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paginabezoeken sinds December 2002 | |
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Begin april 2008, from Chennai to Khajuraho
Geplaatst op Wednesday 07 May @ 04:06:42 GMT+1
Onderwerp: Around the world in 8 years
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 This is an automatic translated story. Translated from Dutch to English by Google, might result in some grammtical errors. Sorry.
After some rest (of what?) in rural areas of Vellore, but still go back north toward driving. Through cities like Hydrabad (busy, noisy and not one traffic sign), via Nagpur (busy, noisy and not one traffic sign) and Jawalpur (busy, noisy and with a good bypass) brings me again in Khajuraho, my favorite stopover place. Here I could wait for the window at what UPS is sent from Germany. With a daytime heat of 45 C, a fun, that remains to be seen ...
After all the trouble have left behind me it was time to enjoy India. That is not always easy, but what you can still experience the best of them. Decided first time in a week or so left on the relatively quiet spot in the middle of the rice and sugar cane plantations. Of course you do not completely unnoticed, with a large white car, but the inconvenience was acceptable. Sometimes it's even fun. Two or three farmers on a bicycle, on their way to their land, which then stopped next to my car and talk about it. " Although they speak Tamil, Hindi and no, I can still catch some things from this about what they say, and I can not therefore fail to quite a smirk. Of course, says one than against the other, this fully air-conditioned car and it is delicious within. Yes, says the other, and water, how he gets water. I can not fail to fool the crazy Indians, who believe anything. Look, you see that pipe below (and point to my dirty water drain pipe), I lower into the ground bags and so I just pump groundwater. Ooooohhhh… .. Ahhhhh. The next day there are two other farmers in my car and staring fierce debate about the great invention of automatic water tap.
Back in India
Three small children are timidly at a distance staring at me. I walk to them off, they are just not frightened away. They speak a little English, that they learn at school. I ask why, if they are to look at me. Yes stutters one, we find your car very beautiful. What are those things on your roof (and he is pointing to the solar panels). … I say that his helicopter land place. In case there is an emergency, or I have a flat tire or something. Oooooohhh, Ahhhhhhhh, you understand it, the wildest rumors going through the region. For this reason and that is my own fault, to stand out a sort of as a tourist destination, then on the wall a little further to sit down, and then long hours staring at me sit down and the most fantastic stories about my car to tell each other. Oh, that's India, and if you've read the manual is the most entertaining occasionally.
You probably know that joke of that Cow and Belgian. It must have originated from India, can not fail. Those Indians can be so stupid, unbelievable. Some is culture hereditary, but some are really sooooo stupid. A few examples? yeah, I know you like them.
An Indian came to visit my car, year or 22. Have had words him before because he so stupid and just did not understand the hint that I wanted him away rather badly. Finally, he walked, as stupid as he is(ie while on a technical university is) towards me and says: Casper, can I talk with you. I, already smirked because of the stupid expression in his eyes, say sure, but I have litlle time, so you have to talk fast. What do you want to talk about.? That was the end of the conversation at all, because that guy has no idea what he must say. After a minute or five of silence with a question. Casper, drive your car on diesel? There's another stupid questions, but good, I tell him that my car on water drive, it is a new experimental car is that I'm testing. The conversation is now completely silent. And after a minute or 10 (I just went through the dish wash), I tell him that I really should carry on with my work. He left sadly.
Oh the joke? what do you notice when you put an Indian next to a cow…. The intelligent gaze of the cow. This time is no joke, but truth haha.
