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When we passed the border to India, the current leaders of Sikh religion were accidentally also carried over the border. And with them SOME followers. 0,4 % of the Indian are Sikh. At 1,3 billion we had to struggle hard to push our tandem bikes through the MASSES...
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In Amritsar we visit the Golden Temple, which actually is the Mecca of the Sikh-Followers worldwide. We meet Canadian as well as majorily Indian Sikhs we tell us of this very young (350 years) and open-minded religion (pls. imagine a Christian in Mecca!) which accommodates any person up to three nights for absolutely free in its Gurdwaras usually attached to the temples.
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On Indian house tops you find a lot of life.
Water tanks are available ordinary or in shape of what you dedicate your life to. Pigeons (rearing), Footballs, vases.
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Indian Breakfast:
Freshly made chapattis with a kraut filling and of course loads of spices.
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Having fun with the Buff
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"Monkey, Monkey!" These monkey are holy in India and get banana or nuts from the people passing by.
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Aha. Please pay attention in Indian traffic.
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Having arrived Ludhiana we visited a CBM sponsored Hospital with eye department.
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For us more important the Ludhiana school for the blind where we try the first time to find some local blind people.
let's see!
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The so called "Vocational Rehabilitation Centre for the blind" indeed is a good so good place for all disabled children. Mrs. Johnson and her just departed husband have created this little paradise with the help of CBM a lot. After his death this year she manages a lot more and still can't say no to any child that the doctors have sent to her. A good place.
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Puneet is 15 and one of the two guys. His parents come to say good bye. They knew since half a year that her son would go with us. A friend of him, Gorov, joined us just 5 minutes before leaving – this is what I call “really spontaneous” (-;
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The boys have never ever sat on a saddle before in their life. Unbelievable but true.
We stay in schools for the blind and Gurdwaras for the night.
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In one Gurdwara a crowd standing around our tents awaked us.
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Good Sikhs don't cut their hair. The youths roll it into this kind of turban and as an adult they need a turban to hide their longer hair of God - as a sign of respect.
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Praying in the Gurdwara. Who's ought to do it, does, the touristy rest just watches...
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After 5 days and 235 km we arrive Delhi with Puneet (right) and Gorov. We stay one night at just another CBM project and the next day we put them into the train back to Ludhiana as they are clever enough to travel on their own. We really enjoyed the time with those two guys and I wish we meet more English speaking blind people. Thank you two!
Thanks a lot also to Susanne who has to leave the BlindCycle Tour right now. Peter Dengler from Germany already arrived to steer the 2. tandem bike, and after we left Delhi on December 13th 2005 Susanne will fly home to Germany to start her first job as trainee for a Swedish fashion company where she will bring in her theatre-educational diploma that she has just finished before leaving.
It was a good time with her and I am thankful that she joined me so long! Thank you!
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Now Susanne gives her part to Peter Dengler, who has just arrived from Germany. We start with Soubodh, a 35 aged farmer and a project's staff as escort: Ramishwar.
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After Soubodh and Ramishwar were pedalling so strong we arrived or destiny within one day and I got back to Delhi by Bus in order to get our two Panjab boys Satnam (12, partly sighted) and Shree (blind, his braille teacher) from Patiala, where we slept one night on our way to Delhi. Why we couldn't get some blind people for our way to Kanpur from Delhi is hard to explain and up to some local complications...
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The first day Satnam was pedalling well, since the second only when he felt like...not the worst solution facing that 12 years is just not enough for such a journey.
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A rural school. You see the director standing on the stairs drilling the kids. He and his brothers are ruling the only school in this area, also making the prices for the 1500 children (125 residential children paying 360 Dollar a year).
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We see a lot of really nice birds in India!
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Lousy monkey business
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One of the very few Gurdwaras left outside Panjab.
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Kanpur, a 2,5 million inhabitant city from upstairs. Our entry into this city was pure horror. In Europe you'd call their way of driving crazy and aggressive. Here it's supposed to be normal and you have to accept this continuous horning. Though 24 h ear-plugs - I can't tolerate and I am on the edge in the moment…
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Manish and Naba, both 21 and from Delhi are our new two co-pilots. Manish just finished his school and Naba is Assistant to the director of the “National Association for the Blind Delhi”, whose director understood what this tour is about and luckily send us these two boys. And you see Peter, the guy who had most expenses and troubles to join the BlindCycle Tour in order to gain the hardest but hardest part. I Am lucky that CBM has found him because he pedals strongly and has nerves of steel - he's a 52 year old civil servant in my home and CBM-town Bensheim…
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Our sunny Manish in front of a rather unhygienic Dhaba, means "Indian Snack bar" - but no drama, we just clean the plates, the rest is cooked
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"Sir" Peter and Manish on the recumbent Pino.
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In Vanarasi we bring our boys to the station and try to organise a new duo but fail. Partially because a NGO based in Kolkata promises to send us two boys per train to another city and we bring them back home.
So there's time to see the Ganges River...
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The Ganges is absolutely polluted and Bush could easily take its water as chemical weapon (Peter's suggestion), one reason: for the Hindu population it is holy and they like to be buried in it. Burned, if possible. If not affordable (cremation with wood costs 100 Euro onwards, see picture) rests of corps might increase Ganges' bacterial household.
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Well, a real Indian's immune system is already steeled enough to resist teeth-brushing and gargling in that toxic water...amazing!
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Ganges seen from above.
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One of the many bicycle maintainers in his tiny shop feeding a whole family
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Without Buff and Earplugs I wouldn't survive India!
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March for awareness of any current disease...
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Hard work also for women. Often you see children working, too.
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Our last duo brings some problems: hardly briefed they entered the train bringing an appendix and tailbone problem with them - none of them really knew that it's about cycling though I well informed the NGO and even one of the guys the day before per phone. Next day they entered the train again. Well I think with our six Indian blind or impaired persons so far we had rather good luck, that everything worked so fine...
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Now some impressions of Kolkata (15 million people) are following.
A lot of traffic of course, bad air, but nothing unexpected. Kanpur was worse - here at least you can't stuck with your shoe or tire in any deep hole in the street (-;
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For 0,14 Euro you get a lot of fresh coconut juice!
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By habit we still sleep in the VauDe tent although there are hardly any mosquitoes. They say the city is too polluted..
Sunday Peter flies home - Thanks for joining the BlindCycle Tour from Delhi to Kolkata, thanks for pedalling and also for giving the half of the expenses for our blind passengers from your own pocket, the "Sir Peter Sponsoring"!
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