Pondichery on the east coast through a fairly
flat fertile countryside where many crops such as rice, corn and sugar cane were grown. It then became apparent that the roads in this area had more than one purpose for here we encountered straw being laid over the road where the passage of traffic over the straw has the effect of thrashing and leaving the corn to be picked up from the road surface. The smell of the straw evoked memories of summer holidays when I used to work on the farm helping with the harvest.
Later we encountered many oxen and tractor drawn trailers heavily laden with sugar cane on their way to the sugar cane factories.
We arrived at the Hotel Atithi in Pondicherry early afternoon and were welcomed by the hotel staff with cool flannels and a glass of fruit juice. Luggage transfer is a major operation and we were grateful to the hotel porters for delivering our suitcases to our rooms. The early arrival after a 75 mile ride allowed us the look around the town and visit the beach and for some of us to see the Bay of Bengal for the first time. On the promenade there is a giant stature of Mahatma Gandhi which is very impressive, one of the team remarked he was the spit and image of Ben Kingsley.
The beach at Pondicherry, rather than sand descending gradually to the water; was a wall of loose granite stone. This was as a result of the Boxing day Tsunami 2005 when 1500 people lost their lives in this town when the water hit.
Richard Pearse is pleased that his fellow villager Clinton Rogers is following the blog and says that Route 66 would have been a doddle compared to this trip. Perhaps he should think about joining us next year especially as he is a PRIDE trained motorcylist. Most of the route today was India Route 66.
We have now been in India a week and time is passing too quickly which I supose is an indication of how enjoyable it has been so far. Cannot believed that some of the team have to start their journey home on Sunday.
It was nice having Shafi our tour guide riding with us today. We normally see him with the back up crew bus or car.
Today Friday 10th February we make our way up the east coast to Chennai, in theory we cannot get lost as we just keep the sea to our right.
Gilly I am sorry to hear that your eye problem has returned on the eve of my departure. I am thankful we have some good fiends in Mike and Alex for taking you to hospital to see the specialist.
Nigel
Personal to Johnathon and Andrew
Hi boys I am sorry I dont seem to be able to get an internet connection when your about.
I know that you are following the blog so thought I would put a message here for you.
Its very hot here at the moment its 3,30 in the mormining here and 10.00pm where you are and you are in bed I am speaking to Mum as I type this and I am catching up on all the news from Taunton
its really 25 degrees outside here and thats at night during the day its even hotter its ok when we are riding well still hot but bearable but when we stop its so hot some of the group moan that they cant get a cool spot I dont think they realise its hot everywhere
Mum tells me that you are doing well and that Johnathon had a good occurance at scouts "well done matie" and that Andrew has a new "friend".
I am sorry that I cant talk to you but as long as you know that i am thinking of you I am sure we can manage
have a good week off school next week I will try and speak to you tomorrow
Love you all DAD
I know that you are following the blog so thought I would put a message here for you.
Its very hot here at the moment its 3,30 in the mormining here and 10.00pm where you are and you are in bed I am speaking to Mum as I type this and I am catching up on all the news from Taunton
its really 25 degrees outside here and thats at night during the day its even hotter its ok when we are riding well still hot but bearable but when we stop its so hot some of the group moan that they cant get a cool spot I dont think they realise its hot everywhere
Mum tells me that you are doing well and that Johnathon had a good occurance at scouts "well done matie" and that Andrew has a new "friend".
I am sorry that I cant talk to you but as long as you know that i am thinking of you I am sure we can manage
have a good week off school next week I will try and speak to you tomorrow
Love you all DAD
photo update
there should be a lot more photos on the slide show most of them are from Andys and Kaths camera so look further back on the blog to get a flavour of whats happening
Wednesday, 8 February 2012
Wednesday 8th
Gordon has already summed up the day. Captain Anthony was there to see us offm as were the entire staff of the hotel. He blessed our ride but unfortunately revving engines made his words inaudible.
The first ride was probably through the most picturesque area we have encountered so far. The roads were the ones most of us like best of all; dozens of bends, many hairpins and steep gradients. The road surfaces were relyably pot hole free. I did another long free wheel on the way down the mountain.
The roads later were a nightmare as Gordon has said. I did have a close shave whilst overtaking a bus, I was only giving back some of what they give us all day. Most of the incidents we have would involved a bus somewhere along the line. The drivers are agressive and drive far too quickly.
Yes the Sparsa is unusual but has a good ethos, which I am sure we will survive. The pool is excellent and was very welcome after a long hot ride.
Nigel
The first ride was probably through the most picturesque area we have encountered so far. The roads were the ones most of us like best of all; dozens of bends, many hairpins and steep gradients. The road surfaces were relyably pot hole free. I did another long free wheel on the way down the mountain.
