ALONE AROUND THE WORLD ON MOTORCYCLE

FEAR FACTOR

2007-07-25T16:00:00.000+05:30

New Zealand one of my favourite places.

It is very enlightening to know that even FEAR can make money. A lot of money. Humans have evolved so much that they eliminated or controlled all their natural enemies. Apart from his own species, nothing can threaten to kill human beings. They developed such skills and techniques to make a tiger dance like a cat and a lion roll like a joker (if any was lucky enough to escape the poachers). Why even the worlds largest animal the whale also dives into the depths of the ocean with its tail in its mouth when they see us. Only natural disasters still remain as factors which make us fear now and then but these are also well predicted and taken care off most of the time. Hence humans had lost the sense of fear. But with out fear there is no fun. So some great businessmen found the demand and designed various games to make us scared to death. And we pay for it.

The super fast and highest roller coasters to drop you vertically at hundred kilometers speed with turns and twists guaranteed to take the shit out of you, the sky drops, base jumping, sky diving, the haunted castles, the ghost stories, the horror movies, the Fear Factor, Lost TV series and then the BUNGY JUMP. Yes fear generates billions of dollars. The more fear the more fun and the more money.

I am not a Superman or an Indian film hero for that matter to sustain ultimate fear and keep laughing. When I went to the kids heaven Disney World in Orlando, it was so much fun until I boarded a roller coaster called Space Mountain. I am not a very big fan of roller coasters though I love speed. But since it was called Space Mountain and showed pictures of all planets, I thought they will slowly take us through the parade of the planets and tell us about stars. Just ate a large chicken burger too as astronomy is a large subject and takes a lot of time.

Inquisitive always and to be the first to explore, I took the first seat in the 5 seat roller coaster. It started slowly but then it soon plunged vertically into total darkness where you can see stars all over (I don’t know if they were really there or just in my mind). It twisted, dropped, turned sharply at a high speed. The girl who was sitting behind me started yelling spine chillingly as soon as the journey started, I wanted to shout “ chup chup arre mujhe mat daraana meri amma”. But my teeth were gripped too tight with fear all the time until the ride ended to make any sound and I escaped like an unspoken hero J. Are yaar riding bolo, racing bolo ya flying bolo subh kuch karsakta hun but I don’t want to buy fear again. I had to eat the same burger twice as it came out of my mouth as the ride ended.

Be confident or act like one, no one can tell the difference. Somehow I always managed to act confident and display a fearless look like the TERMINATOR on my face and I never feared trying something new and adventurous all the time. So when I came to New Zealand I found Taupo Bungy. It is one of the best bungee jumps in New Zealand because of its direct drop of 50metres into the green Waikato river near the town Taupo very scary and very attractive too.
I am a hero you see so I went straight to the girl at the booking counter and asked her to book me for a jump. She said “Very nice, when you want to jump?”. “Right now”, I was about to say when I heard “Eeeeeekkkkkkkkkkooooooooooohhhhhhhaaaaaaaa”. I was confident that somebody slipped off the cliff and died, and was about to run out when the girl asked me again coolly “when do you want to jump?” I told her that some one must have slipped off the cliff and fallen. She smiled and said “No no don’t worry, it’s the bungy jumper”. I was relieved and said “Why these timid girls come all the way and do these things when they are so scared?” She gave a nice smile but something behind that smile and asked me again “ Ok when you want to jump?” I was about to say “Right now” again when I heard another death cry from a man this time “Ooooh Godddddddd” as if he had just seen God and went to heaven with him.

“Tomorrow”, I finally managed to say gathering all my guts and trying to act as confident as when I came in. “Today I am very busy” I really wanted to say I wont jump but being a man and not wanting to look frightened before that nice girl, I said that. Each jump costs $100 that itself shows you how much fear you are buying. Then I asked if I can see people jumping off, and went to the jumping platform to get used to and get some more courage. But as I saw more and more jumping and screaming to death, I was not very sure if I wanted to show up next day.

Waikato river invitingly (not me)

Next day I came back not to jump but just to see more people jumping off and screaming. I need at least that much entertainment for the money I paid. But as she saw me, smiled and asked “Ok can you just stand on the weighing machine please?” I involuntarily stood on the weighing machine but told her that I am not going to jump. She smiled sympathetically and with a marker noted my weight 54kg on my hand. Then asked me for my belongings, nothing should be in the pockets. Like a school boy who doesn’t want to go to school but scared to say that to his mom knowing that he will be sent anyway, I emptied my pockets into a cover and stood there with sad and frightened face unable to stop them from throwing me from that height.

Then she asked me to follow her to the jumping platform. The platform itself is specially built extending to 40 feet into the air from the vertical rock face. Another buddy reconfirmed my weight and started making arrangements. I was looking back and forth for a chance to run away but they closed the gate. I was not even wearing shoes. I was just wearing my shorts and sandals. What if the rope slips off my feet :(

She was attaching the bungee chord to my legs and seeing I was too tensed, told me “Don’t be afraid. There is an easy way to jump. Instead of looking down and facing the depth, you just keep looking at my beautiful face and just fall back. You will be down in no time”. I was fighting my own fear and trying to win over it and absent mindedly said “I rather face my own fear and jump”. Bang! She left the ropes there and called “John you look after this guy” and went away angrily. I told you she was beautiful but I was really trying to face my own fear and win it. But now I am more scared as she might have attached the rope to only one leg expecting to have great fun when I hang on one leg screaming.

Ready for my first Bungy Jump

Then the guys came and checked everything and told me “Ok now you walk to the edge put your hands up and jump”. “Oh that’s all” with a Terminator face again. I took a deep breath as if that’s my last and slowly walked to the edge. Unlike a school boy, I always had the chance to quit but then some part of me is saying that I should do it. I waved at the camera and wanted to jump like Superman but jumped like Hanuman.

Then the time stopped. I was descending only inch by inch in slow motion. It’s a free fall. It’s beyond ecstasy. I actually opted to touch the water but due to my feather light weight I could not reach water. The first time I came all the way down, I enjoyed it in silence. But the bungee pulls you up again a couple of times to almost half the height giving you the same feeling all the time. Then I started laughing like hell with fun. As soon as I was on ground, I was running to take another jump :)

Jai Hanuman...

We should always have fear. We should respect fear. We should know our limits. And then try to win over it and go beyond the limits. People associate adventure with danger. Adventure is something done under complete safety. Of course accidents do happen. But if you compare the number of deaths in road accidents to the number of deaths of adventurers, you will know what I mean. More safety more adventure. When I started the world tour every body was so fear struck and said why you want do such a dangerous thing? I always told them that I am going to be much safer than many millions of Indian riders. As I wear a helmet, gloves, shoes and safety gear all the time and ride according to rules and particularly not in a hurry to reach. Where as they never care to wear even the helmet unless they see a police man ahead. Just a seat belt which lies on your side all the time can save your life if an accident occurs. And if you still don’t care to wear it, you are not only putting your life at danger but you don’t care for all those who depend on you and love you. Life is so precious and you only have one to lose with a silly avoidable mistake. So be safe, ride safe have a lot of adventure in your life.

B J in INDIA ???

2007-07-14T13:55:00.000+05:30

When I stepped out of the Air New Zealand flight at mid night on 5th April, that’s precisely what I thought. That I am in India. There are three reasons for me to think so. First is that my flight lasted just about two days !!!. The flight took off from Los Angeles international airport on April 3rd at 4pm and landed on 5th April at 1 am non stop. Second reason is the growing number of my lovers back home in India who’ve been waiting for a long time expecting my return and seeing no signs of my returning so soon, could have bribed the pilot asking him to drop me off in India before proceeding to his destination (these days anything is possible in the field of aviation). Third and the most confirming reason is “Mujhe machar ne kaata”. A mosquito bit me as soon as I came out of the air craft.

You must remember that I am coming from United States of America where apart from the licensed dogs, cats, lizards, snakes and cutely, cudlyly, uglyly pet pigs, only human beings are allowed to live (of course with a license). And there is no possibility for the most unwanted, the Mosquito to get a license and so you will never find them except in the very few remote illegal immigrant areas. So when a real mosquito bit me that too in an international airport that reminded me home.

Apart from the mosquito, the gush of warm salty air to which I am accustomed to and love (I live in a coastal city Visakhapatnam, close to the beach), reminded me home. I walked down the stairs and through a wooden bridge into the main air port building watching the flies swarming around the tube lights. There in the main hall I see three men with prominent south Pacific features (like half African and half Indian) wearing blue shirts with flowers all over and shorts, playing guitars and singing welcome to us with broad smiles.

BULA! That cleared all my doubts and confirmed that I in fact landed in the expected destination, Nadi, a major city in the South Pacific island nation Fiji. Though Fiji is mostly dependent on tourism, I couldn’t stop appreciating their tourism policy welcoming the guests, mostly tourists, with song and music even in the midnight. And later I had seen it even in the remotest islands, how nicely and professionally the Fijians are treating the tourist and how clearly they understand the needs of the tourist and catering to it. Bula! Now you must be wondering why am I in Fiji. Simple, my bike takes 25 days minimum to cross the Pacific Ocean on a ship and so by the time it reaches, I wanted to pamper myself on these isolated islands with much needed sun and sand.

But my doubts entered my mind again as soon as I came out of the air port and took a battered taxi to my out of the town resort. My driver’s name is Vinod Chandra and he spoke good Hindi and we were driving on the left hand side of the road and the road is filled with pot holes big enough to be called as TUB holes and no body really cared for the two solid lines dividing the road and crisscrossed it whenever they wanted to overtake an already speeding vehicle throwing the on coming vehicle off the road, I thought I am in India and wanted to shout with joy, Honey I am home!

By the time I reached my resort, I was sweating. Believe me I was sweating and I love it! I hate cold and so I planned to go around the world finding good summer time all over but the delay in the starting and delays in the shipments made me travel the world in winter. For me its winter for the past 8 months and will be so for another 8 months as I will be in Australia and New Zealand in their coldest months and by the time I reach India it will be winter there too . A whole year of winter for a sweat loving guy :( . That’s why I was so happy when I sweated. Took a nice bath and slept only with my shorts after a long long time.

Not Lake Placid but the Great Pacific

Next morning too my doubts did not subside but increased when I took a rickety bus to the city center which is actually just one main road of about 2 km long.

The Main street in Nadi, Fiji.

The roads, the shops, people walking busily on the roads and their dress looked just like Indians. Many of them were talking Hindi and it looked like any of the thousands of Indian towns. And I was extremely confident and wanted to ask a police man ‘how to go to Vizag?’ when I saw a long queue in front of an ATM and at least half a dozen people looking impatiently over the shoulder of the person at the console

.

Nadi vegitable market

But when I saw the Galaxy theatre displaying the “Just Married” film poster casting Fardeen Khan and Esha Deol, I said doubt ko goli maaro and took the ticket for the morning show and watched the film like Aamir Khan in Rangeela. My feet on the front seat, shirt wide open and eating ice cream. By then it was very hot, no air conditioning and for a man who just came in from Alaska, it was like a furnace. Nevertheless I enjoyed the movie and the sweat too :).

I walked all over the town and went to a beautiful Indian temple, found a nice Indian restaurant owned by a Telugu family Kasturi’s Tanjore restaurant and had some really authentic and spicy Andhra food after a long time. The owner told me that there is a week long South Indian Festival being celebrated and took me there. A foot ball match between Indians from Fiji and Fiji Indians who settled in various countries was going on. Later that night I enjoyed the cultural programs along with a few thousands of South Indians and appreciated their interest in maintaining their culture and roots.

Though I knew that 50% of Fiji population is of Indian origin and that a few days back an ethnic Indian Mr Mahendra Choudhry became a Prime Minister too, I never expected the Indian influence to be so profound for after all Fiji is a foreign country and too far away from India. But to tell the truth, after seeing most of the world I can say that the world has only two countries. India and China. Wherever you go in the world, you will see only Indians and Chinese all the others look like tourists :).

BULA BJ the Fijian...

Having enjoyed a lot of Indian hospitality, next day I took a ship to my island adventure to Yasawas. These are a group of islands at the northern tip of the country known for their beauty and privacy.

My Tapovan for the next one week!

Perhaps that is why both versions of Blue Lagoon were shot on location in the Yasawas. There are about 20 islands of volcanic origin which lie in a chain just off the northwest coast of Viti Levu.

These islands are special because of their beautiful, isolated beaches, cliffs, bays and reefs, unspoiled by much tourist development.

All alone so what?

Not a scene from Blue Lagoon but it is blue lagoon. BJ with friends.

Uploading the scene to memory for further use for the thought of

this place itself will bring peace to your mind.

Akele akele kaha jarahe ho ?

If you had seen Tom Hanks’ film ‘Cast Away’ then no need to explain about what privacy you can expect there. All the resorts in those islands are operated by locals who are very friendly. I was very relaxed by the calming effects of the nature and ready to move on to my next destination New Zealand with refreshed energy.

The Fijian party...Guess who is not a Fijian here...

A local villeage trip with friends

The villeage chief with the young counter part.