Meanwhile spending time I use my time with the elimination of all scratches, by touching on all paint damage, cleaning inside and outside, installing XP on my new laptop (Windows Vista is a mockery and a bummer and has cost me hours and hours ). Now you must not imagine that I work hours in a row, because there it is really too hot. So it is waking up to 6 hours (then the light come), breakfasts, fetch water from the water well annex large pool, wash and do some cleaning, then extended to the coffee course, meanwhile the various visitor pass, and either I talk with them or chase them away, according to my mood and their way of approaching me. Then it begins to warm, it was already 11 a.m. hours or so, so quiet even in the remaining piece of shade. Book on, coffee, it's still bearable if you keep silent if you are. In the afternoon, the temperature direction forty degrees in the sun. Sometimes I'm brave and I bike 15 km from the nearest village for some vegetables, fruits, milk and water and so to get, I would also like to check the mail. The latter when Internet connection is the only Internet cafe. Annoying is that you also have to go back with all these shopping and in that heat with those heavy bags (water really weighs a kilo per litre) than I do with the tongue on the shoes back to the car.
So far, leave my car alone went well. In the late afternoon, if possible as swimming in one of the surrounding deep wells (bore-holes are called in English, I believe). Is not always possible because if the farmer on that day pumping water from the well water level is still so low that you no longer from the can. There is a sort of stairs along the side but that does not wholly within the soil.
The environment here is dry, even here has been affected by prolonged droughts. There grow a lot of thorn bushes. Almost everything is green, thick large sharp thorns, you should really be careful where you walk. But even with careful steps you regularly in a big sharp stick with thorns the thorn from your foot in your shoe. Embarrassed, I certainly have 40 extra airholes in my shoe, and also in me sole closely. Wonder that the locals much walk on bare feet. Occasionally I see them around thorn from their feet to turn cheerful to run on.
According to the locals, the Englishmen who planted, how they're there to come…
The 14th April resume driving back north. At the State border between Tamil Nadu and Andra Pradesh agreed to a three-star officer asked (who insited to see my frontier documents, but also to me coffee invited) and assured me that I had to take Highway 18 from Chitoor. That went also fairly well until Cudappa. The road was narrow but it was not busy and it was pleasant drive, it went straight through the countryside .. It was a bit un-Indian with little villages and people. Those people you saw there were poor, even the houses were shabby. The environment was not really wonderful., Many those mountains with boulders, which can look into Hampi had seen further it was very dry and warm.
Flat and dry country with heaps of stones
Suddenly a sign that I was not to enter a road between 8 and 20:00 pm. Prohibited for trucks. But, said the officer who was waiting at the place, for 50 rupees if I could. Yes sure, and I make effort to drive back. Ok ok, says he, then only 20 rupees. I sigh, gave him on two tens (32 cents) and drive away. After Cudaappa was more like I am used to the quality of Indian road and traffic was busier. Hydrabad, my goal was still 600 km. After 295 km parked in a field and spent the night undisturbed. Was it wakes up early, because at a quarter to five in the morning has already started a temple in the nearby shouting through speakers. With loud singing and klapping (I suppose a tape) the new day was called. Well a little early for my taste.
I have in previous stories a number of foreign laws discussed, at least, as I suspect that they are in the Code of that country, The Law of Property of India will read something like this.
If it is not yours, you should look at it. If it is owned by a foreigner, you MUST look at it and you will be allowed to touch. If you do not know the foreigner, you MUST touching, probe, feel and wiggle and press the item. If it still is not broken much you must repeat the entire series.
First Amendment Law… This should you do if you do know the foreigner, but prefer to work he not watching.
Amendment 2. Should the subject come loose, break or destroy, it's your property and you will be allowed to take.
When a God crosses the street, all traffic is jammed
Further to the north direction Hydrabad was like a trip with just deja-vus. It was the stretch of national highway 7 making the four-lane, that means 250 km road works, India style. Because the landscape very similar to that of previous trips, and the building of 4 lane road appeared the same like on many previous trips, it was as if I had driven this road already. The villages seemed even the same, and occasionally do I swear that I already had been. I also absolutely do not understand why they only make 4 lanes. That is no solution in India, because if those who are ready to be used for similar jobs outside of everything except traffic. They are better make 12 lanes 12, 6 each side. Then the outer runway used for pissing people (Indians and stop often and in unexpected ways to urinate. Is not that strange, after every meal they throw 3 or 4 glasses of water backwards, and what goes in…).