The roads later were a nightmare as Gordon has said. I did have a close shave whilst overtaking a bus, I was only giving back some of what they give us all day. Most of the incidents we have would involved a bus somewhere along the line. The drivers are agressive and drive far too quickly.
Yes the Sparsa is unusual but has a good ethos, which I am sure we will survive. The pool is excellent and was very welcome after a long hot ride.
Nigel
Sparsa resort
We have arrived at the Sparsa resort it's idyllic with birdsong and quiet music. Rogers had a bit of a bleat as its Non-smoking and Non-alcohol and he has to go into the car park to smoke, life is so hard for him!
The run down from Yercuald was great a newly tarmaced road was far better that I would have imagined however once we turned onto the main road things deteriorated the road surface was really badly broken in places, and all too often this was under the trees where it was hard to see nevertheless the Royal Enfield’s stood up to it with no problems and I think for the first time we had no breakdowns and the only problems was the catch on Neil and Liz’s toolbox going awol and disgorging is contents over the floor Sam as always came to the rescue this time with her insulating tape, yet another thing she has managed to cram into her bottomless bum bag.
My bike is still out of commission its not blown up rather came to a sad stop the cam follower appears to have let go.
It’s now 4.15 here something just after midday in Uk and I think time for a nap before I try and upload some more photos don’t forget to have a look at the slide show!!
Gordon
The run down from Yercuald was great a newly tarmaced road was far better that I would have imagined however once we turned onto the main road things deteriorated the road surface was really badly broken in places, and all too often this was under the trees where it was hard to see nevertheless the Royal Enfield’s stood up to it with no problems and I think for the first time we had no breakdowns and the only problems was the catch on Neil and Liz’s toolbox going awol and disgorging is contents over the floor Sam as always came to the rescue this time with her insulating tape, yet another thing she has managed to cram into her bottomless bum bag.
My bike is still out of commission its not blown up rather came to a sad stop the cam follower appears to have let go.
It’s now 4.15 here something just after midday in Uk and I think time for a nap before I try and upload some more photos don’t forget to have a look at the slide show!!
Gordon
Tuesday, 7 February 2012
Captain Anthony Kennedy
On Monday afternoon Richard Pearse and I had walked from the hotel to Yercaud for a bit of excercise and to get an Indian plug for my four socket gang. The town consists of very poor housing and some retail outlets along the side of the road. The lake is obviously at the centre of the community. We were contemplating our return to the hotel when we were approached by an elderly Indian gentleman who had a military bearing and caried a swagger stick. He explained that he had completed 30 years in the Indian Army and had retired 30 years ago. He was very pro British; the Indian Army having taken many of their traditions from the British Army. It was clear that he wanted to befriend us and he would be delighted to take us out the next day on a tour of the area. It was our rest day but were not sure what plans the group had. He said he would see us at the hotel the next day. We were not sure what we were letting ourselves in for. He introduced himself as Captain Anthony.
Over the evening meal we decided that we should hire a coach and have a tour of some local places of interest.
First thing Tuesday morning, I went to the room next door to wish Fran a happy birthday, I had my massage at 8.30 so had to have a late breakfast. During breakfast Captain Anthony arrived. He appointed himself tour guide despite the Hotel Manager Joby Jose already having been appointed tour coordinator.
The breakfast was excellent as with most things in this hotel. We have to thank P.Karthik the pastry and breakfast chef for an excellent breakfast selection and for making a birthday cake for Fran.
Our first destination was a coffee plantation on the Blue Mountain Estate. We met the owners; brothers A. Suresh and A Sadan and they showed us the process up to the despatching the beans to the coffee manufactures. The estate is forty acres and the coffee plants are grown in amongst trees which supported pepper vines. We climbed to the highest point on the planation which is 3800ft above sea level. Captain Anthony knew all about the plants and the process. He explained that back in the early part of the 20th century an Englishman left the estate to the present owner's grandfather as a result they were also very pro-British.
Most people returned to the coach very weary as it was quite a hard climb and a difficult descent. We still do not know why we went up there but I suppose it was good excercise and a bit of a challenge.
The next port of call was an observtion post/watch tower which provided a breathtaking view of the surrounding mountains and valley. We then moved on to Shevarayan Temple which is claimed to be the largest temple in the world. It also claimed to be linked to Mysore by a tunnel but I find that hard to believe.
I will let one of the other team members describe the temple as I was hungary by now and spent most of my time at the temple site trying to buy some bajjis and chai.
