Tour d'Afrique Ltd.

Looking back at India

This year after our tour wrapped up, I took a ferry out to the monument of a Tamil poet that sits offshore and marks the end point of our cycling journey. From this spot I looked back on Kanyakumari... on India really. With a vague outline of a map of India in my mind, and the land in front of me, it was as if I was looking at all of India, stretching north away from me. It was impressive to think of the territory we had covered in two months. India was vast and wide when we began in Agra, and we have cycled plenty of it, to reach the tip where the two coasts meet, where the country narrows to the point of an arrowhead. It is from here that we all have a chance to stop, look back, and reflect on what we have accomplished.

It was no small feat to cover the distance between Agra and Kanyakumari by bicycle. Some days, when your legs feel strong, when you have had a solid sleep, it almost feels routine. A manageable daily activity pushing you further on your greater goal. There are other days of course. The days when the plan doesn’t come together as well. When the power at the hotel goes out, when the beer is warm, or when the pedals turn with the sluggishness of an elephant lumbering down the street. These days remind you that it’s not a packaged experience, and that you can’t make assumptions about what comes next and nor can you assume there will be western comforts at every turn. Instead it is an adventure. A test of strength and endurance – both physical and mental. An eye opening, jaw dropping, teeth-gritting, forehead wrinkling experience.

Congratulations to all the participants in the 2012 Indian Adventure. Thank you to all the staff (both in India and at our offices in Canada) for bringing it all together.

Posted March 15, 2012 by Shanny Hill

Life happens outside in India

In alot of the India, life happens outside. I come from a place (and a climate) where a great deal of our daily activities occur in classrooms, offices, and homes – not outside. Weather, and culture have made us value space, privacy, and indoor comforts.

As we ride out from our hotels here in India and into towns and villages, with temperatures pushing 40 degrees, people go about their daily activities not inside their homes, but in their gardens and on public streets. Many of the homes we see are functional and simply – a place to sleep and little more. I have always had to fight my misconception that a small and simply house means one is poor or in unfortunate circumstances. This is often not true. And cycling through villages and towns has helped me resolve this in my mind.

Cycling each day through people’s lives seems like the equivalent of cycling through our houses in our indoor world - as if we have come in unannounced through the front door, to carry on straight through exiting from the backdoor. Along the way as we intrude on people’s lives, we pass by their kitchen, as we see many people cooking on open fires, or with simple gas stoves set on the ground, with aromatic spices wafting out. We continue passed bedrooms, as people lay about on a mat in the street or on simple beds; stretching as they rise to start the day. We pass toilets as squatted children line the roadside, not even noticing us or the traffic streaming by. Past bathrooms as a man vigorously scrubs his white soap-foamed head, and as a lady brushes her teeth nearby. We pass through living rooms with people lounging on the ground, on the curb, on a chair outside a shop, or on the stoop in front of their homes.

Many of these activities, for us, must happen within our homes, behind closed doors. What we see from the seat of our bikes, is not the full scene and surely many other ways of going about your day exist in India, but it’s an interesting glimpse ‘inside’ of the outside lives we see.

Today, we sit within striking distance of Fort Cochin. After Hampi we turned south and it is on that path we have continued – with our sights squarely set on Kanyakumari. We spent a wonderful rest day in Mysore – some riders visiting the Palace, others shopping for silk sarees and fabric in the varied and colourful downtown market area. Some relaxed, some strolled the strangely organized city with its heavy, but smooth flow of traffic. We continued then along a brand new route with a half day ride plus a bus transfer/safari (thru a wildlife area) to Erode, where we had arguably our best meal of the trip – nothing different, the same dishes we have seen all across our tour – just prepared with care and damn tastey. We rode a smooth and flat route to Udumalpet to our last basic accommodation on the tour. And on further to Munnar thru the stunning tea plantations that coat the hillsides in a thick two-toned layer of green.

We are happy to have found a great new route into Cochin that eluded us last time (we transferred the group in thru the busy streets by bus last year). Our hotel tonight is a mere 45 km from Fort Cochin and situated at Cochin International Airport – no one is eyeing the departures area – we are all focussed on the final 5 days we have in front of us to complete our journey.

Posted March 07, 2012 by Shanny Hill

Time is ticking in India too!

Have you ever cycled home late at night under a street lamp? As Ciaran so correctly observed in his post this week from Africa, time begins to pass quickly when you are not letting it govern your daily life. As a result, time on these tours has a way of creeping up on you as you approach the midway point of the journey – like the long shadow of you and your bicycle approaching you from behind. You feel you have all the time in the world as you looked back over your shoulder, over the weeks of the tour you have ridden, until you are directly under the street lamp. The light suddenly pushes the shadow out in front of you – you watch it racing away at ever greater speeds. You try to remain blissfully unaware near the middle – under the streetlamp - hoping the journey never ends, as the shadow continues to stretch ahead of you and fade out.