A kava (an intoxicating drink from Kava root) ceremoney by the Chief for BJ

And a cultural performance

The winners of the Make your own hat competition and dance.

PS: I must apologize for keeping you waiting for my new updates. I must admit that it was not lack of time but lack of mood that put me off. I do not want to just post some pictures but I do want to share what I felt there, for which I need to be in good mood. The past few months have been taxing on my mood due to the delays in the shipments and schedules (it took the bike 25 days to reach Australia and one month to get it released from the customs and quarantine with best efforts) and costs and budgets (each shipment cost me almost double the cost of my bike itself, it would have been much cheaper if I bought a new motorcycle of the same quality in each country and just threw it in the sea when I left, but I want to take only an Indian motorcycle so the pressures) storms and rains ( Australia received the biggest storms in the last half century and many roads were washed away and I was stranded at many places) add to that the bike repairs and importing of spares etc. But still that’s how it will be on great trips like this. You can’t expect to be at the best possible moods all the time. Now that I have reached Australia and heading back home fast, I am in the best possible mood and will be so until I reach home. So you can expect regular updates with more interesting stories. Thanks again for your support. See you all soon.

Thanks a lot. Bharadwaj Dayala

Arctic Expedition

2007-04-25T14:29:00.000+05:30

Seriously, have you seen a road like this in your dreams? I never did.

When my friend Bharath was wondering looking at my North America road map and the route I traveled, I could see that apart from a small patch on the west coast, I covered the whole continent from top to bottom and side to side. I told him how badly I wanted to go to the Arctic circle on the Dempster Highway in Canada, the only road in the world that crosses Arctic Circle. But due to extreme conditions in the Arctic winter, I had to settle down to Churchill, the polar bear capital of the world. Though it’s nothing less, it was not Arctic Circle.

He sensed the disappointment in my voice and asked me if I still wanted to do it. Not on motorcycle but we can do it on a four wheel drive. He had a nice flashy Supercharged all terrain Range Rover. He said that he too always dreamed about going to Alaska but could never do it as he had no body who could share his dream or join him on such a journey. You must be wondering why a journey to Alaska is that difficult. Then you must know that driving across a large continent like America from west coast to east coast is only 4000km. But a drive from Los Angeles to Anchorage, Alaska is 6500kms. Now you can imagine how far it is and then count the lonely and unpopulated roads where finding gas and food is difficult. And now count the completely ice covered roads and snow blizzards and -20 to -40 degree centigrade cold, getting stuck in the snow, skidding off the roads, and the daring wolves who doesn’t shy off from humans knowing that we eat every animal and so we must be very tasty too, bears to play with, drug peddlers to fight with, no communications, the list goes on and on …And to go to the place I wanted to go, Inuvik, you need to cross two water bodies and it is possible only in winter as the Mackenzie river freezes and you travel on the ice road. If your engine dies on the road, and if you are not geared properly, you will die in half an hour in that cold. If you come back alive it would be definitely a journey of a life time. So it remained a dream for him as he did not want to die alone.

This is just the beginning...You would see this in your deep freezer but this is road!
But now he got another double crazy guy who can ride an Indian bike all the way from India to his home in LA. So two crazy guys, one crazy trip. I am a man who always goes after my drams and bring them down to reality. So I said lets do it.

We immediately started planning for the great trip. I took charge of preparing the route and taking care of the equipment needed and he took charge of the vehicle and arrangements. After great considerations, we decided that taking his $80,000 Range Rover is not worth as he is also packing to comeback to India and need to sell it. Any damage now and the extra mileage would decrease the price very much. For that price we can hire a four wheel drive vehicle and drive in peace.

But in renting a vehicle we have a problem. Though Alaska is the 49th state of USA, to go there by road you need to cross into Canada. And not all rental companies agreed for that. But thanks to Avis we could get a four wheel drive Jeep Commander, the right kind of vehicle we were looking for.

We decided that it would take at least 20 to 25 days for the trip. But he had a track day where he is taking an advanced training in riding the high performance bikes on the track at crazy speeds. And he did not want to miss it and my non refundable flight tickets are booked. So we could spare only 15 days. So we had to chose either Arctic Circle or Anchorage. Both of us liked both the places and could not decide which to leave. We tossed a dollar it said Arctic Circle. So we said lets go to Arctic!!!

Lucky he had a visa for Canada. I went to the Canadian Consulate in LA and applied for one. I was asked to wait for an interview with a visa officer. The officer asked me why I want to go back to Canada as I finished riding there and came down to USA. Then I showed her the route I took, I was riding all over North America from Quebec to Florida to Los Angeles and if I go to Alaska I will complete the whole continent and so I want to go back there. As usual she was impressed with my journey and said ‘Yes you must do it’! Shegave me a multiple entry visa to Canada.

By the time I prepared the route and logistics Bharath took prepared the vehicle for the journey and the insurances and documentation and all the funds. We decided that he would take care of all expenditure and then split it half and half at the end. It is going to be an expensive trip.

Another friend Pradyum who was staying with us and witnessing all this called us crazy and crazy and crazy. But slowly the excitement crept in him too. That’s what happens with the invitation of the open road and expeditions. He was very interested to join us but he took up a new job and could not spare all the time. Hum to banjare hein. Not every body can be a Banjara. So he helped us a lot in packing and arranging things. We filled the whole jeep except for the two front seats with more than what we will ever need. We took many layers of warm jackets including our motorcycle jackets and boots to wear in the cold. Caps, face masks, gloves socks, cameras, laptops, ipods (this is what kept us sane), ice box with variety of drinks and a lot of water bottles, biscuits, chocolates, snacks, protein bars (which saved us many times), DVDs, Blankets and pillow, passports, documents.

17th March 2007 morning was a clear day and we were at the heights of excitement. Bade good bye to our friend Pradhyum and told him how to send a search party if we don’t call him and get lost in the snow. Filled gas and put an entry into our tour account Petrol $60, this is the only entry you will see all over the account sheet and in between sometimes you will see a breakfast or lunch or dinner entry. We used to feed our Jeep at least twice before we fed ourselves. We were driving like that, crazy.

Our co passengers on the road.

Bharath was at the wheel and we were soon on Interstate freeway 5, the one road which will take us all the way into Vancouver in Canada. Soon we went into a Mexican drive through restaurant and bought some chicken quesadilla and coffee. Had good lunch and were full of zing. We connected the ipod to the Jeep audio. Bharath was munching miles with the cruise control set to 90mph listening to his favorite song ‘Smack that’. I was watching a movie on my laptop. We had a power inverter attached to the car battery so we can use our electronic equipment too.

Suddenly Bharath pulls the car out and taps my hand. I removed my head phones and stopped the movie and asked him what happened. He showed me towards the rearview mirror and I could see the red and blue lights flashing. Ooop a cop! The police officer came to the window and had a look at us and gave us a smile and asked where we were going. We explained every thing and he was good and nice and kind. And understanding that we have a long long way to go, quickly gave us a ticket for speeding and asked us to keep below 80. Bharath bhayya got a medal now J. Soon back on the road and back in the mood. ‘Smack that…all on the floor…smack that….give me some more….’!!!

That day we drove for 9 hours at that speed and we were still in California. We pulled into a motel and stayed for the night. Next morning I took the wheel and I was munching miles at 100mph and Bharat was so happy and was expecting that I would get a medal from the police too. But I am too cunning by now and I know where to slow down. We skipped Vancouver and entered Canada at Abbots Ford.

A road to Heaven...
The immigration process was easy. Everybody was looking at us and asking “you want to go to Inuvik? In this winter?” But they couldn’t say anything. But then the customs officer came and asked us to give the jeep keys for inspection. We were not supposed to be there so we sat in the hall and were wondering that he will come and ask us why the hell we are carrying so much stuff just for the two of us.

He took out everything in the jeep and checked and came back to us and asked ‘you want to go to Inuvik’? We said yes. Then he said ‘you don’t have anything for that cold, you are going to die. I lived in a place 700km south to Inuvik and there is 22 feet of snow, three times the size of your jeep. I can’t allow you’.

Thats one of the few gas stations...Just excavated.

We were worried. Not only for his comments but for the 22 feet of snow. But we told him boldly that we know all that and we are going to buy more winter gear in the next town. He talked to his partner and said ‘ok’. But surely a silence crept in both of us. We surely are not equipped for that kind of snow and cold, as this is not a North Pole expedition. But we decided to go ahead and keep in safe limits. We did buy snow chains in the next town but nothing more.

No this is not Ice Skating rink...its a highway

We kept driving driving and driving. There is no end. The roads are single lane now. And the landscape changed totally. We can see snow everywhere and the temp was going down steadily and soon it was below zero. The next night we entered Highway 37 the toughest road we encountered. It was about 8 pm by the time we came to it. We filled gas and asked the lady about the accommodation options. By now accommodation is very limited and hard to find and you can not stay on the road as you will soon freeze. There was no accommodation before 200km or we need to go back 100km. We wanted to do 200 more km to reach our next destination. So we didn’t want to go back and we started off. Soon it started snowing. Then it started blowing. Now the road is completely white. We are driving on snow now. It started getting difficult to see the road. If you put the high beam on you can’t see anything but snow blowing.

Its very hard to see even a black patch on the road even this is oil
You are wrong...thats not the villain from Star Wars, that is Bharat.

BJ's white out

Our speed decreased to 40kmph. We were a bit worried. At this pace we will need double time to reach the place we wanted to but if it keeps snowing like this than we should be traveling in a foot or more of fresh snow and we don’t know the road. But even to go back we need to go back about 150 km to find a place to stay, we are in such lonely country. But then we decided that we should go back. Then we turned back and lived.

Next day we saw what kind of road was that. After that we traveled continuously on packed ice there is no sign of black road. Every thing was white. Bharat is a good driver having experience in driving in snow too. But it was first time for me to drive on snow. I was quick to learn and soon I was driving at 100 kmph on ice!!! Now and then you keep losing traction but you should know how to control it. But once on a long turn on a bridge I did lose complete traction and the vehicle was not turning. But without panicking, slowly I controlled the vehicle and we were never off the road.

We were skidding and not driving all the time and then these steep gradients.

Ice shedding...

This is our dreaded highway 37 clean as a block of ice!!

Right at the end of that highway we found a car stuck in snow off the road. He skidded and got stuck in snow. We stopped and I got down. You can not understand that the road was like ice skating rink. As soon as I stepped down I slipped and fell hard on my bum. I was skidding all the time. You can imagine how the driving must have been. Then we pulled the car out and proceeded to the next halt.

We stopped at Watson Lake and entered a motel shaking and shivering. The lady at the counter was smiling and said it was a warm day. For them below -30 is cold. By now every thing around us is ice ice baby.

We were running for time and we are behind schedule due to extreme cold and snow. But then we could not resist stopping at extremely beautiful places. It’s a once in a life time experience. We used to go out and take a few pictures and run back to the vehicle’s comfort. You cant even breath the open air it was so cold. And at one such photo stops I dropped my waist pouch. Pouch with my cash and my PASSPORT!!!

As soon as we reached Whitehorse, we stopped for lunch and as we got down, I as usual tried to feel my waist pouch. And it was not there. Suddenly shocked, I started looking under the seat and everywhere. Bharath asked what happened. I told him I lost my pouch. And my passport. If you never traveled abroad and never lost your passport, you will never know what it is to lose a passport abroad. Your journey is finished. I am going to get stuck in Canada for a long time until I get a replacement passport and then go to every other consulate asking for a visa.

We both were very upset. Bharath was very angry. He shouted ‘why did you put it in your pouch? You could have put it in your pocket’. But obviously nobody knows the value of my passport more than me. I was guarding it with so much care all the time. It was only in this journey I used a waist pouch. Otherwise I always was putting it in my pocket. This time I was more careful and so this happened. When I was driving there is a constant shuffling and some time the clip got released and when I got down at a photo stop, it dropped. We started going back to check all the places we stopped. But it is too late. Many people must have stopped and it has money in it so nobody would leave it.

Bharath said we need to go back and think about the work to be done. I said we will try to find it and will go back till our last stop and if we don’t find it, we will file a police complaint and we go ahead with the mission. Bharat said I am mad. I said yes I am, we need to finish what we started. I can remain calm even in panicky situations; I had to learn it as I go through panicky situations many times on this journey. Then we went back looking at every spot we stopped at. As each stop passed we became calmer with the building tension. And all the time I was using my Magic to get my passport back. I will sometime tell you what my magic is and how I use it when in extreme situations, that is a secret.

This is the beautiful place where I dropped my pouch.
And with my Magic, after going back 180 kms, after three hours of parting with it, at the most beautiful photo stop where every body would stop, I found my pouch back with my passport and the cash intact!!! You should see the happiness in our faces. We were dancing on the ice.

With a great friend at a great place...sign posts from all over the world.