We returned to the hotel and four of us yearning for a bike ride rode down to a local very high waterfall. The climb down to the bottom of the waterfall via a steep series of steps starting of with a steel staircase which led on to concrete steps was precarious. Walking back up was a hard slog. A couple of months ago I could not have done it through breathlessness but since my operation things have improved.
One of the nice things for me on this trip is the smells and the taste of food. Both of these senses have been denied me over the past year.
All but two of the team sat down for an excellent evening meal followed by the cutting of Frans cake after singing happy birthday.
Our next destination is the Sparsa Hotel Thiruvannaiai a journey of 95 miles. It has been an enjoyable day off but I am dreading the bill which will include the bar, the restaurant, the spa and laundry. I hoping my use of the internet will be free. I highly recommend the Hotel Palace Hotel & Spa at Yercaud.
Nigel
Over the evening meal we decided that we should hire a coach and have a tour of some local places of interest.
First thing Tuesday morning, I went to the room next door to wish Fran a happy birthday, I had my massage at 8.30 so had to have a late breakfast. During breakfast Captain Anthony arrived. He appointed himself tour guide despite the Hotel Manager Joby Jose already having been appointed tour coordinator.
The breakfast was excellent as with most things in this hotel. We have to thank P.Karthik the pastry and breakfast chef for an excellent breakfast selection and for making a birthday cake for Fran.
Our first destination was a coffee plantation on the Blue Mountain Estate. We met the owners; brothers A. Suresh and A Sadan and they showed us the process up to the despatching the beans to the coffee manufactures. The estate is forty acres and the coffee plants are grown in amongst trees which supported pepper vines. We climbed to the highest point on the planation which is 3800ft above sea level. Captain Anthony knew all about the plants and the process. He explained that back in the early part of the 20th century an Englishman left the estate to the present owner's grandfather as a result they were also very pro-British.
Most people returned to the coach very weary as it was quite a hard climb and a difficult descent. We still do not know why we went up there but I suppose it was good excercise and a bit of a challenge.
The next port of call was an observtion post/watch tower which provided a breathtaking view of the surrounding mountains and valley. We then moved on to Shevarayan Temple which is claimed to be the largest temple in the world. It also claimed to be linked to Mysore by a tunnel but I find that hard to believe.
I will let one of the other team members describe the temple as I was hungary by now and spent most of my time at the temple site trying to buy some bajjis and chai.
We returned to the hotel and four of us yearning for a bike ride rode down to a local very high waterfall. The climb down to the bottom of the waterfall via a steep series of steps starting of with a steel staircase which led on to concrete steps was precarious. Walking back up was a hard slog. A couple of months ago I could not have done it through breathlessness but since my operation things have improved.
One of the nice things for me on this trip is the smells and the taste of food. Both of these senses have been denied me over the past year.
All but two of the team sat down for an excellent evening meal followed by the cutting of Frans cake after singing happy birthday.
Our next destination is the Sparsa Hotel Thiruvannaiai a journey of 95 miles. It has been an enjoyable day off but I am dreading the bill which will include the bar, the restaurant, the spa and laundry. I hoping my use of the internet will be free. I highly recommend the Hotel Palace Hotel & Spa at Yercaud.
Nigel
Geoff & Beckys musings on India
Saturday 4th February.
Gordon's blown his bike up. Ivan thinks it's the piston; we think differently. Turns out to be a cam follower broken in half.
This enforced stop is one of our highlights of the trip so far. Whilst the spare bike was being extricated from the back of the van Geoff and I began talking to the family who lived in the house opposite. After talking for a short time they invited us in for a cup of chai. The litle girl was called Lateeka and she showed us her English homework. In the book was a translation of the Tamil National Anthem so a quick rendition of God Save The Queen by ourselves was given. The family looked quite startled, possibly by Geoff's singing. We then had a crash couse in Tamil numbers - one to ten. A wave goodbye, Gordon on his new mount and we were off.
That evening we met a man in Ooty selling chocolate and hair restorer. Geoff bought the chocolate but since the seller was partially bald declined the hair restorer. We were fascinated by the fact that he had a totally English name, Richard Charlesworth. Apparently his Grandad was given an English name whilst working for the tea plantation and this tradition had carried on.
Sunday 5th February.
A fairly uneventful 67 mile ride on some heavily potholed roads today. The last few miles through the massively populated and gridlocked city of Tiruppur taking us to the very modern Ginger Hotel. We reckon the thermometer has hit 34 degrees today.
Monday 6th February.
The first part of todays riding mostly on duel carriageways, the last part being a 5 mile speed hillclimb through 20 hairpin bends, taking us 1500 mtrs above sea level to the moutaintop Grand Palace Hotel. The bikes and riders get a rest now until Wednesday morning.
