Tuesday Morning, June 11th
After having a buffet breakfast at the Hotel restaurant, we all brought our luggage down the the lobby and our bags were loaded in the back of the truck, a Mahindra Bolero Camper. I'll write more about the truck later.
At 9:30 the temperatures were already around 90°F and I was in my full protective motorcycle suit of pants, jacket, gloves and helmet. Toasty! Damon let me get on the Himalayan and drive down to the end of the parking lot and back. This was my first and only experience on this unfamiliar machine and upright position. This before departing with our seven person group.
Damon took the lead and we were off and blended from the parking lot into the urban traffic.!
All I can say was that over the next couple hours I went thru an intense period of adjustment. I was quickly near the back of our group with Paul as we moved slowly and deliberately thru the congested streets of Chandigarh.
Keep in mind, that the traffic is very tight and people are constantly merging and departing from the main groups of cars, trucks, tuk-tuk's, motorcycles, buses, bicycles and pedestrians. We dealt both with stop lights as well as traffic circles.. As any former British colony, the traffic in India proceeds on the LEFT rather than the RIGHT side of the road. Motorcycles usually are weaving between the other vehicles and our group was no exception. When traffic stopped, we often were making our way forward between other stationary vehicle.
My main strategy as I was accumulating experience was to stay close to my fellow motorcyclist in front of me, study my rearview mirror, and be aware of what was happening all around (situational awareness). Although I was not familiar with traveling on a motorcycle in urban environments, I have traveled with a loaded touring bicycle in Ireland, India and England (including downtown London!) so I was not too flustered. Just going with the flow! No time to reflect. Just be aware and move smoothly and deliberately. Other drivers cut across traffic flows. Nothing to be done about these but to accommodate. Just make no sudden moves whilst avoiding collisions. No time for anger. Just let the flow happen and stay out of trouble. A crazy organic dance floor.
This Video is fairly representative of what Indian Urban Traffic can be like.
Another representative video is HERE.
I honestly don't recall much from the first two hours other than various snatches. My main goal was to just stay out of trouble. Gradually, over the next 90 minutes, we gradually worked our way out of the stop-and-go and broke out into two and four lane roads where the traffic moved at around 25-40 mph. This was still heavy traffic but it was flowing. I was so unused to motorcycling in heavy traffic! So even when things were moving more freely I continued to stay focused on the road and traffic, even while moving. Also, I was adjusting to constant curving roads, something I'm not much exposed to back home. Boy, was I out of my depth! Nevertheless, I was coping and accumulating lots of experience within a compressed period of time! While navigating all the curves and switchbacks, we were climbing up and up.
Along the way we made several stops for food and then a mid-day meal. I can't remember much except that I was quite thirsty much of the day and that we were breathing exhaust fumes. Also, my water bladder didn't work as I had hoped. The water tube could not easily make the turn within my helmet and so I could only draw water when we were stopped (seldom) and I could fish the tube into my mouth. For much of the day I was experiencing 'Cotton Mouth' and I definitely was dehydrating in the heat.
After gaining over 6000 feet of altitude gain, we made it to our first hotel in Shimla at 8000' and I recall trudging to my room, stripping off my motorcycle gear, taking a shower and then laying down and dozing off. My roommate was Charlie we talked about the crazy day. One other thing I noted was that with the altitude gain, the heat of the plains was less.
Shimla was a former British "Hill Station" where the British administrators and their family's would travel to during the hot months in India. Many British succumbed to the temperatures in the 18th and 19th century from the heat. The churchyards were filled with the British who died because they could not adjust to the heat. The phrase "Mad Dogs and Englishmen Go Out in the Mid-day Sun" was a phrase credited to Rudyard Kipling. Noel Coward came up with a song build around the phrase:
When all the citizens retire to tear their clothes off and perspire.
It's one of the rules that the greatest fools obey,
Because the sun is much too sultry
And one must avoid its ultry-violet ray.
The natives grieve when the white men leave their huts,
Because they're obviously, definitely nuts!
Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun,
The Japanese don´t care to, the Chinese wouldn´t dare to,
Hindus and Argentines sleep firmly from twelve to one
But Englishmen detest-a siesta.
In the Philippines they have lovely screens to protect you from the glare.
In the Malay States, there are hats like plates which the Britishers won't wear.
At twelve noon the natives swoon and no further work is done,
It's such a surprise for the Eastern eyes to see,
that though the English are effete, they're quite impervious to heat,
When the white man rides every native hides in glee,
Because the simple creatures hope he will impale his solar topee on a tree.
It seems such a shame when the English claim the earth,
They give rise to such hilarity and mirth.
Ha ha ha ha hoo hoo hoo hoo hee hee hee hee ......
Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.
The toughest Burmese bandit can never understand it.
In Rangoon the heat of noon is just what the natives shun,
They put their Scotch or Rye down, and lie down.
In a jungle town where the sun beats down to the rage of man and beast
The English garb of the English sahib merely gets a bit more creased.
In Bangkok at twelve o'clock they foam at the mouth and run,
But mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.
The smallest Malay rabbit deplores this foolish habit.
In Hong Kong they strike a gong and fire off a noonday gun,
To reprimand each inmate who's in late.
In the mangrove swamps where the python romps
there is peace from twelve till two.
Even caribous lie around and snooze, for there's nothing else to do.
In Bengal to move at all is seldom ever done,
But mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun."
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| Chandigarh to Shimla Day 1 |
Point-by-Point Google Map is Here.
Suffice it to say, I was totally exhausted by the heat, changes in altitude and the stress of dealing with it all. Although my sleep was very unsettled (still dealing with jet lag), I pretty much collapsed into bed that night. Ach!
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