They can then use the fifth lane for sale stalls to build. The fourth lane for cars and buses to stop, the third runway for all the slow movement as oxen, cows, bicycles, food-carts, gods on wheels and more of that kind of slow traffic. Then there are two lanes for normal traffic and then there is at least a movement possible.
Anyway, the traffic became increasingly busier as I Hydrabad in the neighborhood came. Almost killed a rikshaw oftwel tuktuk driver and his passangers. He drove onto the highway, without considering whether there is any traffic arrived, I rode just 60 km p/h and had to full by the brakes to avoid him really only by cm’s. Not that he said sorry or something, so I just cut him and told him that in Dutch the largest chickenshit of India, and that if wanted to commit suicide that it first wanted to ask his customers. After a few strong beatings on his roof, I drove back further wissling.
In India there is a culture of underpants. Men are not ashamed to underwear in the streets to go. Many roadworkers, works because of the heat in underwear. It is a garment that is normal. Do even the week of a man in his underpants seen, and his underpants had a small pocket for change. The underwear was elevated to jeans of India.
In hydrabad arrived in search of the fort, there wanted parking for the night. According to the LP is the THE THE attraction of Hydrabad, so they will surely have a parking space I suppose. The road towards it was ridiculous and shameful, really at its India's. You might think that such a top attraction still a reasonable road, but no. By roads that were so narrow that I was really scared, to get stuck, I took 10 km to the fort, in part through the actual fort itself, remains occupied. My car just fit through the entrance doors, with huge spikes to keep out invaders with elephants. I press itself everywhere through, to have to park on a dusty of piss smelling sandy parkinglot. Similar attacks by a horde of children, but there was no point in me, especially when I heard them say things not nice in Hindi what they call. When I go to the Fort ran to see how late they were open, I saw two kids to return to my car and started to kick my tyres. These folks are really so mentally disturbed. They saw me not arrive and when I stood behind them shouted to them a lot in the ears that I would go kick them soon. They ran, but 5 minutes later came the biggest, 14 years old ir so, back to apologize. I asked him what inspired him against a car so as to enter into kicking. Yes but uncle he said, I took your wheels so great, and your car so beautiful. So, I say to him, that is Indian style, if you find something nice you destroy it? (which is true). Then his face turn red and knew nothing to answer and walked off.
The fortress of Hydrabad, nice but not spectacular
In Fort area incredibly many mosquitoes, even if you stood outside at night you were really attacked. With the generator and the air conditioning it was doing ok, but still there were at least 50 mosquitoes in the morning inside. Happy that I have a mosquito net, but there were 3 mosquitoes in (how they do it?).
The fort was fun, but not more than that. The story doing the rounds that a room is very acoustic, so you wisper on the one side, the whispers of someone on the other side can hear. That's nice in India, because here they obviously have heard the story but only half of it. All Indians, including the guides, are thus in each room, throughout the fort wistling or clapping or sounds to call. It was my entree 20 times higher than the locals, there was virtually no explanation somewhere, and there was no piece of wall clean from scratched names, slogans and other graffiti. Few respect for their own heritage.
The view from above was nice, but before I was there, it was almost 10 a.m. and the sun was already so bright that photos were very pale.
After this, but by going driving, but before I could go, I had me first pass Hydrabad and Secondrabad wrestling, of a bypass they not yet heard. That took two hours to complete. Then the fun started again, they were also this piece of road making in the four-lane. Yet this time was the inconvenience little, until at a given moment, a piece of very bad. When me car but in a field for sleeping at half past seven, it was still 36 degrees. Puf.
