Week 14

Day 92

Saturday 28th September 2109

Bhadrak to Jaleswar.

I know that you are all bored hearing about our hotels but please indulge me a bit longer... then I promise I will talk about cycling.

Hotel Orion, please delete it from your holiday dream list. We arrived soaking wet and tired - so it was obvious to put us on the 5th floor having explained that the lift was broken. We pulled back the covers on our beds and were confronted with various stains on the sheets the origin of which I really don’t want to speculate about. Raz called housekeeping which arrived in the form of a very disgruntled man who thrust one sheet at her and left. My turn, Raz stripped off my dirty pillow case (its the nurse in her) to reveal the nightmare beneath (see picture) and I decided it should be shown to the manager and guests at reception. The beds and the pillows were changed. We had just got into bed when there was a knock at the door. Raz grabbed a towel and answered it. Documentation was apparently required - Raz politely explained she had nothing on her - which given she was only wearing a towel was true. It gave us both the giggles.

Breakfast then turned into a 2 Ronnie’s sketch. We ordered two teas which turned into coffee. We ordered 2 French toast (quite excited about this as it was not curry) and 2 toast. This turned into 1 French toast and 1 lot of toast. I tried to explain that there were 2 of us! But to no avail.

Headed out of town and the back tyre exploded. We were down to the emergency emergency tyre (28 inch slick - not ideal) with no spare. We changed it as a large audience gathered to watch our performance. 

The monsoon season has seen India, Bangladesh and Nepal all have significant flooding over the past few months. In August, floods in Kerala, Maharashtra and Karnataka killed nearly 500 people and left 1.5 million people displaced. People are in desperate need of emergency shelter and food. Along with this many water points have been damaged or contaminated making access to clean water a large concern. Please support #Oxfam
The monsoon has gone on longer than usual - we know this because we have cycled through it but it was also very evident today as we passed flooded fields and rivers bursting their banks. The heat becomes intense and the sky blackens and it rains - normally a torrential downpour.

Today it was hot. We passed people (lots of women) breaking rocks with picks - it felt disturbing - makes you wonder if the gravel on our drives started life here.

We stopped at a cafe for lunch. It was pretty basic and we were amazed that they were playing U2 on a loop - until I realised I had inadvertently pressed play and it was blasting out from the speaker on Alice.

Anyway all was good until Raz said only 9 miles we’ll make it before the rain and in the light for a change. The words were only just out of her mouth and we punctured again - back wheel! Another audience with one very strange guy who just stared. We even caused a crash- cycle and motor bike (nothing serious).

We did get wet. We are staying in another doss house. I won’t bore you with it. Met a lovely assistant professor of English literature and his family in the local restaurant which was a nice way to end the day.
 

Day 93

Sunday 29th September 2019

Jaleswar to Kolaghat.

Got up early - surprisingly I was able to stand after a night sleeping on a plank! We also managed to get a cup of tea - very much down to perseverance by Raz. We set off with a crowd watching.

The countryside in Bengal is lovely but the monsoon has taken its toll - we saw more evidence of flooding - with fields totally under water and the rivers bursting their banks. We also passed some spectacular lily ponds with the flowers in bloom.

We watched Jaleswar wake up and come to life with people washing and various other ablutions going on. In fact, Raz has been conducting a survey, which based on the numbers, is statistically significant- the conclusion is that majority of men in India are circumcised. I always avert my gaze. It is amazing what you can see from a bike (or not).

We played it safe today mainly sticking to the main roads given the tyre worry - which kept me awake and when I did fall asleep I dreamt about tyres - I’m putting it down to drugs we are taking for malaria!

Disturbingly we did see more animal transportation which was grim but also communities getting ready for a festival building huge bamboo structures in readiness - such are the contradictions in India.

We have very nearly reached Calcutta which all being well we should do tomorrow. This will be the end of our India adventure. Less than a full day of riding left.

Day 94

Monday 30th September 2019

Kolaghat to Kolkata.

We have arrived in Kolkata having cycled 2614 miles (4182 km) in 34 days (76.8 mile average) - With 1 full day off, numerous punctures and 4 tyres!

We found a nice hotel last night - which was good as there was a torrential storm (thundering and lightening of biblical proportions) which pretty much went on all evening - causing more flooding no doubt.