Gordon's blown his bike up. Ivan thinks it's the piston; we think differently. Turns out to be a cam follower broken in half.
This enforced stop is one of our highlights of the trip so far. Whilst the spare bike was being extricated from the back of the van Geoff and I began talking to the family who lived in the house opposite. After talking for a short time they invited us in for a cup of chai. The litle girl was called Lateeka and she showed us her English homework. In the book was a translation of the Tamil National Anthem so a quick rendition of God Save The Queen by ourselves was given. The family looked quite startled, possibly by Geoff's singing. We then had a crash couse in Tamil numbers - one to ten. A wave goodbye, Gordon on his new mount and we were off.
That evening we met a man in Ooty selling chocolate and hair restorer. Geoff bought the chocolate but since the seller was partially bald declined the hair restorer. We were fascinated by the fact that he had a totally English name, Richard Charlesworth. Apparently his Grandad was given an English name whilst working for the tea plantation and this tradition had carried on.
Sunday 5th February.
A fairly uneventful 67 mile ride on some heavily potholed roads today. The last few miles through the massively populated and gridlocked city of Tiruppur taking us to the very modern Ginger Hotel. We reckon the thermometer has hit 34 degrees today.
Monday 6th February.
The first part of todays riding mostly on duel carriageways, the last part being a 5 mile speed hillclimb through 20 hairpin bends, taking us 1500 mtrs above sea level to the moutaintop Grand Palace Hotel. The bikes and riders get a rest now until Wednesday morning.
Monday, 6 February 2012
update
We are in Yercaud having had a good day 90+miles, some on main roads which had their own appeal and then a ride to remember 40 or so hairpins one after another sometimes stacked five high it was footpeg scrapeing at its best some of us got to the top exhausted and sweating from the exertion but the hotel is top notch and worth the effort
Day off tomorrow
dont forget to check the slide show new photo going on all the time
Day off tomorrow
dont forget to check the slide show new photo going on all the time
Monday 6th February a day of reflection
On reflection the first three days motorcycling have been quite challenging for some, maybe even terrifying for others. I have just really enjoyed being on the bike again as I have not ridden for months.
Today’s ride was quite tame by comparison. We covered many miles in quite a short time as the main part of the journey was dual carriageway. (Shafi our tour guide has informed me that in India they are called four lane highways). I would imagine that such a beast as a dual carriageway is quite a new thing here in the south of India, judging by the way the Indians use these arteries of communication anyway.
Pedestrians just stroll across without a care in the world. Motorcylists think nothing of travelling on the wrong carriageway. (Some of them travel on the left, so if they were on a normal they would be on the right side of the road so that is some consolation I suppose). Lorry drivers drive in the right lane leaving and empty left lane forcing us to overtake on the left. (Which we do all the time anyway so nothing new there.) In addition to these hazards you get the stray dogs who to give them their due do have a degree of road sense. The ones who did not are left rotting and bloated in the gutter.
We had a good late morning break at roadside 'chia' outlet who had a good selection of sweet and savory snacks. This time we did not have to use banana leaves for plates. The girls had to go alfresco with their comfort break.
The next part of the journey was quite exciting. We arrived at a town called Salem; relying on GPS we ended up in what must have been the most congested street in India. There were retail outlets on either side of the road and it was a hive of activity with deliveries of goods taking place all along the street whilst normal retail activity continued. We vied for position with Ox drawn heavily laden carts and human drawn carts of equal weight. The Oxen have painted horns by the way usually one red one green but I have seen other colours. We emerged the other end after what seemed like 30 minutes of start stop riding. I made a comment to Gordon that I would like to go around again, in one of his sensitive moments he thought I was being sarcastic but I meant it, it was the highlight of the day.
No damage no injuries today. The squashed lemons are working.
We arrived at the Hotel Grand Palace Yercaud at about 2pm. The welcome that the manager Mr Jose’ had arranged was second to none. They greeted us with trays of lichi juice which was very refreshing.
It really is a ‘grand hotel’. Sitting on the top of a mountain with panoramic views it must be the jewel in this lakeside resort. Some of us have booked full body massages in the hotel spa already. They would probably be unaffordable at home, but at £22.50 quite reasonable.
I was reflecting today on how I got to where I am with my motorcycle riding. All those years ago in 1974 I did my standard course with Bill Rowell. Then in 1976 I did my advanced course with Brian Doris and then tongue in cheek I applied to be a motorcycle instructor, Charlie Gray took me through the course with Russell Oaten. I passed and became a motorcycle instructor in 1976 on the regional driving school. Just imagine I got paid for thrashing around the countryside at high speed. I thank those people for the knowledge and skills they imparted to me.
