Bihar, India
Left Jalpaiguri thinking we had a clever shortcut, skirting around the Bangladeshi border, but turned out to be false information. After two hours of beautiful scenery - and one tyre blow-out due to driving over two rusty nails (we performed an admirable 7-second pit stop in front of a staring village crowd) - we ended up back only a few kilometres from where we started! After running out of petrol for the first time (there is no fuel gauge) and as Nick attended to drying Julia's washing by waving bras and shorts out of Rangeela's open sides, we motored forth to the bandit state of Bihar, bracing ourselves for kidnappings and robberies, only to be greeted by some of the best roads so far and another stretch of awesome night driving, care of James and Julia. Got to Araria at 8pm (two hours after dark) and spent an hour trying to find a half-decent hotel. Tomorrow aiming to cover 300km, our most ambitious target so far...@
West Bengal, India
(Blog for 13/11). James' room was an insect paradise so he opted to move hotels. Nick & Julia stuck it out in a windowless sweat box and awoke several pounds lighter! Covered 244km today and Rangeela is behaving beautifully despite being dragged over roads assembling moonscape. Bridges were a key feature, with several beautiful tiny wooden ones and one enormous wooden one which eventually got the better of us. One crater proved to daunting for Rangeela and she ended up having to be carried over the pothole to a chorus of angry lorry horns as traffic in both directions was brought to a complete standstill. If only Julia's drawing of a ferry had been any better than a five year olds scribble poor Rangeela might not have had to cross any bridges at all!! Highlights of the day include scattering a troop of monkeys, walking with an elephant and seeking the best directions from a Saddhu. Nick said he reached an important milestone in his life when he admitted he didn't give a f*** what he looked like anymore. The day ended with an interview with a journalist from a local West Bengali rag. A great nights sleep anticipated in a fabulous air con hotel in the bustling town of Jaipalguri. Illicit room service beers now in preparation of driving through bandit country tomorrow...
