DAY TWENTY FOUR… 49.52 miles (79.7 km)
A bad start! 6am chai comes at 6.30am delaying us horribly. Then, after only 100 meters the entire navigational equipment drops off Tim’s bike. Tim blames the jolting of the bikes on the bus roof a few days ago. I’m not too upset as we are headed for tiger territory and, not only that, leopard and sloth bear, the holy trinity of dangerous animals!! Tim tells me they won’t come anywhere near the road, but I’ve heard that one before!!!
However, having descended several hundred metres on a wonderful downhill stretch (but freezing) to the jungle road, we are prevented from going down it by the jungle guards. They are adamant, there is absolutely no wriggle room, so we are forced to take the longer, less scenic route, on a “better road”.
I have to question the better road bit. The “road” was a series of huge potholes, enough to swallow an entire bicycle. In places it was just gravel and sand, absolutely treacherous for a steep descent, when that finally came after miles and miles of unnecessary uphill.
We are in Chhattisgarh now, one of the States we were told had law and order problems. What I’ve seen so far is a very rural place, where traditional farming is much in evidence, oxen used to plough. No one has been unfriendly; they have just not been friendly. If I smile, they just stare back at me, which is a bit unnerving. I’ve decided to stop smiling.
People are preoccupied by harvesting their grain. I feel no danger from them. Their lives seem very simple and rural. The call for “selfies” is much reduced, though does still occur often in the most trying of circumstances.
Another “bicycle transport” in an auto rickshaw at 50 miles. We’d both had more than enough. Arrived at Honey Bee Resort. A very surreal place. The owner was very keen to show off the facilities such as comb and soap. Unfortunately, there was no water to go with the soap. But there were an extraordinary number of swimming pools. Many empty. Is this where the water is going? Evening meal and breakfast is included in the exorbitant price for such a simple and basic room (£30.00). Who knows what we will get? Tim is being hassled by the owner of the hotel who he feels is very weird.
