Sunday started early to get a large group a little ways down the road.
Not too early though as we're living on Indian time. 6:30AM roll out was closer to 7:30. We headed west through Sulthan Bathery and immediately uphill. Navigation stated early with 14 turns today compared to only 3 the day before. Directions are reminiscent of Tour Divide. Roads have no names. "After 4.1 kms take the Rt turn". There are no street signs to reference. OpenStreetMaps offline maps show roads and no names. The 4.1kms is promising but inaccurate. It was another day of asking directions at each intersection. Generally we stayed on the larger paved road where both larger and paved are relative.
Mountains, valleys, and tea plantations provided beautiful vistas. This aligned well to the route description. Climbs felt different from the elevation profile.
Climbs first separated us from the pack and then pulled us together as a group. I saw folks struggle and walk on milder hills the previous day. IF we were on the right track then folks were in for a good amount of walking today. While the route seemed questionable we had a strong group of cyclists, a good navigator, and supplies. We'd reach Soochipara Falls, how was of menial consequence. Sky was overcast, weather was comfortable, pedals were turning, conversation flowing, and the KMs ticking by.
We found ourselves, the bus, and breakfast at one appointed location along the route. Retracing the route afterwords in the bus I'm pretty sure we came into town a different way. The breadcrumb trail on my GPS looks nothing like the squiggly line from the route overview. I look forward to uploading the ride to Garmin Connect to review the route, compare the climbs, and have GPS data to back my travels.
The tough riding came before breakfast. Roads leveled out after food easing digestion. Easier riding left time photos to shout out to my friends at Finish Strong, FSSeries, back in the US.
But not too much time, Vinai was setting a good tempo pushing us forward. We never got to paceline but we were consistently pushing the big ring.
We stopped for a snack in what we expected to be the last town before the final big climb of the day.
The guys were entertained by my meticulous procedure to flatten coke. Sugary drink and caffein for the pep minus the GI stressing carbonation.
Further down the road we found Soochipara falls before our canter (truck). We rode the steep rough climb up to the parking lot. Guards stopped us indicating only walking was allowed on the rest of the route.
Another shout out to my friends at Bull City Running in Durham, NC, USA. The cap is part of my adventure kit. I'd refrained from wearing it thus far this trip as I didn't see anyone wearing baseball caps.
Expectations go out the window when ride time arrives. This kit has, and continues to, serve me well. I did get sunburned on this ride. The bill of the hat protected my face. My neck, ears, and bare arms from the previous day were less fortunate. The sun in India, even in the winter, is formidable. Word to fellow world travelers - cover up. The sunscreen I found in Sulthan Bathery was heavy white paste more akin to sunscreen from childhood.
We eventually got in touch with the driver and needed to ride back down the mountain a bit. The guys seemed very apprehensive about the descent. I never figured out why. I pointed downhill and reveled in the reward of the earlier tough climb.
Thanks to Vijay and Ravi for driving the canter and providing SAG support. Support, Aid, and Gear (SAG) took some explaining.
We dropped cycles at the canter and hiked back up to the falls. Again I paid a higher foreigner entrance fee. This one came with an unexpected perk - I got to keep all plastic including snacks and bottled water. Everyone else had to hand over anything that could potentially become litter. This was an effort to keep the falls nice and, from what I saw, it was paying dividends.
I took one trip to the falls with my new friends and another trip with the rest of the crew when they arrived.
Cycling frequently inspires good conversation and this trip continues the pattern. At the base of the falls I stumbled into a conversation about the challenge India faces with litter. It is common practice to finish something and nonchalantly drop the wrapper onto the ground. You don't have to look for this as it is everywhere in practice and in evidence. I'm curious about this practice and seize every opportunity to probe about it. In my own experience I could never find a trash bin when needed. Earlier in my trip was entertained by rubbish bins at Vishnu Devi inscribed with "Use Me". I previously heard this littering behavior attributed to the cheap labor phenomena. Basically why should I trouble myself with this that is someone else's job.
Today I heard a new explanation - assertiveness and defiance. "I can do what I want; who are you to tell me what to do". This was a new explanation in this locale. It is very similar to an explanation I've heard for litter in Durham, NC. I previously blogged about a ride there were I saw someone finish a bag of potato chips and then drop the bag. The gesture, in that context, was very defiant. "I'm going to do what I want" seems to outweigh "This is my place and I take pride in it". Litter is a big problem. Even where rubbish bins exist they are under utilized. The land, country, and people have a formidable challenge on this task.
After folks played in the water we congregated at the bus.