Nigel
Today’s ride was quite tame by comparison. We covered many miles in quite a short time as the main part of the journey was dual carriageway. (Shafi our tour guide has informed me that in India they are called four lane highways). I would imagine that such a beast as a dual carriageway is quite a new thing here in the south of India, judging by the way the Indians use these arteries of communication anyway.
Pedestrians just stroll across without a care in the world. Motorcylists think nothing of travelling on the wrong carriageway. (Some of them travel on the left, so if they were on a normal they would be on the right side of the road so that is some consolation I suppose). Lorry drivers drive in the right lane leaving and empty left lane forcing us to overtake on the left. (Which we do all the time anyway so nothing new there.) In addition to these hazards you get the stray dogs who to give them their due do have a degree of road sense. The ones who did not are left rotting and bloated in the gutter.
We had a good late morning break at roadside 'chia' outlet who had a good selection of sweet and savory snacks. This time we did not have to use banana leaves for plates. The girls had to go alfresco with their comfort break.
The next part of the journey was quite exciting. We arrived at a town called Salem; relying on GPS we ended up in what must have been the most congested street in India. There were retail outlets on either side of the road and it was a hive of activity with deliveries of goods taking place all along the street whilst normal retail activity continued. We vied for position with Ox drawn heavily laden carts and human drawn carts of equal weight. The Oxen have painted horns by the way usually one red one green but I have seen other colours. We emerged the other end after what seemed like 30 minutes of start stop riding. I made a comment to Gordon that I would like to go around again, in one of his sensitive moments he thought I was being sarcastic but I meant it, it was the highlight of the day.
No damage no injuries today. The squashed lemons are working.
We arrived at the Hotel Grand Palace Yercaud at about 2pm. The welcome that the manager Mr Jose’ had arranged was second to none. They greeted us with trays of lichi juice which was very refreshing.
It really is a ‘grand hotel’. Sitting on the top of a mountain with panoramic views it must be the jewel in this lakeside resort. Some of us have booked full body massages in the hotel spa already. They would probably be unaffordable at home, but at £22.50 quite reasonable.
I was reflecting today on how I got to where I am with my motorcycle riding. All those years ago in 1974 I did my standard course with Bill Rowell. Then in 1976 I did my advanced course with Brian Doris and then tongue in cheek I applied to be a motorcycle instructor, Charlie Gray took me through the course with Russell Oaten. I passed and became a motorcycle instructor in 1976 on the regional driving school. Just imagine I got paid for thrashing around the countryside at high speed. I thank those people for the knowledge and skills they imparted to me.
Nigel
Sunday, 5 February 2012
Nigel's thoughts early Monday 6th
The mileage we are achieving may not seem remarkable. 45 day one, 81 day two,69 day three. It is plenty for the environment were are riding in. We must also remember we are on holiday. There are 14 riders with five pillion. It is not easy keeping together, espcially in the towns. Ted is our back marker or sweep. We are wearing high visibilty vests which helps to make us stand out. We re-group often. We have break downs (three yesterday)for example.
On the open road we could be spread out over one or two miles, see how Gordon has described looking back or forward whilst acending or decending and seeing some of the group in the distance.
We sight see, take photographs, we talk to the local people. We hand out goodies to the children. (We have done a school and an orphnage so far)
I am riding in shirt sleeves which some may say is foolhardy. My logic is that I prefer to be a cool calm rider than over heated and stressed. It is still refreshing to get moving again after a stop.
our stop last Night was at the Ginger hotel and excellant choice for the taveller just on the eastern side of Tirrpur Dias the manager was excellant and helped us with everything he needs a promotion
the hotel s very similar to a french accor hotel but met our very need
Our journey to Yercaud today is 92 miles. and we have to be on the bikes by 9.00am so its off soon
So far we have been lucky with the weather. This is a silly comment apparently as it just does not rain in this part of India at this time of year.
Fran Bunce has asked me to send a message to Rachel. " I love You"
On the open road we could be spread out over one or two miles, see how Gordon has described looking back or forward whilst acending or decending and seeing some of the group in the distance.
We sight see, take photographs, we talk to the local people. We hand out goodies to the children. (We have done a school and an orphnage so far)
I am riding in shirt sleeves which some may say is foolhardy. My logic is that I prefer to be a cool calm rider than over heated and stressed. It is still refreshing to get moving again after a stop.
our stop last Night was at the Ginger hotel and excellant choice for the taveller just on the eastern side of Tirrpur Dias the manager was excellant and helped us with everything he needs a promotion
the hotel s very similar to a french accor hotel but met our very need
Our journey to Yercaud today is 92 miles. and we have to be on the bikes by 9.00am so its off soon
So far we have been lucky with the weather. This is a silly comment apparently as it just does not rain in this part of India at this time of year.