With only 5 riding days remaining here in India, we are now well past the midpoint of our journey, and if we could provide any advice to Ciaran and the riders on the Tour d’Afrique – soon to cycle under that same streetlamp - it would be try and resist the urge to think about the finish. Don’t watch that shadow race ahead of you. Live day to day and enjoy the good and the bad as you had since the start. It will probably be the first and last time that you will have visited places like Jaipur, Addis Ababa, Ilkal, Marsabit, Ganapatiphule, or Sesriem – so enjoy these places while you can.

Posted March 06, 2012 by Shanny Hill

What a week!

What a week!

Departing by ferry from downtown Mumbai and arriving on the Konkan Coast an hour later was like arriving to a new tour in a new country. The slow coastal pace of life, and smiling faces. The smells of the sea, the new foods available, the palm trees and so much more, made it seem a sharp and welcome next phase of this journey.

From the deserts of Rajasthan, and then smooth tarmac with some tough climbs and dry lips in Gujarat, we arrived in Mumbai for two days break. Temperatures had continued to remain moderate through the first half of our trip and even the 2 rest days in Mumbai. But the humidity and heat started as the rubber met the coast. Riders quickly realized that the coastal roads are hilly and at times rough. The rough patches seeming to arrive just as you begin a climb. Much of the day you are navigating your way up and over short but sharp climbs, then back down to bridges – sometimes ferries – that take you across lagoons and rivers that head in land. Endlessly climbing back up and down – so the tired legs appreciated some very comfortable accommodations this week along the way. We spent the first 4 nights right on the water with some extraordinary pristine beach access. Many people travel to Goa for the beaches, but few have been to Devgarh where we stayed out 4th night. A short walk down the hillside behind our hotel takes you to a little used pristine beach – just for us. The citizens of Devgarh seem to use it very little, and especially when we were there as everyone was focussed on the regional elections taking place. And from the roof of our hotel, you can see the waves breaking, and spilling onto the beach, and the cliffs to the right that give it a secluded feel. And as you sleep the sound of the waves is rhythmic and relaxing.

beach behind hotel in Devgarh

Then we headed for Kudal and said goodbye to the coast. We will be inland for just over two weeks as we head to explore the amazing sites of Karnataka state – the most well known, deservedly so might just be Hampi Ruins, the UNESCO World Heritage site. But to get there our last day of riding into Belgaum meant climbing up the Deccan Plateau – which we will be on for sometime. From about the 35 km mark until 55 km was a constant, but steady climb up through the trees which created an excellent shield from the intense sun. Some riders found it tough, not only because of the climb, but more so from the general fatigue of a challenge and rewarding week along the coast. The rest day was well deserved in Belgaum today.

last view of the coast

For a preview of the week to come, please read my scouting report that I posted in January shortly I had driven this new section of our tour – the riders should have a great week!

Posted February 23, 2012 by Shanny Hill

Fast Friends in the First Half

It all began on a cold foggy morning in Agra – but the smiling faces could be seen through even through the thickest fog. The Taj Mahal, on the other hand, stayed hidden from view of our ‘start line’ group photo. We held up our entry tickets that had a picture of the Taj on it and then set out into the morning traffic that was building in Agra.

And we continued to cycle – into Rajasthan and the wild city of Jaipur, and onto Jodhpur, and Udaipur through small villages on bumpy narrow paved roads, we got to see the side of Rajasthan that the tour buses don’t get to see. We stayed in palaces, forts, hotels, and guesthouses, and were surprised sometimes by the grandeur of these places, and other times by their oddity – Hotel Fly View will not be missed by many.

We headed further south and into Gujarat – a dry state officially, and a state much more prosperous than Rajasthan – its roads, dams, and bridges are an example of that – and so the search for safe roads meant a little more zig zagging. As far as we can tell, the Indian Adventure is the only organized cycling tour that passes through Gujarat, and certain others states of India, so riders have the great benefit of experiencing the unique qualities of the people of Gujarat that not many cyclists or any tourists have the pleasure of experiencing.

Our last full day in Gujarat was also our biggest climbing day so far. We climbed nearly 1700m to Saputera Hill Station. The next day we cruised to Nashik, in Maharashtra, stopping along the way to have lunch and a wine tasting at a winery – Nashik is an up and coming wine region in India.