The bus took us back to Sulthan Bathery for a very late lunch. This came with not-unexpected excitement as police seized our bus driver's license for stopping in a no-stopping zone. Eventually we got underway on the long trip back to Bangalore.
We passed some of the time playing "Mafia". I equate it to attempting to crowdsource truths. Primary roles are Mafia and villagers. Mafia get to know other mafia. Villagers don't get to "know" anything. Mafia secretly select the next villager to kill. Villagers publicly vote on the next person to kill. Game ends when all mafia are dead (villagers win) or when mafia outnumber villagers (mafia wins). It's a great game of politics, logic, and public persuasion.
We stopped at KFC on the ride back. KFC is an almost direct import. The basic fried chicken tastes the same. There are other more localized options.
The final day of cycling started at 6am and ended at 1am. It was a long and great final day of adventure in India.
Now I'm going ramble even more as the hours of flight back to the US are adding up.
Notable differences in cycling between US and India:
* roads - "Road Bikes" from the US do not exist in India. Sturdier frames, wider tires for traction, and taller sidewalls for shock absorption are mandatory. The road wasn't as rough as my ride on Rockingham Nature trail from last year but that wasn't really sustainable cycling.
* horns - A quick honk to say "on your 6" is pleasant early in the day. As hours, KMs, and temperature climbs those honks become more grating.
* wildlife - Though we never saw a big cat it's a thrill to say I rode in a tiger preserve. Casually cycling by an 8' tall elephant is also novel. Monkeys are funny too. They are eerily human like when I am unaccustomed to them.
* navigation - Road Signs, base maps, and GPS may be lacking in the US. In India they are largely useless. Navigate by asking locals and hope for the best. I will give a nod to iPhone/Android app "Maps with Me Pro". It downloads basemaps from OpenStreetMaps(OSM) for offline use. GPS on the iPhone works even without cell signal and it shows my position on the OSM basemap. The OSM basemap has many roads, names, and points of interest. Roads may have no names or they may have 3 names. It's at least a starting point for interpolation/extrapolation. I would also put spelling in this category. Things have multiple names with multiple spellings or no names. This isn't a problem in the basemaps. This is how it is in real life. At least part of this can be attributed to the number of languages where each language or group have their own name for a particular entity. Practice triangulating.
* languages - languages change at state lines or every hundred KM or when the wind blows - whichever happens first. I can't help but feel that much of the gridlock in India is attributed to communication problems. Speaking, like driving, caters to the lowest common denominator and that can be pretty rudimentary.
* nutrition - "energy bars" tend to be chocolate and make wonderfully messy in the heat. I found granola bars only once. A roadside coconut is quite a treat and a bargain at 20 Rupee or about $0.40 USD.
* gear - much less optimized cycling gear. I saw no clipless pedals, or for that matter, pedals with toe clips. Platforms and tennis shoes or sandals were order of the day
* respiratory challenges - I've had respiratory problems for a few years. Cycling in India irritated my respiration pretty thoroughly. Dust, exhaust, and smog are all in full force. Many people in India wear breathing masks, scarves, or something to filter particulate matter while out and about. This would be mandatory for me with any longer term exposure. I'm still coughing a week later after only two days of exposure on less congested roads. Three wheelers, used as taxis here, putter past spewing smoke especially going up hill. I believe they are the pollution equivalent of lawnmower engines in the US - poorly tuned, no catalytic converter, frequently with bad rings so they are clearly burning oil, and generally constantly spewing heavy exhaust. Here's another perspective on the amount of particulate matter in the air - after cycling through the morning on Sunday I used earplugs for part of the bus ride home. Later that night, under decent lighting, I took one look at the earplugs and immediately threw them away. I then washed, flushed, and used multiple q-tips attempting to clean my ears.
* Tea plantations are a boon to local economy. Every town we rode through on the tea plantation had new cars, new three wheeler taxis, and ample commerce. Commerce was clearly visible and a stark contrast to very meager villages elsewhere.
* People, kids and adults both, are fascinated by mountain bikes with gears and suspension. Kids come give high 5's. Adults will ask questions as long as you are willing to answer them. Long distance cycling is still very novel. It's novel in the US but much more so in India.
* Some things are universal. Cycling is a conversation starter. It's a much closer connection to the land and people. Meals taste better after long days in the saddle. We bond over tough climbs and breathtaking descents. Cycling begets camaraderie everywhere.
* Communism - we cycled past several communist flags on flagpoles and painted on the roads. India truly is diverse
GPS Track for day 2: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/259406878
Not too early though as we're living on Indian time. 6:30AM roll out was closer to 7:30. We headed west through Sulthan Bathery and immediately uphill. Navigation stated early with 14 turns today compared to only 3 the day before. Directions are reminiscent of Tour Divide. Roads have no names. "After 4.1 kms take the Rt turn". There are no street signs to reference. OpenStreetMaps offline maps show roads and no names. The 4.1kms is promising but inaccurate. It was another day of asking directions at each intersection. Generally we stayed on the larger paved road where both larger and paved are relative.
