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Published: August 27th 2006
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2001………..6wks-2nd CYCLING TRIP-2,200kms IN SOUTHERN INDIA
31.10.01 Hyderabad
I got the overnight train at 1am direct to Hyderabad, 530km away (220rp/ $9.20)
I thought a couple of quotes from the railway station in Hospet were timely- given the terrorism and my slight apprehension of moving to a Muslim City. There have been violent demonstrations against the good ol’ USA in Hyderabad only recently.
-“The Allah of Islam is the same as the God of Christians and the Ishwar of Hindus”
-“Religion is one tree with many branches. As branches, you may say, Religion are many. But as tree, Religion is only one.”
-But then as I neared Hyderabad, I noticed some slogans an the walls by the tracks- one was “Killer Clinton go back”
Other snippets of wisdom I’ve come across are:
"Wealth is not for the unwary, compassion is not for the flesh eater"
"Of what avail is intelligence to a man if he does not feel as his very own the pain suffered by other beings"
I slept reasonably well under the circumstances, given that a quarter of my bed was taken up with my luggage chained together to assist it to be there in the
morning. On with the eye patches and ear plugs, ignore the other three people sleeping in close proximity to me and also the lack of mattress on the hips which don’t have a lot of fat on them now, and off to sleep. We arrived at 10.40am and so I had plenty of morning hours to watch India go by.
1.11.01-2.11.01 Hyderabad
Hyderabad, with 6 million people, is quite hectic on the road and very polluted. It’s almost impossible to cross the road at times or even to wheel Nandi past the other vehicles during traffic jams.
It is India’s 6th largest city and the capital of Andra Pradesh which is 95% Hindu. Hyderabad, as capital, is strangely 50% Muslim. I did have some apprehension in coming here given the terrorism and disruptive anti-American protests here. While there is some Muslim presence here it is not as fundamental or strongly apparent. The number of women covered up within the city is in a minority.
I did find my own preconceived ideas influenced my openness to people and I felt like that other Biblical Peter who denies three times that he knew Christ. There were several times I
said that I was from New Zealand. One time when going through a market, people were showing an interest in Nandi (my cycle) and I told one man I was from Australia. He stiltedly talked about bombs and pointed to a Muslim woman. I moved on.
3.11.01 Hyderabad/Singapore/Adelaide
I had to be at the airport 3 hours before and, what with the tightened security and having Nandi with me, it took almost that long to go through the process of getting on the plane. They really weren’t too sure about Nandi. Firstly they questioned me bringing him into the airport at all. The man at the entrance said “You’re not taking that in” and I said “Oh yes I am- it came with me on the plane and it’s going home with me on the plane”. Poor Nandi, as if I could desert him at this stage! At check-in they had to get higher authority for approval- a nice man who was happy to have a chat about my trip. He thought it was very much a good thing to see his country by cycle.
It’s time to come home. I'm feeling ready to enjoy some Adelaide
weather, sipping a beer on the back lawn, having a barby and going down to the beach. I feel I've seen a fair bit of Southern India and got some sort of feel for it on a fairly superficial level. It's a complex country. I'm sure it will call me back here again. I wonder if Nandi will come with me? We rode 2,085km this trip.
Well, I've:
-Had my forehead dotted and resisted the urge to roll around the temple to reach Nirvana
-Pissed in the streets with the best of them
-Learnt how to ride one handed with an umbrella
-Gone para-ballooning overlooking Hyderabad
-Watched the sunset from the Malabar Coast
-Avoided every possible accident thrown head on at me
-Avoided the bites and scratches of dogs and monkeys...well almost
-Avoided the terrors of daily terrorism on TV
-Didn't get 'Delhi Belly' in Goa, Karnataka, Andrha Pradesh, Kerala or Tamil Nadu
-Had butterflies brush my cheek
-Thrown Bunny leaves at Parvati during Dussehra
-Seen wild bats, snakes, elephants, langurs, bison, antelope, deer, monkeys, lizards and so many different types of birds
-Hung around in hammocks
-Promenaded in Palaces
etc etc
Thanks to those that persevered
with my travels. You all came part of it for me in some way. Thinking of you as I tapped away- leaving India for that time and thinking somewhere else. It always hit me when I would come out of the Internet ‘cafes’… ahhh…. INDIA……... It’s been fun.
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