Then we followed the route used by the Tour de India (a UCI road race) to Vikramgarh through stunning scenery and ending at the Hideout – well named as this unique spot is tucked away on a gravel road on the outskirts of a small village. Hemant and Sangeeta treated us very well – cooking us healthy meals, with salads made with fresh roquette picked from the organic garden they keep. And then we were transported into Mumbai for two full days rest to explore and recoup.

We made friends. Fast friends. Even before we had pedalled our first kilometre we had shared many stories and got to know each other and some of our motivations. Many riders of past tours have commented that, though the cycling was memorable, it was the friends made that made the trip. Today we will meet new friends as we are joined by new riders who will come with us to Kanyakumari. The fog broke long ago and the smiles remain as we get ready for the second half.

Posted February 17, 2012 by Shanny Hill

Bicycle Donation at the Hideout

A total of 45 bicycles were donated through various donors – including the 20 bicycles from the Tour d’Afrique Foundation and the Indian Adventure riders. It was organized by Hemant Chhabra who runs the Hideout – where we spent our final night on the road before Mumbai.

Hemant first set up the 5 acre Hideout – a farm / guesthouse / cottage / conference centre / eco centre 24 years ago – buying land that had been all but cleared of the teak trees that once filled the area. He set about slowly learning how to regenerate the area, eventually landing on a philosophy of planting fruit trees and letting nature take care of the rest – allowing the birds to do the seeding to grow the forest further, and to only plant minimal amounts of teak and let the birds do the rest. The result is a vibrant mish mash of things - 23 species of banana plants, star fruit, curry leaf, palm trees, beetle nut tree, teak, coconut, pineapple, lime, lemon, and so on.

Through the Hideout he began working with the local villages and trying to learn from them, while also addressing some of their needs. In recent years, along with a journalist from Mumbai named Simona Terron, he started the Bicycle Project. They collect unused, and disguarded bicycles from people in Mumbai and distribute them to school children in and around Vikramgarh.

The children can only keep the bikes as long as there grades are kept up, and the bikes are kept at the schools in the off season, and passed on to other kids over the years. Amazingly Hemant says there has been a 25% increase in school attendance since he began the Bicycle Project – so it is working. Children can get to school with ease, and can ride a bike, and play like children should. Since the project began they have distributed approximately 700 bicycles.

Several of the children came to the Hideout to pick up their bikes – these bikes were newly purchased ones, so they were given to the students who had excelled in certain subjects. We then went to their school where a general assembly was held in the school yard, under the shade of the trees.

A few speeches, and some bicycle tricks by Vinay, and we set out, happy to know that the Tour d’Afrique Foundation may help a child get to school, get an education, and go on to be prosperous as an adult.

Posted February 13, 2012 by Shanny Hill

From Narmada

Today at dinner we had a speaker from the regional tourist authority tell us all about the dam. The Narmada river dam. He rattled off some impressive sounding numbers that I don’t specifically recall (I didn’t have a pen on me). It contains such and such cubic meters of water spanning such and such metres and is the world’s 2nd biggest dam – based either on its width or amount of cement used – I couldn’t figure that one out.

From what I am told it’s quite a regional tourist attraction. Built in the 60s, it’s something Indians seem proud of (well except the many villages displaced by the flooded land it created). And if today was any gauge, it sure is a hotspot – shortly after our arrival. four bus loads of school aged girls showed up – over 200 strong on a school day trip from Vadodara (aka Baroda). They are here to see the dam of course. Dams don’t rank high on the lists of must see places for foreign travellers, but i can see that for school children it is educational (I hope they brought their pens), and interesting.

My school trips consisted of a once a year bus trip to Crystal Beach where we got to swim next to the sewage treatment plant – which never seemed to do its job as you would occasionally see squares of toilet paper and other unidentified floating objects bob past as you splashed about.

But that’s a little off topic...

Now having completed 15 of 44 stages of the tour, the riders are feeling strong, and are into a solid routine. Tomorrow we edge ever closer to Mumbai and the state of Maharashtra with a tough hilly ride to Songadh and then a good climbing day to the Hill Station at Satupera – sure to counter today’s rather routine ride. This is our last week of riding with Lise-Lotte and Henrik, as they will return to Denmark from Mumbai. They will be missed, but they will be replaced by two brave new recruits as we begin our 2nd half of the tour. We look forward to meeting David and John soon, but until then we will enjoy the last few days with Lise-Lotte and Henrik.