We had been through some moon like landscapes for the next few days. We were in dream land. Only a few can see what all we had seen. And I must say sorry that I can not show you what all we had seen as no camera can capture the beauty in its entirety. But the sad thing was the Dempster highway, my dream road was closed due to snow blizzards and we could not wait for another week for it to open. So we preceded to Anchorage, Alaska our second option. And it was second to none. The beauty it has presented relaxed us so much and we did not feel the tiredness at all. We were riding continuously for 6500km on lonely and icy roads but we both were very energetic even at the end of the trip and came back with lot of memories that will keep giving us chills all our life.
Finally Alaska welcomes us...

Frozen sea at Anchorage.

Bharath was singing on the Alaska Highway
"Winding in and winding out
It fills my mind with serious doubt
As to wheather the lout
who built this route
Was going to Hell or coming out!"

BJ in Boston

2007-04-16T05:15:00.000+05:30

Hi friends,
I completed the continent of North America fro tip to toe and side to side. I missed the east coast part as it was snowing heavily and I could not go on my motorcycle. But as my shipment to New Zealand was delayed, my visas for Australia and New Zealand expired and had to take fresh ones from Washington DC. So I flew from LA to DC and applied for the visas. When I contacted the embassies they said they require at least two weeks to process my case as I am supposed to take visas from my home country only. But when I finally went there and talked to them, they considered me as a special case and issued me visas the next day itself. I was too happy and now have a lot of time. So I rented a car and hit the road again only this time in the comfort of a heated cabin and luxury of silence and music. I went straight to Boston from DC. Boston is a very charming city full of young students and pubs and coffee shops and cheap eating and lot of music. This was the only place where I found the pubs and some restaurants open after midnight. If you think that America is a nightlife country, forget it. In America you can’t even get food after 10pm except in some 24hour supermarkets or a star hotel.

Boston University Campus

Boston University

But the whole place is frozen. Even the Charles river which separates Boston and Cambridge. It was damn damn cold. -15 degrees Celsius. If I really went there on my bike, I would be good only to be sold as frozen meat. But the beauty of the city and the liveliness made it worth the long drive.

Frozen Charles River - Boston

Liberty at last!
I finally came to Big Apple. Driving in New York was not easy but was not very difficult too for I have been on the roads for a long time now. High speeds, left hand steering or finding my road was not a problem but finding parking was a big problem. Parking fees are exorbitant up to $20 per hour at places like Times Square, Broadway etc.

Brooklyn Bridge - the filmy site.

Times Square - New York

New York skyline

New York from Liberty island

The Grand Central Station - New York

BJ Ice skating at Rockefeller Center

Here I met a gang of New York boys. Students from India studying their masters in various fields. I had the chance to look into the student life here in USA. I had good fun with them. Manish from Bangalore helped me a lot and spent a lot of time and showed me New York. His friends Kamakshi, Saklen, Dhanesh, Salil, Nauman were so nice and received me with enthusiasm. They wanted me to give a presentation in their university to the youngsters, but my program was unpredictable. Manish got me a ticket to Broadway show, Beauty and the Beast by Disney. It was a memorable experience. I need a lot of pages and time to describe all this, may be some other time. I did some ice-skating too at the Rockefeller Center.

New York Boyz - Manish, Saklen, BJ, Dhanesh & Salil

From New York I went to Philadelphia and visited the Independence Hall where the independence was declared and the constitution written.

Independence Hall - Philadelphia

American Constitution was written and debated here

City Hall of Philadelphia

From Phila I went to Las Vegas of east, Atlantic city. This is a small laid-back town with many casinos. Gambled a few million dollars at the Donald Trump’s Taj Mahal Casino (khayalon me J).

Donald Trump's Taj Mahal Casino - Atlantic city
In Maryland I visited another friend who was in touch with me by mail. He is from my home town. It is a nice feeling to meet someone from hometown so I went to meet him. Ravi and his family received me warmly and offered the best Telugu food. I felt very happy to talk my own language after a long time. They took me around to Baltimore and surrounding places. Had a picnic at Fort Mc Henry a historical site.

Ravi and family
Finally I was back to Washington and visited the White House and Smithsonian Museums. Indian Ambassador Sri Ronen Sen invited me to the Embassy when I was in Boston and so I could not meet him. When I came back to DC, I visited our Embassy and the First Secretary Sri Manish Prabhat gave me a warm welcome and took me to a very nice Indian restaurant. We had a great discussion and good lunch. Next morning said good bye to Washington and went back to Los Angeles for yet another road trip of a life time. From Los Angeles to Arctic Circle and Alaska!!! In winter!!! CRAZY

A Quick Update on America

2007-04-16T04:39:00.000+05:30

Hi friends after I left Florida, I was munching miles continuously and had no chance to update my blog. I will just give you a short photographic update from where I left. From Miami I took this scary Sky Bridge and went to St. Petersburg. I was almost sure I will be blown into the sea by the wind. The Sky Bridge...

And reached Baton Rouge where I met Dr. Gopala Krishna and his nice family. He was very enthusiastic about the journey and we had great dinner at their own Indian restaurant.

Dr. Krishna and Mrs. Rani
And in Houston, I met another amazing and enthusiastic person Dipak Patel. A net friend who followed my blog and got in touch with me and invited me to his home. His enthusiasm made me go to Houston. I really enjoyed being with his family. His wife Ila and his son Ravi was good company. I had great Gujarati food. Next day Dipak took me to his office Bechtel where a lot of Indians are working. We all went for lunch. I had good time with them.

Dipak and his friends at Bechtel, Houston

Ravi, Ila, Deepak Patel and BJ
Then I hit the never ending and never bending roads of Arizona….

More Indian and Telugu friends in Phoenix.

Chenchayya, Suresh and BJ

A gang of Harley rider gave company till the outskirts of Phoenix. After having a good breakfast I left for Grand Canyon.

2007-04-16T04:18:00.000+05:30

Surprisingly, after the scorching heat of Phoenix soon the temparatures came down as I reached Williams a small town on Route 66 which is the gateway to Grand Canyon. And I hit snow soon. Grand Canyon too was very cold the the North Rim was inaccesible due to snow. I took helicopter ride over the Canyon. I hated taking pictures of the canyon as no picture can show the enormous canyon the right way. You need to be there to see it.

Into snow at Williams, Grand Canyon

Then that proud feeling of being at a special place on earth with my bike, the big hole in the ground, The Grand Canyon.

I was riding on the Historic Route 66. Actually there is nothing historic about it. This was the road that connected Chicago to Los Angeles. But when the Freeway network came up, no body was using this small two lane road and all the towns were by passed by the big roads so the small towns lost a lot of business. When something becomes useless, America names it as HISTORIC and makes it a tourist attraction and sells a lot of memorabilia.

The Hoover Dam which you had seen in the James Bond movie. A real architectural wonder. They say that with the amount of concrete used for this dam, they can lay a road across America.

No I did not go back to Paris. This is the Sin City. The city of lights. Las Vegas. What you see behind me is the Paris Casino there is a restaurant in the tower.

Grandeur at the world famous Bellagio Casino. People come here to gamble. There is no place on earth where gambling is handled as professionally. Managing a gambling den is a university course here. You can see their professionalism in every inch. In Vegas I met another Telugu family Rao, Laxmi and Sahiti. Mrs. Laxmi was very talkative and asked me about each and every place I went. Sahiti, a software engineer gave me good company and told about Vegas life. They coocked spicy Indian food for me and that was the best thing I can ask for.

What you see here is a shopping mall the top you see is actually the worlds largest screen where they project specially made animations. Las Vegas burns so much of electricity, the whole place is electrified and you can feel it every where. You will get mild electric shocks when you touch metal things or doors or even when you walk on the carpets. So from this gambling city, I went to the city of dreams, Hollywood, Los Angeles.

My friends near LA Rajashekar his wife Madhavi and Vinayak.

2007-04-16T03:59:00.000+05:30

Then I met another crazy biker whom I wanted to meet because of his enthusiasm and encouragement, Mr. Bharat Reddy from Bangalore. He is here for his Masters in Business Leadership which he just finished and was cooling off. Like I said he is another crazy biker who owns an Aprilia Tuono a real monster of a bike, a Suzuki GSX sports, a Triumph Scrambler retro and a BMW GS1200 and real enthusiasm to be on the road what else you can wish for? So we made a good combination and were riding all over California. I need a separate chapter for him and our rides and drives. These are just a few things we did…

My biker friends in Los Angeles Bharat Reddy, Pradyum and me on Venice beach.

Bharat Reddy on Suzuki GSX

Bharat on his Suzuki GSX on the Pahrump Race Track scraping pegs...

We did our advanced off road training in California. Me and Bharat (on the right with a beaming smile) with our beautiful instructor Tanya, a Motocross Champion (center). We had another ride of our life time up the mountain which seemed almost impossible.

Los Angeles Balaji temple. Bharat on his Triumph Scrambler and me on my Rambler.

The gym on the Venice beach, LA where Arnold Schwarzenegger built his massive muscles.

Mera Bharat Mahaan…

Yosemite valley in California is a wonderful place. With mountains and waterfalls. It was very cold and snowing too. What you see is the Bridal Veil fall.

Then I went to another nice city San Francisco. It has the most dangerously steep and crooked streets in the world. All the drivers there must be very experienced in handling gradients. My friend Bharat thought my bike can not climb the steeps and I am going to topple. But are yaar mera bike to Pushpak hei aur hum bhi kisi se kam nahi hei. So I went riding up and down on the

‘Most Crookedest road in the world’.

And then another proud moment of riding my bike on the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco…

Great Riding all over America...

2007-01-29T19:31:00.000+05:30

Hi Friends,
I am up and running and running too fast I think. During the last one week I covered Disney World and Kennedy Space Center in Orlando and enjoyed the beaches in Miami, Crossed the Skyway Bridge in St. Petersburg and crossed the states of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and now in Baton Rouge in Luciana going to Houston, Texas today.

Not just running but enjoyed these places though I am moving a bit fast to reach Los Angeles during the first week of February to fly to Australia. I still have a 5000km run to do before I leave America. The weather is getting colder everyday. Right now it is -3 degrees Celsius here. Last two days it was raining.

Last night I stayed with my friend Rajesh's friends Dr. Gopala Krishna and Mrs Rani. I had great dinner with Sambar Rice and Shahi kebabs at their own India's Restaurent in Baton Rouge near New Orleans. After a long time I had my favorite Chai too. Today the forecast is just cloudy but next three days its going to rain too. So I may take a pit stop at Houston until the heavy rain fades off and then Head up north to Dallas.

I am not having internet access as before as I am staying mostly in Motels outside the cities. I just got it in a friends house so I am updating. I am hale and healthy. I am really thankful to all the great support given by all of you. When I wrote my problems mail, I thought many of you will not like it but as ever, I wanted to be myself and present myself as I am. I must present some of the great encouragement I received from various known and unknown friends.

That was awesome!! made me think for awhile.
Keep forging ahead.
Good luck.

Venkat Kothur

OK, I went through your notes on problem I faced. You are a good writer. I hope you will write a book when you come back and publish it. It will be a good bible for others who want to experiment. I had a great mind to do that. Only think I did not have courage nor any back up.
Shenoy Sheshagiri
This has been one of the most inspiring real life stories of how once can survive the odds and fight back against the so called problesm we have in life...this is better than the billion dollar 'self help industry churns out in the countless books...i would only say one caution...sometimes it looks like we have won that war while it is only the batte...so be alert always...and this article should be shared with all people we know of and feels worried by the trifles he is facing in his normal life...
DVR

What can I say!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is truly awesome. You have actually outlined a few things l experience in my day to day life and not able to cope. AND I AM NOT ON A TOUR AROUND THE WORLD ON A BIKE. Man...great stuff, I wish you well from the bottom of my heart. May god be with you in every step you take
God bless

Suresh M Iyer

Bharadawaj, thanks for the wonderfully introspective piece. We (my son and I) got back from 3 weeks of backpacking -- traveling by bus and a bit of boat -- through south-eastern Mexico, and a bit of Belize and Northern Guatemala. It was a great trip. I will send you a link to some pictures. We thought of you all along the way. Yours has been an incredible journey. Hats off to you, my friend! You are one of India's bright, shining beacons. There isn't enough courage or sense of adventure among our fellow men and women. There is little desire to spread one's wings and expand one's mind. I hope you are able to spread your message to wider audience. Looks like there is a lot of that spirit in Andhra -- one young man named Mastan Babu who grew up in a village has scaled the highest peaks on all the continents in under six months. I bow before you young men -- you are the true heroes of India who should be written about more widely than the imbecile film stars and cricket brats and politicians that dominate the news in India.

I wonder if you and Mastan Babu could team up and initiate a lecture tour of India. Perhaps our visionary President Kalam would be willing to support this -- he is after all, eager to 'ignite young minds'. You should also talk about your doubts and human failings, thereby showing people that you are, after all, human like everyone else, and despite your human limitations, you have accomplished so much. Now THAT is inspiring.
Best regards, my friend

Murli

BJ,
Great to hear from you again! I hope you have posted this on ADVrider and
HUBB - you have
certainly expressed the contrary to what most RTW riders like to say -the
depression,
the hardships, occupational hazards, sometimes just the defeat of the day.
Very well-written.

Sridhar Reddy (USA)

This is great introspection and a great documentation of your experiences.