Mountains, valleys, and tea plantations provided beautiful vistas. This aligned well to the route description. Climbs felt different from the elevation profile.
Climbs first separated us from the pack and then pulled us together as a group. I saw folks struggle and walk on milder hills the previous day. IF we were on the right track then folks were in for a good amount of walking today. While the route seemed questionable we had a strong group of cyclists, a good navigator, and supplies. We'd reach Soochipara Falls, how was of menial consequence. Sky was overcast, weather was comfortable, pedals were turning, conversation flowing, and the KMs ticking by.
We found ourselves, the bus, and breakfast at one appointed location along the route. Retracing the route afterwords in the bus I'm pretty sure we came into town a different way. The breadcrumb trail on my GPS looks nothing like the squiggly line from the route overview. I look forward to uploading the ride to Garmin Connect to review the route, compare the climbs, and have GPS data to back my travels.
The tough riding came before breakfast. Roads leveled out after food easing digestion. Easier riding left time photos to shout out to my friends at Finish Strong, FSSeries, back in the US.
But not too much time, Vinai was setting a good tempo pushing us forward. We never got to paceline but we were consistently pushing the big ring.
We stopped for a snack in what we expected to be the last town before the final big climb of the day.
The guys were entertained by my meticulous procedure to flatten coke. Sugary drink and caffein for the pep minus the GI stressing carbonation.
Further down the road we found Soochipara falls before our canter (truck). We rode the steep rough climb up to the parking lot. Guards stopped us indicating only walking was allowed on the rest of the route.
Another shout out to my friends at Bull City Running in Durham, NC, USA. The cap is part of my adventure kit. I'd refrained from wearing it thus far this trip as I didn't see anyone wearing baseball caps.
Expectations go out the window when ride time arrives. This kit has, and continues to, serve me well. I did get sunburned on this ride. The bill of the hat protected my face. My neck, ears, and bare arms from the previous day were less fortunate. The sun in India, even in the winter, is formidable. Word to fellow world travelers - cover up. The sunscreen I found in Sulthan Bathery was heavy white paste more akin to sunscreen from childhood.
We eventually got in touch with the driver and needed to ride back down the mountain a bit. The guys seemed very apprehensive about the descent. I never figured out why. I pointed downhill and reveled in the reward of the earlier tough climb.
Thanks to Vijay and Ravi for driving the canter and providing SAG support. Support, Aid, and Gear (SAG) took some explaining.
We dropped cycles at the canter and hiked back up to the falls. Again I paid a higher foreigner entrance fee. This one came with an unexpected perk - I got to keep all plastic including snacks and bottled water. Everyone else had to hand over anything that could potentially become litter. This was an effort to keep the falls nice and, from what I saw, it was paying dividends.
I took one trip to the falls with my new friends and another trip with the rest of the crew when they arrived.
Cycling frequently inspires good conversation and this trip continues the pattern. At the base of the falls I stumbled into a conversation about the challenge India faces with litter. It is common practice to finish something and nonchalantly drop the wrapper onto the ground. You don't have to look for this as it is everywhere in practice and in evidence. I'm curious about this practice and seize every opportunity to probe about it. In my own experience I could never find a trash bin when needed. Earlier in my trip was entertained by rubbish bins at Vishnu Devi inscribed with "Use Me". I previously heard this littering behavior attributed to the cheap labor phenomena. Basically why should I trouble myself with this that is someone else's job.
Today I heard a new explanation - assertiveness and defiance. "I can do what I want; who are you to tell me what to do". This was a new explanation in this locale. It is very similar to an explanation I've heard for litter in Durham, NC. I previously blogged about a ride there were I saw someone finish a bag of potato chips and then drop the bag. The gesture, in that context, was very defiant. "I'm going to do what I want" seems to outweigh "This is my place and I take pride in it". Litter is a big problem. Even where rubbish bins exist they are under utilized. The land, country, and people have a formidable challenge on this task.
After folks played in the water we congregated at the bus.
The bus took us back to Sulthan Bathery for a very late lunch. This came with not-unexpected excitement as police seized our bus driver's license for stopping in a no-stopping zone. Eventually we got underway on the long trip back to Bangalore.
