Cycle complete!
Quick update for ye before I head away from civilization for the next while. Been in Pakistan 2 weeks and have decided to head north into China , Kyrgyzstan and a few more Stans (most of them being beauraucratic nightmares!) The alternative option which I had weighed up of getting a bus through Afghanistan, I decided against due to an all out war being fought at present between the government and taliban in the strategic city of Kunduz.
Its gonna be a bit chilly through the route im taking so ive bought a 2nd hand jacketwhich still stinks of cigarettes (I shipped home all my cold gear from Nepal) Gave it a wash and then Lynxed it out but despite my best efforts there's still a pang to it! Ah well at least it should only be for 2 weeks or so.
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1700 metres high up in the Indian Himalayas lies the bustling litttle town of Macleodganj. Named after the British officer who founded it, in colonial times it was built as a hill station for British officers to escape the sizzling Indian summer. I with a bit of time in my hands likewise too escaped into the hills for a few days of cool, refreshing weather. And it didnt dissapoint.
It reminded me of a sunny day in late April in Ireland. Pleasant enough to wear a shirt and shorts perhaps during the day, but cool enough in the evenings that you'd have to get the sweater back on. It was here back in the 1950's that the Tibetan Dalai Lama was exiled to along with thousands of his fellow countrymen. The Chinese had invaded at this stage and seeking to destroy the traditional Tibetan way of life, the Dalai Lama fled to neighbouring India where he sought refuge here in Macleodganj. Walking up into the town's main square you begin to wonder whether you have left India altogether. Tibetans feature prominently in this town and their mark is clear in shops, restaraunts and religion as the monasteries attest to. Its a pleasant place. The people are The Ganges. Its possibly the 2nd thing most people will think about when one mentions India (the 1st being the Taj Mahal.) Coming to India most of us would hold the stereotype that India is a dirty country, and on arrival your suspicions would be quickly confirmed. When it comes to dirt, not even its holiest river, The Ganges escapes. It is filthy. Like unimaginably filthy! I guess thats why you can see (if you're Irish that is!) why I have entitled this 'An Abhainn Dubh), but just so the rest of ye don't have to go running to Google translate, it simply means 'The Black River.'
Cycling over it as the midday sun reached its zenith, made the prospect of an afternoon swim very tempting indeed. As usual I was bucketing sweat and my rear end painfully reminded me that a break was needed. Plus as the holiest river in India one kind off had to take a dip. The locals would say that it wouldn't be a trip to India without it! Hindus say that immersing yourself fully in the Ganges has the power to wash you clean. And Im sure they meant it in a spiritual sense because physically I honestly felt dirtier coming out, than going in! No really I did! And that was after 5 hours of sweating on a bike! I had found a temple further down to the road which had steps leading down to the river. It was clearly a spot where locals and pilgrims would go to wash in the Ganges. Already there was 5 or 6 men bathing and dunking their heads in the murky waters, and so I thought that if it is clean enough for them, then it will do me too. The first thing that hits you when you step in is the smell. I had spotted several buffalo crossing the river upstream and the smell I was getting was very closely related to the excrement that these animals produce. Ah well... has to be done I guess, as I threw my head into the dark. The next thing that strikes you is the sludge below. It was at least a foot deep and makes every step an unpleasant one. Funnily enough though instead of idly standing about, it does make you want to swim, just so you dont have to keep your feet in it! Most importantly though when you're swimming make sure not to gulp in any of the water. As holy as it sounds, I can assure you that you might end up with something resembling the dreaded 'Delhi Belly!' |
The AuthorName: Daniel Ross Top Tips:
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October 2016
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