After visiting my cousin during Saddle Life Kenya this year we are planning to do a little travelling next year to India. This has been a long time coming but each year has been postponed by one of us for one reason or another. The idea to go was Hannah’s initially. I was asked to go with her to give our family some reassurance that she would be travelling in a strange and foreign land with a strong male protector by her side. Little do they realise that out of the two of us it’s probably me that needs more protecting and looking after. Either way, the pair of us are a liability at the best of times so I’m excited to see what debauchery we will get up to.
drink lots and eat even more!
Other than the fact the dates we have chosen fall around Holi, the Hindu spring festival of colour, I literally have no idea what the plan is. All I know is I have return flights to Delhi booked between which we have two weeks to see some attractions, be merry, drink lots and eat even more!
However, this won’t be a cycling trip. When suggested we travel by bike to Hannah I was laughed at. “Definitely not!” came the response. Camping is fine, but she doesn’t like the thought of cycling long distances with the weight of everything you need on the back. But variety is the spice of life! It’s good to do different things and I’m more excited to spend two weeks with Hannah than anything else. I will no doubt assess the landscape, culture and conditions for a future cycling trips.
The only other inspiration I have for this upcoming trip was a recommendation to read a book called Shataram by Gregory David Reoberts. My friend said it’s a true story based in India. It is beautifully descriptive about all of the divers sights, sounds and smells I can expect. In the very late early hours of the morning after a heavy night of drinking, I drunkenly agreed. Bearing in mind I am not a strong reader and generally don’t do so at all, I was shocked to find that it was almost two inches thick when she gave it to me! I have now made it my mission to complete this book before my trip. While this is frustrating, I know it is always a good idea to read so at least now I have some motivation to do so. The fact that it is about a prison escapee who finds himself once again within criminal circles in India should be taken as a story and not some sort of guide book!
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