At first when I opened the doc, I was daunted by the 9 pages but when I started reading, the great flow and the thought process kept me hooked.

It's great that you have been able to capture your thoughts at that time. A lot of times it happens that while we are in the middle of the experience, we have all these thoughts and think that we'll document all of it when we go back but end up neglecting to do it.

It would also be interesting to read your experiences of how you went about preparing for the world tour.
The book can be a great read and prep for someone who wants to repeat your feat.

Really liked the statement, "I am good at reasoning without bias and finding the cause and solution for anything.". That's a great ability.

Abhijeet

So that was that and not only that all the American biking community is giving me a great welcome everywhere I go. And this is an invitation from an American unknown biker who invited to me to his place which touched my heart.

Hey BJ,
Sad news. My wife has passed away on the 17th of January. (last Wednesday). She had be fighting cancer for almost 3 months, and complications became too great for her.
I still want you to visit, and you can spend the night at my home. I`ve told my motorcycle riding pals about you, and we`d like to hear some of your stories and make pictures over a nice dinner. Let me know what kind of food you`d like to eat. We`ll be taking you out to a restaurant. We can have steaks, Mexican food, Chinese food, Greek food. We may even have a restaurant that specializes in Indian food. I`ll check.
St. Petersburg is about 457 miles from where I live. Click on this link and it will show you a map from St. Petersburg to my home in Cantonment Florida.: Here is the link:
http://tinyurl.com/ypfwsb
Give me a day or two notice so I can warn my motorcycle buddies of your approximate arrival.
Regards,
Tony House

And today I am going to meet another great Indian from Houston, Dipak Patel who offered me all kinds of help I think I will enjoy his company too…
I am really over whelmed by all your support thanks once again

Bharadwaj Dayala

Walt Disney World, A dream land.

2007-01-29T19:13:00.000+05:30

Walt Disney World, Orlando - Dream of one man !

It is so nice to meet your childhood friend

My Rocket with the Space Shuttle at Kennedy Space Center

Enjoying a quiet moment with my Pushpak at the Miami waterfront.

2007-01-17T01:59:00.000+05:30

The psychological problems I faced so far on my journey

Today I must sincerely discuss and disclose all the problems I faced so far on my arduous and wonderful world tour and my struggle for existence. This is not a struggle just to live but to exist as a person who can dream of great things and who can also withstand great difficulties of all kinds to achieve what he wants. Good news is I won the struggle and I so I am able to discuss it :) so that those who want to get on the big road would take a bit of care in advance and avoid such difficulties. But it's very loooooooooong.

You all know that this is not a sponsored tour and the entire planning, logistics, funds, communications, paper work, permits, insurances, transfers, shipments, repairs and arrangements have to be done by me or by supporters at home. Once you are out of country, there is little your base can do for you except to keep you funded if you need more or to give you courage all the way by communicating with you continuously which again is going to add a lot of cost. Sometimes you may not be able to get any help from anybody even if they want to do. So it is solely YOU who have to do every thing. Every thing means really a lot, including telling the rules of customs to the customs officers of various countries. I am not joking if I hadn’t written about my Iran customs story, I will write it some time. They levied heavy import duty as they did not know how to process the carnet. I had to go to the customs commissioner explaining what it is with the help of a translator. Still it took me one week to process it. Not only Iran, at many other places. Some of them do not know where to put a stamp and you have to tell them. So you must know it before hand or you won't take your bike out of the country.

So you doing everything gives a lot of stress. And everyday you need to do a lot of things apart from riding. From the moment you get up you need to find breakfast. In North American motels however large they are you don’t find anything to eat and you won’t find anybody to ask where you can find some too :). When you find some thing to eat you rush packing everything on the bike, check the bike for fitness, get dressed and chalk the route, look into the maps, note down major points and any points of interest. Then you finally kick your bike and start the day with a smile feeling nice to be on the road again.

If you had to take a motorway, your antenna is always up and scanning for danger because you look like a tiny rat running to escape in between 8 or 12 lanes of huge cats (cars) and roaring mountainous lions (trucks) zipping at high speeds tossing you all around. Don’t expect to stick to the side wall like a good boy and go slow all the time because you need to keep changing lanes all the time and keep reading all those road signs and exit points to find you own destination. The mere push you experience from a speeding truck itself is unnerving. And imagine you riding such heavily loaded and unbalanced street bike changing lanes at 120kmph between those monsters. I am now well experienced and know what kind of vehicle is coming beside me just by noticing how hard it’s pushing me sideways :). And the thought of one puncture could make you and your bike into a MASALA DOSA (the bike can not be crushed totally so it remains like masala) without a slightest doubt, will keep you extremely alert at all times. This acute alertness is very stressful. Add just 10-12 hours of this.

Now you thought that’s enough! And want to get into the comfort of some hostel. But it’s not enough. Unless you planed to stop here and you know the exact location of a hostel, it’s very difficult to find it. If you miss one exit, you may have to ride 50kms to come back to the same place (this happened once to me at 12 midnight while going to a friend’s house in Chicago after riding all day). And if you are looking for a place without reservation, then give or take 50km before your find one with vacancy.

Finally you find a place and get into it. To unpack and carry all your baggage all the way to your room (no body will ever lift even a small pouch for you) takes a hell. You need to lock the bike properly and cover it so that it is not taken away while you sleep. Sometimes you don’t get parking and you may have to park it on the road side which will give you jerks all the night. One day in Cairo, I put my bike inside the lobby of a building, wheels and steering locked. By morning it was on the road. I couldn’t imagine how they lifted that heavy bike and put it there. Lucky they didn’t put it on a truck and it happens quite frequently. According to the place you are traveling, the time you reach a safe place could be anywhere from evening to midnight. You can’t really come on exact time as many things rule the road and you could be riding at 50 degrees heat or freezing -15 degrees cold or it may snow or thundering rain.

By now all the muscles in your body will be aching and after a refreshing shower you feel damn hungry as you had only light meals during day (eat heavy food during day and you will be drowsing on the bike). Now again you may have to walk miles to find food. Not what you like, but just any kind of food. Sometimes if you are lucky you will find it nearby or you may not find any at all. You may have to eat whatever kind of reserve snacks you are carrying and you don’t feel like eating it anyway. You go to sleep like a log and soon it’s another day. Believe me you will not even remember to check your mails or update your blog.

BUT IT IS FUN. To ride and to go to a new place and enjoy the new surroundings, new people, new food. Everything is fun and you will be happy. But not if you have to do it everyday, 24/7 all through the year (unless you are an Iron Butt like me). Not when you can’t stop where ever you want to stop because your budget will take you only halfway then. You can’t eat what you want. You may be liking pizzas and burgers and meat but try eating all that for a month. I have been eating that for 9 months now :).

I am not complaining or regretting at all. I am just showing you how it would be to ride around the world. And I tell you in spite of all this I AM REALLY ENJOYING MY RIDE AND I CAN RIDE ONE MORE TIME TOO !!! So no regrets at all.

But the tour was taking its toll on a different plane, the psychological side.

First and foremost problem is loneliness.

Though you are always surrounded by people, you still feel lonely. You are an alien. Many may speak to you, but until you reach UK, you don’t know what they are saying and you can’t talk back. You will become Goonga and will become an expert at sign language. You will not be talking to anyone until you reach UK. Not even in Europe you will find many English speakers. I being a happy man always surrounded by friends and family was too lonely until I reached UK. Few people I met in the other countries kept me sane with their hospitality. The first Telugu man I met was the Ambassador of India in Jordan.

Loneliness as a problem can not be explained, only to be experienced. Actually I trained myself well expecting this, that’s how I am surviving. I went into Himalayas trekking alone at the off season times. There I felt for the first time what loneliness is. Once I was trekking from Gangotri to Gomukh alone when the temple and the post office at Gangotri also were closed for winter. It is a 19km trek to 14000feet altitude which would take a whole day to cover half the distance. After a long arduous journey at the high altitude, it started snowing. I thought of only one thing, I wish somebody knew that I am walking here. For there was no telephone and no body knows my exact place or route. I did keep a note in my pocket with all my details asking for anybody who finds me, in case I die, to inform. But the problem is no body will find you in the depths of thousands of feet if you slip. Then you will know what loneliness is. We can not avoid it; we have to cope with it. Nevertheless it will have an effect on your mind all the time.

Another unexpected reason for my loneliness was my acquired hearing deficiency. Yes. When I went around India on my 1969 Royal Enfield, I did not know that I have to use ear plugs. We, in India get scared to silence ourselves from the traffic, listening for the horn of the truck coming behind. But that is wrong. The high pitched roar of my bike made me lose some frequencies and noticing it, I started using ear plugs after half the journey. But in this journey what I have learnt is that you can not get complete silence even if you plug your ears under a heavy helmet too, because of bone conduction. The bones around your ear also conduct sound. When I am traveling at 120kmph, the wind hitting my helmet at that speed makes a hell of a noise and some of it is absorbed by the bones around my ears and I get a constant “SSSSShhhhhhhhh” sound in my mind. Imagine this sound continuously for 10hours or more every day for a year. So you are bound to lose some of your hearing for sure. Occupational hazard :).

What happens when you lose some frequencies is you can’t hear some words and you can not comprehend even if you can hear people whose voice falls into those frequencies. So some times even if the other is asking you a serious question you will hear only “ abba dabba jabba” and to cover it up you find yourself smiling and say ‘oh yes’J. And you keep asking every body again and again. Finally to avoid such difficulty or embarrassment, you avoid talking to people altogether. You keep to yourself even in a group which increases your loneliness further. Tho abtak Goonga aur Behra bangaya dekhna hei aur kya banoonga.

The second and major problem was Depression.

So I was coping well with the stress of the ride and loneliness too. But then I had to face the situation of riding through Europe in 5 days from Greece to UK. I must say this was the only time when I did not enjoyed riding during my journey so far. Even freezing cold gave me a kind of winning achievement but this always kept my heart in my mouth and my mind in my knees. I was so disturbed thinking my ride will end in France, I could not eat or sleep or remain calm while riding, nor was I able to thinking anything too. These five days of continuous mental and physical torture pushed me into a deep depression. This depression, untreated, continued until now giving me severe bouts from time to time. With strong will I used to get out of it but soon something triggers it without my knowledge and I am down again.

This made me so dull that except riding with great will, I didn’t feel like doing anything else. No reading no writing not even eating well. You don’t feel like doing any damn thing. Getting up and going out for sightseeing in a place as beautiful as Quebec is also not at all interesting. Generally in a journey like this where you are seeing something new everyday, you lose interest even in the best of the places or things and you don’t want to go out of your room. That’s ok and you just need to sit indoors for a few days and it will be alright. But this feeling coupled with depression and loneliness produced a disastrous concoction and gave rise to a new problem.

The third problem was overindulgence in Alcohol.

I was never an avid drinker but I used to drink in parties and on outings with our friends. But it was never a problem to me. Actually I did not drink until I reached Aqaba, Jordan after a great party with all my friends on the farewell day. But Aqaba is one of my enigmatic places right from when I saw the movie Lawrence of Arabia. So when I really reached that place, I was in high spirits and to add to that I used to go underwater diving. After having a great day on the red sea when you come back and every body is sitting, chatting and having a beer, its irresistible and there is no need for me to hold back too. So there I first started drinking beer again. And when you go to a place like Olu Deniz, in Turkey, even if you never had a pint of beer also would like to jump into the cask. I was visiting the most beautiful places on earth filled with tourists and attractive cafes and pubs and bars and music, its hard to sit tight. But it was absolutely under control and was just enjoying until I came to UK with that depression. When I finally crossed the English Channel with great relief, I just wanted to forget everything and sleep for a few days. So I had a few beers every afternoon and every night. Depression and drinking are too good friends which will never leave you so easily :).

But in 5 days of not doing anything, I immediately became alert and knowing that I will slip more deeply into this, I regained myself and started my ride again. Wherever I go, I either had a friend and a great party or I was alone and so I wanted a drink (so it was not parties that made me drink). And I was not drinking just a beer but a lot of them. And knowing I m drinking a lot, I at least stopped taking hot drinks and wine or it would have been worse. Kuch to akal baaki he tab bhi.

And one fine day I will wake up and shake my head off my depression and drinking. Knowing it is not good for me or my project and try to come out of that depression. Every thing was fine for a few days. I left UK and reached Canada in great spirits (not the liquid one). After running around for a whole day in taxi to various offices, I could not finish the customs inspection and I could not release my bike. Next day was Saturday and they don’t work on weekends and you don’t know when it will be released. My airline agent will charge me $150 a day for keeping the bike there and you don’t know how much you may have to pay him. Shit shit shit…my depression says ‘forget it yaar me hun na come lets have a BEER!!!’ Again the subdued depression awakens like a gene with all laughs and invites its friend the BEER.

Finally the bike is released and I shake my head like our rock stars round n round and get rid of the depression and go around Canada and see the beauty of the fall. Then after a few days due to unexpected excess expenditure at the customs, my finances are dangerously down and there was a delay expected from my sources so I need to sit at some cheap place and wait for it. ‘Shit shit shit come lets have a BEER!!! There is nothing to do for you so you can just take a walk around the beautiful place and all the cafes and pubs ever attracting you and sit and have a couple of beers, go home and sleep. Don’t think and don’t do anything else’, my depression says, fearing I would send it out again.