We ate breakfast in what looked like a school cafeteria and set off. I have pretty bad saddle sore - and 2 pairs of shorts and dressings plus a lowered saddle still didn’t make it comfortable - so we were keen to arrive and have a few rest days before starting the next part of our journey in Myanmar. We saw many of the bamboo structures we have seen over the last few days starting to take shape in readiness of forthcoming celebrations with beautiful coloured material and intricate designs.

The traffic into Kolkata was fun as were the roads but we felt elated to cross the Kolkata Bridge. Thanks to the amazing #Oxfam team in Kolkata in particular the lovely Laressa Gomez we have a place to stay. The #Kenilworth Hotel has been extremely welcoming and helpful. Tomorrow we will meet the Oxfam team and do some media which we hope will support the amazing work they are doing. We’ll keep you posted.

Happy Birthday Ruth Prior. Have a good one.

Day 95- 97

Tuesday to Thursday, 1st to 3rd October 2019

Kolkata to Myanmar.

We were up early the morning of day 95 to visit #RadioMirchi where we were being interviewed about our ride and the fundraising we are doing for #Oxfam. We met the lovely Omly Ayantika who took us outside, bought us Chai and interviewed and filmed us. Omly thought it might be fun to watch us cross a busy road - but as we had just ridden the length of India and back again we managed it pretty well.

Kolkata was getting ready for Durga Puja a carnival which transforms the city celebrating the maternal essence of the divine and involves people venerating ornate idols of the 10-armed goddess Durga and her entourage, which are displayed in pandals (temporary shrines) that dominate yards and little parks and block roads. We were taken to one with a shuttle cock theme.

We then jumped in a car and took a travel sick inducing ride to Oxfam’s offices in Kolkata. It was an inspiring afternoon listening to the humanitarian work Oxfam are doing in India and Bangladesh as a result of climate change which had resulted in flooding, landslides and typhoons. #Oxfam have helped 33000 households and around 200000 people many of whom have been displaced 10 times in the last 15 years. We also heard about their work on women’s rights and the frightening statistic that 1 in 3 Asian women have experienced some form of domestic violence. Thanks to Latessa and all of the team for arranging the visit. We then headed across the city to the recently built sector 5 where we met the team from Decathlon and talked about our ride. They provided us with boxes for Alice - so a big thank you to them in particular Suchi. It was a tiring day but inspiring and I’m sure the memory of it will keep us going. We spent the following day sorting kit, packing Alice and getting our shorts mended. We have sewn a new pad into our shorts and fingers crossed this will help the saddle sore! A massive thank you to the #Kenilworth hotel which was utterly amazing and restored our faith in Indian hotels.

Day 97 we are on route to Myanmar. A bit of a palaver getting Alice on the flight but fingers crossed she arrives. We are heading to Mandalay and will set off on the next phase of our journey tomorrow.

Day 98

Friday 4th October 2019

South of Mandalay (Kyaukse) to Meiktila.

Arrived at Mandalay airport relieved that the domestic flight plane from Yangon had been big enough to take Alice who was in 2 large boxes. We had booked a taxi to the lovely #HotelEver south of Mandalay explaining that we had two large boxes with us. The car arrived with a polite man and a driver - therefore 4 of us and an estate car. We explained that the back seats would need to go down to fit the boxes in. Alice was put in the boot with most of her was hanging over edge - this was not going to work. She was then put on the roof. Unfortunately there was no rope so the driver borrowed something equivalent to plastic sellotape and tried to tie two enormous boxes to the roof. The law of physics was against this idea and we explained it wouldn’t work. In the end the seats went down and all 4 of us (apart from the driver who drove at break neck speed) had a very uncomfortable and cramped journey.

We put Alice together in the morning having had noddles for breakfast (this will become a theme) and set off mid morning.

Myanmar has a very different feel to India. Fewer people, less rubbish at the side of the road and a way of life which feels much more laid back. We had no audiences, no mobbings, not one selfie request but people did wave in a courteous way as we passed. The countryside was lovely - still green after the monsoon and with a dramatic mountainous backdrop.

We stopped for noodles at one of the many restaurants on route. We had a puncture! We passed colourful pagodas. Saw children in their saffron (boys) and pink (girls) robes (Kasaya).

We arrived into Meiktila as it was getting dark. Arriving at the lake with the light from the golden pagoda shining on the water.