Bareilly to Mathura

We left Bareilly to continue on our ride to Pushkar. The hotel we left in Bareilly was on the opposite side of the duel carriageway from the direction we wanted to go and Colin didn't want to drive down the correct way only to turn around and have to come back on himself. So, being Colin he did it Indian style as you can see in the video below.

Driving up a duel-carriageway the wrong way

We stopped at a dhaba for lunch and the owner was only too happy to show off his pet monkey. It wasn't a pet as such or in a cage or tied up but a wild monkey that seemed well taken with the guy. Although, woe betide anyone else who tried to go near it. He shouted me over to take a photo and the mental monkey started jumping around screaming and hissing at me as soon as it saw the camera. Colin stayed well out of the way over in his seat at the far end of the photo. I must say, he did warn me before I went to take the photo.

Cows and water buffalos can be a real pain when you are driving, especially when they get a bit frisky and start jumping around.

Ladies walking. Some of the pictures I'm taking now are not the best as, for the last few days, I have been hanging off the back of the bike with the camera while Colin is driving.

We stopped for a pit stop and this old guy walked over to speak to us. He kept chatting away in Hindi despite us telling him we only spoke very little. We just let him chatter and he seemed to be enjoying himself. Then he wanted his photo taken.

Cow dung dried out into patties which will be used for cooking. It's mainly a poor man's fuel but much needed and certainly in abundant supply. Can't count the amount of times I've stood in cow shit.

You would think two people on a bike is enough, but not in India. There is only four on this bike but one is a new born baby. The most I have seen is six people!

These shared jeeps are mental. You wouldn't believe how many people they pack into them. They are so packed that some people are only holding on with one arm and one leg while the driver is driving like a man possessed. Check the guys on the roof with their feet hanging down over the front window.

We had a really good drive with the exception of going through a small town on the river Ganges where some sort of festival going on. There must have been several hundreds of thousands of people gathering there and it was bedlam. Traffic was backed up for miles and people just walking in the road. It took us one and a half hours to ride what should have taken us 15 minutes. As the bike is air cooled it kept cutting out and I thought Colin was going to have a real paddy. At one point a bus was behind us constantly on the horn trying to get past us but we were hemmed in, couldn't get started and could go nowhere. Finally we got through it and got to a place called Mathura where we had to stop for the night as we were both knackered. It was a busy town and a nightmare finding a hotel. Everyone we asked about where any hotels were looked at us as if we were aliens - it was not a town where you find many foreign tourists. Finally we found somewhere that was way over budget and very posh by our standards now but we really couldn't go any further (our days of 5 star hotels are gone now we're not earning, and long may it last).

Leaving Nepal and returning to India

We left Nepal and the next place that we wanted to go to was Pushkar in Rajisthan. Again we knew it was going to take a few days and we had a kind of a plan of a route in mind. We were heading to the town of Bareilly where we would find a place to stay for the night.

Again it was hassle free going through both immigrations. Now Colin is out of the mountains he has no need of a big Santa Claus beard to keep him warm and badly needed a shave. This wee barber was right beside the Indian immigration. We had seen it yesterday and Colin had decided that he was finally going to have a shave when we passed it again leaving Nepal. Unfortunately there was a queue so the shave had to be left for yet another day.

Bikes and people on foot can cross the border all day but the gates are only opened for larger vehicles three times a day for one hour at a time. Because we had got up late we didn't get to the border until just before 12md and unfortunately the gates open between 12md-1pm and already the traffic was backing up.

We got a shifty on but when we were half way across the bridge they opened the gates on the Indian side (we didn't realise that they opened these gates earlier as the bridge isn't wide enough for 2-way traffic). So, traffic ploughing towards us we were forced to pull over to the left as much as we could. On the left of the photo are pushbikes loaded up with all sorts of goods and we were forced by an on-coming car to get close up against them. Disaster struck as one of the bicycles toppled onto us. Goodness knows what was in the load but it was really heavy. I was trying to support the weight of the load whilst Colin was trying to keep the enfield upright. Luckily a few of the locals came running over and saved us from a crushing injury. Disaster averted we set off.

We stopped at a dhaba in Bombasa for some brunch. The staff were really nice and desparate for a photo when they seen the camera. They were all elbowing one another to ask for a photo. One of the boys insisted on lighting his cigarette for the photo. In India, although smoking is supposed to be banned, it's still not uncool to smoke.

We chose a seat in the dhaba but we could have chose a charpoy and had a wee sleep. I don't know how these guys can sleep with all the street racket going on around. And, with your legs in this position? Indian people seem to be able to sleep anywhere at any time. We never seen any charpoys in dhabas in the mountains but they seem very common around rural India.

Some towns you pass through are less than salubrious. At least the wee coo is having a feed. At times we miss Vashisht!

You see some great loads on bikes.

People sit along the roadside working. They sit in the most impossible looking positions.