One more major reason for my drinking to continue even when the funds are low is because it’s so cheap here. For us we can get a couple of good meals for the cost of a beer. Here you can get couple of dozen beers for the cost of a meal :). So it would not seem sinful to you to drink a couple of them even if you are tight.

So like that without myself knowing the base of the problem (that is me! All these were mere justifications) I limped into USA and met some good friends and had great parties but I was not really myself for all these days. I was much closed, not communicating with anyone not willing to do much, not wanting to talk or meet anyone at all.

But finally I thought this is not the way I want to do this.

I put a break and a strong one. I remained seated for a month in Atlanta not going out except for a walk or to buy something to eat. The depression and drinking continued but I had a lot of time introspecting. The good habit I developed during all my life is; I can correct myself without any outside help. I am good at reasoning without bias and finding the cause and solution for anything. I know how to control my mind too. But still your mind wanders a bit now and then and you need to regain the control all the time. And also it is a situation where it is you who is the only one who can correct it. I felt so lonely but not interested in meeting anyone or chatting with anyone too. Now and then kept writing mails and read a lot of books but did not do anything note worthy.

And finally I reached a verdict that I must part with both my good friends however painful it may be; the Depression and Drinking too. ‘Cause both of them are extremely coordinating with each other and cooperating to see that if one is allowed then it will see to it that the other one is allowed soon. And after a great lonely struggle I WON THE WAR and killed both of them :).

When I say killed them I mean I killed them. Yes, however strong they may be but not stronger than me. I am a warrior and can kill such unwanted enemies and I believe my victory is long lasting. This I can say with confidence generated from my past war. Before this Operation Desert Storm in USA, I fought another war, Operation Vijay in India against smoking.
I used to be a chain smoker (ab poochna mat aur kitni aadate hein…bas itni :)). I smoked non stop for 17years at the rate of 20-30 cigarettes a day. I quit smoking many times with all kinds of treatments and commitments but they lasted only for a few hours or a day maximum. I was never without a cigarette. I developed chronic bronchitis and when the doctors said “choose between cigarettes or life”, I gladly chosen the cigarette due to the difficulty of quitting it.

But I had to change my choice. When I was practicing for the world tour and on my lonely trek in Himalayas, at first I started at a good pace at that high altitude. Anybody would feel the lack of enough oxygen and would get tired soon. But after taking a few quick steps uphill, I was soon gasping for air like a dog on my four legs (legs and hands). After taking a few puffs from my inhaler and resting I said, this is not good. I am going to face such cold and many more tiring and extremely hard situations around the world and if I am so weak I may not complete the journey at all. Then I said Beta ya tu world tour pe jaye ga ya to cigarette jayega dono milke nahi jasakte. Mei ne socha Hum kisi se kam nahi. Use kyon jaane dunga? To usko chod ke me chala aaya J. It’s been more than two years since I touched a cigarette. I don’t run away from it. I allow all my friends to smoke in front of me and I think in my mind, Jo jeeta wohi sikandar :). So that proves I am stronger than any of my habits or emotions. I refused to surrender to anything except GOD. And so I am really back and much much stronger than ever.

It is also a coincidence that I am writing this letter on an auspicious day like Makara Sankranti. It is a big festival day in Andhra Pradesh. This is the day when the Sun enters the Makara Raasi (zodiac of Capricorn) and denotes the beginning of auspicious Uttarayana Punyakalam. I too thrown away all the rubbish collected in my mind during all these months and am entering a new phase of confidence and conquest. I thank all of you for giving me continuous support during all these months of my untold misery. But now you are entitled for some entertainment and I will release my new stories like our bollywood films (in plenty). Thank you one and all.

Bharadwaj Dayala

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2007-01-04T21:18:00.000+05:30

Hello Everybody, So the new year started with a bang and I wish you all an adventurous and exciting new year. I am posting a link here which is my New Year wish presentation to all of you. Download the file and view the presentation you will definitely like it.
http://www.bcmtouring.com/bharadwaj-rtw/bharadwaj-rtw.zip

Hello, Merry Christmas

2006-12-21T00:50:00.000+05:30

Hi Friends,
The boy is back. Bought a flashy new hard disk for my laptop and thanks for the external hard disk I am carrying as backup which save most of my data and precious pictures. So first I will update about my present location and then update you all about all the previous back log on a daily basis.
I am still in Atlanta imported a few spare parts from India have to service the bike today and I will move to fun and frolic Miami. Christmas season is showing all over and light and more lights. As this is their major holiday season everything is decorated and everybody is in good mood. Enjoying my time.
Another example of how travel enlightens us by changing or redefining our own thoughts and perspectives is my new friends here at Barraza, a coffee bar in Atlanta.
I must admit that I was never very comfortable with Africans. Their huge bodies funky styles long and over sized cloths and rough look always had given an comfortable feeling. They looked threatening or dangerous or unfriendly. Atlanta is a capitol city for African Americans. When I first came here I felt very uncomfortable as you see a lot of poor homeless people on the streets and in the parks, a few of them asking for a dollar or trying to sell something they have. It never bothered me but I was never free enough to talk to any of them.
One day when I was passing Barraza coffee bar, I heard some good live music and as it was time for dinner I went in. But I did not realize until I was seated that everybody there was African Americans and the bar itself is a lively joint for them where they all gather and drink, sing and dance.
I would not have dared to enter if I had known it earlier. But fortunately I came to know about it later and so I remained seated and ordered a beer and a parmesan chicken sandwich which later became one of my favorites. It’s a family run joint and all of them had received greeted so nicely and the atmosphere was so friendly. I was sitting in a corner and was observing every one. Then comes some great music from a band of freelance musicians and singers. Later I came to know that every Tuesday all of them gather together and sing and play just for fun. Its all impromptu but they are so good that they soon fell into rhythm in a few seconds and delivered some real good music. And slowly I was out of my feelings or fears and my outlook towards them changed and I was more comfortable. When your eye is good every thing looks beautiful. I must say that I am darker than most of them in color too…ha ha. And saw some really beautiful ladies and very courteous gentlemen.
Everybody was so friendly, I was so comfortable, yesterday went and shot video and I wanted to give them a taste of Indian music and dared to sing a song with the orchestra, though I am not good at singing. It’s not the singing but it’s the mood what matters.
So I am really glad and thankful to Johey & Tsapetos Belay, Bruke, Mary, Jan and all musicians and another elegantly beautiful girl Lely Haidl, who danced to my Chayya Chayya song like Malaika. They all made me feel more human and now I can never be uncomfortable with any one in the world. You can see how good those musicians are and how Lely danced by clicking the following link - http://www.mydeo.com/videorequest.asp?XID=16727&CID=60647
That’s all for today and more to come soon…MERRY CHRISTMAS to you all.
BJ

2006-12-21T00:48:00.000+05:30

Jan and the band of brothers...

My new friends - Bruke, Mary, Tsapetos, Joney and their boss !

2006-12-21T00:40:00.000+05:30

Atlanta Hindu Temple

Beautiful fall colors

America ho ya Andhra....Vahana puja

This is Col. Sanders' first Kentucky Fried Chicken cafe.

Two great men sitting and chatting....with Col. Sanders:)

Holiday Season : Going to Florida

2006-12-02T03:53:00.000+05:30

Hi,
I am hale and healthy and enjoying the holiday season in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Its been a long time since I sent pictures, this is because my laptop hard disk crashed. I have the back up but as the pictures are big and need to be reduced in size, I am unable to do that in the net centers. I will be getting a new disk in few days and will send the pictures and stories as usual.
The Indian community here is giving a great welcome to me wherever I go. I do not want to repeat the story again and bore you so I will be sending it with pictures once ready.
Just for now, I did one more thing for the first time in my life on this tour and that is Travelling at a speed of 300 kmph on the Charlotte Speedway race track which is one of the biggest in USA. I did not drive the race car, I was sitting with a proffesional race driver. But the excitement is something to be experienced. More with pictures. Have a nice time.
BJ

Stuck in snow at -14 degrees celsium in Winnipeg

2006-10-12T21:08:00.000+05:30

For me it is not very difficult to ride at 50 degrees centigrade which I had done in the deserts of Egypt but cold is something very difficult to sustain. As I am a zero fat man the cold hits the bones and makes me shiver like hell. For the past few day when I came to Winnipeg from Toronto, I had been facing severe cold about zero and with chill factor minus degrees too. I am wearing two thermal innerwear, two T-shirts, one fleece jacket and then my bike jacket…at least now I look fat. I wear two pairs of very good gloves but even then my hands are freezing so I have to stop every few minute and BBQ my hands on the engine block until they are back to normal temp (And I put my feel always on the engine so somewhat ok).

But I was able to go somehow. God wanted me to know how to handle cold and he sent an untimely cold wave right behind me from Churchill and now we have a snow storm. I am struck at -14 degrees Celsius and 6 inches of snow. But am going to ride to USA today because I don't want to get struck here for many more days…But the cold wave is also moving south with me. So lets all hope that I am not struck in snow.
See you soon from America.

My current location : Churchill, Manitoba, Canada

2006-10-06T02:42:00.001+05:30

Hi friends,
I am in the Arctic town of Churchill. This is called the Polar Bear capital of the world. And also the Beluga whales capital. This place is on the coast of Hudson Bay in the northern Canada. Unfortunately I could not come here on my bike as there are no roads. Only way to reach this place is to take an almost 3 day train journey from Winnipeg or fly on a charter plane. Obviously I have taken the long train journey. Even that was very costly about $900 to and fro for a berth on the train.

But when I boarded the train I know why it was so costly. It has only 5 bogies one chair car, one sleeper car, one luggage van and one restaurant car. I boarded the train at 20.30 hrs. There are only 6 staff on the whole train. Two drivers. Two coach attendants. One cook and one restaurant in charge. Later I came to know that all of them will become servers in the restaurant at busy times.

I was not given a birth number so while boarding I asked the attendant which one? Like our RTC he said “Any one you please, Sir”. I was wondering how can that be. But when I took a birth and waited for the train, slowly I came to know that there are only 20 passengers for the whole train. And during the next two days and two nights only ten of them got down and probably another 10 got in. So the whole train is yours. So the costs.

The train traveled through some excellent country side. Canada is filled with trees and trees and more trees. No matter how many they cut all the time. They still use wood for heating their homes. It keeps on burning.

And I forgot to tell u that its damn cold out side. Next morning when the train stopped at a station which is very rare…I thought I would stretch a bit and so I got down. I was wearing layers of clothing in the train, though the train has heaters. But I didn’t realize this and when I got down and walked a few feet…my feet got stuck to the floor and my teeth got stuck together too…then I realized how cold it was out side…I ran back to my coach and to the comfort of it.

As the time passed we passed through unending tree growth. Slowly the trees started to disappear and a barren table flat land started. Then the arctic tundra started. Tundra is a permanently frozen soil. It becomes hard and very few arctic plants can grow in that climate, mostly a kind of moss. But there was no snow yet. It will begin may be in another couple of weeks and everything will be white and more cold.

The town of Churchill is a small deserted looking town. I booked with a tour operator to stay in a tundra buggy lodge on the tundra near Hudson Bay where you can see the Polar Bears in their natural Habitat. Tundra buggies are large all terrain vehicles which can go all over the boulders or through the small lakes and the of course snow and ice. It was really really cold out there. But I was lucky to see the polar bears.

I saw a mother and two cubs too…just from a distance of about 20 mtrs. They are huge. Polar bears come here at this time for the ice to form on Hudson Bay so that they go on to the sea and hunt seals. They cant hunt seals in the sea as they are faster than the bears. But when the whole sea is frozen the seals come out for breathing and the bear waits patiently to hunt it.

A polar bear weighs about 300 to 600 kgs. And when the ice melts away in the summer they are forced to go to the shore and live on berries. So they enter a kind of walking hibernation and live on their own fat. They have to fast for months until the ice forms again on the sea. And you know an amazing fact, Polar bears can not be seen in infrared light. Because they conserve their heat so much you can only see their breath in an infra red photograph!!!

And in Churchill they have a polar bear jail!!! Yes they arrest any polar bear trying to intrude into human localities. Then they are jailed till the next seasson and then released. But his/her record will be maintained and if the same bear commits the same mistake of coming into human settlements three times, then they will get capital punishment...Death. Yes seriously.

So at this time of year they are hungry for months and tired. And polar bears are a good example as to how human beings can wipe out an entire species off the globe. With our reckless development and global warming, the ice is forming late on the sea and melts away much faster than it used to. So the feeding season of the bears decreases and fasting season increases. Their fat storage is not sufficient for this longer than natural period and so they slowly dye of hunger. So be conservative.

I was hoping to see the Aurora Borealis (Northern lights) too but unfortunately no cosmic activity during the two nights I stayed here. Otherwise it would be a spectacular display of colours in the sky at night time. Have to take the train back and then get on my bike and off to THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA….