Posted February 07, 2012 by Shanny Hill

In Udaipur

Our first night out of Jodhpur was at Fort Dhamli, a quaint little property of 10 rooms set in the small village of Dhamli. It’s run by Inder – a well spoken guy with an engaging smile who pulled out all the stops for our group. Fort Dhamli, and the village Dhamli don’t appear on our GPS or our maps. It’s off the main road, and it’s a gem that many a traveler likely miss out on. The rooms all face into the courtyard which is just large enough for some mandarin orange trees, a few benches and his dog (didn’t catch it’s name). The stairs take you up to the 2nd floor which is open to the sky. Each room is clean, and their is hot water once the wood fired boiler heats up. The food was as unique as the fort. We had wild bore grilled of a fire, potatoes, rice, cauliflower, and coconut coated sugary goodness with tea and coffee for desert followed by a night cap of rum that Inder cheerfully poured generous portions of.

On from Dhamli saw us conquer the first significant climb of the tour so far. We have been travelling through the desert in Rajasthan for most of our time, and yesterday we climbed up towards Kumbholgarh Fort – an impressive fort set high above the desert, and some of the only elevation in the area. We climbed just under a 1000 m on the day. The scenery was a fantastic change from the landscape of the previous week. On tough climbing, we saw monkeys darting across branches, streams flowing downhill against us, and turning each corner revealed more impressive scenery.

And just as the temperatures have started to climb the past several days, it began to cool off with every metre higher we ascended. So perhaps one of our last crisp morning rides was had the next day as we peddled downward towards Udaipur – past quiet and humble village homes with stone walls that follow alongside us the whole way. They are like how I recall from the Cotswolds in Britain – neatly piled rocks planted firmly in place without mortar – just stacked in a way that they support each other. The roads through much of the ride were smooth for a change, and so it added to the enjoyment of the village life in the hills.

Posted February 01, 2012 by Shanny Hill

Adventures in the Mundane

I spent some time this morning having a handle installed on our whiteboard – I cart this board here and there everyday, writing out the days directions for our group, and the handle will make that just a little easier. That’s a hell of a boring thing in normal circumstances, but on the road... on the Indian Adventure even the mundane becomes an adventure, or at least a chance to appreciate how things get done in India.

In fact, I would argue, that all our daily activities, both important and routine, are more rewarding when accomplished in this foreign place, and through methods that are unfamiliar to us. Riders are asking directions to places they have never been to people they have never known before, and don’t share a common language with. Riders order a soft drink or chai in a village that might have never before been visited by a travelling cyclists (well except maybe last year).

There was nothing special about the installation of my whiteboard handle – I would like to tell you that the drill used short-circuited and caught fire, or that a goat chewed through the electric cord, or that there was some spectacular motorcycle accident behind me as handle met whiteboard. No.. nothing of the sort.

I brought the board to the shop, a cluttered and convenient place, piled to the ceiling with things – lengths of hose, chicken wire, sheet metal, screws, axe handles, axe heads, door handles. I explained what I needed, pointing to one of the handles attached to a display. I showed him on the board where I needed them installed, and with a punch he set a guide hole for the screws, and as I held the handle in place one of the shop staff used a screw driver, not a drill, to secure the handles in place. Yes, yes not much to say, but I guess that was the point, I needed something done, and it got done – for the equivalent of a dollar. It was cheaper, and faster, than I could have had it done back home.

Our interactions and observations are not always over the top, and wild. Often times it works, handles get installed, people go about their daily lives in unfamiliar ways, and sometimes we sit, and watch the screws go in and see it working. The adventure, for me, is both – it’s the moments that make you shake your head and laugh, and these moments where you learn a little while watching, listening, and taking the time.

Posted January 28, 2012 by Shanny Hill

Progress Report from India

We are having a very relaxed day today. Those are nice for a change.

home for the night

We are in Pushkar after a short 60 km ride from Roopangarh Fort where we spent last night. As a break from our normal buffet dinners – though they have been great thus far – we are all heading into town tonight to Baba’s Rooftop Restaurant – no, not Baba our local translator. It has a nice view of the lake, and the many bathing ghats along its edges.

Pushkar is another of India’s many tourist hubs. We are fortunate to get to experience these places while also going well off the tourist trail on most days. It is nice though to have a day to see the sights, be a tourist and to take it all in – scams and touts aside. Pushkar – the story goes – was created when Lord Brahma dropped a lotus flower from his hand. Three lakes were formed in the middle of the desert where the pedals landed. It has become one of India’s most sacred places, and is also known for its camel fair – apparently the largest in the world. (credit Rough Guide to Rajasthan Delhi & Agra)

The adventure continues with a tough day tomorrow and then a cruise into Jodhpur – the Blue City.

Posted January 24, 2012 by Shanny Hill

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Looking back at India

Life happens outside in India

Time is ticking in India too!

What a week!

Fast Friends in the First Half

Bicycle Donation at the Hideout

From Narmada

In Udaipur

Adventures in the Mundane

Progress Report from India

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