An Array of Shaws!
Great detail
Love this name!
Och ay the noo, Jimmay!
Marvellous shot that! Takes the total to 2 for 2-2-2. Two young docs from Sydney are in command of this one - honouring Richie Benaud, who died of melanoma, and raising $$ for the Cancer Council
The Beastie in all its splendour!
The beastie in all its splendour!
Thanks heaps to the Morgans Foundation and Ian Watson’s Driver Training Centre for your marvellous support - the day has finally arrived.
Told you it was wet
Made the paper!
From this morning’s Guwahati Telegraph
One crazy day!
Where do we start? Pelting down all night - flooded the streets outside. Made the taxi ride to the airport ‘interesting’ to say the least!
Crazy driver No. 1 - 40 min trip to the airport on flooded roads that should have taken 60 mins. Flooded roads - no problem; just carry on regardless. Traffic - no problem; just lean on your horn non-stop. Oh - and we’ll give a copper a ride too so all will be kosher!
Flight from Kolkata to Guwahati (Assam) delayed 4 hours due to weather - don’t tell us that the departure gate had changed at the last minute - we were waiting patiently where the screen said AND the gate sign said….but oh no - we were leaving from another gate weren’t we. Why don’t you tell folks eh!? Just made the flight.
Crazy driver No. 2 - from Guwahati to Shillong (3 hrs); by the way, it’s extra for air con people! This guy was seriously insane - don’t know how we made it in one piece. Strangely, I was not concerned at all - Lynt was - but I think we had experienced worse last time in India.
Anyway, safe and sound at Cafe Shillong B & B now.
We meet the 'beastie’ tomorrow!
Victoria Memorial - stunning domed building which housed the history of Calcutta as the capital of India under the British Raj
Beautiful architecture in Kolkata back streets
Flooded roads - no problemo - just power through them
The Grand Tour
Weather was threatening so decided to hire a driver for the day (under AUD$30) and get out and about. Some stunning places - wide boulevards, Eden Gardens Cricket Ground (holds 120,000), Victoria Memorial (magnificent building and museum), some amazing old buildings - and on the flip side, the City of Joy (one of the world’s worst slums) under the Howrah Bridge on the banks of the Hooghly River - very very confronting. Chatted to a couple of local girls at a large temple/ashram complex who were disciples of a branch of Hinduism that preaches tolerance and appreciation of all the world’s religions - now isn’t that a great idea!!!!! Visited a Jain temple where they do not even step on ants - the well-known swastika symbol appears at the entrance to their temples - means ‘happiness’ - how did that become such a universal symbol of hatred and fear?
The Silver Foxes are popular with the locals - mums and dads wanted to take photos of us with their kids - very sweet!
The colours of India are spectacular
Waiting to pray and leave an offering
The Hooghly River is a tributary of the holy Ganges - it is on its last journey before entering the Bay of Bengal…….BUT here there is also a concentration of E. coli that would permanently close beaches in Australia - yet, locals bathe (and fully immerse themselves), wash clothes (and clean their teeth!), take water home - they put our constitutions to shame!
This guy was sculpting a bust of a father/grandfather of 2 clients who were patiently sitting watching his workmanship. He uses mud to mould over a tied grass inner base. Incredible talent. Perhaps an idea for our departed loved ones so that they can sit permanently on our mantelpieces??!!
Kolkata Kapers
Hooked up with McLynt in Kuala Lumpur and jetted off to Kolkata. Worst flight ever - packed in like sardines and turbulence OMG!! Barfing to the right of us, barfing to the left of us.......
Forgot how confronting India can be - the midnight taxi dash from the airport to our digs was a revelation to say the least - red lights....what are they? Do trucks have headlights.....? Pariah dogs all over the place, people sleeping wherever they can.
Most of the day was sorting out telco sim cards and wifi dongle for the Run - love the red tape/paperwork in India.
Visited the South Park (appropriate) Street Cemetery which was just amazing - throwback to the British Raj and East India Company of the 1700s; all Brits buried here in very elaborate, bright green moss-covered tombs. Some of the inscriptions are interesting to say the least...'highly thought of by the Europeans and Natives'!!!
Beer o'clock!
Tis not all beer and skittles
Check out the Kate Moss!
Media tarts!
Our little 'jaunt' has made the news
[enter link description here](http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/epic-journey-across-india-for-heart-disease-cash-20150726-gik4mk)
C'mon! The next one is in January 2016
Now think about it - what's the worst that can happen?
You get trampled by a heffalump!
You become hopelessly bogged on one of India's major highways
Your faithful charger falls head over wheels in love with a Jeep!
Or you suffer from uneven weight distribution over the rear wheels - thanks Brucey!
Not so squeezy!
Just an indication as to the traffic we have to contend with.
Feel a bit vulnerable?