2006-10-06T02:30:00.000+05:30

Churchill Railway station...too sleeeepy

But it is a great place for Polar Bears, Beluga whales and Northern lights

Dont worry when the Big Bear is there Polar Bears wont come

The Tundra Buggy Lodge in Arctic where I stayed for 2 nights and 3 days

These Buggies are well known for bears so they are not afraid of them

2006-10-06T02:05:00.000+05:30

The Unending, table flat landscape of Arctic

The all terrain Tundra Buggy to go around and see the animals

There are about 1500 Polar Bears in this area...

So Cute...

Polar Bears in their natural habitat

I really finished Europe as fast as that

2006-09-26T05:46:00.000+05:30

So I finished Riding in Italy and France and entered UK. To add to my wound my bike fell on that car. I some how escaped all the legal trouble but had to pay him 300punds for the repairs... And this is UK you see every thing is very expensive... if you compare to Indian prices you will not even dare to drink a bottle of water...as a 350ml water bottle costs just Rs. 120. I stayed in Dover for 5 days trying to recover from all this...
Here I met Ram a Sri Lankan who is running a net center in Dover. And I met beautiful Samarina, a Pakistani girl and Arun, a telugu guy working in Dover. We all spent some evenings discussing about my project. But I was still dull and not active...

Robin Ram, Samarina, BJ, Arun at Ram's internet cafe in Dover.

Here comes my rescue... In Leicester I have a very good frined named Dr. Balaraju. He is a psychiatrist and a good one. I didnt even told him that I entered UK knowing he would immediately call me. So I took 5 days to come out of the initial inertia and then I called him and as expected he asked me to come to his home immediately... Of I go to Leicester...

Dr. Balaraju and his wife Pallavi... Great friends. Great relief from loneliness after months.

I am starting where I left you...This is Vatican

2006-09-26T05:27:00.000+05:30

My superfast journey in Europe...Pictures

2006-08-26T19:10:00.000+05:30

Italy is really greeeeen....

All road signs are in Italian....of course!

Glory of Rome...

The wine country...

Used cars ...

Inside the ferry from Greece to Italy

Greece landscape...

Great bike on great ferry...u know this is second floor and see all those huge trucks

I crossed over 150 tunnels like this in Europe longest is 13.9 km !!!

Cuppadocia Pictures...

2006-08-24T17:11:00.000+05:30

My Czech friends on their BMW R1150GS

The pictures of Cuppadocia

2006-08-24T16:47:00.000+05:30

The Bike on a moonscape...

Art of Wind...

Natural Canvas and natural painting...the Fairy Chimneys

The Under ground city's Kithen

A Czech rider test riding my bike and thought the front wheel is punctured...it worbbles so much due to the wait at the back.

The bee hole houses....all the holes holes u see are living spaces

What a place to ride...

BJ with bee holes...

Im Riding My Fourth Continent !!!

2006-08-21T17:32:00.000+05:30

Hi Friends...I was busy in making arrangements to fly myself and my bike to the North America....I am right now in Toronto, Canada. I have plenty of time here and now that I know all of you are really interested in my journey, I will post every few days. Keet writing back. Thanks.

Cuppadocia

2006-08-15T22:19:00.000+05:30

Hi Friends,

I am still in UK riding all over Scotland. But I thought I should cover the backlog and should show you some of the best places I had see. The pictures I am sending with this are of a place called Cuppadocia in Turkey. A large volcano erupted and the lava flooded the place and after many years the place had become a canvas for the wind to carve its own masterpieces in this soft and sandy molten rock. The landscape makes feel like you are on a different planet or the moon. With different colors and different shapes and sizes. To add to that the people who lived here carved their homes in to this soft rock and and it looks like a collection of beehives.

The interesting rock formations, known as fairy chimneys, have been formed as the result of the erosion of this tufa layer, sculpted by wind and flood water, running down on the slopes of the valleys. Water has found its way through the valleys creating cracks and ruptures in the hard rock. The softer, easily erodable material underneath has been gradually swept away receding the slopes and in this way, conical formations protected with basalt caps have been created. The fairy chimneys with caps, mainly found in the vicinity of Urgup, have a conical shaped body and a boulder on top of it. The cone is constructed from tufa and volcanic ash, while the cap is of hard, more resistant rock such as lahar or ignimbrite. Various types of fairy chimneys, are found in Cappadocia. Among these are those with caps, cones, mushroom like forms, columns and pointed rocks.

And there is one more very interesting feature of this region is its underground cities. Yes they carved cities in mountains. One of the biggest are Derinkuyu and Kaymakli. Derinkuyu is situated 29km from Nevsehir, on the road to Nigde. The settlement is approximately 85m
deep. It is carved in 8 floors of which only 4 are open to visitors. A settlement of about 600 families can live in this city for 6 months continuously without requiring any supplies from outside. Thats amazing. The way they planned the cities is really fascinating. These are mainly to protect their families during wars. These underground cities contain all the usual rooms found in an underground settlement (stables, cellars, refectories, churches, wineries etc.). Apart from these, a large room with a barrel vaulted ceiling on the second floor was a missionary school, the rooms to the left being study rooms. From the 3rd and 4th floors onwards the descent is by way of vertical staircases which lead to the cruciform plan church on the lowest floor.
The 55m deep ventilation shaft was also used as a well. Not every floor was provided with a well, however, some wells were not connected with the surface in order to protect the dwellers from
poisoning during raids.
And right here I met some Czech bikers Mark, his girl friend Anna and his friend Sam who are on their BMW GS1150s. As soon as they saw my bike they waited for me and met me and wondered how I am doing such a big tour. They wanted to ride my bike. I told them that it wobbles a lot but Mark said its ok. When he went a few yards he felt as if my front tyre was punctured. Stopped and checked but everything is alright. Then he said there must be something very wrong with the front suspension and he was truly concerned and said we must all go to a mechanic and find the fault. I know that its because of the excess weight but may be they are right. I would also be happy to know the cause so we all went to a large motorcycle workshop and the chief mechanic checked everything and said nothing is wrong and its too
much weight for that little bike he said. They felt very sad for me. I said its ok, I am now used to it. They invited me for a party that night and we all enjoyed Cuppadocia.

More to come....
BJ
P.S. Wait for the photos - we will be updating soon

2006-08-04T12:23:00.000+05:30

Hello,
I am sorry to keep you waiting. I really thought that no one is interested in my journey. But after that I have just come to know that many of you are following it and so I am interested in sharing my story again. I will continue the story from where i stopped but pictures i will cover the back log and will soon become current. the pictures im sending with this are of a beautiful public garden in Adana, Turkey and the fabulous mosque behind it.

You read about my Europe saaaagaaaaa. And after that I became very depressed not due to the exhaustion or the extreme ride but due to the feeling that I missed the best part of the world. I was angry with the all those who were responsible for that (that includes me !!!). And I really went into deep depression and I did not move from the first town I entered in UK that is Dover. I stayed there for five days without doing ANYTHING. I could not even take a single picture of the town though it was a beautiful one. I was just strolling around thinking and doing nothing. You know what happens when you are really depressed....And I felt very lonely. I did not even think of going to London which is just an hour's ride nor of meeting any of my friends who are staying all over UK and had invited me to be with them.

But I was fighting to come out of it at the earliest as I do know that I have to do that myself and do that fast as the costs of living here are simply tooooooooo much. One bottle of half litre mineral water costs 1.5 pounds i.e. about Rs.120 one coffee costs about Rs.150 one good meal in a restaurent costs Rs. 800 to 1500 and one day in a small hotel costs 3000 to 4000. So you can imagine how fast I was draining my pocket and this made me more depressed but still couldnt do anything but kept trying to become normal.

May be my lover is cursing me all the time becasue I am happily seeing all these most romantic places without her. So God listened to her and sent me without seeing Europe so I can see it along with her. So finally I decided that I will see all that with her again and felt much relieved with that decision. But we are from India you see and we do know that all difficulties come at the same time and try to push you down, watch any film you will know that. And this happened when I had to change my hotel as the one I was staying was very gloomy and I thought thats making me more depressed and so I wanted to go to a place which can inspire me and put me on track again. I did find a better place and packed my luggage on the bike which i parked on the footpath and went into the hotel to clear my bill. As I was coming out I saw that just then a car came and parked just beside my bike ( which I avoid at all costs). You know my bikes stand is very small for the kind of load and its very unstable. With that simple vibration and due to a little uneven foot path...what I most feared for happened....I could see my bike falling on the just parked car with all my heavy luggage, in slow motion, and started to run to stop it but in spite of my great effort the bike did fall on the car with a big thump before I could reach the bike....( I was running in slow motion too....may be)...

The bikes right hand side mirror made a big dent on the front door of the car while it the mirror shattered into bits. And my rear big boom box fell on the rear door denting it too.... And you must know that my original UK motorcycle insurance for which I was waiting in Turkey did not reach me even then. So I dont have insurance!!!

Am in U.K.

2006-07-25T00:24:00.001+05:30

Hi friends,

I am really sorry for the delay. I was in quite a dangerous situation all these days and was running like hell to reach UK. My shcengen visa was valid until 8th July and I was still in Turkey on 3rd July. Like always I did not want to play Amitabh Bachchan. This is not the Middle East and these people do not like Amitabh Bachchan. So I was apprehensive but could not help it. I had to wait for two day at the Greek border to get my Green card insurance for the motor bike without which they do not allow you into Europe. But my insurance did not arrive. I had a fax copy and so I could not waste any more time and dared to cross into Greece with just a fax copy. I was worried that they may deny me entry. But luckily my magic worked and they happiliy waved me off without asking for the insurance...I was much relieved but then...it was 3rd July and it was not possible to cross the whole of Europe in 6 days. But I did try and travelled on Himalayan like terrain at midnight too...at 100kmph...still missed the ferry to Italy and had to wait on the useless coast of Greece for another day...so I had only 4 more days to go....Its impossible....

So I had no chance but to become Amitabh Bachchan again. I thought I will overstay my visa and risk getting arrested and deported if caught then to rush across Europe. After all, this is the most beautiful part of the world. So I decided to overstay and went coolly to Rome. Visited the most romantic city and then again having doubt just wanted to try if I can manage an extension of visa, so I went to our embassy on 7th and told them about the position. I met Mr. Subba Rayudu, a telugu officer there who was very helpful. But nothing could be done, and he asked me to go to the French embassy and try once. So I went to the French Embassy in Rome and asked the lady there for an extension of just three days to get out of France... She was furious and told me that it was my problem and that I had no reason to stay there and that to sell my bike there and to take a flight to India or face arrest. I was sad. I tried many ways but she didnt care. So I told her that I would go back to Inida and went back to our embassy. By the time our friendly officer there talked to another friend of him who is a police official in Rome and suggested that I go to Police and surrender, telling them the reason. But then that would be the end of my journey....They will not do any thing but they will see that I am sent back to India by flight.

I told our friend that I will cross Europe and not to worry and started off.,..right there and then on a long long journey.

I was riding riding riding...day and night....for three days. My eyes bulged out like onions and were watering continuously with fatigue....and lack of sleep and my body was achining in every muscle with continuous sitting for more than 14 hours a day....I was not able to eat anything both for lack of time and not feeling like eating as my heart was in my mouth...all the time. I felt really bad. If I had not gone to the French embassy then at least no body would know that I am overstaying...but now that they know that an Indian in overstaying, they may look for me and arrest me at the French border....if that happens then the ride ends there....I did not wanted that at any cost...so my only intention was to enter France as quickly as possible before my visa expeired on the 8th. But the weather too was testing me badly then....it started raining and rained for both days continuously...my waterproof jacket pockets got filled with water...so u can imagine what a rain it was...my shoes were wet and it was damn cold. More over it was thundering like hell...I was really afraid....to ride at 100kmph in that kind of rain and wind. But there was no other way....But still was very careful all the time taking safety into consideration. Still one has to take some risk. Then I entered on 8th after noon into France. And the border was in the middle of a 13km tunnel. So there were no check points...and I entered into France without anybody questioning about my visa. So 50% problem was over. But had to leave as early as possible to avoid deportation. So continued on and reached on 9th evening at the port of Calais, France to jump over the English channel to go to UK. I had great friends there at the port. And when the immigration check came, the lady was very fascinated with my passport and at my journey and congratulated me before noticing the dates.... But could manange nicely and entered UK. And had to sleep two days to become normal. So thats the story so far. Feeling hale and healthy and ready to take on the world once more.

as received on 13th July

hang on!

2006-07-23T18:42:00.000+05:30

hi
Am the webmaster (!!) for this blog and am very sorry for not being able to update it - Bhardwaj has had some trouble with visae for Europe and had to rush through in a very short so we havent heard in detail from him for some time. He's currently in London sleeping off his fatigue... and thank you all for the supportive comments and the oktatabyebye website for putting on the link. Tomorrow you will hear more :)

P.S. We're also looking for maybe ad sponsors for this site, meanwhile shall look into the paypal account... cheers!

and the bike...