Fran Bunce has asked me to send a message to Rachel. " I love You"
Gordons ramblings
Ooty as always was a particularly nice stop we arrived about 3.00pm an after a shower and rest were able to get into the town and visit the tourist spots of charring cross and the busy street markets.
Although we retreated to the pleasures of the old Howard Johnson hotel for a meal .
Our planned start of 9.00 o’clock was delayed slightly as Gordon had told everyone except the mechanics who pulled up at 9.15 nevertheless we pulled out of the hotel we what seemed to be the whole of the staff waving us off. And straight into problem number one my garmin GPS was not working normally a most reliable bit of kit, it just failed to spark up. With no time to try and fix i had to revert to the old fashion map, and shout method of navigating which means having an idea of the name of the next town and shouting it out until someone from the crowd points out directions , It works but the Garmin is much easier.
It also mean that Shafi used the car to Navigate us out of Ooty which was slightly better for Madge as she did not have to sit like the queen at the back of a convoy of motorcycles the centre of attention, not Madge at all,
With Liz on the back we set off down into Ooty and no sooner had I started to pull up the hill that my bike started to play up again, no guts and only able to feed power in slowly , surprisingly the main fuse I quickly changed it and was off again. My bike started its first of its diet of fuses. The rise out of Ooty is a fascinating series of hairpins not only is there a chance to look back on the city but you can look down and sometimes see three or four lines of bikes all on different levels and directions as they weave up behind me. Being at the front has its advantages but you don’t get the frantic waving from the children and often adults as we pass by.
On our first regroup I was able to investigate the problem with the Garmin and having wiped over the battery terminals the thing “Beeped” into life. The Garmin has become and essential part of my kit surprising not for the routing I have proved that I can manage that but more from the information that its gives more importantly ETA or as Garmin puts Time of arrival because it is always right. it changes as problems occur but when you get to your destination its always at that time. It not only gives me a chance to plan breaks and tea stops but also gives me a quick answer to that question you think only children give “are we nearly there yet”.
Nigel’s bike started to Pop and Bang today and we lost Andy from the line both down to plugs it might be that we added a bit too much oil to the fuel yesterday it should be 100ml per 10 litres of petrol.
The long drop down off the Nigris is a great ride unfortunately shrouded in mist but that meant we could ride straight to the bottom and the hot arid elephant plain were Graham decided to have a rest or should we say his bike did, all the men took it in turns having a prod and a poke and suggestion as to the problems varied from Piston holed to seized, as always Ivan came along gave a prod here and there and quickly diagnosed electrical problems the theme for the day bits, I am not sure which bits were rewired and we were on our way again all thankful because it was getting hot note to self when you breakdown find somewhere cool .
Sam somehow managed to get Kath onto the bike and like she was always used to it we soon saw her flying down Indian roads as ever keen but nervous to try anything.
Our lunch stop was marred with the true reality of Indian life when we viewed a shocking display of domestic violence, obviously we don’t know the reason but right in front of us we witnessed a woman being dragged by her hair across the road first by one man and then another, Roger true to form stepped in and bellowed at the man to stop as only a Cornishman can “ OYE” and even louder “OYE” and it was over. Indian life reverted to a sensible norm
Although we retreated to the pleasures of the old Howard Johnson hotel for a meal .
Our planned start of 9.00 o’clock was delayed slightly as Gordon had told everyone except the mechanics who pulled up at 9.15 nevertheless we pulled out of the hotel we what seemed to be the whole of the staff waving us off. And straight into problem number one my garmin GPS was not working normally a most reliable bit of kit, it just failed to spark up. With no time to try and fix i had to revert to the old fashion map, and shout method of navigating which means having an idea of the name of the next town and shouting it out until someone from the crowd points out directions , It works but the Garmin is much easier.
It also mean that Shafi used the car to Navigate us out of Ooty which was slightly better for Madge as she did not have to sit like the queen at the back of a convoy of motorcycles the centre of attention, not Madge at all,
With Liz on the back we set off down into Ooty and no sooner had I started to pull up the hill that my bike started to play up again, no guts and only able to feed power in slowly , surprisingly the main fuse I quickly changed it and was off again. My bike started its first of its diet of fuses. The rise out of Ooty is a fascinating series of hairpins not only is there a chance to look back on the city but you can look down and sometimes see three or four lines of bikes all on different levels and directions as they weave up behind me. Being at the front has its advantages but you don’t get the frantic waving from the children and often adults as we pass by.