We were having a pit stop and some young lads came over to check out the freaks on an enfield.
We arrived in Bareilly which was a really busy town. We wanted to stay somewhere at the far end of the town so that we had an easy ride out in the morning and we found ourselves heading out of town before we had spotted any hotels. We hadn't really liked the look of Bareilly so we thought we would drive further and hopefully find somewhere on the highway. Luckily, sense kicked in after about 10mins riding. Time was getting on and what if there wasn't a hotel to be found in the next hour. This really wasn't a good idea as the electrics on the bike hadn't been working for a few days so we didn't have any lights on the bike. So we turned around and headed back to Bareilly. We managed to find a hotel - Hotel Mandekani. It was lucky we did turn around as the next day when we drove on that same road we never passed a hotel for several hours.

Kashipur to Nepal and clearing Nepali immigration

The short piece of road from Indian immigration to the Nepali is a kind of no-mans land as no-one takes responsibility for it and, as a result, the road surface is worse than it was getting to Indian immigration


No-mans land

The immigration officials in the Nepali immigration were just as relaxed as their Indian counterparts and the process was just as easy. Waving them goodbye saying we'll see them tomorrow on our way back into India we set off to find customs so that we could declare our bike as there is a daily charge for taking a bike into Nepal. 

Our first new friends at Nepali immigration - looking for money of course, but they were chuffed with getting their photo taken instead. They were hooting with glee when I showed it to them on the camera.

Finally we found the custom's 'shed'. Here, it was that relaxed, they even offered you a cup of tea. Colin thought our bike was loaded with luggage because we have a tank bag as well as saddle bags. Had he loaded the bike like this one I would have been able to bring more than one change of clothes.

We set off on the 7kms journey to the border town and headed towards the Opera Hotel which both Indian and Nepali immigration officials had recommended, only because it has a bar and a casino I suspect). To be fair though we only seen one other guest-house on our way to town. It was a nice place and even everything in the room worked - hot water, TV, flushing toilet . Well, everything except the bathroom light which was nothing that Colin couldn't fix with a bit of gaffa tape.After having been to so many places in India where it was strictly vegeterian and alcohol free had we had a wee party to ourselves in the hotel - bottle of rum as it was all we could get, loadsa chicken and Saturday night football on the TV - magic!

Kashipur to Nepal and clearing Indian immigration

We set off from Kashipur and headed for Nepal. Our 1 year visa stipulates that we must leave India for 1 day every 180 day,s so if we crossed the border and stayed in Nepal for one night this would fulfill our visa requirements. We had decided to cross the border at the Indian town of Bombasa and stay in the border town of Mehendranagar in Nepal. On route we passed through many towns and we were held up several times due to train tracks running across the road hence having to stop as barriers were the down to allow trains to pass.

Once we reached the town the road surface on the main road was really poor as you can see in the video below


The road to Indian immigration

The last clip you see in the video where Colin beeps the horn and passes what looks like a load of white bags on the move is actually a bicycle laden with goods and a man pushing it at the side as there is no room for him to sit on it.

Then it was across the bridge to the Indian immigration office.

Colin sorting out the passport exit stamps while enjoying a wee chit-chat with the immigration officers. It certainly is a very relaxed border crossing and still uses paper ledgers. It would have been so easy to just drive past the immigration office as no one pays any attention to you but it's your responsibility to get your exit visa so you make sure you find it.

Other people crossing the border. Indian and Nepalese people don't need a visa to pass between the two and some people live in one country and go into the other country every day to go to work.

Some people cross on horseback in shared carriages.

Others load their bicycles with with goods and walk the bike through. They load them so much that they have to walk alongside the bike as there is no space for them to sit down.

After getting through Indian immigration and getting the much needed exit stamp in the passports we set off to find the Nepali immigration to get an entry stamp for Nepal.

Rishikesh to Kashipur

We were really enjoying being in Rishikesh so we stayed for 3 nights. The day before we left Rishikesh we walked into the main town as we knew there was an enfield mechanic there. After we had the problem with flooding the bike and losing power several times when we were riding to Rishikesh we had sent a text to our friends Jayne and Guy, who normally live in India but are in the UK at the moment, to check if we could have done any damage to the bike. Guy has had an enfield in India for 20 years and he told us to check and see if the spark plug was black and damaged. After looking at the internet to see what a damaged spark plug looked like, Colin decided that we did need a new plug and we managed to get one from the enfield mechanic. Unfortunately when we got it back to the hotel it didn't fit.

The following morning we loaded up the bike and eventually, after many attempts, got the bike started. We stopped at the mechanics on route and, looking as if we knew what we were taking about, told him he had given us the wrong plug. Surprise, surprise it was the correct plug and Colin hadn't been fitting it properly. Plug changed and red-faced again we set off. We also knew that the electrics on the bike - indicators, lights and brake lights - weren't working properly but we decided could get them fixed at a later date.

We had originally planned on leaving Rishikesh and riding back up into the mountain area to see places we hadn't been to but after reading the weather reports on our warm balcony in the hotel and discovering that the higher areas had been hit by icy winds, rain and snow we decided to abort that plan and remain on the plains where it was warm. So, we decided to head straight to Nepal to fulfill our visa requirements. We wouldn't get there in one day so would find somewhere on route to stop.