We passed some of the time playing "Mafia". I equate it to attempting to crowdsource truths. Primary roles are Mafia and villagers. Mafia get to know other mafia. Villagers don't get to "know" anything. Mafia secretly select the next villager to kill. Villagers publicly vote on the next person to kill. Game ends when all mafia are dead (villagers win) or when mafia outnumber villagers (mafia wins). It's a great game of politics, logic, and public persuasion.
We stopped at KFC on the ride back. KFC is an almost direct import. The basic fried chicken tastes the same. There are other more localized options.
The final day of cycling started at 6am and ended at 1am. It was a long and great final day of adventure in India.
Now I'm going ramble even more as the hours of flight back to the US are adding up.
Notable differences in cycling between US and India:
* roads - "Road Bikes" from the US do not exist in India. Sturdier frames, wider tires for traction, and taller sidewalls for shock absorption are mandatory. The road wasn't as rough as my ride on Rockingham Nature trail from last year but that wasn't really sustainable cycling.
* horns - A quick honk to say "on your 6" is pleasant early in the day. As hours, KMs, and temperature climbs those honks become more grating.
* wildlife - Though we never saw a big cat it's a thrill to say I rode in a tiger preserve. Casually cycling by an 8' tall elephant is also novel. Monkeys are funny too. They are eerily human like when I am unaccustomed to them.
* navigation - Road Signs, base maps, and GPS may be lacking in the US. In India they are largely useless. Navigate by asking locals and hope for the best. I will give a nod to iPhone/Android app "Maps with Me Pro". It downloads basemaps from OpenStreetMaps(OSM) for offline use. GPS on the iPhone works even without cell signal and it shows my position on the OSM basemap. The OSM basemap has many roads, names, and points of interest. Roads may have no names or they may have 3 names. It's at least a starting point for interpolation/extrapolation. I would also put spelling in this category. Things have multiple names with multiple spellings or no names. This isn't a problem in the basemaps. This is how it is in real life. At least part of this can be attributed to the number of languages where each language or group have their own name for a particular entity. Practice triangulating.
* languages - languages change at state lines or every hundred KM or when the wind blows - whichever happens first. I can't help but feel that much of the gridlock in India is attributed to communication problems. Speaking, like driving, caters to the lowest common denominator and that can be pretty rudimentary.
* nutrition - "energy bars" tend to be chocolate and make wonderfully messy in the heat. I found granola bars only once. A roadside coconut is quite a treat and a bargain at 20 Rupee or about $0.40 USD.
* gear - much less optimized cycling gear. I saw no clipless pedals, or for that matter, pedals with toe clips. Platforms and tennis shoes or sandals were order of the day
* respiratory challenges - I've had respiratory problems for a few years. Cycling in India irritated my respiration pretty thoroughly. Dust, exhaust, and smog are all in full force. Many people in India wear breathing masks, scarves, or something to filter particulate matter while out and about. This would be mandatory for me with any longer term exposure. I'm still coughing a week later after only two days of exposure on less congested roads. Three wheelers, used as taxis here, putter past spewing smoke especially going up hill. I believe they are the pollution equivalent of lawnmower engines in the US - poorly tuned, no catalytic converter, frequently with bad rings so they are clearly burning oil, and generally constantly spewing heavy exhaust. Here's another perspective on the amount of particulate matter in the air - after cycling through the morning on Sunday I used earplugs for part of the bus ride home. Later that night, under decent lighting, I took one look at the earplugs and immediately threw them away. I then washed, flushed, and used multiple q-tips attempting to clean my ears.
* Tea plantations are a boon to local economy. Every town we rode through on the tea plantation had new cars, new three wheeler taxis, and ample commerce. Commerce was clearly visible and a stark contrast to very meager villages elsewhere.
* People, kids and adults both, are fascinated by mountain bikes with gears and suspension. Kids come give high 5's. Adults will ask questions as long as you are willing to answer them. Long distance cycling is still very novel. It's novel in the US but much more so in India.
* Some things are universal. Cycling is a conversation starter. It's a much closer connection to the land and people. Meals taste better after long days in the saddle. We bond over tough climbs and breathtaking descents. Cycling begets camaraderie everywhere.
* Communism - we cycled past several communist flags on flagpoles and painted on the roads. India truly is diverse
GPS Track for day 2: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/259406878
Great piece of Article Wes.
ReplyDelete"Cycling begets camaraderie everywhere." : Perfect !
Wes – finished going through your trip blog. As you articulated and experienced very well – land of contrast and contradictions, and may be somewhere extreme and beyond reasoning. More important, admire the efforts and time you have taken in this trip to understand and share your experience. Excellent work on blogs and good to see that you had fun. Look forward to catch up with you 1-0-1 sometime soon, and learn more from your experience.
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