On our first regroup I was able to investigate the problem with the Garmin and having wiped over the battery terminals the thing “Beeped” into life. The Garmin has become and essential part of my kit surprising not for the routing I have proved that I can manage that but more from the information that its gives more importantly ETA or as Garmin puts Time of arrival because it is always right. it changes as problems occur but when you get to your destination its always at that time. It not only gives me a chance to plan breaks and tea stops but also gives me a quick answer to that question you think only children give “are we nearly there yet”.
Nigel’s bike started to Pop and Bang today and we lost Andy from the line both down to plugs it might be that we added a bit too much oil to the fuel yesterday it should be 100ml per 10 litres of petrol.
The long drop down off the Nigris is a great ride unfortunately shrouded in mist but that meant we could ride straight to the bottom and the hot arid elephant plain were Graham decided to have a rest or should we say his bike did, all the men took it in turns having a prod and a poke and suggestion as to the problems varied from Piston holed to seized, as always Ivan came along gave a prod here and there and quickly diagnosed electrical problems the theme for the day bits, I am not sure which bits were rewired and we were on our way again all thankful because it was getting hot note to self when you breakdown find somewhere cool .
Sam somehow managed to get Kath onto the bike and like she was always used to it we soon saw her flying down Indian roads as ever keen but nervous to try anything.
Our lunch stop was marred with the true reality of Indian life when we viewed a shocking display of domestic violence, obviously we don’t know the reason but right in front of us we witnessed a woman being dragged by her hair across the road first by one man and then another, Roger true to form stepped in and bellowed at the man to stop as only a Cornishman can “ OYE” and even louder “OYE” and it was over. Indian life reverted to a sensible norm
Sunday 5th February 2012
9am start from Ooty, we climbed higher up the beautiful mountains, where the weather was like a British Summer's day. The views were slightly restricted due to cloud visibilty, but still plenty to take in. We saw plenty of tea plantations and paddy fields along the way. One or two of the bikes suffered, misfiring problems. The bike I was pillion on stopped completely, but we were able to free wheel about 3 miles,as by this time we were on our way down the mountain. The problem seemed to be too much oil additive in the petrol on the previous days refuel causing the plugs to oil up. As a pillion free wheeling was a new experience, but a good one, it was like a silent parachute free fall at 60kph going down the mountain along sweeping and hairpin bends - I loved it! Lots of sights, sounds and smells. After the sweeping ongoing bends of the mountains, we eventally reached straight roads and built up some speed, always wary of a multitude of hazards caused by, stray dogs, mad bus drivers, suicidal pedestrians and motorcyclists with three pillions some riding side saddle. We arrived safely at our destination at the Ginger Hotel,Tirupur, having covered 69 miles. Looking forward to the Grand Palace Hotel at Yercauld tomorrow.
Saturday, 4 February 2012
Saturday 4th Feb continued
Forgot to mention an example of Gordon in his traditional form. We had stopped at a road side Chia (strong sweet milky tea) outlet where a round cost one pound 60 pence for 15 cups. The stop was near a junction and a local man and his girl approached the junction on a diesel Royal Enfield motorcycle. As he was stopped to give way Gordon politly asked the rider if he could have a go. without hestitationThe rider gives up his prized possession and willingly allows Gordon to have a blast down the road. He returns suitably impressed. both Gordon and the owner grining from the experience.
How inexpensive is India? The other day I went to the opticians in Devizes and learned that an eyesight test is now 30 pounds sterling.(Indian keyboard no sterling symbol) Roger Peter'Budge went down to S & M Street in Calicut on Thursday, had an eyesight test and new specticals with prescription lenes supplied for 22 pounds within three hours.
As I was riding today, really enjoying the weather and the riding conditions I thought how much Rodney Elford, Tweed and Ric Harris would enjoy such a holiday as this. Start thinking about it you chaps for next year. It would give me encouragement to come again knowing that I was introducing an adventurous holiday to somebody I am convinced would enjoy the experience. Regards Nigel Ellis
How inexpensive is India? The other day I went to the opticians in Devizes and learned that an eyesight test is now 30 pounds sterling.(Indian keyboard no sterling symbol) Roger Peter'Budge went down to S & M Street in Calicut on Thursday, had an eyesight test and new specticals with prescription lenes supplied for 22 pounds within three hours.
As I was riding today, really enjoying the weather and the riding conditions I thought how much Rodney Elford, Tweed and Ric Harris would enjoy such a holiday as this. Start thinking about it you chaps for next year. It would give me encouragement to come again knowing that I was introducing an adventurous holiday to somebody I am convinced would enjoy the experience. Regards Nigel Ellis
Saturday 4th
We have arrived at the Monnarch Hotel Ooty safe and well. Some of the bikes however require attention and I can see that the support crew are working on the bikes as I write. Gordon's bike in particular had to be taken off the road and substituted with the spare bike, a nice looking original Bullet in red livery.
