Week 10

Day 64

Saturday 31st August 2019

Kharepatan to Panaji.

Set off early fueled by a couple of bananas in search of breakfast and money. The first ATM was closed so we cycled onto the next town. Finally found an ATM which worked so could afford to eat. Went to one of the many small road side stalls which sell a fried potato patty with bread. One of the cultural differences in India is touching food. The waiter brings the food on a plate then picks it up and puts it onto another plate or carries the patty then hands it to you. Razzle Marsden went into public health nurse mode - in response the guy took her bread bap and pulled it apart so she could put her patty in it.

Anyway we were aiming to get to Goa. Long day on the road with intermittent downpours - a bit like being in washing cycle. Got to the outskirts of Panaji - it was starting to get dark and the traffic was really busy. Ended up in water at the side of the road which went up to our calves. Came across a hotel which is really lovely and we are the first guests. Pictures all round at #HotelGrandKadamba plus a dinner beautifully served (with no fingers) and finally hot water!

Day 65

Sunday 1st September 2019

HotelGrandKadamba (Panaji) to Karwar (Hotel West End).

After an amazing stay in #HotelGrandKadamba as its first and honoured guests and after photos to celebrate the event, we set off with bananas and water. Ten miles into the ride the tire exploded (sounded like a rifle going off). A lovely man on a moped stopped and took me to the local bike repair shop to see if the tire could be saved - it couldn’t so we got out the final spare out and fixed the puncture. We headed into the rain forest which was utterly amazing but really hard going. We ended up on a rocky and muddy road which went up to a 15% gradient. We saw a troop of monkeys and watched them jumping through the forest. It was also a real privilege to see people in such rural communities getting water from the village stand pipe.

Goa has a different feel - more affluent with it colonial buildings and holiday resorts. We have not seen any westerners since Mumbai but Goa has more of the Eurpean feel and it is certainly more Christian than the India we had seen so far.

As we ride along lots of people take photos or video us. One guy followed us for about 5 miles taking pictures and filming us. (I was dying for a pee and couldn’t stop for the fear of being filmed). Others want us to stop so they can take selfies.

It had been raining on and off all day but towards the end of the day the heavens opened and the rain was torrential. It was ankle deep as we rode through it. Arrived in Karwar as it was getting dark soaking and cold - not ideal for my cold. Heading for some food to warm up.

Day 66

Monday 2nd September 2019

Karwar to Bhatkal.

Slow start to the day as we decided to head to a bike shop to get a spare tire. Met David an engineer working at the Indian Naval base over breakfast from the US and the first westerner we had see since leaving Mumbai - we chatted about our ride and he kindly sponsored us. Headed to the bike shop listening to fireworks and fire crackers going off.

We didn’t realise that today was a festival day - Ganesh Chaturthi also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi an important Hindu festival celebrated throughout India as the birthday of Lord Ganesh, the elephant-headed son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Lord Ganesh is the symbol of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune. Anyway as a result most of the shops were shut including the bike shop. We headed along the coast following the main road with a few diversions through the towns and villages where everyone was getting ready for the festival which involved carrying a statue of Ganesh through the town. There were also shrines lit with colourful lights and playing loud music. We cycled on passing Indian Sea Eagles and skirting the rain forest. We found one place we could eat (as everywhere was shut) about 40 miles into the ride which timely as it started raining. It seems to rain everyday in late afternoon - it’s really torrential- to the point it’s hard to see through the rain. We arrived soaking at the Royal Oak Hotel.

Day 67

Tuesday 3rd September 2019

Bhatkal to Mangalore.

Set off in the pouring rain riding through the floods in the town. Headed along the coast crossing a series of bridges over the rivers flowing into the sea. All the rivers were high with some flooding. Saw a Peacock in the wild! The Ganesh Chaturthi Hindu festival celebrating the birthday of Lord Ganesh, is still in full swing which meant many of the shops and places to eat were closed but the towns and villages are decorated with lights and every village has its own shrine with music blasting out on speakers. We watched a parade and headed into Udipi where ate more curry. The police also stopped us to ask how much Alice cost!

