Observances

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Truth be told I am not sure what to write to keep everybody up to date. We have been to too many places and seen too many things to remember not withstanding actually writing them in a blog.

We are in a nice hotel in Udaipur at the moment and will be braving the roads to Puskar in the morning. Probably about a 7 hour drive. For all those that don't know about the India road system let me expand. (Mum I think you to stop reading now.)

Rule one: Might is right, everybody makes way for trucks, bikes make way for cars, people make way for everybody. Donkeys, cows, camels, dogs, goats, sheep and pigs are pretty variable.

Rule 2: Use you horn for everything you do. Turn left, horn. Turn right, horn. Overtake horn. I right behind you, horn. It would be simply to have it attached to the gas pedal and then they wouldn't have to think about it any more.

Fact 1: Roads are 2 way not matter how many lanes or what speed you are going. The scariest thing is seeing an oncoming lorry overtake another one while you are overtaking a lorry overtaking a lorry on your side, and all of this with a road three lanes wide. I also use the term lane very losely as there are no lane markings.

Hopefully the oncoming lorry doesn't flash his lights at you. In India this means I am coming through and if you are still there when I get there it ain't my fault.

Fact 2: Some lorries seem to have car hubcaps hanging off the back. I am not sure what this means but I hope it is not car kill trophys.

Fact 3: Traffic moves relatively slowly, people cruise around on motorbikes in particular. No one screams off from the traffic lights and no one pops wheelies like they do in The Stow. I have to concede though that the reason they don't do these things is because there is usually 2 or more people on a bike. We regularly see a man, a woman and a couple of kids, or 3 adults, all without helmets. It is something Ken could maybe look into about clearing the traffic in London.

Well enough of that.

We haven't seen many Westerners yet, it is still early days in the Rajasthan tourist season. But we have met a few nice people. We are both looking forward to finishing our tour and getting on with seing India ourselves without the guide there. I still don't feel like a proper traveller.

I will say bye for now and leave you with a indian proverb.

For Indian driving, you need 3 things. Not licence, tax and insurance but A Good Horn, A Good Brake and Good Luck.

So far we have all three.

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Photos

Syed and Me
Syed was the driver responsible for our safety around Rajasthan. He did a good job as we survived.

Comments

[anonymous]

Keep up the mineral water
Keep drinking the mineral water folks...And what's the food like? Paul

[Chunka]

Food
I would have to say the northern Indian food as been ok. Some stuff is better back home whether that is due to what we are used to, or the general cheapness of food here which means they shortcut the spices sometimes. The samosas to say the least are better back home. But we have had some nice curries and maybe the south will wow us.