If there has to be a theme for the day then I would say that it would be pot holes and speed ramps. Both of these hazards can have a detrimental effect on handling and are painful especially with the less than refined suspension on the Enfields. They were hard to see in the shadows in the forests we were travelling through.As we climbed up the mountain on the meandering roads; many surfaces have been affected by the monsoon and have been washed away in places. We have covered about 80 miles today through spectacular scenery. The weather was just like summer, it has got cooler as we have climbed. We are now at 7600 feet. Fleeces are in evidence.
We hope to hit Ooty for our evening meal rather than eat in.
Gordon has just informed me that it was not his piston that had broke but the crank shaft so it may be more thsn an overnight repair.
Friday, 3 February 2012
Friday 3rd
Quite a short run for the first day of riding. All 14 bikes were refulled at the nearby filling station and we returned to the hotel car park for photographs and the traditional Indian ceremony which involves placing a lemon under the front tyre of each motorcycle so that when it moved forward, the lemon was squashed and this would bring good luck on our journey. The staff from the hotel saw us off and we joined the chaos on the Indian roads that is all except Graham Turner who's bike was missed in the fuelling session. We regrouped before we left Calicut and I thought this would be a good time to phone my daughter Lucie. It was 11.30 by now. Sorry Lucie and Scott I thought we were less then 5 and a half hours ahead of GMT.
It was a good ride out to the country and the team seemed to be getting the hang of how things work. Progress could be described as a series of near misses.
We have a support team of six and they convey our luggage and keep us supplied with water. The ladies other than Sam started off in a car but once we were were out of the urban area were able to ride pillion.
We attracted some Police interest on our first run, one or two of us were flagged down but I think they were just inquisitive and wanted to know where we came from and the purpose of our journey; finding it hard to comprehend why English people should want to travel to India to ride old fashioned motorcycles.
We arrived at the Green Gates Hotel at Kalpetta in the early afternoon. It's a dry hotel so the back up crew were dispatched to fetch a supply of Kingfisher.
Fantastic roads as we came up the mountains, lots of hairpins and a few washed out surfaces to deal with.
Our destination today is Ooty so I know we will see many tea platations as we climb steadily upwards.
Thursday, 2 February 2012
Nigel continued
Anyway we have a good team and I am sure bonds will be built over the next three weeks. Gordon Kemp the organizer was an advanced motorcycle student of mine in 1980 just before our son Liam was born and one of the most versatile riders I know apart from being an exceptional Police rider he was also an accomplished off roader competing in various events both national and internationally we have been friend ever since and done many motorcycle related events since that time. When Gordon retired from A&S he started his own motorcycle training school called PRIDE. this tour is and offshoot of that
Today we start our first leg of the journey to Kalpetta and were start a gradual climb up the mountains of Kerala.
Today we start our first leg of the journey to Kalpetta and were start a gradual climb up the mountains of Kerala.
Nigel's report
Dear Gilly and all friends and colleges for bothering to read this blog. Wednesday 1st Feb.We were flying from Birmingham which meant that I had to catch the transport at Gordano Services on the M5. I traveled with Mike Mizen who would safely deliver my car home.The first leg of the journey was to Dubai with Emerates Airlines. Boeing 777-300. Some of our group took advantage of the free complimentary drinks. Roger Peter'Budge started singing "Going up Cambourne Hill" and Ted Curtis got a bit loud and floppy. I was talking to a very nice elderly lady whilst I was up stretching my legs and she asked me If I was from that noisy group. I had to admit I was. The first leg was long. After a three hour stop over in Dubai we continued to Calicut; this time in a Boeing 777-200. Less complimentary whiskey consumed this time. After quite a hairy journey by coach from the airport we arrive at the Westway Hotel on Thursday 2nd Feb a little too late for breakfast. After settling in I was able to take lead fellow team members to the local cash point and make them familiar with the tuk tuk transport. Out bikes were waiting for us. Fifteen Royal Enfield Bullets or various ages. I managed to secure the same bike that I have used for the previous two years, a Lighten rather then a Bullet which is 535 rather than 350cc. Not a pretty bike but it has done me well over the past two years. Judging by the paint job it may have seen life in the hippy community. I may have a pillion on occasions so the more powerful engine may come in handy, We have a very diverse team. A bank manager, retired vet, retired detention officer, three retired police officers, a wine taster, a retired mechanic from Taunton Police station who looked after the bikes for more then 40 years.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)