2006-06-21T19:26:00.000+05:30

I am perfectly alright now and zooming like ever before. My leg healed except for a little pain now and then. I walked in Wadi Rum and hiked in Petra and finished my diving course and entered Syria without a visa !!!
I did some 11000km on the bike and its showing its tiredness now... the troubles are starting. The pick up is low inspite of good tuning. The chain is already gone which generally lasts for 25K km. So you know how arduous the journey is. Two days back I did about 570Km in the desert. Actually I wanted to ride 900km but for the puncture. Yes, I had my first puncture. A big nail got in and put many holes in the tube. Lucky I have a spare. But it took me 3 hours to change the tube. Lucky one truck driver came for help. Since anyway I opened the wheel I wanted to adjust the chain too...and did it many times in the dazzling sun...but once it is lo0se and once its tight. I do know how to adjust chain but this was very strange. Then when I took it seriously, I came to know that the chain has uneven slack. Its gone. when u turn the wheel somewhere its loose and sometimes it gets tight. I have to change both the sprokets and chain. There are mechanics in Turkey but nobody wants to touch it as they are more afraid of the repurcussions if they did something wrong. Se let me check. About pick up I think a lot of carbon must have been formed on the piston as I was using petrol from a vast variety of places and countries. Only from here it will be good. So I need to open the whole engine. When I find a couple of days then I wil do it.

In turkey and safe

2006-06-21T00:40:00.000+05:30

Sorry for the delay in writing. I was in the Wadi Rum. The Lawrence of Arabia desert and then I was on a visa run as my Syrian visa was expiring. But a lot of developments and lot of people and places during the period.
First of all I am very healthy and my leg is healing. I finished my diving course walked in moon light in Wadi Rum and trekked in Petra so obviously it must be alright.
After finishing my diving in Aqaba, I went straight to God's own studio. Yes that is Wadi Rum. Here I learnt that God can be cunning too...he did not give me enough words to describe in work of art in Rum, so that every body must come here personally and experience it. It is nothing but a huge desert with a lot of wind carved mountains. But the landscape is one of the best in the world and you will say that the desert can be beautiful too. The place is so vast that the huge mountains in the desert seem so small unless u compare with something else you will not know the distance and the height. It may take even a day to walk to a place which you can see right in front of you. That night I stayed in the desert with the local Bedouins. And it was a full moon day. You can imagine the glory that brings to the desert. Its one of my fantastic nights. I took a lonely walk in the desert in the flood lit desert...(moon lit that is) And only then I realised the sophistication of the human eye. I could see for miles on clearly in the moon light but could not capture anything in my camera.
The night was very cold.
From there I came to Petra - another wonder of the world I should say. For Petra I need another mail so thats next. In Amman I met a very enthusiastic person named Veena Brar. She works for the Indian Embassy in Amman. She was so happy to see me and to know about my journey. She invited me to her house and though my Syrian visa was expiring the next day, I could not refuse and stayed with them. This was my first family visit since I started. Mr Hemant, her husband an ex airforce officer is a very interesting person too. Their children Keerti and Nandan had a good time knowing about my tour and I had a wonderful time enjoying their company and home cooked vegitarian food....Rajma, Dal aur kya kya...
And I met my first Telugu man so far and talked in Telugu for the first time. It was none other than the Ambassador of India to Jordan Sri Dayakar. He is also from Andhra and was immensely happy to know about my tour. He was a little unhappy for I didnt let him know of my program in advance so that he could have organised something. I felt very happy for his concern. Then Run Rabbit Run....My visa to Syria Expired!!!

2006-06-21T00:34:00.000+05:30

Can you see the people?
We are so tiny beside the magnificence of nature

2006-06-21T00:27:00.000+05:30

Indian Ambassador to Jordan, Sri Dayakar

A real shipwreck

2006-06-21T00:15:00.000+05:30

First Family Visit in Amman

My camp in Wadi Rum

Never Ending tracks - very easy to get lost

I had my first crash!!

2006-06-10T22:00:00.000+05:30

I reached Nuweiba port by 12noon on Wednessday to catch the 3 pm Fast ferry but was told there was no vacancy. Felt bad as I would waste a day here. So I went into town, about 14km away and stayed in a beach camp - nothing but a few huts on the beach. Was nice to stay on the beach whole day- reading and updating my diary. Slept on the beach just two meters to the sea. The red sea here is like a lake, you will never dare to sleep like that on the beaches of Bay of Bengal.

Next morning I woke up early to enjoy the sunrise.(I could see Saudi Arabia from there) After a swim in the sea and went to the ticket office at 7am. The man in the window said 'only slow ferry no fast ferry - want or not?' How could I say no? But the slow is real slow and fast is real fast. The fast one takes one hour and half or maximum two to cross the channel, the slow one takes four hours or may take four days too...so no guarantee.... Having no other go, I said ok and asked him the time the ferry starts. He didn't know. I was really irked by that answer, but he asked me to go to the port straight after taking the ticket. I thought the ferry must be leaving in the morning itself and I had to go 14km to get my luggage.

These days I have not been riding fast without my riding gear on. But today was a different situation. I was riding steadily at 90, the road free and clear. Then I saw a very big speed breaker on the road just a few meters ahead. Even in Egypt the road signs are very good and every hump was marked but for this there was no sign. Probably new. I applied both breaks but the bike took the hump at about 60kmph speed and flew into air. I controlled well and landed safely but due to the heavy weight at the back (even without the luggage ) and the front wheel being too light, it started shaking like hell. I controlled for about ten mtrs but then I knew I was going to hit the road. Then in a split sec I pulled the bike to the side with my weight and just then the bike crashed with a thud into the sand. I was glad, if it was on road I would have had some fractures.

My right leg was struck under the box and I was thrown out so my leg got twisted. I waited like that for 5 mins blowing the horn but who would hear me on this deserted stretch? So I had to pull my foot off the bike scraping the skin and twisting it more. It was very painful and I thought I'm in for trouble but once my leg was out I stood up. I think you know my bike needs at least two persons to put it up if it falls. No body in sight and I was worried I may miss the ferry again.
I had to do it on my own. I'm an Indian you see, I remembered Amitabh Bachchan who shouts like hell even after being shot all over his body and runs and kills the villain, I got up on one leg and shouted...Ali Madaaad...and the bike was up. ( I sprained my shoulder and back - but thats a different issiue) Lucky my bike was alright with only a few things bent and the handle bar a bit twisted. I started it and off I go to the beach camp. And then I had a hard time putting the bike on stand as I have to use my right leg to put the stand. But I had to get on the ferry first and then see what to do. So I ran, packed all my baggage and put on my gear. And putting on riding boots was like hell as it needs the ankle to bend and is very tight. My foot had a few scratces and so was burning. Again Amitabh came to my help.... one more shout and the boot was on and I reached the port at 8am.

Generally I always fear to put the bike on the stand as it takes a great deal of strength. But at the port the process was so cumbersome, I had to put the bike on stand may be at least 25times taking it from office to office. They checked and rechecked all my boxes and luggage. Had to run from office to office to cancel my temporary Egyptian registration and to get the carnet stamped. All the time the pain was getting worse. And I could feel my leg swelling inside my boot. After one hour it was almost difficult to put my foot on the ground but I had to use the same feet to lift my bike and put it on stand. Yes. Amitabh again.

The heat, the pain and the official delay! And by the time I finished all paper work it was 12 o clock. All this time I was running (limping) from office to office, worried where the ferry may leave. But they used to say no problem - finished everything and ran to the ferry. Ferry means not a small one its a 6 story ship. Then I was told the ferry would leave at 3 pm. Came back and put bike on stand again...and had a cool drink and cooled down.

The pain was unbearable. Thought I must go to hospital as soon as I reach Aqaba to check if there is any fracture. Waiting, waiting and more waiting it was 4 pm and no sign of ferry even loading. Finally they started boarding at 7 pm. I neither had had breakfast or lunch. The boarding process took about one hour for the passengers to get on and then the vehicles.

Finally I boarded the ship and parked my bike. Felt happy thatI was finally leaving, in spite of all the pain (I was limping badly by now). While I was waiting I had one combiflam and another aceclofenac tablets. The pain subsided a little. After clearing everythig, I went to the Jordan immigration officer at the gate. All the process till now was from Egypt side and I had been cleared from Egypt and on the ship but Jordan also must allow me.

As soon as he saw the Indian passport, he shouted "Hindi..." and when he saw me in my bike clothes he asked "motor"? and shook his head violently and handed me over to a security man to see that I get out of the ship. So he won't allow me to go to Jordan... I got really worried, the security guard had already taken my passport and was going away I spoke to the vice captain of the ship and went to the officer and talked to him but he came back and said sorry. He wouldn't allow because he has instructions not to allow Indians and that too with motorcycle is out of question. I went and explained the officer in his Arabic English he listened. Then the captain of the ship who came just then asked what happend and I told him every thing. He was very helpful and nice. But he too couldnt do any thing.

The captain requested the officer to consider and the officer said he will talk to Jordan and try . He took me to the upper deck and asked me to sit and then appointed one guard to watch me because if I hide in the ship then the ship cant leave. I waited while he called and then the officer came back and asked me to follow him. The way he was hurrying, I knew I was being thrown out - in the lift he said no problem but I was being taken for a ride all the time with all my pain. He took me back to the security and handed over the passport to the officer and asked me to get out. Every body was silent. They all felt bad but no body could do any thing.

I was getting ready to bring the bike out but then put my magic into action, used the final card. I told the captain that I was not allowed a visa first to enter with bike but then I had written to the king himself and got a double entry visa and even after having a valid visa and special permission I m being thrown out of the ship without any reason. And I will report all this to the king I won't leave it here and I will board the same ship may be after a few days. The captain was taken aback adn asked if I had a valid visa. I told I have a valid visa and special permission and took the passport and showed him the double entry visa. Then he had some more energy and told the immigration officer something in arabic which probably meant that this man is not a usual traveller and will cause problem if everything is right and he isnt allowed. The officer read and re read the visa stamp many times and took the passportsaid that he would give the passport in Aqaba only after verification. I gladly said OK...and ran up and drank a full one litre water bottle.

Finally the ship started at 9pm and reached Aqaba at 1am and in Aqaba I explained them easily and cleared everything and was out on the road in 40mins singing and riding away on the moon lit highway. If I was not allowed then I have to take a flight to Europe which would take more time and money and lot of hassels.

Once in the hotel, slowly took the shoe off with great pain. By now I had fever may be because of the extreme pain and the tough time I had. But the biggest worry was about tomorrow... I have paid 350$ for the diving course and I had two more days of diving to complete. My instructor is tough and without completion he wil not give a certificate...and to learn somewhere else wil cost the same again. So, I used all my self hypnotising techniqs and slept off at 3am after a refreshing bath.

Got up at 7.30am and limped to the diving center by 8.30 am. Said hello to all took all care not to let them know my position, got on the boat and put on my dress and putting on the shoe was again very difficult as my foot was scraped and was burning. Again Amitabh....! and jumped in to the burning salt water, managed to swim with one leg....and finished two dives of 42 mins and 30mins at two different locations - one in a ship wreck!

and tomorrow is the exam...and one more dive, I am a certified (limping) diver. So thats the long story...

pics

2006-06-10T08:10:00.000+05:30

sleeping iunder the stars

takes as much space and more care than a car

THINK twice, before you SHIP anything...

i'm in the sky

2006-06-05T23:13:00.000+05:30

Was waiting for you to wonder about the angle of the camera in my last photographs... This is how it was done: I did something for the first time in my life. I was flying in a hot air balloon!!! That too over the most famous Luxor landscape....Great feeling. Here's more:

Balloons on the Nile

An unforgettable sunrise

My first balloon ride

... and no, its not a small balloon!

Luxor from high above

More pics from Luxor...

2006-06-04T23:06:00.000+05:30

The only greenery is around the Nile

The Temple of Ramses

More pics

2006-06-02T23:09:00.000+05:30

Glorious Karnak Temple

Line of Sphinx

Karnak Temple Entrance

For many weird things; for some great achievements

Just finished writing

At Aswan!

2006-06-01T20:12:00.000+05:30

Hello All,
I reached Aswan amidst great security of the police. They are not allowing me to travel without security between towns and so my time is wasted sometimes waiting for the car to be arranged and sometimes they all just want to talk to me and have tea. Good but not at every check post. And every town has a check post so imagine. Its better to ride with a police pilot non stop so I wait and take the escort. Aswan is the southern most town in Egypt. Here is the most famous Abu Simbel temple and Aswan high dam. Pics of them in the next mail. Try to get some knowledge about these places so that you too will become an expert in world tourism.

A view from my balcoony

2006-06-01T20:10:00.000+05:30

Beauty of Nile at Luxor

2006-06-01T20:08:00.000+05:30

Bharadwaja I

2006-06-01T19:59:00.000+05:30

Don't sit like us, travel like him...

2006-06-01T19:54:00.000+05:30

Egyptian food

2006-06-01T19:51:00.000+05:30

Update by DILIP BAM

2006-06-01T12:57:00.000+05:30

FIRST INDIAN BIKER TO MAKE THIS ATTEMPT WITHOUT SPONSOR, and…….TO GET THIS FAR. This is already a WORLD RECORD!