The days after steadily to the north driving. The roads were becoming worse, but I was a little accustomed. Yet I managed it on one day to get 6 times all storage compartments in the cabin empty. Usually if you have a bump or speed hill (read mountain) do not see. Then you sit with your head against the ceiling and is the content of all storage compartments on the ground. That it happens once, heck that you know, sometimes you look something less carefully on the road condition, but usually the bumps that should not be seen. After the 6th time I let my frustration out the window by yelling loudly in Dutch despite that the its really my own fault. If you do not look good…. Kawaaaammmm.
I know that there is a beautiful bypass around Nagpur, but coming from the south I could not find it and I had to pass the whole city, hot and heavy traffic. Luckily I could use my track-logs from last time to make good choices, because here they have never heard of a road sign. Gambling when the road forks is than the motto.
Again a God blocking traffic, and its just a bloody small statute
Just before Jabalpur, I found a perfect place to sleep, so beautiful and quiet, I have little they had this in India. At a river which 90% was dry, in a valley, it was a beautifull night. Was it at 9 o'clock in the evening 32 degrees later in the night cooled down to 21 degrees, so good. That night than even super slept. Got the next day actually Khajuraho, one of my favo stopovers. The last time I had to stop 100 km before the place to sleep overnight because I could not make it. So you see that the roads really improved. Here and there a beautiful (but expensive) bypass, here and there fresh new asphalt to replace the potholed cheese road of before, Sure, India is slowly moving forward.
Arriving in Khajuraho parked to the Hotel Payal. Since they were building a swimming pool and had even cut almost all the trees. Follow-was that there was no shade more and after 2 days I could no longer survive the heat and moved to Hotel Rahil, something away but with enough shelter to be able to keep the heat bearable.
There was still a serious water problem in this area (indeed in many parts of middle India). It has been three years since the last rain. Can you imagine what it happening there. The groundwater level drops ever further, and water is scarce. The people here get their water from wells and water pumps, still falling but at a given moment dry. The local population needs to go fetch water from the few pumps that are deep enough to still give water, resulting everywhere you see people who drag with water jugs and plastic containers. A few clever dickies have dug deep deep holes to start a water business. But if you have water, you've got a good business. A tanker with water supplies to 10,000 rupees and basically it cost them nothing water. The digging costs money, but once you have water than is the money is flowing. You can not just dig a big hole, so what does it, offer your house, within the four walls start digging and bingo.
The heat is depressing, worse this year than the year before. 44 degrees in the afternoon is not good. If there is a wind it is like a hair dryer that are so hot is that you hear cracking lips. A fan is also nothing, what those blows just super hot air. Anyway, time is passing so on. I spend some time to the nearby Chhatarpur for what shopping, talk agree with that or not, and try to recover my health on top of it. So there is not so much to report, so I will quote one or two small things which struck me.
I stood with a acquaintance to talk, who wondered whether I had no job for him. Despite three times that I said that I had not, he asked whether he could come along with my car there to talk about. I said ok, if you want, when will you come there. Trimorrow he says IE. `I frown my eyebrows, had no idea what he ment until the lamp was lit. Two-morrow is tomorrow, so tri-morrow should mean after tomorrow. Haha, good Inglish as that. Trimorrow, which I love it.
The 9 o'clock bus to Chhatarpur, who also drive to Agra (arriving there 12 hours later), makes a terrible noise. This time not only the horn and the engine, but all windows are loose in the aluminum panels and rattling with each bump, thus constantly.
Yesterday a jeep here, just further 100 metres, drove off the road, landed on his roof justified. When I said that it is an Indian driver would have been, I was reprimands. No, they said, that man is a saint, he has rescued two children who were on the road. MMmm, yes, if you can also reverse course. The likelihood that this man or rode to fast, looked not good (otherwise you kids had already seen long), or drunk or had a combination of these factors, was not a consideration.
I am here because I await the arrival of my window. I have two addresses where I can stand, it's here or in Nepal. But now it rains a lot in Nepal, and I dare not only to gambling in order to continue my window, perhaps because the old window leaks are. So forced to here in the heat waiting.
I therefore nothing to do, I will have little to report. Well, I know myself, so it will come down pretty well
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