Month: October 2016

What a long day. Its 21:30 and I’m typing this on the coach as we still have over an hour until we get to our hotel. We were due to get there before dinner and have a walk around town but we’re really late. We did a detour to drop off the bags for El Shaddai and I think possibly we got lost; I’m sure I saw the same place at least 3 times!

It really is just like on the movies. The roads in town are crazy. Hooting is incessant. There really are no rules… at least none that I can fathom! Road direction just seems to be a suggestion. Cows, dogs and people are all over the roads and I never realised you can fit an entire family on a moped.

We were supposed to be at the hotel for dinner but instead we stopped off to eat en route. We had a madras dopas which was like a crispy pancake made from rice/lentils with a couple sauces, and a potato filling. Very yummy and only cost one pound.

Back on the road now and we are continuing our drive through to Mysore. Its been dark for a couple hours already, so we can see all the lights. Buildings are literally covered with strings of lights.

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Phone battery died last night, but I’m charged up now and able to post this. Apparently our itinerary for some days has changed – so some of my morning posts may need to be updated by the time I get home in the evening! Chris has the basic itinerary at home so he will update that each day and I’ll add in anything else along with photos where I’m able to.

This morning we take to the saddle. It’ll be the first time in about a week for me. We’ll be cycling out of Mysore and riding on to the island of Srirangapatna, just to the north-east of the city.

Lying in the Cauvery River, Srirangapatna has long been a Hindu site of pilgrimage, but it is more famous for its connections with Tipu Sultan, the ‘Tiger of Mysore’. A thorn in the side of the British, Tipu posed a real threat to Britain’s imperial expansion in 18th century India. Allying himself to the French, his 17 year reign was
finally ended in 1799, when he was killed during the bloody battle of Seringapatam.

Our visit to his stronghold includes a chance to explore the old Summer Palace and Tipu’s mausoleum before driving back to Mysore. This afternoon we then head out into the surrounding Chamundi Hills, home to the towering Sri Chamundeswari Temple and the five metre high representation of Shiva’s sacred bull, Nandi, one of the largest in the country.

Our total cycling distance today is approximately 48 kilometres

Thankfully EasyJet don’t do long-haul flights… so we got food! There were no Michelin stars in sight, but I was hungry and so this was a very welcome sight.

After a brief stop-over at Muscat we then were back on to the plane destined for Bangalore.

We meet up with the rest of the RideIndia2016 team in Bangalore today then board a coach to drive south-west, heading towards the city that once stood at the heart of the regal state of Mysore. Famed for its silk and sandalwood and home to the magnificent Maharaja’s Palace, Mysore today is one of India’s most popular tourist destinations.

On arrival we should have some time to take a look around the palace and the nearby Devaraja Market. Designed by Henry Irwin and completed in 1912, the palace is one of the largest in India and was built for the 24th Wadiyar raja on the site of the original wooden structure that was destroyed by fire in 1897. A rich fusion of Hindu and British architecture, the palace is a fascinating mix of the elegant and the gaudy, with mirrored halls, beautifully carved doors and mosaic floors sharing space with vividly painted pillars and wonderfully ornate furnishings.

No cycling today, but we’ll be getting our bikes set-up, fitting the saddles and pedals that we’ve been training with, so that we’re ready for the off tomorrow.

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Just to remind you – somewhere on this page is a place you can sign up to get updates by email – I’ll try to keep you posted each day and include a few photos whenever I can.

The moment arrived…

After a rather emotional school run this morning, having to say “goodbye” to the boys at the school gate, it was time to rush back and give Chris his final instructions on how to run the home in my absence!

By 11:00 we were ready and pacing about the house with nervous anticipation. Finally the clock clicked round to 11:20 so we set off for Benenden. At 11:45 this morning I boarded the coach at Benenden School with Nich, Di and Ed, and we headed off on our adventure.

We’re currently at Heathrow Airport and we’ll soon be catching our flight to Muscat, Oman, where we’ll stopping off for a couple of hours before catching the onward flight to Bangalore.

As they say, “Onwards and upwards!” See you on the other side, WiFi permitting.

It’s not long now….

P.s. Don’t forget – somewhere on this page is a place you can sign up to get updates by email – I’ll try to keep you posted and include a few photos whenever I can.

Oh gosh… the time is almost upon us, in a couple of days the RideIndia2016 team take to the skies… and then a couple of days later, in much warmer temperatures than we’re experiencing here in the UK, we start the really hard work of cycling back-to-back days for almost two weeks… Gulp!

A couple of days ago I received this card in the post from the El Shaddai UK office to wish me well as we embark upon our Indian adventure.

The inscription came with an amusing caution;

“Take care – remember there are no rules of the road – except don’t hit a cow!“

Thank you to everyone that has sponsored me thus far. I’ve already reached my initial target of £1000, and that’s not including some of the cash I’ve yet to collect from people that have promised to donate off-line. If you’ve not done so yet, or even if you want to again, you can make your donation to El Shaddai and Bereaved Parent Support at uk.virginmoneygiving.com/CandyG. Remember, if you are a UK taxpayer, you can gift-aid it too.