Pune 12:50 pm. Thu.1.June.2006: Bhardwaj is now in Egypt. For those who are coming in late, he flew on 18th April 2006 (Last month) with his bike, an absolutely UN-SPONSORED Hero Honda Karizma (which is giving trouble now – Karizma owners & Hero Honda please note) to Tehran, and started riding from there. He rode around quite a bit in Iran, logging @ 300 km per day. He’s been to Isfahan (400 km south of Tehran, excellent roads) and also Quom (Quom means Race, as in genetics, not as in Valentino Rossi.) from where Ayatollah Khomeni ruled Iran many years ago.

Passing Tabriz in Iran, he entered Turkey @ a month ago, spent a few days in that part of Turkey, and rode south into Syria (avoiding Iraq for obvious reasons==look in map). Most countries in the world are mostly far smaller than Maharashtra=my state. Syria is smaller than Maharashtra in land area. Taking 2/3 days to ride across Syria, Bharadwaj crossed into Jordan, where he did S.C.U.B.A. diving, in the Gulf of Aqaba, which is the junction of FOUR countries at war==Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Saudi.

From Aqaba, he has rided across the Sinai Peninsula and took Ferry-boat across the RED sea to mainland Egypt, which is where he is now! Please note that Hero Honda Karizma is giving problem, and no support is available from Hero Honda.

Bharadwaj will soon start riding north again, through the same countries (Jordan & Syria) to Turkey. In Turkey he will ride west, and if he is still alive, will reach Istanbul by mid-June.

Stay tuned with this adventure,
dilip bam

In Luxor

2006-05-31T13:28:00.000+05:30

Hello Friends,
In Luxor now. This is like our very home town. The road from Cairo till a place called Asyut was total sandy and desert but from Asyut it suddenly started to become green.
Relaxing on the banks of Nile. But with only tea...no beer.
Egypt is a real tourist friendly country and the Govt. is doing so much to protect them. As you may be knowing that in the southern Egypt some Islamic terrorists massacred 58 tourists to get attention. But that was the last thing they could do. The police action that followed completely washed them off the ground and they announced a cease fire. And there was not a single incident from then ie since 1997. But still the tourists are given police escort and all the tourist buses go in convoy. And at the beginning and end of every town there is a police check post. They check you and keep the other post informed. So they are always observing. This is not to keep an eye on the tourist but to protect them.
I was really riding like President of India here. When I reached a place called Asyut from Cairo it was getting dark and when the check post police officer asked where I am going I told him Luxor but I may stay for the night in Asyut. He asked me if I really want to stay there then he would inform the city station. I said ok. Immediately he arranged for a police car to escort me to a good hotel in the town and they were there until I checked into the room. After I freshed up and getting ready for the dinner some body from the city police station called me and reconfirmed that I safely checked into the hotel and he asked when we when I would like to leave tomorrow. I told him about 9am.
I was surprised when the hotel reception called me next morning at 9am and told me the police car is waiting for me. I got ready and went down there were two police cars and about one police officer and three sargents in each car. They said since I am traveling alone and from India its important for them to see that I reach my destination safely and told me that I will be escorted till Luxor which is about 200km away. I felt really good about their concern. And mind you it was not forcing because they also told me that there are two routes to Luxor and which I would like to ride on. I had chosen the scenic one to that of a short one. They are completely in coordination with other stations and till the next 50 km 5 different cars escorted me after which I reached a place where ther were 5 tourist buses also going and so I was asked to join the convoy. I felt so nice. Not for the escort but for the effort the Govt. is taking to provide security for the tourist. We have a lot to learn from them.
And forgot to tell you Jordan has no bikes!!! Really Me and King only ones allowed to ride bikes. ha ha. Only police men patrol the roads on bikes and small scooterettes are allowed but that too very rarely seen. In Amman that type of scooters are more I was told. Great feeling.

Thanks

Babbu da dhaaba

2006-05-31T13:27:00.000+05:30

A view from my balcony in Luxor

2006-05-31T13:26:00.000+05:30

A police check post

2006-05-31T13:25:00.000+05:30

A never ending road

2006-05-31T13:23:00.000+05:30

A canyon drive

2006-05-31T13:02:00.000+05:30

The Pharoah on the bike

2006-05-27T12:53:00.001+05:30

The Indian Pharoah

2006-05-27T12:53:00.000+05:30

Hello,
Nobody needs to talk about Cairo and its history as we have been hearing about it for the past 5000 years. But still, when you get there and visit the places feel their presence, the monuments come off their age start telling you their stories afresh. Its such a nice feeling to be there and to touch something that is built 5000 years ago. For now you can just see them and enjoy the pictures but promise to yourself that you will come here some day.
Thanks.

Sultan of Swing

2006-05-27T12:51:00.000+05:30

They never tumbled in 5000 years, don't worry!

2006-05-27T12:49:00.000+05:30

A view from Mena Oberoi Hotel Room

2006-05-27T12:45:00.000+05:30

Carrying the Sphinx

2006-05-27T12:44:00.000+05:30

The piramyds

2006-05-27T12:43:00.000+05:30

Great Bike with the Great Pyramids

2006-05-27T12:42:00.000+05:30

Indian Ambassador, Egypt - Shri Gopinathan

2006-05-27T12:27:00.000+05:30

MORE!

2006-05-26T12:07:00.000+05:30

Thanks for your love. With all your support I will finish this successfully and come back in one piece alone with my bike in few pieces. As far as journey is concerned, its going on well, no problems. Serviced my bike three times already and getting used to listen to the heart of it.
Stand is the main problem, I tried to fix the main stand by adding two plates at the bottom but it is now requires double strength to put it on but some what stable now when on stand. Side stand is hopeless. Other day I parked my bike in the corridor of the hotel with wheel lock and handle lock but by the time I came out in the morning it was on the road and I dont know how they managed to lift it and surely they dropeed it. My handle bar went to oneside and clutch lever bent and bike shaking little more heavily. trying to set it right. The camera box is broken to pieces already (one on the tank) and I got a new one made lets see how long its going to stand. But I am worried about puncture!!! You can only imagine how its going to behave if its punctured at 90-100 speeds but we can do nothing about it. Chain got lose a couple of times and its nightmare to set it right. It requires a car garage not a motorcycle mechanic to set it up. You need a car jack to lift the bike up to free the wheel!!!
Food is still Kebabs and local bread...mostly and I did eat camel kebabs and sandwiches. Yesterday I met the Indian Ambassador in Cairo and he was so enthusiastic about the journey and he spent 45 mins with me in his office. The vice president of Oberoi Hotels invited to me to Mena House Oberoi, just opposite the Pyramids. I had a great lunch with fish curry rice. Met some Indians here and went to their garment manufacturing companies and seen their lives. This is not the actual story I can give you this is just a few words.
I really ado not have the time to write. I am pressed for time really and I wil be running like this till I reach UK because I am over spending my time already and losing time in Europe. Riding is only half work and taking photos shooting getting accomodation at the end of the day - all this is more tiring.

Waiting to load the ship at Jordan

2006-05-24T11:55:00.000+05:30

Tough Road

2006-05-24T11:49:00.000+05:30

They have to clear the road daily

2006-05-24T11:44:00.000+05:30

Red sea like a lake

2006-05-24T11:43:00.001+05:30

On the canyon

2006-05-24T11:43:00.000+05:30

AFRICA!

2006-05-23T22:39:00.000+05:30

Hi friends,
I left asian continent and reached Africa. I'm now in Cairo, Egypt. This is a big city like Mumbai with all the traffic and people and more people. But it has its special appeal and my entry into Egypt itself was very nice. I left Aqaba, Jordan to Neweiba, Egypt on a ship. Its not a long distance though. Reached Neweiba - its like a big port with many ships and passengers. You will remember the Titanic scene with all the passengers trying to get onboard. This was almost like that. And to clear my bike through Egypt customs was a big thing. Lot of paper work as I had get my bike registered in Egypt with Egyptian number plate and registration certificate. After I came out of the port, there was nothing and simply nothing there. So its just a port to enter Egypt. From there I went to Taba the entire road which follows the Red Sea coast was so beautiful. Red Sea is just like a lake compared to our roaring Bay of Bengal. But as the sun started going down behind the mountains and sand started to cover every place, I started to look for a good camping site. Eventually I found one of my best camp sites with a few nomadic people staying there. They invited me for tea. The night was very cold. I enjoyed interacting with all of them who knew no English. And I know no Arabic but the coversation went through with my communication skills without language. Next morning I started to Cairo and this was one of the most lonely and deserted roads I faced so far. Not a single soul for miles on. I found a wild camel roaming just like me and made friends with one...Cairo and the Mummies next....

Camping here!

2006-05-23T22:29:00.000+05:30

Just for a change found one wild camel

2006-05-23T22:13:00.001+05:30

Just wanted to change saddles

2006-05-23T22:13:00.000+05:30

My Egyptian friends

2006-05-23T22:12:00.000+05:30

My favourite campsite

2006-05-23T22:11:00.000+05:30

First Entry into Egypt - Nuweiba

2006-05-23T22:10:00.001+05:30

Nobody stay - You can stay free

2006-05-23T22:10:00.000+05:30

ocean of sand

2006-05-23T22:09:00.000+05:30

Beautiful red sea coast

2006-05-23T22:05:00.001+05:30

Can you see the road to the left

2006-05-23T22:05:00.000+05:30

Aqaba Coral beach

2006-05-19T18:53:00.001+05:30

Diving in Aqaba

2006-05-19T18:53:00.000+05:30

Hello,
These are my diving photos of Aqaba, Jordan. The speciality of Aqaba is, you can see 3 other country borders right from here. I think there is no other place like this. Sitting on the beach you can look at the hotels of Israel and Egypt and the border of Saudi Arabia. And the Red Sea has a distict water colour. Its not the kind of blue we see everywhere. Nor is it turquoise. Its more of a violet tint. But the water is very clear and clean. Aqaba has a lot of diving sites which are well maintained and taken care by the govt. More to follow.

Glad to be on the surface

2006-05-19T18:52:00.000+05:30

Diving Boat

2006-05-19T18:51:00.001+05:30

BJ & Abbotson

2006-05-19T18:51:00.000+05:30

Am in Jordan

2006-05-16T18:41:00.000+05:30

Hi,
I crossed Syria and reached Aqaba, Jordan. This place is one of my favourites right from my childhood. If you have seen the film Lawrence of Arabia then you can not forget the never ending landscape...Yesterday I was riding in that landscape in the moonlight. You can imagine the feeling. Though it was a bit scary, its really a-once-in-a-lifetime feeling. This is a small beautiful town on the Red sea coast. Here i am going to cool off with a few days diving in the Red sea and enjoying the life underwater. Then I wil proceed to Egypt. Actually I did not stop much to take photos as I want to spend more time when I go back the same route. So better ones await.

Jordan

2006-05-16T18:38:00.001+05:30

2006-05-16T18:38:00.000+05:30

Syria

2006-05-16T18:36:00.001+05:30

2006-05-16T18:36:00.000+05:30

2006-05-16T18:35:00.000+05:30

In Southern Turkey

2006-05-12T01:24:00.000+05:30

Hi Friends,
I am in Sanli Urfa now. This is about 60 Km from the Syrian border and very near to Iraq border also in southern Turkey. More Kurdish then Turkish. This is the birth place of great prophet of Islam Abraham (Ibrahim) There is a big mosque and a beautiful bazaar. I particularly liked the bazaar for its activeness and look and feel. This is still like a Caravansarai. This is on the silk route where the caravans used to travel to the Mediterranean. You can get everything in this bazaar from sheep skin to pistols and bullets in the shops. The people and atmosphere is more Arabic already. Tomorrow I will be crossing into Syrian desert. But first I am going straight to Jordan and then to Egypt and while coming back I will visit Syria in more detail. Enjoy the pictures. By the way the Hydroelectric project you see in the pictures is called Ataturk Dam which is a part of a grand project called Southern Anatolia Project in turk they call it GAP project and is an example of what man can do... this project turned 3 million hectares of desert into cotton and barley fields and provided new employment for 1.8 million people and it may be very much interesting to know that this project consist of 22 dams and 19 hydroelectric projects generating huge amounts of electricity for the new industries that are set up here... some development...
Bye for now

Up you go

2006-05-12T01:22:00.001+05:30

The statues at historical Mt. Nemrut

2006-05-12T01:22:00.000+05:30

South Turkey

2006-05-12T01:21:00.000+05:30

The fallen faces of statues

2006-05-12T01:20:00.001+05:30

The city of Sanli Urfa

2006-05-12T01:20:00.000+05:30

A delightful evening

2006-05-12T01:17:00.000+05:30

Ataturk Dam & Hydroelectric plant

2006-05-12T01:16:00.000+05:30

Faces 2mtrs in height

2006-05-12T01:15:00.000+05:30

I need something like this

2006-05-12T01:14:00.001+05:30

Road to Mt. Nemrut

2006-05-12T01:14:00.000+05:30