Shouting out to get directions to Kashipur

Most of our journey that day was on the national highway which was the usual good road surface mixed with really bad and quiet stretches of road mixed with very busy stretches, shouting out for directions when we came to a junction. Now we were out of the mountains and at a low altitude the weather was lovely and it was really interesting driving through rural India, watching the changing countryside and landscape.

Modes of transport changes to horses, cows and water buffalo.

These vehicles that look like they should be in a Mad Max film. They are used as shared transport, almost like a bus.

Enjoying a break while posing for a photo.

These horse and carts are also a shared transport.

A cycle rickshaw.

Even in rural India vehicles coming towards you always overtake, even when it just about runs you off the road. Because this bus was coming straight towards us in our lane we had no choice but to swerve off the road. The same rule always applys - the bigger you are the more right of way you have!

Lunch was the usual food in a road-side dhaba, omelette noodles and dhal. This cook certainly had a green chilli fetish, and these chillis were only the ones that we managed to dig out, the rest ingested.

We arrived at a town called Kasipur and as time was getting on we decided to get a room for the night. We knew the first hotel that we stopped at would be well out of our price range but we thought we would try our luck. They were really nice and even phoned the manager at home to see if they could give us a room at a much cheaper rate. Permission denied they told us how to get to a hotel - Hotel Premdeep International - that was within our price range where we managed to get a room. This helpfulness is really common in India.

Rama Festival in Rishikesh

When we arrived in Rishikesh it was the 7th day of the 9 day festival of the Hindu God, Lord Rama . Rishikesh is normally a bustling place but because of the festival it was packed. There were parades on the streets, dancing, Ashrams chanting loudly, paint throwing (this is the Hindu tradition of throwing coloured powder and water, not just at one another but also at any passing strangers) etc. It is all taken in good humour and no-one seems to mind being covered in coloured gunge).

On the last day of the festival, people waiting at the boom of the Ghats for the Gods to arrive.

The festival in full swing with paint being thrown all around.

Now covered in coloured powder, The Gods are taken down to the Ganges

The God (sitting in the fancy chair) being guided into the water.

Parades in the street. This guy is dressed as the Indian God Hanuman.

Effigies are burned to depict the triumph of Lord Rama over Ravana , which is seen as good over evil. It was set on fire at night after a fabulous fireworks display. Hundreds of people were at the Ghat for the burning but hundreds more were stood on the suspension bridge. Initially we were standing on the bridge but soon decided to get off it as we thought there was a heck of a lot of people to be supported by one bridge, but luckily the bridge held! It certainly wouldn't have been the first bridge to collapse in Asia.

The streets were covered in powder.

The musicians who had been playing drums and blowing trumpets for days were glad of the rest I think.

The stage in this video was set up throughout the festival and blasted out 'music' all night. Our hotel wasn't too far from it. We had to keep our bathroom door closed when the stage was in full swing as the sound seemed to gather in there and going for a pee was like walking into a boogie box! Make sure the volume is up when you listen to the video and see if you can last the short 36 seconds.

Our 3 night stay in Rishikesh

Rishikesh is a small religious town in the northern state of Uttarakhand on the River Ganges , where the water is believed to be holy water by the Hindus. The centre of the town is really hectic and busy and not the reason why travellers to go to Rishikesh. Further on from the main town are 2 suspension bridges that span the ganges, one at a place called Ram Jhula and the other at Laxshman Jhula. When you cross either of theses bridges you reach the part of Rishikesh that is of interest to most travellers. This is known as the world capitol of yoga and has many Ashrams  where Hindus and travellers alike go and stay. It is a really bustling place with good eateries and shops selling all the usual travellers clothes, jewellery, crafts such as thankas  etc. This photo is taken from our balcony looking over the River Ganges to that part of the town.

 The Ghats  leading down to the River Ganges. Ghats are a set of stairs that lead down to a holy river which people use to walk down to the river to bath in the holy water, perform religious rites or Hindu cremations. Although all Ghats are used for bathing and religious ceremonies not all are used for cremations. We never seen any evidence that these particular Ghats are used for cremation.

The bridge at Laxshman Jhula. It's always really crowded and we decided it was better not to take the bike across. People do, but it's just crazy trying to fight your way through.

There are monkeys galore around the bridge swinging around playing on the high bridge cables like the one in the photo or just sitting around on various parts of the bridge.

You need to be careful if you have any food on your possession as they are not scared to take a grab at you to get at the food. This Indian lady in front of us freaked when a monkey grabbed at her but by the look of the monkeys' chops with a nut in them, it must have got what it wanted.

The other suspension bridge at Ram Jhula, which is the least busy of the two.

A Baba looking out to the River Ganges.

An entrance to Ashram and Ghats.

A statue of the Hindu God Shiva

A statue of the Hindu God Hanuman , the Monkey God.

Colin buying small hand-made biscuits. They are served hot and taste kind of like shortbread with sesame seeds on top. He had been raving about them before we got to Rishikesh as he had loved eating them on previous trips.

Babas sitting chatting.

Women and children sitting by the River Ganges.

The River Ganges at sunset.