We followed the coast for a while - the sea was rough with the waves crashing on the shore. We were heading for Mangalore and hoping to arrive before it got dark. We then had a puncture and the pump broke. I jumped in a Tic tuc and went to the nearest village to get the tyre inflated. Saw lots of massive bats flying over head! It was dark when we arrived in Managlore. The roads where rough and muddy and the traffic was insane. You kind of battle for position on the road - weaving in and out and avoiding the lorries. Arrived at a hotel which looks like a prison. Feel like we should be in an episode of Orange is the new black!

Day 68.

Wednesday 4th September 2019

Mangalore to Kassragod.

Woke to torrential rain in our prison block hotel. The plan was to find a bike shop and get two new tyres (spare) a new pump and a bike bits. Alice has taken a real hammering in the rain and needed some TLC. Set off into Mangalore in the rain. It was rush hour and the traffic was the usual - Indian frenetic. Got lost but as a result got a great view of the estuary and sea. Found the shop which on line said it had shimano!

It was not looking promising. A few children’s bikes and Heros (not specialist stuff) - it was a heart sink moment. However, it turned out there was another shop in town. We headed for it in the rain - found it finally and it was brilliant. Tyres, wet lube, a pump! Loads of stuff. We left Alice with #tajcycle and headed on a Tuc Tuc for a real coffee! The air conditioner resulted in the coffee shop being freezing (we were soaking) but the coffee was great. Alice got a new tyre and we have two spares plus inner tubes (it was like being in a sweet shop).

Set off riding after lunch and crossed the border into Kerala. The roads deteriorated and we were riding through craters so big in the road that the pedals hit top of the pot hole. Kerala has experienced severe flooding in the last few weeks fingers crossed the roads improve. Anyway it was lovely to wave to the school children on route and I’ve always enjoyed a bit of mountain biking!

Day 69

Thursday 5th August 2019

Kassragod to Mahe.

Set off in the rain in search of breakfast - curry as usual. Seems to be yellow curry for breakfast and orange curry for lunch and dinner - the colour gets darker as the day goes on. Rode along the coast. The road was a bit better than the previous day- but still full of potholes. Alice is taking a bit of a pounding with the rain and road conditions. She refused to change gear at one stage! We saw a small cafe which sold crepes - it was amazing so we had two - and a shake. First curry free meal since we arrived I India.

The area we passed through is predominantly Muslim with mosques replacing the Hindu temples. However it is more affluent than the north and there are shops selling furniture and electrical goods amidst the stalls and markets. Different cultures coming together. We also saw some nice beach houses - not dissimilar to something you might see in Europe.

Struggled to find somewhere to stay. In a budget hotel in a strange town bizarrely selling alcohol- seems to be a distinct district. The waiter doesn’t however have any beer but did offer us something dodgy to smoke. We politely declined.

Day 70

Friday 6th September 2019

Mahe to Ponnani.

Started the day with a bit of bike maintenance for Alice. We were happy to leave the budget (grotty) hotel and head out of Mahe which did not have a good feel to it with all the liquor stores and men hanging around. I think we could have paid for the room by the hour. Anyway carried on down the coast. Men wear the Dhoti the national dress of India in this area, which is a skirt four to six feet long white with a coloured strip of cotton. They seem to spend most of the time hitching it up and re-tying it.

The road was busier and this part of the coast is much more populated and affluent. We indulged in an ice cream- a real treat. Raz now had “the cold” - started as my cold but managed to share it. Amazingly it was not raining and we thought we were going to have a completely dry day until the heaven opened later in the day. More excitement was finding a decathlon- where we bought a few new clothes as ours had seen better days! Started looking for a hotel only to discover that most of the restaurants call themselves hotels in this area. Ended up riding in the dark trying to avoid the potholes! Finally found somewhere which allegedly had hot water and wifi. No hot water and no WiFi so far.